Thanks, Dexter

Yesterday was one of the best days in my life.

He mastered the Scary Slick Stairs, performed a beautiful WAIT for his dinner even after I left him alone (and watched from the kitchen window), the weather was perfect, and we got lots done together.

Oh, and I had a gin&tonic, a nap, got work done for my buddy's project, etc.

Today was good, although the tally of mosquito bites from yest turned out quite high.

Finished the four 4x4' raised bed enclosures for my square-foot garden, had a successful vet visit, and got good tips from her on where to go next in training. Vet: "It's never too early to start training. You can't expect him to take a one-hour training session, but 30 2-minutes sessions are OK." I agree completely.

So, we started learning SIT today.

Too bad about the mess in the car, though...

But really, thanks, Dexter, for everything. For every minute. Even the ones I spend cleaning up your yak or pee. The needle-tooth cut on my index finger. The allergy meds, as I adjust. The 6am pee breaks, and the standing-in-the-rain ones.

But of course, for the adorable rolling around on your back, biting the sock chew toy moments. And the wanting to always be near me. And the kisses and tail wags and cuddles. The chasing-your-tail fall-overs. The bounding through the grass when I call. The sleeping underneath my chair, and nibbling my beard with puppy-submissive-love. The splaying-your-legs when I rub your tummy, "ohhhh that feels so good don't ever stop!". The mostly self-taught housebroken behavior. The preference for peeing on the linoleum, when you mess up. The social skills from being born in a house with 2 inside dogs, 8 outside dogs, 3 horses, 2 small children, 5 adults, and a cat. The attentive desire to please me. The sleeping near me, so neither of us are alone. The giving me space, when I'm not alone.  The ear-flipped-up, Billie Holiday impression. 

Everything.