Pupdate (Geddit?) (OT)

Butters doing his best Lon Chaney impression on the basement stairs

After the epic poop post the other day (sorry if that was a bit much, but believe me, it was much worse for me than it was for you!), people have been asking how the puppy's doing.

The answer: Splendidly! He is the finest of fellows, and we are over the moon about him. He has completed four hours of obedience school and is an absolute star: he can touch with no command at all—even if he has to jump in the air to do it!*—and he can lie down with a hip roll on a verbal or a visual command. This skill got shown off to the class.

In dog poop news (now there's a phrase I've never typed before), he's completed a 5-day course of medication for Giardia, and I think Tuesday was a breakthrough day in potty training: I think we got the idea across decisively that outside on the grass is a consequence-free place to "eliminate" (in the term used by the potty-training manual). If he's on to the idea, he'll have it; this is one very sharp K-9.

I often look up from shooting pool in the basement to see Butters standing on the stairs (where he's not allowed) staring intently at me. He's a very companionable fellow, and wants to be with us whenever he can.

He's also just incredibly dear and very affectionate. He and Lulu play often, ranging in intensity from a full-out chase around the house to a downright affectionate, lazy companionability—they'll sometimes just lie there, one with a paw on the other. The funniest thing they do is when they play tug-of-war. Butters sometimes just gives up (an impulse I completely sympathize with, having lost a great many tug-of-war battles to Lulu myself) and flops to the floor. But he doesn't let go of the tug-toy. Lulu then slowly and rather gently tugs his gangly limp body across the floor, sometimes out of my office, across the hall, and halfway across the living room. It's hilarious.

So all is well with Mr. B.!

Mike

*Xander and I will make and post a video in due course. Butters is becoming a Zen master of the touch command.

Original contents copyright 2014 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Bill Pierce: "Mike, we need to see puppy pics. Journalism, documentary, landscape, conceptual and abstract, people portraits—all of these kneel before the puppy portrait."

Chuck Albertson: "TOP—where I go for the straight poop."

Paul Richardson: "You know what? I consider this to be the most uplifting thing I've read in days, if not longer. I just turned 60, or LX, as I like to think of it, and maybe that has something to do with my mood. At any rate, I think I'll go home and sit with my dog."

Comments

[Stephen Scharf]

Wonderful! Thanks so much for the update.

Butters must be quite the dog (and gentleman)!

I'm envious and you are very lucky to have such a loving companion.

Funny, literally as I am writing this, my companion cat Lucky (who has been featured at TOP), woke up, came over and gave me a nice cat rub.

He's every bit as psychic as I've known him to be...he must be tuning into my animal story happiness vibe.

[Bryce Lee]

"In dog poop news (now there's a phrase I've never typed before), "

actually Mike all news is dog poop!

[Chris]

To be fair, Bill, I remember being told in college one time just how much pet photographers get paid at large scale shoes like Westminister. It was many, many multiples of my college costs...

[Yvonne]

I'm looking forward to that video! Miss having a dog.

[Ann]

Butters sounds as though he is settling in nicely. Is he part lab? Labs are the most cheerful, loving and adaptable dogs. Looking forward to seeing the video!

[Hi Ann, We don't know, but I'm going to guess he is half lab. And probably a quarter pittie. The rest might be some sort of spotted dog, because he has a few very pale spots. --Mike]

[Jock Elliott]

To paraphrase from a National Geo special on dogs: "Our relationship with dogs is simply the best deal mankind has ever made." Our two dachshunds and our family agree.

[R. Edelman]

A few decades ago, when relations between the US and the USSR began to thaw (oh, for the "good old days"), some American tourists returned infected with Giardia. They were said to have the "trotskies".

[psmith]

When I saw K-9 I thought Pentax had brought out a new Dslr. Then I realised you were talking about poochies. We just got a 14 month old Aussie Bulldog. House trained yes, but 37kgs with a puppy mindset. Eek! He is cute as though and, like yours, he's settling in well. It's even got my wife into photography again - she took this one with our K-5 and 43mm lens (which is permanently on the camera): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B18SA7LGdV5AaUtlT1lqN1huV0E/edit?usp=sharing

[Steve G, Mendocino]

Mike:

Saturday, Schmatterday... puppy picks don't count.

[Herman]

Fido -

[Bruce Robbins]

The image of Buttars being dragged across the floor is hilarious! My three bichon frise pals (from the top, Maggie, Molly and Hamish):

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zj6UkYmu8MQ/UkHNsoc869I/AAAAAAAAHiY/5LH1_-mV7SI/s1600/dogsettee.jpg

[ann]

He looks great, as does Fido!

[Bob Rosinsky]

He's just buttering you up so he'll be allowed to hang out in the billiards parlor. By the way, don't you agree two dogs are better than one?

[I do. They're great together. --Mike]

[Les Myers]

Been there, done that with Giradia- with the dog, I mean. I empathize with canine and master.