It’s been my plan to train Neo. I’ve had two dogs so far and didn’t train them. I mean I sort of trained them in subtle ways but didn’t make it a project. But this time I’m serious.

So even though I really need to be shopping for a car since I don’t currently have one that functions, I spent some time yesterday shopping for a puppy trainer. Also available are puppy classes, the first one called Puppy Kindergarten.

There’s no reason why I couldn’t do both. So far I think I’m doing okay, but I want to get started soon. Neo is getting more and more comfortable in his new home which is good. But I want him to learn to come when he’s called and stay when he’s told to stay.

It’s a matter of safety. And I want him to be emotionally healthy while he’s learning to function in society. So far he’s a sweet little angel. I want to keep it that way.

Neo likes to lean up against the fence and wiggle until ultimately doing a somersault. It’s adorable. I haven’t caught it on video yet though I’ve tried.

The easiest time to get a photo of Neo is when he’s asleep. Most of my photos are of Neo sleeping.

It was so hot out last night that Neo was panting and panting while trying to settle down to sleep. I ended up letting him drink plenty of water even though I’m trying to prevent him needing a trip outdoors during the night.

I ended up giving him one last walk before he fell asleep and, success! He made it through the night! I feel like a new woman!

Another thing I did last night was give him a dip in the pool. That cooled him down even though it meant putting a damp dog in my bed. It was worth it.

Once again we had three dogs, two kids, and three-to-five adults. And as I explained to the twins, I’m actually half kid and half grown up. They seem to understand this perfectly.

The day was so packed that I didn’t even take time for pics of Neo. It was just kid kid kid all day long.

Their mom stayed for a little while to drop them off. Their dad stayed for a little while to pick them up. We swam about every five minutes. Even Papa and Grannie went for a swim.

Murray, their dog, turns out not to appreciate the puppyness of Neo. He’s set in his ways. That’s okay. I’ll find some friends for Neo.

Today will feel so quiet. 😭

Neo had a few more hands petting him yesterday. My twin grandchildren spent the day with us. Neo still hid under furniture but we pulled him out to sit him in laps.

He seemed to enjoy the closeness. He wasn’t playful with them but he was completely tolerant.

The twins brought their dog, Murray, with them for their visit. Neo wanted to play with him but Murray had no interest. Murray just barked at him.

Here it is the next morning and the twins (with Murray) are due back any minute. Yesterday we walked next door to the farm to pick blueberries.

It will be a day filled with swimming and building with Keva Planks and making messes everywhere. Neo will have lots of cuddles.

We got through the day without anymore outbursts of silly-aggro. We had some silliness though, plenty of it. Like, why does puppy have his foot in the water bowl?

We haven’t settled on a name yet but I’m leaning toward Neo. It’s a sweet little name like he’s a sweet little pup. It means “new”. He’s a new dog. Neo is the name of Keanu Reeves character in The Matrix.

I have a few backup names ready in case I change my mind. Some of them I like in theory but they don’t work so well in the mouth. Like, Levon.

So last night we did have to go outside at some ungodly hour. Upon return we did have a little trouble with Neo trying to play. But it was relatively benign. He went to sleep without aggro. Today the twins are coming over!

Puppy, who hasn’t been named yet, has been a little darling except for a few moments when he’s been a little monster.

It was the end of the day and we were lounging on the bed. Gradually it escalated from play to aggression. He wasn’t mad or nasty but he was attempting to overpower me with his play. He put his jaws around my arm and wouldn’t stop. Saying no just seemed to excite him more.

I put him in his crate and he cried to the point of almost howling. I tolerated this for about five long minutes. I let him come back to the bed. He was less excited but he continued aggressively playing.

I rolled over, turned off the light, and stayed still. I had a pillow over my head so he couldn’t chew my head. He was perplexed. He dug at my pillow to point I thought it would tear. This went on for a while.

Eventually he gave up and went to sleep. If it had gone on much longer I would have been upset. Thoughts going through my mind were essentially, “Why did I adopt this thing?”

He did wake up during the night needing to go outside. He peed and pooped. When we returned to the bed, he wanted to play. This time he was not being aggressive. Still, I rolled over and covered my head with my pillow. He got the message and pretty soon he was asleep again. I still wonder if I’m cut out for this.

Puppy woke up at midnight seeming to want to play with me. I tried ignoring him but he was insistent. He was panting. So I took him outside. Sure enough, he had to pee and poop. Brought him back inside thinking that was that. No. He still seemed to want to play. This went on for a while. 🤦‍♀️

I realized that I had forgotten to feed him at he end of the day. So I fed him and hoped he’d go back to sleep. No. He wanted to play.

Eventually I put him in the crate. He cried. I tried ignoring him. He cried some more. So I took him outside again. Sure enough, he had to poop again!

We went back to bed and I simply ignored him. It took awhile but he eventually settled down. I probably fell asleep before he did, but he slept for the rest of the night. I have to get better at routines because I can’t keep having these situations! 😭

Things had been going pretty well but we got a little off our routine last night because we had a dinner guest. I somehow forgot to take puppy out for late evening pee. So this morning he awoke extra early. I went to the bathroom and when I returned the bed was wet. Damn!

I put him in the crate and made myself some coffee. Once caffeinated, I brought him outside hoping he would do all of his business. He finished peeing but didn’t complete the routine even after three laps around the pool. At least I got to enjoy a pretty sunrise. ☀️

Well now puppy is safely sleeping by my side. He’s on his back with his paws on my leg. We are bonding. One thing I’ve noticed is that he seems to register when I say “No!”. He’ll stop what he’s doing at least temporarily. Also when we’re walking, if he stops and I say “Come on!” he will continue walking. This is amazing.

Little pup is interacting with me more and more. This is good because I was beginning to worry that I’d adopted a real dud. I realize now that he just needs time to come out of his shell.

Now he enjoys a little cuddling and will play with a toy that I’m holding. He wants to chew on my hand but I’m discouraging that.

We are developing a routine. It’s as much for me as it is for him. As soon as I’m awake I take him out for what passes for a little walk. As soon as he’s done his business we go inside where he has breakfast. Then I make coffee. We play a little. He naps.

My grandchildren visited yesterday. He wasn’t ready to play with them yet but he allowed himself to be petted. My son put him down on the ground and he ran behind the rhododendron. It was not a simple project to get him out.

Eloy, who doesn’t have a proper name yet, spends a great deal of time hiding under furniture. Sometimes he allows himself to be cuddled, but he seems to prefer hanging out in locations in which he has close cover over his head. Those are not places where humans can easily stroke his fuzzy fur.

We’re still getting to know each other. He’s only mildly interested in me so far. I’m looking forward to the day when he wags his tail when I come near. So far, I’m happy when he does try to get away from me.

I wonder, Have I got myself a lemon? Is this dog gonna break my heart? At least he seems pretty mellow in general. He’s not hyper or destructive.

I gave him a biscuit yesterday and he hid his head behind a chair to chew it. We spent some time yesterday kind of learning what it means to go for a walk. That only means strolling along the fence that goes around the pool. Eloy sits or lies down quite often during these little walks. It’s pretty cute, but I can’t wait until I can take him for a real walk.

There’s a deck chair he enjoys hiding under when we’re in the pool area. It’s the only one he’ll sit under. I tie the lease around the arm rest but Eloy isn’t going anywhere. He just likes to chill.