Everyone says raising a puppy is like raising a kid ... and they are all right. The one good thing is that dog years goes way faster than people years. Chloe will be 5 months old in a week. In people years she is like a toddler.
I am at the tail end of the housebreaking (pun intended). Chloe is accident free 90% of the time, but that remaining 10% is really not pretty. Part of it is that we aren't totally in tune with her messages of needing to go out. We think she wants to play when she is actually doing a pee pee dance. She refuses to bark to let us know she needs to go out so I have introduced Poochie Bells. I was very skeptical about this concept, but it is slowly working. She has used it on hew own 3 times to let us know she needs to go! That Pavlov was a genius.
This week Chloe is "graduating" from the San Diego Pet Training puppy class. She learned basic socialization skills, how to sit and stay, and how to not be afraid of new experiences. Next up is basic obedience ... kindergarten for dogs!
Chloe is tiny. She is has just surpassed 10 pounds and will probably only gain a few more. Those 10 pounds is made up mostly of muscle, sharp baby teeth being replaced by her adult teeth, and a very sensitive nose. Like a typical toddler she is very curious and destructive if you don't pay close attention to her ...
At least she will grow out of this age quickly! In the meantime, no more stuffed toys with squeakers inside.
