I was really curious when we started this journey how the kids would react to having a dog in the house. Its been amazing watching them with Tandy, learning with him as he grows. He is a companion to them now, my oldest (9) reads on the couch and with a foot or hand draping over the edge pets and caresses Tandy as he reads. My youngest (almost 7) goes to Tandy when she is sad or upset using him as a pillow or a friend to talk to. He fits in here, aiding us all with constant companionship, like dogs do. This is new to our animal less family. Okay we had rats and a guinea pig and an aquarium, but not the same as a 70lb mammal who can warm your feet, be a pillow, a friend to talk to, cure boredom and make walking enjoyable. This journey has brought more to our lives then anything we have ever done as a family. These next few months left with him are going to be interesting and fulfilling as ever, and who knows maybe we will do it again..?

Happy dog!

Nutty puppy!

We woke up today and Tandy was jumping through the roof! Literally, jumped on to the couch and tried jumping like a kid on a trampoline! I took him out to "hurry hurry" and he was spinning around in circles trying to dart off the leash. So we packed him up and took him to the dog park to release some energy! Boy did that work, i vowed not to leave until he was more tired than tired. Luckily he found another retriever to go nuts with and some other labs, funny how all the retrievers stuck together! We tried to get him in the car after but he just plopped down on the ground under the car refusing to move, i had to lift his 71lb body into the car! Crazy pup!

Yesterday after walking to the library in the smoggy heat he just crashed on the floor like a big baby and let all the toddlers mall him to pieces! So funny to watch toddler yelling "doggie" across the room and coming for him patting him. Just what he has to get used to.

The kids and i are going camping next week so we will have more room in the car with out Papa so we are going to take him, we bought him a one person tent to sleep in! Haha..should be interesting!

Dog good byes..?

How do you say good bye to a dog? After dropping Tandy off at the puppy sitter again today i started to think about this. The kids hugged him and i pet him and turned around and left. but what does he know? What are dogs capable of thinking or sensing? I have no clue, i really don't know a lot about dogs, but i do know the day is fast approaching when Tandy goes back to the kennel at NSD and we have to say our final good byes. The kids and i were talking about this on the way home, wondering what we can do when we know it is time to give him back. We will ahve to come up with some kind of ritual that makes us feel good while being with him, like having a picnic at the dog park? hahaha I don't know...tears are welling in my eyes just thinking about it, thinking about how i have never loved a dog and now i have gone and done it, fell in love with a frisky puppy that is not even mine.

Puppy break

Still hot around here, summer has hit full force. We went camping last week and left Tandy with a puppy sitter, there is no way we could fit him and all our gear and kids in the car! He did well, although he had a bout of vomiting while there, must have ate something bad. I am feeling better about things, maybe all i needed was a little break from him.

We brought him to the pool yesterday, the kids swam and he wore his coat on the side in the shade with me. He seemed hot and i thought it would be funny if he dove in and swam around!

He is shedding like crazy, i vacuum one day and the next hair is everywhere, maybe i should brush him more? is this why people brush dogs? it must be nice to be brushed and have some hair removed..i try to think like a dog sometimes and think what he would like...but i am human in the end..haha

Sweaty days..

We are having a severe heatwave here, while its nice it at times, it makes dealing with a puppy difficult. He has been lying by the fan pretty much for the last few days, we go for walks in the evenings when dark. I am feeling like i am not training him as much as i should be, but i am so hot that i don't want to touch him, he is a heat box himself with all that fur. I guess raising a puppy has its ups and downs, and i am in a bit of a low right now, hoping that i am doing this right, training him well and giving him enough time.

Tandy's first swim!!

Cottage pup!

This past week we took the family, including Tandy to Tobermory to the cottage. We had to pack a bit lighter to fit him in the back, but it worked out and we made it there. He did really well in the car with the little space that he had, we stopped a couple times and ran around with the kids. When we pulled up to the cottage and got out i had planned that i would open the back of the car and let Tandy go and see what happens! We are new to this leash free stuff, learning to trust him more and more off of it. The cottage is surrounded by trees and land so when i opened the door after the 4hour drive he jumped out and sat by my feet, looking at me, i told him to go ahead and pointed around, he darted off and ran around in circles like the crazy puppy he is! It felt so good to watch him be free after being so cramped up in the back!

We could not bring his crate with us so i was a little worried about night time, but we brought his blanket and he slept on the floor between the kids bunk beds and did great.

The other thing i was so excited for to watch him do was swim and boy did he swim! We brought and aqua kong and threw it in the water, he ran right in and swam like a pro got the kong and brought it back to us and dropped it at our feet! It was so awesome, he is a real Retriever!! Ha! He swam and wandered and swam and wandered, running through the forests and on the rocks of Tobermory, he was the happiest dog i have ever seen (i have not seen or watched many dogs!) It really made me love him and love having a dog around to play with and explore with...i never thought they could be so fun.

We took him into town with us as well, we went to a museum and a restaurant and the grocery store. Mainly because we did not want to leave him alone at the cottage and also because, well, we can! That is the benefit of a service puppy i guess.

Now we are home, all are tired, including Tandy who spent all day at home today sleeping after a tiring and exciting week of freedom and outdoors...man do i love summer time with a dog!