Puzzle had a few rendezvous to start the year. We tried to have sniffy walks or off-leash play before each date so he could sleep through the afternoon after. Having some responsibility for the next generation of PADS superheroes took a lot out of him!
One day, PADS Toast and PADS Nova III joined us for a mall walk. It was a treat to watch advanced dogs in action. They have their strengths, and things they are working to improve, just like Puzzle. Everyone was rewarded with a trail walk, where Puzzle demonstrated some of his best off-leash behaviour to date (never mind that his on-leash entrance into the park needs work).
Our idea of a tropical vacation on Blue Monday was a trip to Bloedel Conservatory. Human kept a close eye on Puzzle to keep the fish and mice safe. Puzzle kept a close eye on human to keep the plants safe. Then we left the warm oasis for a sniffy walk in the park, where the frost was so thick, that Puzzle thought it was snow.
He had a change of scenery for a few days, staying with a sitter. He impressed the sitter with his excellent house manners (whew, our hard work to improve those paid off). He even received compliments from passengers on the Skytrain when he was able to ignore a barking dog and remain engaged with the sitter.
Being a new year, we had to settle into a routine. Puzzle lays quietly in the mornings, and some evenings, while human works or participates in online meetings. He became a regular, quiet observer of group fitness classes, so human could participate or teach. We even had strangers in our home, performing noisy maintenance tasks, like annual fire alarm testing.
Many busy days ended with a snooze in front of the fireplace. One must wonder, why do we spend so much money on dog beds?
Submitted by: Gwen
Photos below…
Submitted by: Shelley, PADS Puppy in Training Sitter
