I’m way past due for an update on our puppy! We brought Andrew home on New Year’s Eve. I’ve already posted about where he came from and how we got him, so now I just want to follow up on that.

He’s been an amazingly good, easy puppy. NOTHING has been chewed except his toys, our hands and arms, and a couple of cords that were lying too close to his toys. Right from the start we’ve been able to do our own thing while he lies on his bed chewing the things he’s supposed to. We never had to hide our shoes. There were a few potty incidents but he’s got that all figured out now! He’s had all his adult teeth for several weeks, so we think he probably was at least four months old when we got him and is probably at least six and a half or seven months old now. He’s very food motivated and responds really well to his name and to “come”, and he learned sit, down, and “spin” easily. He’s starting beginning obedience class this week!

At first, we kept him in his crate when we couldn’t keep an eye on him, and he was very good about going right in and staying calm and quiet, but recently we’ve been just leaving him out in the house — the longest period he’s been alone has been six hours — and he’s done wonderfully. We’re about ready to put the crate away!

He’s been very sweet with all people and especially loves kids and licking toddlers’ faces (yay!). There have been some issues with snarling and snapping at dogs but he’s played very well with puppies about his age on our most recent dog park trips. He doesn’t run away when he’s loose (after one scary episode early on when he made it a couple of blocks away) and he jumps right in the car for trips now. He does a lot of barking and some digging, but hey, he’s a dog.

Looking at these pictures, I realize how much he’s grown! He weighed 19 pounds when we got him and weighs about 39 pounds now. I’ve always liked really big dogs, but I’m finding his size right now to be pretty great.

The day he arrived from Texas:

Shortly after we got him, when my pregnancy was at 16 weeks:

After we started bringing him onto the bed. He still sleeps up there with us, and loves to snuggle:

In his crate:

In his funny puppy sleeping poses:

In the yard:

In the house:

On a walk:

First time at the beach:

Practicing for Hannukah next year:

When my parents and his Auntie Luna visited:

Visiting with his Great Grandma and Luna in Port Townsend:

Some other pictures:

In the yard, recently: