I'm Beautiful!!

Funny thing,  I don't think he even knows how beautiful he is!

Strider likes to lie on the rug in the hall.

I think he decorates up the house just by his presence! 

Finally, Strider is better about:

Not chewing up everything, every minute.

Not being so sneaky that I need to keep my eye on him constantly.

Not trying to get the cats to play with him all the time (much to their annoyance).

So, I can let him out and about the house more.

We went to a Dog Park!!

Strider loved it from the beginning!  He just ran and frolicked! 

We took Strider for his first Doggy Socialization Class.  Held by Dog Trainer Dick Russell.

It is a fenced in field where the dog owners walk continuously around the field counter clockwise and the dogs run free.  It helps them be used to different people and dogs.  And all off leash.

This is an excerpt from Dick Russells web site:  " Sat., and Sunday, I conduct my Large Field Socialization Class.  If six dogs show up or if sixty show up, it matters not to me.  We turn them all loose in five and a half acres of pasture.  They run, they shoulder bump, they jump over one another, they scoot under one another, they challenge one another to play and they discover the big mud hole on the back of my property and all dive in.  They come away from the day having learned to read the dogs' language of body signals.  They become truer to the nature of the dog, which is a social creature."

Strider loved the freedom to just run and sniff everything!

He walked with other people sometimes.

Mostly, though, he just ran and ran.

All Wet Dog!

There is a small pond or mud hole in the back.  Strider loved it!  

Me and Dick Russell.  Do you see the thing I am holding?  It is a whip.  He saw me come into the field cowering behind my husband (I am terrified of unrestrained dogs!) and he came over and gave me one of his whips. He said "use it if any dog scares you".  He must have had a chuckle at me.  The dogs were not interested in me in the least!   He has them to use if necessary but I didn't see him use one.  I think the rules are anything goes except drawing blood!   But it gave me courage!  Next time, I won't need it.

Everyone heading home!  What a fun thing to do. 

Strider loved it.  I was comfortable that Dick was there "in charge".  And Strider and I begin Dog Obedience training with Dick next Tuesday evening.   The question is  "Can I be Trained?"  Time will tell all!

Date Night! The First Meeting.

He reminds me of my sister Kathy's dogs.  She has alot of pictures of her dogs that look like this!

Now I know why. Dogs just seem to love cameras.  

This little 5 month old male chocolate lab is  having a 'sleep-over' with us tonight.

Do you think he is going home tomorrow??

We did give him a name.  I want to name him "Sugar" (for his beautiful eyes, the color is burnt sugar) but no one is going for it.  I even mentioned  Sugar Ray , isn't he a macho boxer? 

We are calling him Strider.  Anyone know where that comes from?

So far he has done the right things.  1.  Lay around 2. Did not bolt when let off his leash 3.  Did not chase the cats, in fact other than the terror of seeing  Levi look like a deranged cat upon site of the dog, did not even pay any attention to them.