How's Oakley?

Oakley was bounced around a bit during the Christmas holidays, so it was good to get him back home again when we got back, and into routine. He seemed to enjoy being back home too, with all his favourite people, and back in his favourite place - on the sofa amongst the pillows:

Another favourite place, is on the outside sofa, where he can sit all morning and just watch the birds and the wind move the bushes. He's so cute, sitting there just chilling, contemplating life.

He is growing fast, and he has got really tall, so for Christmas he got a new house! Nathan managed to bring back a flash, big crate from his Edinburgh trip (there are almost four times the price here!), and we set it up in the corner of the living room. It should be big enough for him even once he has finished growing. Luckily he loves it and sometimes even goes to nap in it during the day.

Puppy school started up again only two days after we got him back home, and that first session was absolutely awful... We got a very, very bad school report... :(  He was just not settling down at all, no matter how much chicken I tried to bribe him with..; he was pulling and being unfocused and spent the whole session wanting to go to the other dogs. I was exhausted by the end of it and nearly came away in tears, feeling really low.

So, two weeks later, and we have been super rigid with house rules and training. I have put him through several short training sessions every day, mostly training how to walk nicely on the lead, and attention training. (Kids can't wait to teach him more "fun" tricks, but we need the basics sorted first!)

It has taken a lot of cheese and sausages... but I am so proud of him (and myself... ha ha... training involves staying very, very patient which I'm not very good at...) - he has made huge progress and is behaving really well.
This mornings session at Puppy School was amazing!! Oakley displayed model behavior, and did everything (well, nearly...) right. Well done us!