It's been awhile since my last blog post!  My laptop decided to burn out (literally!) and I don't often have time to boot up the 'ol desktop system.  Luckily, I'll be getting a new one soon!

My little Ellie girl is growing fast!  She's up to 10 lbs. already (averaging about a 1 lb. gain each week) and is just a little bundle of energy.  She has learned how to sit, lie down and shake.  She has one more booster shot to go before she's finally done for the year (I think!) and she has been cleared to start puppy classes.  I'm so excited to get her in to play with the other puppies!  

Housebreaking was going well until the middle of last week.  She has suddenly decided that the kitchen floor is a great place to pee and poop.  It's a little weird since that's where her food and crate are, and there are no rugs or soft flooring.  So we're back to square one and I think she's a little mad about being banished to puppy-jail (aka her crate) after meals until she poops outside.  She doesn't mind being in her crate, but I still feel bad about putting her in there more than before.  There's not much I can do, though, since she pooped no less than 5 times in two hours last week.  :/  Luckily she was at the Vet's the next day for her wellness visit, so the Vet was able to examine her and determine that there's nothing wrong with her health that would cause it.  I apparently just have a stubborn puppy!  She has had 2-3 accidents since that visit, too.  To make up for the increased crate time, though, I've started taking her on more walks to help her burn off the energy.

She loves going on walks in the neighborhood.  She won't venture past a certain radius from our house, yet, but she is getting quite good at walking next to me on her leash.  She also greets people and their pets with lots of nub-wiggling and not a single bark.  I make sure to praise her with each positive encounter she has!  She's particularly fond of Jake, an 11-year-old chocolate lab that is visiting his grandpa down the road.  She is only unsure of other animals when they are off-leash and come bounding up to her.  Or, in the case of a friendly cat down the street, slinking up to her.  Hopefully the puppy classes will help to boost her confidence a little more!