Nick and Emily's Excellent Adventure: Terrible Twos on Tuesday? Gasthof, meet Tux

Gasthof has helped me become a little more of a morning person...although he's nice and doesn't bark to wake me up. He is quiet and appears content in his crate/kennel until I take him outside. I have a fenced- in backyard, so when he goes out most times he isn't on the leash. Thankfully he has been very good about taking care of business before playing...he's a smart guy! Thankfully Gasthof isn't an early bird, but rather more of a night owl like me. He stayed up with me till 1:30 tonight! Because he's still getting used to his new environment, everything takes longer and takes more effort...plus, it's still exciting and new for the both of us. For me, this translates into staying up late because I can't wind down, and for Gasthof, he has so much energy that sometimes he doesn't know what to do with himself! He laid down for maybe 20 minutes tonight, other than that, he has been on the go for the most part from 7pm to 1am. He can't sit still...kind of like me!

Another rare moment. Note the bandage on Tux's right leg...we all were protective of that!

My friend Tiffany and her dog Tux came over to meet Gasthof tonight (Tuesday, September 21). Tux is a much smaller dog (less than 10 pounds), and was scared of Gasthof (53 pounds) for most of the night. Like most puppies, Gasthof just wanted to play, but he liked to lick at Tux and wanted Tux to run around with him. Gasthof was very persistent and could not seem to figure out that Tux wanted to just be left alone! It's like 2 year olds who can ask "why?" a billion times and talk a mile a minute about anything and everything, but you can't always understand them. Also, 2 year olds like to say "no"...I think Gasthof is at that stage where he is smart enough to know if he did something wrong, but he is testing his boundaries and asserting some independence. However, both Tiffany and I thought it would be good for the both of them to meet. Gasthof gets overly excited about playing, and Tiffany said Tux is somewhat afraid of other dogs. Put a shy, small dog with an outgoing, large dog, and you get quite the combination! Some of the things I got on video, but missed some of the best candid moments. Tux had no trouble jumping onto the cooler that we set up to somewhat block them...but when Gasthof tried to get over it, he almost slipped and fell back (thankfully he didn't fall down the stairs). I can laugh at it 'cause he didn't get hurt. We all have those clumsy moments! As I'm sure I've probably mentioned before, Gasthof is VERY STRONG and he is quick (sometimes hard to see it coming, and then all of a sudden he's jumping up on you before you can stop him). Some advice from one of the foster homes was to use a large water bottle to squirt him if he tries to jump up on things/people. Needless to say, by the end of the night, everyone was wet (especially Tif!). She was such a good sport about it and was very kind/gentle/patient with Gasthof. Thanks Tif! :)

The Gasthof barricade. He was relentless. Tif was brave and set down Tux...we had to see how they would act together. Gasthof wanted to play, Tux was scared. Thus, it led to Gasthof licking Tux, and Tux barking at Gasthof. But by the end of the night, Tux could tolerate Gasthof a little bit more. Or else he just went into shut down mode...they will both sleep well tonight!

Things Gasthof likes:
-Paper, pens, books (all of which I have to take away from him!)
-Running around, playing with the frisbee
-Marking his territory all along the fence
-Giving kisses, licking arms, hands
-Meeting new people (today he met my neighbor's son and grandson, and my friend Tiffany)
-Meeting new dogs (today he met Tiffany's dog Tux)
-Being scratched on the collar & behind the ears (thanks to Tif for a few tips!)
-Eating and drinking...although since the surroundings are still new, he often gets easily distracted during mealtime...but he's pretty good when I redirect him.
-Learning (I've recently been teaching him "stay", and while I the muffins/banana bread was baking, I was determined to teach him "lie down". I say "lie down" as I snap my fingers and point to the ground. I just started teaching him "shake" when the banana bread timer started beeping. I figure since he has so much energy today, I will tap into that by also making him exercise his brain! Nothing like late night study sessions ;)
-His crate/kennel. (Inside he has a fleece bed, a fleece blanket (one of my old high school track blankets), the kong toy, nylabone, and a new rope toy I got him at Cub today)
-following people around, and trying to jump up on them. I am working on this one...I know it will take some time and training! :)
-Eating grass, picking up sticks (thankfully he hasn't thrown up yet from the grass...)
-Going for walks (although I keep him on a short leash, so he currently doesn't get much leeway with walks)
-Being in the kitchen while I cook (we put his kennel in the kitchen, which is where I spend a large amount of my time when I am at home). The kitchen is a nice, bright, open area...and thankfully it fits his giant-sized kennel. It's funny, but some things are easier to give up than I thought (space, a blanket, one of my towels...and I know that my walls, carpet, and furniture may take a beating), and it all feels worth it. Guess I'm growing up :)

Harmony...for about 30 seconds. :)

I told Nick that my reason for getting a dog had nothing to do with practicing to have kids. However, now that I have a dog, I can see how having a dog does help prepare a couple for having kids some day...patience, responsibility, sacrifice, guidance, and teaching (for starters). And, like a parent with a new baby, it's hard not to talk about Gasthof. I know that soon enough we will all be more accustomed to the routine, and we will wonder how we lived without him!

Puppy love! Watch out Chris, Gasthof wants Tiffany!;)

Before getting a dog, I would rarely make it outside before work. Now, it's not an option, but it's been very good for me. It's nice getting fresh air in my lungs, the smell of grass in my nose, and the feel of grass on my feet...
I hope everyone is getting outside to enjoy the weather! Pretty soon it will be colder and everyone will wish it were summer. So make the most of it!

A final note: as I was typing this, I got distracted and didn't keep as close of an eye on Gasthof. He managed to sneak a kitchen towel into his kennel and was in the process of bringing one of my pillows into his den when I looked up. Now he looks very cute and innocent all curled up in a ball :) I don't get mad when he brings stuff in, I just take it away and give him one of his toys that he can play with. I'm trying to focus on positive reinforcement most of the time (except for jumping up on things or barking...then I spray a little water on him. Thankfully he isn't much of a barker...just when he is barked at by a cute little dog named Tux, or when I leave for work. With the rumbling of the garage door, the whimpers begin. I'm not sure how long they last....but one time I had to run back in to get something and he had already appeared to have settled down. Feel free to comment, give advice, etc. I'm just trying to do my best for Gasthof. Good night!!