Hello Friends, Christina here!

Sorry for the delay since my last post, it has been a very interesting 2 weeks... well at least it has been for me.  There have been lots of adjustments going on for both of us, and a few temper tantrums (for Nicholas, not me!). 

We started Puppy Kindergarten 3 weeks ago, and let me tell you, I couldn't wait to get him there!  After the first week of having the perfect little puppy, things changed quick.  Nicholas's personality came out seemingly overnight.  He went from being quiet and cautious with new things, to rambunctious and fiesty.  He would chase the cats, chew my clothes, chew my hands (pretty much anything that wasn't a toy).  He was good in the crate and didn't cry or whine, unless he had to "get busy".  But as soon as we would play in the kitchen, there would be little piddles all over the floor.  Let me tell you, I had the cleanest floor from all the disinfecting I was doing! 

Not only that, but Nicholas has endless energy.  He's like the energizer bunny: he keeps going and going and going...  I thought that playing with him and going for walks in my townhouse complex would do the trick, but apparently not.  One afternoon, I timed him.  He played with his toys for 2 1/2 hours before finally slowing down.  Unfortunately that was the day of the monthly OCGDA meeting.  Not only did he wake up when we got to the meeting, but he decided to throw a tantrum.  He didn't want the toys I gave him, he wanted the chair legs.  When I positioned him away from the chair legs he'd chew his leash.  When I took the leash away and offered him a toy, he'd ignore the toy and start chewing on my hand.  The only thing that would get his attention and keep him calm was a compressed rawhide bone.  Thanks to my group leader Tammy for giving him one and saving my hands!

And the puppy kindergarten that we started?  It was the same thing.  There was no focus on anything except for chewing on me.  I looked at the other puppies in the class.  "Jeanie" calmly sitting or lying down and "Miles" chewing his toy or sleeping.  Then there was Nicholas who apparently had springs in his feet.  Bouncing up and chewing on me and the leash.  Needless to say I was a little frustrated...

Never having a puppy before, I had no idea that what he was doing was NORMAL.  Apparently all puppies go through stages like this.  Nicholas just hit his stage early...like the week after he came home.  Thank goodness for the support of my OCGDA group.  Between email and the ever present Facebook, I was able to ask questions not only to my group, but friends in other GDA groups, friends and family who have had puppies before and some of Nicholas's siblings.  That alone was responsible for saving my sanity, knowing that all his siblings were just as active and confident as he is. 

Between all the tips and support and workign with him everyday, Nicholas is getting MUCH better.  We are getting much better.  He still chases after the cats and at one point actually pounced on Chiana.  Poor girl didn't know what hit her until it was too late.  She's fine.  She was able to squirm away and get out of reach.  Lucky for us both, Nicholas only wants to play with them.  I keep hoping they will get tired of him and swat him once to show him whose boss, but they don't.  They only hiss and slap him with no claws, so he keeps coming back after them. 

One good thing about Nicholas (there are more than 1, don't worry!) is that he is really smart.  He grasps onto the concepts of what I'm trying to teach him very quickly.  He has mastered the Human words: "sit", "wait", "leave it", "no", "go get it" and "come" and we are working on "give", "down", "stay", and "stand". 

He's smarter than me.  I still don't know what he's saying...