OMG, He Is Almost Four!

My oh my how time flies. I missed a year writing about Bonaparte, who will, in May be a whopping FOUR years old! I can't believe it. He has stabilized in weight now at 9 lbs. His hair/fur barely sheds, if at all and has lost all of the darkness of his puppy days. He has learned very well how to stay around us when we are outside, and to come when we call him. We noticed a huge leap in his "understanding/listening" right around three years old, when I no longer had to keep a lead on him whenever I was out working in the yard. He stays, usually, within our sight and if he happens to wonder just a bit too far, he comes back when we call him. He LOVES to go for rides in the car and jumps in whenever he gets the chance, whether or not we're going anywhere! He is loving my husband being home so much more, now that he has quit his job and is in school full time, for a degree in Math.
This year also marks a new adventure for us three, Boney, my husband and me. Our house is just about empty and we are readying it for the market. We HOPE to sell before the end of the year. We are realistic in the outlook not being great, but we will hope, we will send positive energy to that goal. So, now, on to more photos of our little love. He has been so brave with all the worker folks and auction folks and numerous others traipsing in and out of our house, his territory, guarding fiercely the front door each time the doorbell rings, and chasing off the stray cats invading our back yard...

December 2015

February 2016, checking out the new dock

February 2016, sunbathing Boney-style...

2-2016, new dock celebration

More celebrating 2-2016

Ahhhh, cute boy

Emptied son's room, one of the only one who had no need for wall repairs!

So Much Happening In The Life of a Puppy

Makes you wonder what they're planning...

Rubin pleading, enough already Bonaparte!

Bonaparte had his first sleep over and it lasted almost four days! I had a writer's conference to go to. My husband had work, school, and then he joined me in Florida for the last two days of the conference, so Boney spent those days with his friends Rubin and Frank, the schnauzers. He did quite well, and the human in charge, Brad, didn't lose any (more) hair over the extended duties of three instead of two dogs.
Not only did Boney do well and not send Brad over the edge, but he came home and went right back to our usual routine with little or no fuss. What a puppy! I do SO love this animal.

Graduation at PetsMart, how silly is that hat!

Bonaparte has graduated from Beginning Puppy Training. We start the Intermediate level at the end of November. I work with him every day to try and keep up the good habits we've started, could do a bit better, so will make an effort there.
I'm sure he's over five pounds now, but haven't been in to the vets to weigh. Bonaparte is longer, as is his hair/fur, and he's starting to have white hair/fur grow in places like his head and back. He's already a bit blond on his legs and feet, so we wonder what he's going to look like when he's a year old. That's the age we were told he will more or less look like he's going to look, without baby hair/fur.

Brad sure makes a good pillow/bed.

Frank keeps an eye on Bonaparte.

Life is full with this bundle of energy speeding around the house. He's well into being fully house broken, but still having an issue telling us WHEN he needs to go, before he goes! I take him out regularly and that's why he's doing so well. I'm also trying to train him to go out to his little fenced in area to do his business instead of me having to take him out front. We have a door we leave open that allows him to come and go as he pleases, and since he's been home from Rubin and Franks, he goes out alone a lot more. Luckily I can see him from the kitchen window so I can still, as my niece used to say "watch an eye" on him!
That's our update for this week. Until the next here's some more-than-cute photos to hold you over.

Looking all kingly on the porch in the sun.

Mom just loves to photograph me, ho hum.

I love to sleep. I have little beds all over the place.