Coming Soon....: April 2011

Sleepy boy :)

Chewie has been in our lives now for almost a month. He turned 4 months old on the 19th, and I'm pretty sure he's gotten bigger. I might be crazy, but I always think he looks a little taller or bulkier than when I last saw him (yes, even though I see him every day!).

A little size comparison, this was a week or two ago (?I can't remember)

For the first couple of weeks Chewie was obsessed with the carpets. We're assuming that over the years enough has been spilled on these carpets that there were maybe some buried goodies. Anyway, he'd try his hardest to nibble and take a bite out of it!

We've learned some of his quirks along the way, but I'll share a lot of pictures here as well. It has been tough to get some great pictures since he is always moving! I swear, he will be out like a light in his bed and the second anyone moves he perks up. I've tried a few distractions that didn't quite work (you'll see in a second), so I've succumbed to using flash for a lot of these. Not the best quality in pictures, but it works for now.

Puppy in motion! This bone comes out at meal time to keep him away from begging

Watching me take photos of the spring snowfall

Chewie LOVES his toys! This was something we were told the day he first came for a visit. It has grown since then, and he frequently tries (and sometimes succeeds) in putting two toys in his mouth at a time. In the list of things I wish I could photograph about the puppy, this is probably #2 (of a top 5 or so).

The first toy we bought for Chewie (before he even arrived!)

I don't care if this makes me a horrible puppy mommy, it was cute!

#1 on that list would definitely be the way he runs around the furniture. It's hard to explain without drawing a diagram of our living space. I don't have that much ambition right now though. Basically he goes into hyper speed mode and SPRINTS around the dining room table, behind the couch, around the coffee table, and around the big chair, making a speedy path around the space. While doing this he is usually carrying his favorite toy, a stuffed elephant my coworkers gifted. It's hilarious to watch, you'll just have to trust me :).

That's his elephant at the bottom of the photo

First bath - Skinny puppy!

Training has been going pretty well for what we can do at this time. He is doing GREAT at potty training. We are crate training him, and he has always been able to make it through the night without dirtying his crate. During the day when we aren't at home he is locked into the kitchen and never does his business in there. When we are home we just keep a close eye on him. We've learned his signal that he's gotta go. He will sit at the top of the steps, and just stare. As long as we pay attention to those times and take him out at reasonable intervals, we're good! He has really only had a handful of accidents total since he came here, so I don't think we can take all of the credit for how well he is doing.

In the morning Chewie just sits here while I get my jacket on and everything waiting for when I'm ready to take him outside.

Other than potty training, he has definitely learned his name and the word "off" (although could use some work on that one). I decided before a dog came that I didn't want him to be on the furniture. While I would really like to have him up and cuddle on the couch with me sometimes, I just think it can lead to bad habits otherwise. He will start puppy kindergarten next month and that's when we'll work more on the "sit" "stay" and other things.