The words Dog Breed Info with the letter D inside of a black paw print

Raising a Puppy: 29th week in his new home

A day in the life with Bruno the Boxer puppy. Bruno's 29th week—35 weeks old, 77 pounds, 24 1/4 inches from the ground to the highest point of the shoulders (the withers).

Bruno the Boxer sitting outside

8 months old—time to loosen up that collar.

Bruno the Boxer eating ice

Bruno LOVES to eat ice.

Bruno the Boxer biting a big pink tennis ball

Bruno loves to play with his big tennis ball...

Bruno the Boxer laying on top of a big pink tennis ball as he plays with it

…he chases it, tries to pick it up with his mouth and holds it with his body, because he knows I am about to kick it again. Not a chance, Bruno...I pick up the ball and kick it across the yard. Bruno chases it, pounces on it and the game starts all over again.

Walking Off-Lead

Allie and Bruno the Boxers running towards their owner

A lot of Bruno's walks are off his leash. We have a lot of trails, woods and fields in safe areas. Even though Bruno is off-lead, I had told him to stay behind me. What a good puppy, he had no problem with following behind.

Bruno the Boxer off leash on a late night walk

A nighttime walk...

Bruno the Boxer pouncing on Allie the Boxer

Bruno about to pounce on Allie...

Bruno the Boxer looking at the dead raccoon head

Out on a walk, Bruno finds the raccoon skull again! I obviously didn't kick it far enough the last time. "Bruno, leave it."

Eating Crap from the Ground

A pile of throw up that looks like grass, straw, bones and bile near a rug

Bruno was lying in his bed, he got up, walked to the front door and lost it. He puked.... What was he eating this time? Let’s see, I spy some hay and straw, but I don't know what those nugget things are. Your guess is as good as mine. Lately when I have been putting hay out for the horses, Bruno starts eating the hay. Someone's got to explain to that puppy he is NOT a horse or a goat. I do feed him, BTW. He is offered dry food in the morning and afternoon, and gets dry mixed with a can at night.

Peeing

I saw Bruno lift his leg to pee for the first time. He had been squatting like a female all of this time; took him eight months to pee like a male. The next time I saw him pee he squatted again, but we now know the male is in there somewhere.

Bruno Wake Up!

Update from week 21—It’s been getting easier to make Bruno get up at night when he is tired. When he was younger I could call him until I was blue in the face and found myself dragging him out of his dog bed to make him stand up. Lately however, when he is tired and it's time for him to get up from his dog bed and move to his crate, I walk over to him, give him the crate command, "Cage" and he springs right to his feet and walks to his crate. I had decided I would no longer physically stand him on his feet when it was time for him to get up, instead I had started poking at him and making him do it on his own. Apparently that has worked. My lazy puppy gets up on his own.

Bruno still does not leave his crate right away in the morning if he is really tired. However, in the morning no one is telling him to get up; we just open the door to his crate and wait until he is ready to get up on his own.

Bad-Puppy Moments

Bruno the Boxer jumped up at the picnic table pawing at cat food on a table, viewed through the window

I am inside the house taking these pictures through the window. Bruno does not see me. What does he think he is doing? Could this be why the cat food pans often fall off the table?

Bruno the Boxer jumped up at continuing to paw at the food on the picnic table, viewed through the window

So, trying to drag the pan closer to the edge of the table didn't work, he could not quite reach it.

Bruno the Boxer dragging the cat bowl, which is on a picnic table, towards himself, viewed through the window

Now we are getting clever; he moves around to the front of the table. Notice the cat watching him.

Bruno the Boxer jumped up at a picnic table eating cat food out of the bowl

Oh Bruno, you are SO BUSTED! "HEY NO!" I knock on the window...

Bruno the Boxer jumped up at the picnic table staring into the window with wide eyes

"YIKES! Did I just hear someone?!" Bruno jumps down from the table.

Bruno the Boxer looking into the house through the glass door

He goes to the door, which is right next to the cat food table, and looks inside.

Close Up - Bruno the Boxers eye

Looking into the eye of a bad puppy...;-)

FYI, the ideal time to correct Bruno for jumping up at the cat food is when I noticed he was THINKING about it, but I just had to get those pictures :)

Raising a Puppy: Bruno the Boxer