A proud owner

After a weekend of frustrations with Ransom, he has settled back into normal life and actually has made me a proud dog owner. From walking on the leash to obeying commands, he is on his way to being the dog we dreamed about.

Last night, we went to the dog park. It was a spur of the moment decision and I didn't bring the camera (these pictures are all just ones I had on the computer). It was so much fun for us, and for him. 

When we arrived, there were 10-15 dogs there. Panic immediately set in for both of us. Ransom still makes us nervous, since we aren't sure how he will act in new circumstances. As we walked in, all 10-15 dogs came to greet us. That was sort of intimidating even to me, who has no fear of dogs. Fortunately, we have learned that dogs must sniff each other in inappropriate areas before they can play together and have fun, so we did not panic. So, as the dogs all took their turns sniffing, we stood there with Ransom still on the leash. After the ritual was over, he wanted to play. We unhooked the leash and held our breath.

Ransom took off playing chase with all the other dogs. It was so much fun to watch. This dog park is so nice; they have benches all over for owners to just sit and chat while the dogs play. We met some nice people and even more nice dogs. The whole event went better than either of us could have imagined. I think Ransom learns from the older dogs while we are there, too. It is probably really good for him.

Today, I needed to get out of the house. So, I took a couple of books and Ransom and we headed to Starbucks. I hooked Ransom to a pole, got my coffee and sat outside to read. As we sat there, Ransom didn't try to attack everyone who walked by. He simply sat down beside me and watched what was going on. As people would walk by, they would comment, What a beautiful dog you have, and Awww, how cute. An older gentleman loved him so much that he came over to pet Ransom and we talked about labs. As he was waiting for his coffee to be made, he came out and asked if he could give Ransom some dog treats that he had in his car! Such a food-oriented dog, Ransom was in heaven.

I have come to some conclusions about our adopted dog.  1 - he is definitely a puppy, less than 2 years old.  2 - he needs a lot of exercise so that he doesn't use his energy for evil.  3 - It takes time and patience and money to own a dog.  4 - I love him and am so glad we added him to our family.

Now, if I could just get him to sleep in a more modest way...