Look what came in the mail !

It has really been HOT here in our home land of Nebraska in the USA.  That means some of my walks have been cancelled which also means I have gotten to go swimming in the lake a lot more !  I love swimming.  Dad has given me several swimming lessons and says I am a natural.  They even let me swim alone now and I am starting to learn to jump off of the boat dock like Avalon.  I heard them calling me their Jr. Jumper.  I even have my own special orange toy to fetch in the lake.

Miss C has not been here as much lately.  Her Grandpa said she is busy.  I miss her but she is a teenager and has lots of activities going on.  I did get to go over to her Grandpa's house and spend some time with her and some of her friends while Mom and Dad were helping my two legged sister Aunna move.  I was sooo happy to see her too because I had to stay in my kennel while they were gone.

My best friend and personal Jr. Puppy Raiser Miss M has been here a lot.  I get soooo excited when she comes that I have to spend time in the mud room to settle down.  I sometimes leak too.  I am trying to hold it in but when she comes I just know special things are going to happen like Miss M getting to put my Puppy In Training Vest on.   It arrived in the mail and Mom and I decided to wait till Miss M came over so she could be the first one to put it on.  She will say to me " Get Dressed" so I guess it is like wearing two legged clothes.  All I know is that when I have it on I get to go out with

Mom and Dad along with Miss M, Miss K and Grandma T.  Mom did make me wear it on one of our weekend walks and I have to heel which I have learned I have to do when I am dressed,but when we got to the open area of the lake on the dike Mom took it off and I got to run free just like Avalon.   Mom said since I know how to swim now she is Ok with me running around however she did not like it when I found some icky stuff to roll in.  I smelled funny afterwards so Mom made me go swimming to wash the stink off.  I might just do that next time when I want to swim because Mom doesn't understand puppy talk when I ask to go swimming.  Avalon told me she does it all the time so she can get in the lake and swim.

Miss M and Grandma T filled out my monthly report this month with the help of Mom and me.  Miss M also has a report card she fills out on me each time we play together.  I feel now I have to be on my best behavior but since Mom says I am in my terrible two's I try to hold true to that.  I did see one

of them and Miss M gave me A's and B's so I guess I am not that terrible.    While Miss M and Grandma T were filling out my report card Miss K and Mom were making apple butter.  The house smelled sooooo good.   Avalon was hanging with us too and thought she would teach Miss M how to shake.  It is amazing how quickly they learn - Avalon got a treat just like me in one try !!  She loves Miss M too.

I had another BIG first !!  I have had to watch every day as Mom and Avalon would leave for a
bike ride and go swimming in the morning but this week I got to go along.  It was scary at first since you have to stay away from the wheels and I learned the hard way  not to stop but it sure is fun.  We
bike over to the dike on the lake then get off the leashes and run and swim.  Avalon and I usually leave a deposit and sometimes more than one for Mom which she picks up and puts in the bike basket.   There are special big baskets at the end of the dike that she will put our deposits in.  I have been by the big baskets when she does this and boy they are smelly when they are full.  I love to smell everything but that one is even icky to me.  I have seen Mom hold her nose.   When we get back home we usually have to spend time in the mud room drying off.  Smelly wet puppies as Mom says.

My first trip with my new Puppy In Training Vest on was to the Farmers Market.   Mom thought it would be better to practice first outside so if I got too excited and leaked it would not be a mess inside to clean up.  We walked around then I asked Miss M if we could work on commands so I could get some treats.  I heard Mom say she bought a treat pouch and I could see it on Miss M's hip.  Mom, Miss M, and me all get to wear our ID tags when we are out so everyone knows who we are.

I also had my first OFFICIAL Puppy In Training outing too.  Mom first took me to a meeting with Grandma K and I got to ride on an elevator.  I think Mom was a little frustrated with me since we left the meeting and went outside for a bit.  I must have been good enough because I heard them tell Mom I was welcomed back ?  After the meeting Mom and I went to Hy-Vee which I heard her say was a grocery store and walked around then Pet Smart to pick out a new toy and return a bowl Mom bought for me.  I didn't like the new bowl.  It had raised bumps in the middle so it was hard for me to eat my food so I just tipped it over then ate my food off of the floor.  Mom was not pleased.  Before we went home we walked around outside at Shadow Lake which is a place with a lot of two legged people stores.  We didn't go in any but walked around outside practicing commands.  I need to work on Mom - she doesn't understand I get a treat every time I work with her on a command.  She did have the treat pouch on and I could smell treats so I don't understand the problem.

We are an Official 

 KSDS Inc. - Assistance Puppy In Training Team