Nori: Week 13

Hey Puppy;

You've gotten so much bigger in the last two weeks (what the hell do you mean, you're 20 lbs?) plus the majority of your puppy fur has disappeared to be replaced by this sleek black outercoat that will see you through your entire life. You're still soft and cuddly but I will miss your downy puppy fur.

I miss this!


Now that you've hit the three month mark AND you've got your third set of boosters, we have a narrow window of opportunity to accustom you to everything and anything. In kinderpuppy class, we were told that dogs are expert discriminators. It's true. You seem to have developed some discriminating tastes suddenly. When we first got you, you loved everybody. Now, you actually bark and GROWL. (Of course, it's the cutest little growl on the planet.)

Currently, on your big list of "People and Things to Kill":
1. Sean
2. Men with dreads on bikes
3. People who use canes to walk around
4. Strollers & baby carriages
5. Toddlers who are wearing snowsuits with pointy hoods
6. Children running loudly down an alleyway (freaks you right out)
7. People who bark at you before letting you sniff them
8. Lawyers

According to your trainer, we pretty much have to invite the United Nations over to our house for dinner in order to ensure that you won't grow up to be a racist. Oy. Unfortunately, we don't see many Hasidic men around, so you might come off as an anti-semite if we ever meet one in the park. If we don't see one soon, we might have to get Dan to play dress up. He once dressed up as Risto, so I'm sure he'll oblige this time too.




You've gone to puppy daycare twice already and you seem to love it. Plus it makes you sleep for the next 12 hours out of sheer exhaustion (awesome).

Last Thursday, you played all day with Henry and Thor. When I came to pick you up, they told me you were "getting it from both ends". Nice. It's awesome that you held your own and when I picked you up, you had both ears still intact. I was a little worried. (Okay, I was "a lot" worried but I got over it - at least I didn't sneak in to daycare during the middle of the day to check on you like my mom would have)

Our first kinderpuppy class was great. You were definitely the most advanced pup in that class but also the one that made other owners the most nervous as you systematically sought out each dog to give them a sniff and a chase. Plus it didn't help that you were the biggest puppy there.

Your current repetoire of words include "Nori!", "Yes!", "sit", "down", "stand", "paw" and "other paw". You're starting to get the hang of "Off", "leave it", "fetch" and "come". You used to be really good at "come". These days, you spend a few seconds thinking about whether you FEEL like coming over or not. But when you do, it's an amazing sight. You leap and bounce so joyfully over to us and when you reach us, you're a big wiggly pile of licking dog.



Now, if only we can get you to pee where you're supposed to pee...

....and when you do pee where you're supposed to pee....

STOP. STEPPING. ON. IT.