| Trixie at Three Months Trixie is now exactly 3 months old; she stands 15" tall (shoulder to floor) and weighs 15.2lbs. During the four weeks she has lived with us, she has changed our household quite a bit. We doggy-proofed our house, removed our best rugs, and fenced off the living and dining rooms. On the floor there are chewed-on rawhides, balls, soft animal toys, and several towels. She likes to carry them around, sleeps on them, and uses them as security blankets. She loves to roll around with her hippopotamus; sometimes she stops and shakes it wildly like captured prey. In the morning after breakfast she is the most active. She tugs on my morning coat and lets me know, It's time to play! One of her favorite toys is a tennis ball with a handle. I am supposed to throw it down our hallway. She starts to run, jumps, and slides the last part like a baseball pro on the smooth surface of the wooden floor. She grabs the handle, runs back, and jumps on my lap. She has already learned if she doesn't let me have the ball, we can't play. The best "toys," however, are our shoes. Just a second ago I heard a thumping noise. When I went to investigate, I found Trixie's head disappearing in one of my husbands slippers; he left them on the floor before going shopping. Trixie loves to cuddle and usually follows us from room to room -- sometimes so close, that we don't notice her. When we call her, she walks right in front of us with a look that seems to say: "Are humans dumb or what?" During the night she still sleeps next to our bed, or more correctly, she slips under it. For two nights we put her into her kennel. She did not cry, yet she made so much noise rummaging around in that plastic box, that we gave up and let her sleep without it. For about a week she has made it through the night. She doesn't relieve herself in the house anymore, except when we don't notice her near the back door indicating that she has to go out. Like our former dog, Trixie is a finicky eater. If she doesn't like something, she doesn't eat it. Yesterday I added two spoons of soft puppy food to her diet, and she cleaned the plate as never before. We started puppy class last Tuesday. Compared to other pups, she has a moderate temperament. She gets along with the other puppies without being frightened or bossy. Our teacher works with the help of goodies, which really makes teaching so much easier. We worked on the commands "down" and "come." Since Trixie doesn't have all her shots, we only walk her on our street and in the development next to us. To get there we have to go a short distance on a country road. So far I have carried her to protect her from diseases that deer and coyotes might bring. The second time we went on our outing to the neighborhood, she lay down at exactly the same spot from which I had carried her the previous day. With her weight constantly increasing, I cannot wait for her last shot on Wednesday so we can take her with us most of the time. |