First walk in several days

Finally, finally, it stopped raining. Hogan doesn't even want to walk in a super light drizzle, sheesh! I knew the devil would start sneaking out of him . . .

Anyway, was went on our first mile walk tonight. He was excited at first, but soon became bored. He likes going to new (and possibly shorter) places. He kept trying to take shortcuts on the way back through the fields, but of course we didn't do that.When I was "new" (as well as the places we walked) he was more than thrilled to walk a mile. But now that the neighborhood, not to mention me, is getting "old", he's not quite as excited. He loves new places and pees every 20 seconds or so to mark his territory. There's nothing left after about the fourth or fifth time, but that doesn't stop him! But once he gets to know a territory, the thrill is gone. Typical male!

Here's how he looked after the very long one-mile walk this evening:

"Ma, how could you make me walk so far???"

Hah! Hogan broke into the garbage!

Back to the crate he goes. I had to get a padlock (don't worry, it's locked on the outside and has the key in it, so in case of emergency, it won't take but a few seconds to release him).

No more crate for Hogan

He doesn't like being in a crate, although he doesn't resist. But from the two times he was able to get out, he has proven that he doesn't do anything wrong. So I stopped putting him in the crate completely. He sleeps in his bed next to my desk at night instead of in my bed or on the sofa, which is cool. He doesn't bark, get into the garbage, poop or pee inside, or anything bad. Just sleeps and gets excited when we go for a walk (where he pees constantly and poos only when he needs to do so). I truly wonder why the last family who owned him for seven years gave him back to the shelter. I'm glad they did but completely confused.

Lots of dogs in my neighborhood

Instead of driving ten miles round trip to go to the senior center's trail, Hogan and I have been walking around my neighborhood for the past three early evenings, which is just about exactly one mile in circumference. The first time, there was a dog without a leash who barked furiously at us for trespassing on his property (even though we were on the road). Hogan, unfazed, just sort of blinked at him and continued forward. The dog became aggressive and I yelled at him and he backed off. On the way back, his mom was outside but not the dog and we joked about how his dog didn't like mine and she said they're a mess (they have three or four dogs) but we love them.

Next time, we met a neighbor who has a small black poodle. We didn't talk, but waved at each other.

Last night, we met Katherine and Baby, a chihuahua, and we talked for a few minutes. Meanwhile, during our walks, I hear lots of dogs barking from inside their houses which I'm sure we will meet eventually. I've lived here for nearly nine years and barely know three neighbors. I think that's going to change, thanks to my sweet Hogan.

Hogan's first (and second) breakout

Yesterday morning, I had an appointment with my attorney, who said it was fine to bring Hogan. The plan was to feed him early, get ready, and take a mile walk in a park on the way there. Well, I overslept and had to race around to get ready, fed Hogan, took him outside where he promptly peed and pooed (he is SOOOO good!), then put him in his crate and left to meet with my attorney. I returned home approximately four hours after I left to the sound of a dog barking inside of my house. Huh? I opened the door and there was Hogan, happy as heck to greet me back home. I took him outside where he promptly peed and pooed, what a relief to know he held it in! I stayed home a couple of hours before going to the machine shop to work, crated him again, making sure it was secure, and when I came home, there was Hogan, happy as heck to greet me back home. How did he escape this time???? I studied the crate and realized that the mechanism which locks the door had somehow flipped to the inside, making it very easy for Hogan to get out.

But here's the deal. Hogan doesn't really mind the crate, but he didn't pee or poo in the house nor did he tear anything up, including but not limited to the closed garbage bag I had by the front door which I planned to drop off on the way to the attorney's office then decided to leave it there and do it later. He is such a good dog!!! So last night I went to bed and didn't put him in the crate as I had been doing at night. He slept in his bed in the living room (and is still sleeping as I write this). I spent $60 on a crate and $20 on a crate bed and he doesn't need either of them. Oh, well, it will come in handy if we ever have to travel . . .

First day at the spa

This morning I let Hogan sleep in while I did three miles and shower at the Y. I got back home just before 7:00 and fed him, then took him outside before I had to leave at 8:40. He was crated until nearly 2:30 and I felt so bad for him. To make up for it, I decided to pamper him with a bath and toenail cut, not knowing that I had to drop him off and pick him back up. The look on his face as they took him away was heartbreaking, like, we finally reunited and now you're going away again! But when I picked him up, he was very happy with his new clean coat and clipped toenails.

A couple of friends at a client's office bought him some "housewarming" gifts including a couple of toys that hide treats in them to make dogs play. And he did:

He played with that ball for nearly an hour and only got one of three treats out of it because instead of rolling it, he tried to eat them through the one hole that they fall out of. BUT at least he played with a ball! It's a start!

After the makeover, we went to Finch Park, which he liked very much. It has about 100,000 trees and even though he only marked about 100 of them, he was a very happy puppy.

Note: He's in his crate for bed for the night, and has barked several times, which he's never done at all before. I KNEW he was too perfect! Maybe it was the neighbors . . . I still love him with all my heart. He's the best dog EVER!

First play date

Today Hogan went with me to a lady who works from her home. She has a standard (big) poodle who is a bit hyperactive. They didn't seem to realize there was a huge difference in their size. The poodle kept wanting to play but Hogan kept pretty much ignoring her. Other than that, they got along just fine.

We also went to the vet today to introduce him. We got in a mile walk this morning at the Senior Center trail and then another one just before the sun went down in the neighborhood, where some dog kept barking at him. But Hogan didn't bark back, although he definitely noticed it. The dog backed off after I hollered at it and we continued on our merry way.

Tonight he seemed real sluggish when I picked him up to take him to his crate (he was sound asleep in his bed). When I picked him up he whined, so I hope he didn't eat something somewhere along the way that he shouldn't have.