PUPdate – Buddy Is Getting Bigger!
For over a decade I resisted getting a dog even though my husband desperately wanted one. Even in those brief moments when I CONSIDERED a dog, a Rottweiler was not on my short list of desirable breeds. Well, if you’ve been to the shop in the last couple of months you might have noticed a new addition – our shop pup Buddy. That’s right – in February I finally gave in and got my husband a puppy for his birthday. Now I’m convinced that all these years Buddy and I were just waiting to find each other. If you’ve fallen in love with our little Rottie as much as we have (though I don’t think that’s possible) here’s an update on how he’s growing up!
Buddy will be turning five months old on Monday the 27th of May and since we’ve had him he has doubled in size and weight. Some mornings I’m convinced that he’s grown overnight. Speaking of mornings, they’ve gotten much easier now that Buddy is house trained. For weeks I would go to bed, set a timer and get up every three hours so Buddy could go outside to pee – rain, blow or shine. Let me tell you – there was A LOT of rain in March. Now everyone, Buddy included, sleeps through the night and (fingers crossed) we haven’t had an accident in months.
We’ve also been teaching Buddy obedience training and plenty of tricks to keep his mind sharp. He’s going to be a BIG dog (everyone says “just look at those paws!”) so it’s important he learns his manners. Not only does he sit, lay down, leave it, and stay like a champ we’ve also been able to teach him high five, roll over, and my new favourite “clean up” where he picks up his toys and puts them in the basket. Now if only I can teach him to vacuum and fold the laundry!
Buddy also has a thriving social life. Since we didn’t have a dog before I had no idea there was such a variety of doggie activities. Every Thursday Buddy goes to play group at The Pet Stop in Mills Creek. He LOVES it! It’s important for him to learn how to interact with other dogs and it’s a chance for us to get some work done at the shop because let’s face it – I would rather play with Buddy than balance the cheque book. The staff there are truly passionate about animals and Buddy is always pulling at the leash to join his puppy friends. Their calendar of events is always posted on their Facebook page here.
On Thursday evenings we join Amy Terceira in Smiths for puppy play group where Buddy is free to run in the horse paddock with a group of puppies large and small. This session only lasts about 45 minutes and the humans get to stay and watch. I love attending these sessions because Amy is amazing at translating dog behavior. We get to learn the signals dogs are sending each other, what appropriate puppy play looks like and what are the behavioral warning signs we should be looking out for. For more info on Amy you can visit her Facebook page here.
We don’t have children so my phone went from being full of home decor photos to pictures (lots of pictures) of Buddy. Good thing he’s such a patient model and will do anything for a piece of cheese! He even has his own Instagram account @buddy_at_the_paint_shop.
So it seems I went from not wanting a dog to not being to imagine my day without Buddy. Even our home decor section hasn’t been spared – I managed to sneak a few goodies just for our pets like a “Wipe Your Paws” floor mat and a ceramic canister just for treats. You can win both by entering YOUR four legged best friend in our Instagram Photo Contest. CLICK HERE for the rules!
Can’t get enough of Buddy? He’s usually hanging out at Rowe Spurling Paint Company with us and will occasionally take over our social media. You can also follow his brother Magic (and his human Stefan) on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ferguson_and_magic/.
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