Puppy walking

An adventure in looking after a puppy until it is old enough to be properly trained as a guide dog for the blind.

Saturday, December 31, 2005

Happy new year's eve!

I watched as Rockwell went out for his morning constitutional. I didn’t go with him initially because it is -16C with a windchill of -24C. As he bent his back legs to pee, I saw he was right beside the large flower pot and as he stood there, suddenly he lifted the hind leg nearest to the flower pot. Maybe his foot was getting wet due to the angle of the stream of urine or maybe he just wanted to get closer to the flower pot. But this is the first time I’ve seen him lift a leg. Now, I don’t think it can really be “marking” behaviour because he is the only dog IN that little yard. But his testicles are getting bigger and it could be only a matter of time.

7 Comments:

At 4:18 p.m., December 31, 2005, Blogger IndyPindy said...

To lift, or not to lift, that is the question.

Whether 'tis nobler to wee in one spot, or to wee into the slings and arrows of the wind...

I'll stop now...

 
At 6:17 p.m., December 31, 2005, Blogger JuliaR said...

Ha ha! It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye... or a testicle, I suppose. Or both of them.

 
At 7:41 p.m., December 31, 2005, Blogger Hobbes Dogs said...

Calvin is at the same stage physically, though no leg-lifting yet. I'm hoping to get permission to have him neutered in the next month before any habits develop ... we shall see.

 
At 4:31 a.m., January 01, 2006, Blogger Ayatollah Mugsy said...

After a brief leg-lifting phase as a pup, I went back to simple squatting. It's much cleaner that way. And cleanliness is next to Godliness. Please let me know if I can offer any spiritual guidance to Rockwell.

 
At 1:41 p.m., January 01, 2006, Blogger Freda said...

Hey Rockwell,

With temps that cold I might consider swallowin' my pride and tryin' one of those cat toilets called a litter box. If no one is watchin' what's the dif. Ya know? And you stay nice and warm.

How do you cope on days like that when you can't check your pee mail? I HAVE to check every day. I don't get to meet many dogs so I need that pee mail.

Woof!

Freda

 
At 3:00 p.m., January 01, 2006, Blogger JuliaR said...

Calvin, I’ll be talking with the guide dog people soon so we’ll see what they say. I don’t know what is the “usual” age at which dogs get neutered but, as I’ve said before... “it’s not my dog!”

Mugsy, I think Rockwell is okay for guidance. Interesting because soon, he will be the one guiding.

Freda, I think the pee mail works fine even in the cold. I see Rockwell checking the other bits of yellow snow, so he must be able to smell something!

 
At 1:30 p.m., January 07, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't help but gape at the size of Rockwell~~ he is getting so rangy!

While Jessie is just too heavy, and we have cut her back to two cups a day plus 1/2 a can of green beans or mixed vegs, we see no great slimming of her waistline.

She had a sleepover with her grand-
daughter last night as we had to go to Moncton to a funeral and has been sleeping ever since she came home. I hear they spent a lot of time running around the property over there. Also that Kaya (grand daughter) mimics everything Jessie does, so I hope that Kaya will soon behave as well as Jessie! She is sweet, but in my humble opinion could use a little stricter discipline when she gets inside the house?

I suppose youthful puppiness is exuberant, but it can be tiring to older adults! Luckily, Jessie knows when to quit!

Rockwell is going to a huge handsome fellow, even if his testicles are getting bigger. Will he be allowed to keep them?

 

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