How to Train Your Dragon

... er, dog.

The puppies are getting a lot bigger, and a lot more obedient. They dig up the yard and chew on everything, just like a little baby. I’m not looking forward to training them to not dig up my yard at our new house, but hopefully we’ll figure out a way.

I’ve been trying to teach them how to fetch. They will both run after things, and Doc will sometimes pick them up, but neither of them would actually return the object.

So I turned to trusty Google, and I found a few suggestions – first I tried the suggestion of using a crushed plastic bottle (they like running after it, and the like picking it up – but they still wouldn’t bring it to me). Then I had the brilliant idea to put some of their treats inside the crushed bottle. Bingo. (I also tied a rope around the bottle so they would have something to grab on to – they’d been having a hard time picking up the bottle by itself). Once they realized that they couldn’t get to the treats without bringing it to me, they were hooked. Lucy kept getting mad at Doc because she could never get to it before he did. I ended up having them take turns (one stays in the crate while the other plays, and then they switch). That worked pretty well, and I really need to do it more often. They’re getting too attached to each other and will cry I leave one of them in the crate.

When we move back to Utah and get settled in I’ll take one out for a walk at a time, and do more alternating practice with them. I’ll also try to schedule vet appointments for one at a time (even though it’s more convenient to take them at the same time – it’ll be easier for me to manage and hopefully will help them wean from each other). Same with the dog park, and rides in the car.

We’ve also got to work on not waking up at 3 in the morning to go pee...