Hey Ya'll,

I just wanted update everyone (all 3 people who read this blog :-p) about my progress with Bruno's goals. Bruno was initially REALLY hyper/anxious, but since last Saturday he has been quite a lot calmer and a generally more chill dog. When I'm at home now he usually is sleeping (he didn't sleep that much the first week) or chewing on his bull penis stick. We've been working a lot on the little goals I laid out for him so that when he gets adopted he will be an even better pup. :-)

Ok so my major goals were
1. Put him on a workout/diet plan to lose some weight.
2. Get him to confidently sleep in his own bed.
3. Help him deal with the separation anxiety.
4. Teach him some basic commands

So far Bruno is doing FABULOUSLY with all of the goals. We have been walking 2+ times every day. We usually walk about 40 min in the morning and then 40+ min when I get home at night. I'm not sure what Bruno weighed when he came (they said 28 pounds?), but he weighed 23 pounds on Friday night when I weighed him. His breathing/snorting/ewok sounds have gotten MUCH better.

Re: the bed... Bruno has been sleeping in his own bed since last Thursday. HOORAY!!!! the first night was a little rough. He woke up every few hours crying and trying to jump on my bed. It was actually a little funny... I have a high bed, so his little head would pop up on one side... then he would scurry over to the other side and his little head would pop up there, and then he'd scurry back.. heh he... ok it's not funny. But every night has been consistently better and as of last night his little head popped up once and I told him "off" and he took his little paws down and went to his bed without a sound... ok he sighed really loudly, but no crying or whimpering! YAY Bruno

The separation anxiety stuff is coming along too, but slowly. This morning I think we had a bit of a breakthrough. Usually when I leave for work Bruno howls and cries and scratches and the door and paces and yelps... I've been doing the technique of ignoring him for 10+ min before I leave and 10+ min when I return so that the act of me leaving will seem more normal and not so jarring (ie if you pick your dog up and hug him and say, Ooh snookie wookums Momma be back soon, then you're exciting your dog just to turn around and leave him). This morning I quietly walked out of the door and down the stairs. I waited at the bottom of the stair to see what would happen..... silence.... a few whimpers.... scurrying feet... 1 or 2 Roow-Rooooooow's.. and then silence. No scratching, no more howling.. YAY Bruno! Also when I'm in the house there are times when he's NOT right beside me. Yesterday he was laying on the floor in the living room chewing his bull penis stick and I decided to go lay down on my bed... no Bruno... He didn't even notice I was gone! This may seem silly to some people but I was really proud of him and his new found independence.

The last goal was to teach him a couple commands. He's gotten the hand of sit and down... Stay is going to be a bit tricky since he hates to be more than 2 feet from me at any time (unless he's asleep), but I'll see what I can do and post a videog.

Ciao for Niao!

N