New Addition

I think that this is the first dog themed post for me, though I’d have to look back a while to be sure. But since we got a new dog this past week–Wallie, house-wolf brother of Emerson and Jonah of sainted memory–I’ve not had any time to get out and photograph.

So, this week, then, images of Wallie and his impact on our house. Meet Wallie. The left ear usually is down. It took until he was about 5 months or so for Jonah’s one floppy ear to stand up like a proper German Shepherd, so we’re curious about how Wallie will develop.

Don’t let these good looks and this quiet-seeming demeanor fool you. This is his favorite spot to sleep, though he also likes being at our feet and half under the couch where we often sit. The “what’s up” glint in his eye in the second image hints at the scamp (some have said “little devil”) inside.

Wallie is 8-weeks old, wants to bite everything and put almost everything in his mouth, especially my ankles and wrists. He plays so furiously with his rope toy and stuffed dinosaur that he ends up wiping out regularly and summersaulting. He looks a bit like one of those large fire trucks that require a second steering wheel and driver for the back wheels. Except the steering guy for Wallie’s back legs is asleep at the wheel sometimes. From about 5pm-8pm each night he gets the “zoomies” (some have said “devilish fits”) and becomes maniacal.

People who say they love puppies usually don’t have one. The feeling is much more intensely ambivalent. I love!!!! him and several times a day want to send him back from whence he came. Or turn him into sausage.

Signs of a dog in the house include a hanging set of shelves in a closet with many of his toys and accoutrements, a flashlight, leash or two, collar, harness, treats, etc., on the beer freezer by the back door, the current primary entrance and exit for his walks and potty breaks. Food and water bowls, and so much more.

Nothing is all fun and no work, and this is especially true of puppies. They’re a ton of work. Goodbye exercise, time to meditate, and a full night’s sleep. (You’d think dog = exercise. Eventually perhaps, but not at the puppy stage.) We’ve become trackers, looking for signs of imminent peeing or pooping, and watch watchers, wondering whether it’s time to take him out again anyway, even if there’s no subtle signs.

And crate training. Oh, there’s crate training. For sleep overnight and crating for a hour or two at this point during the day, when no one can watch him (errands, showers, cooking, going for a run, a brief trip groceries, cleaning up). Our previous dog, Jonah, took to the crate right away. Happily. No more than a bit of whining the first night. Then all good. A trooper. Wallie? Not so much. After some long bouts of angry crying the first night or two, he now is pretty content at night. Daytime? Not so much. We’re trying a “good cop” approach. Here’s Wallie and his nemesis.

That look says, “Am good doggo, hooman. Why you put me in hoosegow?”

Maybe next week, I’ll be back to landscapes and city scenes. I promise not to overwhelm this blog with dog-posts. Puppy pictures are Facebook and Instagram fodder more than blog post stuff. But I’ll occasionally do blogposts on him. I have a hard time imagining taking him when I got on photography jaunts. It’s hard to take time to see images, think through how to frame them, etc., and watch a dog who darts unpredictably and wants to eat everything but his dog food. Maybe in a year or two.

Enjoy the summer weather! And stay safe out there.