Raising a Puppy - the twenty third week in his new home - Spencer the Blue Nose Brindle Pit Bull
A day in the life with Spencer the American Pit Bull Terrier puppy. Spencer's twenty third week - 32 weeks old, 72 pounds, 22 inches from the ground to the highest point of the shoulders (the withers).
About 7 1/2 months old.
The Eye
The brown spot in Spencer's left eye.
Waiting Around for Bruno
Bruno had an appointment for an MRI. It was going to take a few hours to be complete and the place was too far away from home to drive there, drop him off and come back for him. Rather than leave the pup at home in his crate all day long I decided to take him along. After all, I would have to be waiting around too. Spence and I might as well wait around together.
We went for a good two-hour walk around the area. It was cold and windy so I put a jacket on him. Spence still likes to walk on curbs! Silly puppy. We found two different pet stores we were able to go inside during our exploration adventure of the new area. Spence was fun to hang with. He kept looking up at me for direction, following me wherever we walked. He had a blast.
After we got back from our long walk Spencer lay down inside the MRI waiting room and went to sleep.
The staff brought him out a blanket to lie on. He was a very good puppy as he waited a couple more hours for his big brother to come back out.
Come and Wait
The pup needs work on coming and waiting when there is something exciting going on. For example, when a car pulls down the driveway and someone is getting out. I give the command to wait and he wants to rush over to the person anyway to say hello. It is difficult sometimes when I am not in reach of him and he is not listening to a voice command. We will be working on this.
Yuck!
I looked across the yard and saw Spencer chewing on something. Then I saw him eat some of it. I thought it was a pile of horse poop with grass stuck in it. I walked over to get it from him. "Spence what do you have?"
It was worse than poop. I am not exactly sure what it was, but poop does not have legs nor does it have a bushy Charlie Brown Christmas tree tail. A rat perhaps? Oh wait, rats don't have fur on their tails. I am stumped. Sugar the cat was interested in it whatever it was. Spence, that is totally disgusting! This is how you give yourself worms!
The Goats
Right before this camera was turned on Spencer runs circles around Sweet-Pea the fainting goat. I don't want Spencer to chase the goats but I decide its best to let the goat teach him this. Spencer may have picked the smallest goat to try and play with but he also picked the most bull-headed, stubborn, fearless goat. Sweetie will not back down and she gives him her best evil stare-down. She goes toward him and Spencer decides maybe it's not a good idea to play with this creature. The flock guards, Great Pyrenees Tundra and Tacoma, know that Spencer is just trying to play and they too allow him to find out for himself just who he is messing with. Sweet-Pea is so brave I have not seen her faint since she had her first encounter with a couple of pigs when she was just a young kid. Nothing seems to scare her.
Oh no Bruno, not Again!
Bruno and Spencer were both outside smelling the same thing on the ground. Suddenly Bruno decided to mark whatever it was that he had been sniffing. He forgot to tell his kid brother to move out of the way! Spencer got pee on top of his head, on his collar and down his back. The pup didn't seem to care one bit, but YUCK! I did! Bath time!
Spence didn't want to be in the bathtub, but I sternly told him to stay and he listened very well. "Pup, if you want to live inside the house you can't have pee all over your head and back." He was not happy about it, although his tail was not between his legs. In the beginning of his bath he was shaking a little, not sure what was going on, so I made sure I did not sweet-talk him. After nicely but firmly telling him he must stay in the tub he stopped shaking and waited out the torture. When it was time for him to come out the tail started to wag, getting everything all wet. "You silly puppy."