DO YOUR BUSINESS

Lynn came by on Saturday and spent a few hours with us.  She clarified a few issues and taught us some skills to get Dean on the right track.

We learned how to manage Dean with his "mouthing" on people, encouraging him to keep walking when its time to do his business as well as what toys he can play by himself vs toys we play with him.

I offered to take Friday and Saturday night shifts and give DeeAnn some rest.  Well it must have been dumb luck but Dean has suddenly become a superstar.  

Normally when we went outside Dean would take his sweet time to do his business if at all, to only do his business inside a the crate or x-pen.  Starting Saturday he has done his business like clockwork when we get outside.  One accident in the x-pen was our fault for not recognizing the time.  In fact Friday and Saturday night he would go to bed at 11:00pm and I took him out after 4-5 hours of rest.

We are really encouraged but still a bit skittish that it will reverse.  So I took Sunday night as well to see if Dean was getting it.  Three nights in a row of success with days following suit.  This has really changed out outlook and are enjoying Dean more and more as we have a greater sense of predictability.  

Dean is a funny confident little puppy and it cracks us up he runs around navigating his world in a little puppy body suit.  He loves to suddenly go bounding like a rabbit toward his water dish or take off from his bed and race around to suddenly return as though nothing happened.  

One behavior that was rather funny was in the middle of the night.  I had just taken him outside and was settling back to bed when I hear this "ding", "ding", "ding"  I look over and see this little black shadow bouncing inside his crate hitting the top.  Sitting on top was his metal food dish.  Each time he bounced the dish would "ding" as it also bounced ontop of the crate. I removed the dish and the "ding" stopped.