1/2-way through his first solo week!

I'm sitting next to Hinckley while he tries to fall asleep in his crate. We've been playing since I got home and he had dinner about a half an hour ago...and now I need him to fall asleep so I can sweep up the kitchen (he tries to eat the broom when I do it when he's out) and make my own dinner. You should see my kitchen - it looks like someone was using a woodchipper IN here.

After a whole lot of nerves around how it would go with me at work, Hinck seems to be doing really well. He's 3 for 4 of nights when I can get him to seep until 7:30 (breakfast time,) today being the exception. Today we woke up for our normal morning potty break at 6, and he wouldn't go back to sleep, at all. In fact, he barked. I decided I wasn't going to reward him for this so I switched my schedule around, got showered, fed him, and got to work about an hour early. Worked out for me alright, although now I'm pretty exhausted. And he's also been doing great about potty-ing in the right place! He definitely gets that the tray is where to go. Its been a bit harder getting him to go when I take him outside in the evenings, maybe because now he feels less urgency about the whole thing, but I'm trying to reward him with soft treats and so far we havn't had any accidents. Probably because I'm watching him like a hawk.

Another way I know he's doing OK - Tyler and I figured out how to install a webcam of sorts so I can watch him from home. Actually, its using Skype to my macbook. I set up my computer so it can see the kitchen in the morning, and have it set to auto-ansewr skype calls with video chat. Then Tyler and I (and Adam) can call during the day and watch in on him. We've confirmed that most of the time he's just sleeping...occasionally he is chewing on things...boo.

Its amazing how much he seems to be picking up every day...not neccesarily skills but dog-stuff. Like he suddenly realized he really likes digging when we go outside (oh joy) as well as standing on his hind legs to look out the window or get stuff from me. And also doing inappropriate things with his frog toy/blankie. Not neccesarily the best stuff for him to be learning, in my opinion...but also probably inevitable.

Hinck should be having several visitors in the next couple days (hopefully he behaves) and I'd like to get him started with leash training too. I really can't wait until we can go on walks for real. And I can't wait for puppy classes either, although those are much further away - we signed up for one starting on Oct. 14. About a month! But the trainer is supposed to be excellent, and its night time in Redwood City, so it should work for my schedule. Yay!

Thats all for now. A mega-post, I know.
Hinckster is indicating he would nibble your toes if you were here.