Thursday, August 7, 2008

My Baby is Growing Up

My little pup,Orion, had a growth spurt while i was out of town! I didn't think it was possible, but he's gained weight & gotten longer! They say they don't stay babies forever & now i can see what they mean! Small Fry is going to be 14 weeks old tomorrow!

We have been teaching O-town (as i like to call him) a few things all dogs need to know to make it in this big bad world. Obviously, the potty is outside. He's done really well with this. I think he might grow to teach some other OLDER dogs a thing or two.

He's also been learning a "trick"... sit. I think he has a real grasp on that. If he can perform the command in the midst of chaos with the other dogs running around for treats, i think he's doing well. He does know where the treats are kept, but he hasn't become a "Jake" (always barking for moremoremore).

One of the harder challenges we have with Orion is climbing stairs in the house. He mastered going up the steps on the deck & front porch, but hasn't gone down them. In the house, he hadn't gone up or down the stairs at all. He would just stand at each platform & whine to be picked up. If we didn't carry him along with us, he'd just find a place to lay on that floor & sleep.

Today we had a breakthrough! He climbed the steps without Aaron & I even being around. We had been trying to get him to climb a few at the top when the other dogs were upstairs so he'd do anything to play with them. It finally paid off! All of the sudden, he was there playing at our feet. Aaron looks at me & asks if i brought him upstairs.

HUH? i didn't even know he was downstairs.

So, he climbed up all by himself. It's a big day for this little tyke. Now if only i could figure out how he's going to learn the going down part. He has yet to tackle that anywhere... i think he has a fear of heights. It's a long way down the little guy!

And for those of you about to suggest a trail of treats down the stairs, it won't work. I tried that one... he's a smart cookie!


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