Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Posted: 30 Nov 2009 08:26 AM PST

We had a great holiday weekend with Miles the grand dog. Miles got together with Alice and Tyrone for several hikes up on Boston Hill and we followed most of the recommendations I made for a safe holiday with our dogs and cats. We did manage to lose Miles's dog tag with all his contact information. Not sure how that happened, but Claire is going to have to deal with that back in the ABQ.

I noticed that Miles got a few hand outs around the dining room table on Thursday but not too many. He didn't skip a beat and it's obvious he is well house-trained. I was surprised at how well he could hold it. I took him out for a walk one evening before bed and he didn't do anything. He slept with us that night and the next morning he did his business first thing. He has a big bladder.

Miles was a little put off by all the hubbub on Thanksgiving day. We had eighteen people over for an excellent pot luck dinner and the poor dog was a little leery of all those humans. He would run off into one of the rooms off the kitchen if things got too busy for his tastes but all in all he did a very good job putting up with us.

I gave him some good lessons walking on a lead without pulling. He's a big boy now, almost eighty pounds and still not a year old yet. If he wanted to, he could pull me off my feet. Whenever he got rambunctious with me and started to pull. I'd simply stop. Fun over until the lead was loose and he was walking at my side. He got lots of praise for walking with me on a loose leash and by this morning he was doing a lot better. Claire will have to maintain that strategy with consistency back home.

One thing I did notice is that he needs more exercise.

Claire is in her third year of law school and she spends most of her time studying. While Miles is not fat, he is one click over ideal on my body condition chart. He has a slight layer of sub Q fat over his rib cage. I'd like to see a hint of rib during this critical phase of his development. I don't want him coming down with any hip or shoulder problems in the future.

He's going to head home today over snowy Emory pass and back up the Rio Grand Valley to Albuquerque. I'm going to miss him. He's such a good puppy and we've really enjoyed spending time with him. He met Chris each morning at the top of the stairs to our bedroom. I could hear the greeting. Chris is going to miss him most of all.

"No one is ever that happy to see me in the morning," she would remark.

I can't tell whether that comment was about the joy of a loving dog or a possible dig at yours truly.