Wait!

Who needs expensive toys? Archie’s favourite ones are a plastic flower pot, a plastic fruit tray, and any cardboard box. I have taken to saving them up to give him when he’s left outside for any length of time. Though I don’t let him play with the flower pot outside at 5am - it’s VERY noisy, and I’m aware of bedroom windows nearby.

He’s almost mastered ‘W-A-I-T!’ at both kitchen doors. In fact, all doors. He quivers with anticipation as I make him wait a few seconds. Today, because he waited, we went through the house (TWICE) and sat outside at the front in the sun, where there were lots of goings on and noises for him to not be bothered by. He didn’t chomp on the flowers, either, responding right away to a quiet ‘Noooo’.

He spent many happy minutes lying in the sun, watching in total fascination any ant that wandered by. He barely looked at the postman when he came in. I’m sure the postie is pleased that this pup isn’t going to be future hazard.

He can also wait a few seconds to eat a wee treat. I find that very hard myself, so well done Archie!

I’ve ordered a waterproof cover for his crate so that it can be outdoors, and I’ve ordered clippers - I intend to do the grooming myself. If it’s anything like the snipping of the hair around his eyes I’ve already done, it won’t be too successful the first time, but hey- it’ll grow again.

He’s very calm in the mornings - it’s this manic charging about combined with biting anything and everything every evening that I’m hoping he will grow out of soon!

Second inoculation this afternoon, then the Wide World beckons.