Don't, Don't, Don't

Happy Independence Day!  I think.

I don't feel very independent right now.  When I declare my independence, somebody always says - bet you can guess - "DON'T!"

I've been growing.  


I used to be able to get through the fence into the flower garden.  Now I can only just nibble grass around the edges.  But if I eat too much tasty grass, then my tummy gets upset, so my mom says, "Don't!"

My legs are long enough for me to see into the trash baskets.  And there are always very interesting things in them.  But when I take something out and wave it around and play keep-away - "Don't!"


You should see the pretty plants on my deck!  They are so much fun to pull up out of the pots.  But my people say - I don't need to finish this sentence for you, do I?

And then there's my Gentle Leader!  When I see it, I head the other way.  And my mom says...  "DON'T!"  Sometimes I just won't obey any commands with my "uniform" on.  Ha!  That'll get her!  Well, no.  My mom says, "You just wait, Harriet.  One day you might be a service dog and you're going to love going places in your uniform.  We'll just have to put up with your bad moods until you have grown up a little bit more."

I don't care about growing up a little bit more.  I just wanna do what I wanna do!  Sometimes I whine about it.  My WOOF! is now a rich alto "woof," not a little puppy soprano.  I can sound quite impressive outside when I want to come in.  But I can still do an effective puppy whine when I want some sympathy.  (Try it - it might work for you, too.)

I must admit, though, that life is not totally gloomy.  There's the leaf blower....

....and the rain.









 And I have some new friends, too, and they're fun.

 

I met my cousin Olivia.  We don't have any kinfolk (well, kindogs) in common, but we both grew up in the same house, so that makes us cousins.  Olivia was Lydia when she was a pup, but she changed her name a little when she got big.  Here we are playing together.  Guess which one is me.

Olivia has cats.  Here is one of them, showing off his cute tummy.  His name is Milo.  He didn't want to play with us.

 


My mom and I went to a book sale way out in the country.  We drove and drove.  But there wasn't anything there I was interested in reading, so one of the boys took me for a walk in the - what?


It wasn't a yard.  Nobody could have mowed it.  But it was big, and I could get used to it really fast!



I have a CCI pup friend named Deja.  I call her DJ.  She is younger than I am, she lives over in Buena Vista, Colorado, and she came to my house for a whole day.

See?  She can get through the fence to the flowers.

DJ likes water - can you tell?  Wish I'd thought of that game first.  But somebody would have said, "DON'T!"  When she did it they just said, "How cute!"  T'ain't fair.





  
At first DJ wondered if I was going to eat her up.  I get enthusiastic when I play.  (She's the black blob on the left hiding behind the water meter.)

But pretty soon she decided she could play, too.  Dogs look as if they're fighting when they're just playing.  It's all those impressive teeth.







Then Buddy came over - remember Buddy? - and we all played together.  Fun!

Can't play all the time, though.  (Sigh)

Poor me!  I think I'll go hide my face and take a nap before I get "don'ted" again!

In the You-Know-What House Already

 
This will be short, friends.

What happens when you combine a table...

...a couple of benches...
                                                                       ..and a very helpful dog?

You guessed it.  I'm so embarrassed.




Mom thought it was funny.  Dad gave me a treat anyhow.  The stain will have to wear off.

And this is only the beginning of summer! (sigh)

Pictures and Puppy Class

I've been growing.

My PR Dad says I now weigh about 26 pounds.  Anybody can see the difference.  My Mom says, "Who needs free weights with Harriet to lift?"  I take that as a compliment.  Here are a few pictures to show what life has been like lately.

Harriet running around like crazy (good exercise).



Harriet in Harriet bed (not my crate - the day bed). 

Harriet in cat bed.

Cat in Harriet bed (with my toy).






...Another cat in Harriet bed.  What is this?

Harriet talking with cat... 

... and cat talking with Harriet.  

The other cats have teeth and claws so, of course, this guy - Nonny - is more fun than they are.  My PR Mom says, "Harriet, don't!"  But we're just having a good time.  Really.  I promise. Um, on to...

...Harriet being helpful.  Well, that's what I thought I was doing.  Some dogs would be afraid of a noisy vacuum cleaner.  Not me!

Harriet being helpful some more.  I'm helping my PR dad clean up what I leave in the yard.  Isn't that being helpful?


I went to puppy class one night.  If I'm going to be a service dog, I need to learn how to do all the things I'll need to do.  Of course, right now I'm a Bear - um, Pup - of Very Little Brain, so I know only a few things.

We always start with CRADLE.  We have to lie on our backs on our person's lap even though somebody might come along and tickle us.  I'm on the right, and my friend Gary is on the left.  He and I are the same age, but he's bigger.

I know SIT.  When I want to, I can do it as well as the big guys.

Do you notice that I'm wearing my Gentle Leader?  I don't like it.  But I'll pretend I'm cool about it when I'm at class.  When I'm at home I act a little differently about it.

I know DOWN.  Or is that ROLL?

I'm not sure.  Wait a minute.  This is DOWN.  I think.






ROLL is more fun.

STAY means don't move.  WAIT means almost the same thing, only I won't have to stay as long.  Right now I can't stay very long at all.  I like to move!  My PR Mom practices STAY with me at home.  I stay for ten seconds while she moves backwards; she gives me a treat.  Is she training me, or am I training her?

Everybody has things to practice.  







But after we've had our lessons... 

...we get to play!

We little guys played together.  From biggest to smallest, Ophelia, Gary, and Yours Truly, Harriet Don't.

The big dogs got to play, too.

I go to puppy class twice a month.  But between times, I practice at home.

Um... is this DOWN?  Or ROLL??

Life is Fun!

Here I am again - Harriet Don't the Pup.  Or is that "Don't, Harriet!"?  I'm not sure.  But I think my Puppy Raiser Dad isn't going to say nice things about me when he sees what I'm playing with.

I'm a little bigger!  Before (right)....






...and After (left).

I'm heavier, too.  My PR Mom says she's going to use me for weight-lifting. 

It's harder to get through the spaces in the garden fence.  Am I supposed to be in the garden?  Well, noooo....  (This picture is from way back two weeks ago, when it was easier.)

I like being outside now.  I don't worry if my mom isn't out

there with me.

In fact, there are some things she shouldn't see.









I'm getting bigger than the kitties.  Mr. Grey is my friend.  The other night when Mom took me for a walk around the block, Mr. Grey followed us the whole way.  

Cetty ignores me when she can.  

Nonny - well, he's pretty skinny, and Mom doesn't want me to run after him, but how can I resist?  Hey, I'm only eleven weeks old!



I've graduated from ROW-OOOO! to YIP! YIP!  I still sing soprano.

I can go downstairs at almost the speed of light.  Well, it seems that way.


I get to go to my first CCI class this week, but I'm already learning some commands.  I don't know if they're for me or for my people.  I've trained Mom to give me a piece of cooky bone when I sit.  I've trained her to give me another piece if I give her my paw and shake her hand.  Am I a good teacher or what?  There are a couple of commands called "down" and "roll" but I'm not sure which is which.  Does it matter as long as I get a treat?

(If I want a treat right away, I just go into roll no matter what the command is.  I don't know why that isn't OK.)

My mom talks about her battle scars.  She does have some interesting red marks on her arms.  It isn't my fault that my Creator made my little teeth so sharp!

I stayed with Auntie Kelly for a few days.  She takes care of the CCI office downtown.  Well, Mr. O'Brien is the boss, but Auntie Kelly is the one who knows where everything is. 

I had a great time at her house.  Not only her dogs but also some visiting dogs were there. 

 





I played doctor:  "Let me check your ears..."

..."Oooh, what big teeth you have!"

She also has a cat... 

...and somehow I believe I napped in the wrong place.

Back home, Mom decided I was big enough to have a play date.  So she invited Buddy over.  If you read Kelda's blog, too, you've met Buddy.

 

 
We had fun!

When I get bigger, can I get in the bird bath, too?  (I just heard a NO! from somewhere.)




After the party, I needed a bath....

 

Mom says this gets me ready for the fancy drying boxes at Puppy College in California.  All I care about right now is that I can take a NAP here!