# The puppy Bagheera, week one



## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

On Labor Day we picked up our 1/2 Golden, 1/2 Labrador Retriever puppy. Today is his 8 week birthday.

Wow. It's been almost 11 years since I've had a puppy. What a joy he is! He's about the sweetest thing imaginable. Loves to lick faces and nibble ears, and is obsessed with necklaces. I took the whole week off to welcome him home, so here are my initial thoughts and observations.


He seems very smart. In his 7th week of life he's already learned sit, speak, and shake. He's working on "down", and "come" is also coming along.
He'd never had a collar before, and spent his first three-four days trying to scratch it off. He kept walking funny because he was constantly wanting to sit and scratch the collar.
He disapproves of leashes. Walking him is interesting. 
He has not been stepped on yet. See #3 above. There've been several close calls averted only by my nimble catlike reflexes. 
Coccidia and diarrhea are his only medical problems. He's on Primol for that.
Potty training is going well, but see #5 above. As far as we know, he has yet to pee in the house. I am knocking on wood.
He's learning to be a bit more independent. That's good and bad as we don't have a fenced yard. I fear losing him at night in the darkness.
HAWKS! Several times now, a hawk has circled or gotten close to check him out as a potential meal. 
He's not big on water yet, but we've not really exposed him to too much.
Today is his first day at puppy day care. I hope he does well. It's kinda expensive, so we look forward to the day he can be left at home and not locked in his cage.
He sleeps a lot. Bursts of activity and long naps seem to be his forte.

Here's one of his first pictures at home.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Congrats on your new furbaby!!! he is a real cutie!! I have a big place in my heart for black dogs.

They are all smart, capable and willing! Enjoy your pup! Time flies by so quickly, take the time to 'roll in the grass', and enjoy the journey, they grow up so fast!

All the best to you and Bagheera! 
Hope you will share your adventures!


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Welcome home Bagheera! Congratulations on your new addition. Bagheera, you keep those humans on their toes and train them right.  Adorable pup. Love the picture.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

He is cute  congratulations!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Congratulations, Bagheera is a doll and sounds like a smart little guy.


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## SandyK (Mar 20, 2011)

Congrats!!! He is a little cutie!!:smile2:


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

*The puppy Bagheera, week two*

We made it to week 2!  Bagheera turns 9 weeks old today. What a simply wonderful joy he is. Has NOT figured out potty training but is making progress towards that goal. He's on new medication for the diarrhea. Methnazone or somesuch. Slight improvement thus far. Other highlights from week 2:

He's learned "no bite" and has limited mastery of it. We need to watch him better around cords. 

He's almost too plump to fit through the gate they have at daycare. Almost. 

Still hates the leash. He wants to go at a slower pace and examine the world. Haven't been able to do much off leash stuff yet but we're working on it.

His nickname is Squirt. His nickname is Beard-biter. His nickname is Yappy. 

Stay. This word does not mean to him what I think it means. 

He's a very low-energy dog. He can zoom around but he gets tired and snoozes a lot. Loves to play with his purple guy toy and even fetches toys on occasion.

I can't walk him anyplace there are people unless I plan extra time. He's a magnet to dog-lovers and gets pets and snugs from everyone he meets. 

My life is blessed with him in it.

Here he is shaking dry after a bath.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Congratulations! Charming puppy!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Bagheera*

Bagheera is just ADORABLE. I would never let him out alone, that hawk worries me!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

*Bagheera week 3*

Today my puppy is 10! Three weeks have flown by. He's more than I had hoped for. While he did not replace Fenris, my thoughts of Fenris are fewer now, even though his collar hangs just outside our back door. Every time I carry Bagheera out we bump into Fenris' collar and he playfully bats at it. I still miss him, just as much, but he doesn't occupy my every waking moment. Most of my every waking moment nowadays is spent watching the puppy, training the puppy, walking the puppy, playing with the puppy.

Highlights from week 3:

Potty training is going well, as long as we watch him. He apparently ran off 3 times while I wasn't watching him yesterday and pooped in our bedroom. He's almost done with his pills and his diarrhea is gone, so at least there's that positive.

He's not the most confident guy. Still scared of lots of things. A dog in a fenced yard charged at him barking, and puppy was like "Oh no! I'm outta here!" and he hi-tailed it to the end of the leash.

He's discovering he doesn't mind being wet. He visited me in the shower this morning. He's VERY curious about creeks and such, but with floodwaters threatening my home town of Cedar Rapids we haven't gone swimming yet. Maybe soon. He's curious!

He and my son are great play partners. Raucous, loud, silly, with tail awag. I love it. 

So smart. Some things are hard, like come, and stay, but he's trying.

He was initially scared of a stuffed money that leered at him over the edge of a table, but that didn't last long. 

Pretty much slept like a rock last night after my son wore him out playing yesterday. His ability to hold his potty is quite good, he slept for 6+ hours without asking to go out once.

So, Bagheera is 10 weeks old today. Tomorrow, my son turns 10 years old. Appropriately I made a portrait of the two of them yesterday. They grow up so fast!


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## craigtoo (Jan 6, 2016)

Great Pic and stories!!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

*Bagheera, 11 weeks old today*

Another week has passed and my puppy is growing bigger and stronger every day. He's also been exposed to kennel cough! Ack (as he would say!)! No other symptoms other than the hacking cough. Vet gave him Primor again. Doesn't seem to help much, but I think that's expected. Primor is probably given as a ward against secondary infections. 

We stayed at a farm house this past weekend. My son loves chickens so we wanted to treat him to a chicken farm for his 10th birthday. The chickens fascinated Bagheera!

Some other accomplishments:

Potty training continues. He doesn't quite get it yet, but I think he will. 

He's up to 12 pounds, doubling his weight in 4 weeks. He's a growing boy!

I need to remind myself often that he's not Fenris. He's 11 weeks old. Keep expectations low!

He's no longer the youngest at his daycare. A black Lab named Daisy was there this morning. They argued about who was cuter. 

We've had to increase leashed time due to occasional games of catch me if you can. I can still catch him. That won't always be the case.


Still a lil' stinker and we all think he's pretty neat. Here he is examining a chicken.


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## ssacres (Sep 29, 2012)

What a beautiful photo. I have a black lab , golden mix. She just turned 12 and she is a real sweetheart. Love your puppy.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

ssacres said:


> What a beautiful photo. I have a black lab , golden mix. She just turned 12 and she is a real sweetheart. Love your puppy.


Thank you! Give your sweetie an extra hug today. From me .  My beloved, departed Lupo was also half Lab and half golden. Smartest dog I ever had. Maybe the best, but Fenris was an awesome dog too.


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## danoon58 (Jul 1, 2015)

Your little puppy is so very cute! I love the photo you took of him with your son. He looks like he's thinking -- I could chase that chicken and maybe even catch him!!!


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

I love the photo with the chicken! So cute! No doubt he is wondering if he chases it could he catch it...and what would happen if he did. The chicken, on the other hand is probably thinking, "Go ahead little puppy. Make my day."


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

It's interesting to note both the puppy and the chicken's reactions. The chickens were somewhat curious, but once they realized he had the shape of a predator, curiosity went by the wayside and they turned, well, chicken.  Bagheera of course showed no fear, only curiosity and some mild stalking. He gave chase only once, and briefly, as he knew he was on a leash. 

This "game" has been played out millions of times over the eons. Predator and prey. Even our domesticated friends know the roles, very well.


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## Amystelter (Jul 31, 2013)

Wolfeye said:


> It's interesting to note both the puppy and the chicken's reactions. The chickens were somewhat curious, but once they realized he had the shape of a predator, curiosity went by the wayside and they turned, well, chicken.  Bagheera of course showed no fear, only curiosity and some mild stalking. He gave chase only once, and briefly, as he knew he was on a leash.
> 
> 
> 
> This "game" has been played out millions of times over the eons. Predator and prey. Even our domesticated friends know the roles, very well.




Not always. My Husky/Shepard would watch as my boyfriend's cockatoo would come down from her perch, strut over to the food bowl, grab a piece of kibble and crawl back up her cage. It was hilarious to watch. I believe she got nipped in the nose once and that's all it too kind. 


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

*Bagheera, 12 weeks old today*

Another week! Twelve weeks old today. This puppy has been nothing but a blessing in my life. He has accomplished so much in the five weeks he has been with us. Here are some of his accomplishments so far.

No potty accidents all week. He asks to go out, sitting by the door and whining. What a smart little chap!

He's over his KC and feeling his oats. Bit my son on Saturday when he got too wild and was trying to bite his shirt - hit skin. My son forgave and forgot. Puppy was informed that that is not acceptable behavior. Overall, he's not a hard biter and is always doing it in play, but puppy teeth are sharp!

Water play! Yesterday we took a squeaky ball down to a stream. My son and I braved the chilly water and waded in, and puppy followed along! He didn't swim, as he didn't venture into deep enough water, but it was a joy to see him splash about. Unfortunately he found the water a bit too chilly and was shivering a bit, so we headed out of the shade and he dried and warmed up nicely in the October sun.

He loves the kitchen. This is the room of rooms, THE place to be, if there are humans in it! He has been employed as a minor pre-dishwasher when we have puppy-safe meals. 

Zoomies. He has them occasionally  

He has discovered the remains of our tomato patch. He was out there eating them. At least this is something edible - he usually seems to prefer leaves and dirt and sticks. He did also eat a grasshopper yesterday. 

He can now get out of the car on his own. He can't get in the car yet, but we'll work on that. Speaking of car, I never realized but you don't need to press the button on the gear shift (automatic) to go from drive to neutral. Ask me how I discovered this.  Puppy insists on having his head near me, his rear end in the passenger seat, laying across the cup holders. If he gets TOO close to me his body can slide up next to the gear shift and... yep! Driving down the highway and all of a sudden we're slowing WAY down. Took me a couple secs to realize what was happening!

He's discovered Milkbones. He likes them. At first they were too hard for him to chew, now he downs them like a champ. He also tears through a small rawhide chew in about 5 minutes. 

That's about it! I'm so happy with this little guy, and proud of him. He's a picture of him doing his first water retrieve, of his red squeaky ball. As you can tell by the picture he's a future dock dogs champion.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

He sounds really great, wonderful to hear how much you're enjoying him. 
He's becoming a good looking boy.


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

So cute! Seeing Bagheera makes me miss my tiny puppy! I discovered the same thing with Piper in the car actually! She likes to be right next to me in the car also, and pushed my car into neutral haha. She doesn't realize why she can't always be a lapdog


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

*13 weeks today!*

Another week has passed, another week filled with growth and new experiences. I am so proud of this little guy. He keeps amazing me with the decisions he makes. Most of them are good, and correct, but he is a puppy and some are not so good. Nipping at my son can be too much, especially when he's just emerged from the shower and dangly bits are displayed! Overall though, this dog is simply low-energy. Calm, even. He certainly hasn't found his passion in life. When we brought Fenris home we had a stick-retrieving maniac of a yellow Lab as our current dog. Fenris adopted that devotion quickly. By age 6 months or so he could also out-hustle the yellow Lab and get to the stick first. From then on, two sticks had to be thrown, and often, Fenris was so fast, so fanatic, that he'd end up getting both.

Highlights from this past week:

His first visit to the dog park. Not really a dog park, just a place people take their dogs for some off-leash strolling. He did great! Didn't hurt that this was Sunday morning, and the park was filled with Labs and Goldens.

He fetched a stick on a hike yesterday. Pretty good for him. He's such a character.

He retrieved a grasshopper. You shoulda seen how proud he was, trotting towards me with prize in mouth. Such a soft mouth too, the grasshopper was unharmed - but no way was it going to escape! We tried rescuing it but he kept grabbing it off the ground. Eventually we gave up. Not sure whether he ate it or released it.

We got him one of those doggy puzzle box things. He took to it immediately. Has the general idea figured out but still lacks perfect execution. He does love it though!

He has progressed form merely poking his head into the shower to full-on climbing in with me. Silly pup!


Here he is, doing that stick-fetch thing!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

Well,it's week 14.

Puppy is doing great. Almost went swimming for a stick yesterday but he lacked the confidence in his ability. I encouraged but didn't push him to do it. It will come. The genes are strong. He loves to "go for a ride" and even seems perkier for walks now. We still have an issue with him and my son and nipping, so he's no angel. No puppy is. My son adores him though. We will work it out.

Here he is with my son on a hike at the off leash park. Bagheera is ensuring the off-leash part.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Beautiful puppy


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Love that face. I always melt when I see pictures of a boy and his dog.  Both are precious.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Boy and his dog*



Wolfeye said:


> Well,it's week 14.
> 
> Puppy is doing great. Almost went swimming for a stick yesterday but he lacked the confidence in his ability. I encouraged but didn't push him to do it. It will come. The genes are strong. He loves to "go for a ride" and even seems perkier for walks now. We still have an issue with him and my son and nipping, so he's no angel. No puppy is. My son adores him though. We will work it out.
> 
> Here he is with my son on a hike at the off leash park. Bagheera is ensuring the off-leash part.


What a beautiful picture of your son and Bagheera, both are just precious!0
Have you thought about using a life jacket while he is swimming?
We used them for Tucker and Tonka, until we were confident they were really good swimmers.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

Karen519 said:


> What a beautiful picture of your son and Bagheera, both are just precious!0
> Have you thought about using a life jacket while he is swimming?
> We used them for Tucker and Tonka, until we were confident they were really good swimmers.


I don't think he'll need one, not in the initial places he's been introduced to. So far he's only had access to a shallow stream and a pond. It'll be quite a while before he goes anywhere near a river. I'm in no real hurry. When he decides its time to swim, he will.


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## SandyK (Mar 20, 2011)

Great picture of Bagheera and your son!!!:smile2:


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Bagheera*



Wolfeye said:


> I don't think he'll need one, not in the initial places he's been introduced to. So far he's only had access to a shallow stream and a pond. It'll be quite a while before he goes anywhere near a river. I'm in no real hurry. When he decides its time to swim, he will.


Good to know.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

We have reached 15 weeks! Bagheera has now spent more time with us than his mother and littermates. He's a happy, smart, generally calm puppy. I get compliments all the time on how well-behaved he is. Slow, steady progress, a soft hand that's always got a treat in it, and loving welcoming arms are the tools I have used to get this far. I will keep using them. How much is training and how much is his genetic makeup? I never discount the value of genes. He's a "mutt" but a deliberately bred mutt bringing together two wonderful purebred breeds. I give a ton of credit to his physical makeup for his personality.

Highlights from the past week:

Had a tick. Tick was removed. Still waiting for the first hard freeze here.

Went to his first ever house party. Not really dog people but they said well-mannered pets were welcome, so I took him. He was awesome, such a little gentleman. I kept him leashed but didn't really need to. He stayed nearby. His only violation was chewing through the leash! I've had that leash for 20+ years. All it took was a few moments distraction and sharp puppy teeth did the rest.

He ate pumpkin seeds. We carved pumpkins last night and those were too hard for him to resist. Not sure how many he ate. I don't expect them to get digested though, unless his stomach acid can do a number on them. He swallows them.

He's finally able to get in the car without assistance. He also pretty much stays where he is told to stay in the car, although this morning he got frightened of something, and suddenly the passenger seat freaked him out. He ended up on my lap. He's starting to show a few signs of fear, coinciding with the close of the socialization period. At the house party he was freaked out by their door mat and refused to walk on it. Funny how they perceive the world at times!

I never taught him this but he goes to the door when he needs to go potty. If nobody sees him, he barks! Is that not a smart guy, figuring it all out on his own? He's not 100% potty trained, more like 95% but at 15 weeks I can't complain. His recall is amazing for his age. At the dog park I visited yesterday he came running when he was over a hundred feet away. I think he thought I had abandoned him, and was relieved to hear my voice, but still. He CAME when called, at the dog park, with 20-30 dogs all around him.


Here he is, showing why squirt guns are NOT effective dog deterrents, at least not for Golden-Lab pups!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

Week 16 Puppy update, whether you want it or not. 


Still hasn't learned he can swim. I will never push him in, but don't think any of my other dogs were as skittish about water. He loves to run and splash in shallow water though. He was retrieving tennis balls from the dog park pond.

I'm not sure he'll ever "get" potty training. Seems like he's potty trained unless there's nobody right there to let him out when he needs to go, so he'll crap by the door. And last night he was playing in the living room and suddenly wandered off, into a bedroom, and peed on some clothes on the floor. Huh?? Why? Where did THAT come from? He didn't even go to the door and ask. Now, I wasn't there, so maybe he figures the humans he was with were too stupid to know to let him out? Am I the only one he communicates with, assuming the rest can't understand him?

Still doesn't like to go for walks on the leash in the morning. Lazybones. 

He stuck his head out the car window for the first time. He really likes that, but he's still too little to get there without a lap to sit on.

He has a consistent, cute behavior when he sees dogs approaching him when we're in off-leash places. He lays down and becomes a snake in the grass. He doesn't go greet them, he waits for them to come and discover him. I thought it was just for dogs, but he did it with a jogger on a trail yesterday.



That's pretty much it for the week. He's such a wonderful dog. I am blessed to have him. SO easy-going! We play with his treats when he gets them, and he wags his tail and plays a bit of keep away, knowing I'd never really eat his chewy or whatever he has. 

Here he is at the trail yesterday, being all cute with a stick.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

He is just too cute, and growing! He is way too young to expect him to be house trained. Plan on actively house training, going out with him and encourage him to potty, watch him like a hawk for signs he needs to go when he's in the house, and don't expect him to be house trained until 6 months or longer. But right now, 16 weeks is much too young for you to expect him to get it. Start teaching him to ring a bell at the door when you take him out, so he has a way to tell you he needs to go. Over time he will figure that out.

I'm really enjoying your updates, so keep posting!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

mylissyk said:


> He is just too cute, and growing! He is way too young to expect him to be house trained. Plan on actively house training, going out with him and encourage him to potty, watch him like a hawk for signs he needs to go when he's in the house, and don't expect him to be house trained until 6 months or longer. But right now, 16 weeks is much too young for you to expect him to get it. Start teaching him to ring a bell at the door when you take him out, so he has a way to tell you he needs to go. Over time he will figure that out.
> 
> I'm really enjoying your updates, so keep posting!


Thanks for the kind words, and yes, I know he's far too young to expect 100% potty training. I'll definitely take 99% at 16 weeks and consider my situation pretty close to miraculous. One of the fascinating things about puppies and dogs is how they seem to know something one minute and then seem totally clueless about it an hour later.  I've never punished Bagheera for anything and don't intend to. He's SUCH a sweetheart, more prone to giving kisses/licks than any other dog I've ever had. He's so cute and adorable that you can't help but give in when he begs for the last corner of your toast, or the last few drops of morning orange juice - even though dogs have no need for external sources of vitamin C! 

I did buy a bell, before we even brought him home. I have no idea what happened to it. It vanished. I may have to order another one. But he's so smart and he DOES let me know when he needs to go out. He goes to the door and barks. Sometimes. That's why the two mistakes this weekend struck me as "Huh?? Why?" because he seems to know what to do to get let out. On Tuesdays and Fridays at least. Puppy recollection is such a variable thing.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Bagheera is gorgeous, look at him grow! It is wonderful to watch him grow, to know he has found himself an amazing home! 


I must admit I shied away from labs for a long time, their energy level, just a bit intimidating, however, Joseph came along and decided it was time for me to be introduced to the wonders of the black Labrador dog. Smart beyond words, soft and lovable and so loving in return, sensitive and willing, and just an all around fun and great dog! (I have come to learn a sense of humor is a 'must'!)


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

He sure has grown....... he's a good looking boy.
He sounds like a great boy too.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I got Christmas bells on a strap of leather at Home depot, it came with a ring at the top that fits over the doorknob. $8. Sure beats the poochie bells for $20


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

Bagheera is getting so big! He's adorable. Keep up the good work!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

Another week has passed and my black beauty is getting bigger and stronger. He's so mature in some ways, yet he's 100% puppy in others. I hugged him yesterday and said "Thank you for coming into my life. I needed you" and it's so true. After Fenris died my heart was so broken. This little guy hasn't replaced Fenris -he'll forever be in my heart - but he's made life fun again, fun like life was with Fenris. 

Highlights from the past week:

He drank from the toilet. First time! He's finally tall enough.

He got burrs from a hike, and while I was picking them off him he suddenly turned and started biting the sleeve of my shirt. Guess what? There were burrs on my shirt right there. He was grooming me as I was grooming him.

Beware puppy teeth and puppy kisses because you may end up with a bleeding nose. 

We took him to the dog park again, the one with the pond, and met up with a friend and his yellow lab. The Lab is a swimming and diving maniac, so I hoped puppy would be encouraged to swim. Nope! Still won't go in water if his feet don't touch bottom!

His Halloween costume was voted best, earning him some discounted daycare. Thanks "Lucky Pawz" pet daycare for the contest!

Got his first "Everydog Box" and loved it, loves all the toys and treats he got. Next month's box will be hidden and wrapped up for Christmas so puppy has something to open too!

Daycare has been so good for him, he knows when a dog is bitey and dodges them nimbly, he knows when to roll over, and he knows when to bark right back!

He and my son get along great, excepting when puppy steals his toys. I am so glad. While I'm not ancient, I am 54 and nobody knows how long we get to be on this Earth. I'm glad Bagheera has a friend who'll love him if I'm gone.

Chased bunnies in the backyard at night. All I could make out was a black blur streaking across the grass. Goldens are SO much more visible at night! We had something odd happen recently, not directly related to the pup. My daughter went out in our back yard at night to look at something and came back in reporting "something snarling in the bushes". We do have neighbor dogs but she says it wasn't them, and it frightened her. So I'm much more watchful of puppy at night!


He's such a joy. I am so lucky to have him to hold. Here he is, using his best cute face, trying to get to stay on the bed!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

18 weeks old today! My my, how time flies. We all tend to think our dog is exceptional and I'm totally guilty of that with this pup. He's eighteen weeks old and already he's about the same level of obedience as Fenris had at 10.5 years. He only lacks the off leash abilities Fenris displayed in his last year. I never put a leash on Fenris during his last year. We walked around the neighborhood totally free. I'd love to try that with Bagheera but no, not now, give him time. No sense risking him getting hit by a car. There's very little traffic where I live, especially pre-6am, but I will wait until I am sure. He means too much to me. 

Highlights from the past week:

When I pick him up at daycare I like to sit in a chair across from the room, and he comes charging and flies into my lap and *usually* delivers a facefull of puppy kisses. Well, last Thursday he did that, but also a bit of "bite the nose" which resulted in a fang going up my nose and puncturing the skin. Talk about a bloody nose! I wasn't sure it'd stop, as it's kinda hard to apply direct pressure up your nose. But it did. 

Also at daycare, we had a real windy day last Friday and the leaves were swirling. His outside area at daycare is leaf-free but the wind carried a few over the wall. Apparently, they only blew over in one particular spot by the fence. Bagheera figured *that* out quickly and the staff reported he spent the entire day camped out on that spot, waiting for leaves to blow over!

He's such a little chicken sometimes.  He heard/saw/smelled something on our hike yesterday. And promptly ran behind me. I love him so much knowing he thinks of me as his protector! I am, but it''s cute to see. We never did figure out what he saw, but the woods were ghostly quiet right then. Huh.

Zero potty accidents. I think he's "got this" but of course, he gets let out quite often. He's never been water restricted.

He lost his first tooth. Maybe even two. We didn't find either, of course. I think in all my dogs I've found maybe 2 teeth. 


Here he is, enjoying a bouncing ball.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Thank you for sharing Bagheera's adventures, it is amazing to watch him grow - he is a gorgeous boy! My lab Joseph came to us at about a year old, so we didn't get to live a lot of the puppy stuff, I am more than okay with that, but it is nice to see the stages of growing and learning through Bagheera's adventures, he is so sweet!!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

19 weeks old today! Highlights from the past (Thanksgiving) week.

Puppy's first Thanksgiving. That boy LOVES sweet potatoes. He passed up turkey in favor of this new taste sensation.

He met an oddball cross at the dog park. A golden doodle. Pretty common, nowadays - except this one was from a miniature poodle! Dog was 8 months old and about the same size as Bagheera is at 19 weeks. TONS of energy. He and Bagheera played HARD for the 10 or so minutes they were together. I have never seen Bagheera that active! He's usually such a lazybones.

Had another opportunity to go swimming and he again demurred. 

I jumped across a stream and Bagheera went nuts trying to figure out how to join me! Lots of calling and encouraging and he finally lept across to join me. I was so proud of him.

He's given free range of the house at bedtime. Usually he self-crates, or sleeps at the foot of the bed, but last night he left the bedroom entirely. I found him stretched out in the basement. It was a pleasant semi-surprise to find no potty accidents occurred. And he sure had to go! When I let him out he peed non-stop for at least a full minute. Yep, he's got this potty thing down. 


Here he is on yesterday's hike, romping with my son.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm so enjoying your posts. Bagheera is such a great little dog.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

I love that picture


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## Goldenboy28 (Sep 25, 2016)

Loving this thread.... Bagheera is gorgeous! Love comparing his progress with my pup who is coming up to 14 weeks, you are so right time absolutely flies and I also have thanked Henry for coming into my life, they bring so much to a home ....looking forward to watching him grow.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great picture of Bagheera and your son, a perfect match. 
He's such a handsome boy, great to hear how well he's doing.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

I'm glad everyone is enjoying this thread. Honestly, Bagheera is a great dog *because* of this board, and because he's the pup who got to be raised by "Dog Owner 5.0" which is the new and improved version.  Akela got dog owner 1.0, which sucked because he went away to the Navy and Grad school and left her for his mom to care for. Bless you, mother. Lupo got dog owner version 2.0, which was an improvement over version 1 with more time devoted to actual dog ownership, with lots of walks and swims. Raja got dog owner version 3.0, but Raja was pretty aloof, so it probably didn't matter to him that he was the first dog I ever raised from puppyhood. My beloved, dear Fenris got Dog owner version 4.0, who muddled through a puppy and a new house and a 2yo baby girl and a newborn son all at the same time. Fenris wasn't fully potty trained until age 1 year b/c nobody put "let the dog out a LOT" in the programming for his version. 

My thanks go out to everyone on this great board for helping me through the grief of Fenris dying. For opening my eyes to new ways of thinking. And most of all, for not disowning me when I do things a bit different... like buying a half-breed! 

I got home yesterday from work, and due to a lack of sleep the night before AND a wonderful meal of homemade turkey soup and hearty bread, I was beat, around 7pm. I put my son in charge of Bagheera and took a nap. Those two... such fun they have together. Bagheera loves his wild playmate. They romp and play with lots of "Owww!" from playful puppy nips, but never too hard. Daycare has taught the pup really good bite inhibition. 

My nap ended up being a lot longer than planned. Alas, my son is still on dog owner version 1.0, and I don't think he knew or remembered to let the puppy out. So I cleaned up the mess and we went back to bed.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Love your perspective! We learn something new, or more, with each one. Love a 'half breed', 'mixed breed' or 'multi- pedigreed', it is what is inside that really counts and they do make the most amazing best friends. Wonderful see and hear that your son is having such a good time with Bagheera, I don't think anything compares to the joy and adventure of growing up with a four legged best friend.


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## Ivyacres (Jun 3, 2011)

Great thread, I love the Bagheera updates and pics.


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## TanyaB (Jan 22, 2016)

Wolfeye said:


> ... like buying a half-breed!



That's what I call my kids - LOL - Half Breeds. I'm English, and their dad is American - they get two passports - so they are half-breeds. They aren't bothered by it at all, they think it makes them a half-blood like in Harry Potter


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

20 Weeks old today! The big two-oh!  Lots of big stuff happened this past week.


Got his rabies shot. He's now amongst the ranks of the nearly-fully vaccinated. One more shot tomorrow and he's all done.

I let him off-leash for the first time on our morning walk, sort of. We have a nice nature/bike/walking trail near my house. We finally got a bit of cold weather so I chose a path for the walk that put us on the trail. When we go that way it's at least a 45 minute walk, so I can only do it when I have the time before work. The cold weather meant the trail was devoid of bikes, and as it turned out, walkers too. We had the whole trail to ourselves for the 1/2 mile or so we were on it. He did perfect. Never went more than 15 yards away from me. He's such a good boy.

In the not-so-good news, on Friday night, my son told me that Bagheera swallowed a Lego piece. Fortunately, this was actually a small rounded helmet piece to one of his minifigs. I don't think it will cause him any difficulties passing it, but his tummy was very rumbly this morning. We are keeping an eye open for any signs of distress, but thus far, nothing at all. We may never know if or when he passes it, due to the days being so dark. 

One more cause for concern. On Sunday I was looking inside his mouth and noticed a strange white bump. Perfectly white and round on his upper gumline. I'll show you a picture. Anyone ever seen anything like it? I'll ask the vet about it tomorrow for sure too.

The big, huge, most wonderful event in a puppy's life happened yesterday - his first SNOW. OMG, if you live in the south and have never seen a puppy's reaction to his first snow, you might not realize what you're missing. He adored it. Even THAT isn't a strong enough word. He thrived in it. Pouncing, running, eating, slipping, running full speed, you name it. I made a little movie and hope to upload it here. We could barely get him to come back inside. And then my son joined him. They were out in it for nearly an hour, romping and playing. That's my first pic for the week. My son is trying to build a snowman. Bagheera is "helping" him.  The second pic shows Bagheera zooming past. Lastly is the small white bump.


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## Allee (Nov 24, 2016)

I just read Bagheera's story and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your adventure and all your great photos. Hard to believe how fast a puppy grows up.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

Your weekly Bagheera update, 21 weeks old today version.


Got his last shot for a while. He's now fully vaccinated.

The past two days were difficult. He simply adores the snow, and this weekend he decided I wasn't letting him outside long enough. And he refused to come in. Again, we have no fence, so this is a problem. I was able, by voice, to get him inside, but there were quite a few instances where I was worried he might simply decide to high tail it out of there. Then last night, the last time I trusted him on his own, he walked across the street. No traffic, but like two minutes after I got him back inside, the snowplow came by. So for now, he'll be tied when out in back, or leashed when I go out front with him. He doesn't like being tied out at all and has thus far refused to go potty that way, unless he absolutely has to. I feel saddened because up until this point he's been very obedient, for a 5 month old (this coming Sunday) puppy. I know I can't expect him to be perfect but I hate taking away his privileges. But we must focus on safety.

An example of serendipity or eerie intelligence. I had set my gloves to dry on a floor vent in the bathroom. A while later I went back to check on them, Bagheera following me, and noticed one of the gloves was missing. On a lark I pointed to the remaining glove and said to Bagheera, "Go fetch my other glove." and lo and behold, he trotted out and came back, with the glove. I think that was pretty neat!

This weekend's snowstorm interrupted a plan to take him swimming, so hope we can try again next weekend, weather permitting.

I'm amazed at how well he does with other dogs. He holds his own when they display aggression, and can join in even the fastest games of chase. He got bowled over by an overly-aggressive yellow Lab yesterday, bounced up, and growled a warning that the other dog understood. No biting, just a "Hey, I have teeth and I will use them if you hurt me." kinda playful warning. That was it.

Here he is at the dog park with an adorable Golden named Banjo. Snow was coming down hard!


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

Bagheera turned 5 months old yesterday. We celebrated by staying indoors and NOT going to the dog park in -15F weather. Instead we did our Christmas pictures. These pics show some of that hilarity.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

It was far easier to get a photo of the puppy alone, wearing his "My 1st Christmas" hat.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Wonderful photos of Bagheera and the kids, looks like they had a lot of fun with it!
Love the Santa hat on Bagheera!


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## Longstocking (Feb 26, 2017)

What a lovely photo, your son will treasure that forever.


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