Oakley #4 Black Labrador Retriever Mix 3 Months Old ID #2918
March 16, 2021
With the time change he is waking up at better times (for me) to go to the bathroom and eat breakfast. He cycles through various moods, ranging from snuggly (esp. after he eats his breakfast) to pesky (when he finds things, including our toes, that he shouldn’t chew on) to hints of better behavior when he settles with a bone or a chew toy.
He has started pulling harder when on the leash with a flat collar, to the point that he makes himself wheeze or cough. I have started working on “heel” with him and he picked up looking at me very quickly when we walk, but his attention span is only a few minutes at a time. He would definitely benefit from a harness on the walks.
We got a duck/platypus toy for him yesterday, and he loved it. It is half his size, and the squeaker is loud and easy to find. He was moving too quickly to get a picture of him with it!
March 8, 2021
Oakley had been with us a week, and is still as adorable as ever.
He is serving as an eye opener to the human siblings (ages 8 and 12) about how much work it is taking care of a puppy. But he is a fun puppy to take care of – he handles 20 – 30-minute walks in the neighborhood with ease, and often still has energy for some running around in the backyard. I think he will enjoy being with an active family. The kids are also working with him to practice new commands, and are working to teach him “down”.
Oakley is very food motivated – both for his kibble and for treats such as yogurt, bananas and apples. He would like to chew on everything (stinky shoes are his favorite) but we are working with him on drop it and leave it. Having a food treat helps him remember, and he can be redirected to a bone or stuffy. He hasn’t dismembered any squeaky toys yet.
He had a few nights of waking up at 2 am to go potty, but for the past few nights has shifted to 5 or 6. He can sometimes be convinced to go back to sleep, but it doesn’t last too long as he is hungry for breakfast. He goes into his crate easily if we toss in some kibble. He does crash at night by 8, even if we try to keep him awake longer to move the morning later. He likes his dog bed, but can also fall asleep under a chair.
This weekend he got to play with an 80-pound Bernese mountain dog and had a blast. He is small enough that he can almost walk under her belly! He would greet her and then back away and then come back up to play. She was very gentle and patient with his youthful antics.
We are all excited for the upcoming warmer weather. Oakley has done great with adjusting from Mississippi weather to the snow and cold, but he has figured out it is easier to run in the grass than on the snow (less slippery too!). He enjoys laying in the sunshine and soaking up the warmth into his black fur.
March 1, 2021
Today (day 3) Oakley got two walks in the neighborhood and several play times in the backyard. He is learning his name and we played a game in the snow (to make it even more tiring!) to call him back and forth. He also likes to chase a tennis ball. All in the name of tuckering him out. He crashes after each play time, but after 30-45 minutes he is ready to play again. His 8-year-old human sibling is also teaching him sit and down.
We continued to take him outside to potty after every nap and about every hour if he’s been awake, and there were no pee accidents in the house again today. When he is in his crate and needs to go, he will bark, which is helpful!
February 28, 2021
Day 2 for Oakley went well. He is very sweet, with quintessential puppy eyes. He liked to fall asleep with us right next to the crate, but then we didn’t hear from him until about 6 am this morning. And he kept the crate dry! He complained a bit more about going back to sleep after the potty break, but eventually did with me sitting next to the crate, and then got up around 7:30 for breakfast when the human kids appeared.
The snow froze overnight, and it was very slippery this morning. Oakley looked like Bambi on ice this morning as he tried to move around on it.
We have been taking him outside to go to the bathroom every time after a nap or if he has been out of the crate for an hour, and there was no inside peeing today. Yay!
He goes into his crate willingly. We discovered that he likes to rearrange his blankets in the crate – at first, we thought he was chewing on them, but then we realized he likes to pull them over and lay on the bumpy parts.
February 27, 2021
Oakley (sibling to Cody https://brooklinelabrescue.org/blog/cody-13-black-labrador-retriever-mix-male-11-weeks-old-id-2915/) has had a long day, with lots of new experiences. After the ride up from Mississippi, he got in our car for the next leg. Once home, he investigated the snow and then checked out the inside of the house. He sniffed out the unopened bag of his food very quickly, and then sat down right next to it (so, quick learner and food motivated?)
After a bath it was nap time next to the wood stove and then he had a walk through the neighborhood. He (and we) will work on potty training – he will pee outside if we time it right, but we were not quick enough a couple times. He loves the birthday cake stuffy and fleece rope from Brookline!
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