Routine

Sit!

I've been brushing up on puppy raising. There is a lot to remember. Most of it is pretty basic. But oh so important. Puppy's thrive on routine. It helps me too. Bailey goes from one thing to the next in a matter of seconds. I have to watch him like a hawk. The time can slip by quickly. It's a lot like caring for Oliver, my grandson. He is just so busy that it would be easy to forget to feed him at the right time. 
So I have a schedule. I have been waking up at 6AM. Bailey is still asleep. He has been sleeping through the night for several days now. I get up and take care of my basic needs, bathroom, teeth brushing, comb hair. If I don't, half the morning will slip away with me going around with bad breath and bed hair. As soon as I leave the room Bailey starts to whine and bark. He kicks up quite a fuss. So I have to wait outside my room until he is quiet. Once that happens, I go to his crate and tell him to wait when I open the door. At first he would do his best to bound out the door. I would close it quickly so he couldn't. It took only a few days for him to learn he isn't going out until I give him the ok. Once he is waiting quietly, I reach in and give him a treat, then give him the ok. When he comes out of the crate I ask him to sit while I put his collar and leash on. You would think that this would be a bit much for a little guy. But he has been offering the 'sit' behavior since day one. All I had to do was name it and reinforce it with a treat. 
Then its out the door. through two rooms and outside to potty. But first he dashes across the kitchen to say good morning to Frank with lots of puppy wiggles. Since he has gotten himself worked up over me leaving the room earlier, he is ready to go potty. In a matter of minutes he has gone #1 and #2.

So we are back inside for play and fun, and bugging Tess. She has gotten more tolerant. But still isn't crazy about the little guy. I distract him with toys so he doesn't annoy her too much.
The rest of the day continues with play time, potty, nap, lunch, more play, more sleeping, playing outside in the yard, then dinner around 4:30.
In the evening we play in my bedroom. He has lots and lots of toys. Im calling each one by name. I want him to learn all the names of his toys. When we do therapy work, Im sure the person he works with will get a big kick out of asking him for a certain toy and he will go and get it. I got this idea from a book called Chaser by John Piley. 
Last night Bailey played for a while in my room, then curled up next to my bed and went to sleep for an hour. Oh my! Toby used to sleep there too! What a wise little guy this is!