They Like Him! They Really Like Him!

So many people ask about Stanley. They’ve never actually met him but feel as if they know him.

ELBEE Maybe because she’s been oversharing about him since the moment he was born.

 

 

 

 

I am happy to say that at four months, I can give a cautiously optimistic update on the little guy. Although at thirty pounds and taller than Gus, I can’t really call him the “little guy” any more.

 

 

 

GUS I’m so confused. I could swear that I was  towering over him and now we’re eye to eye. Am I shrinking? I know that Pack Leader is but she’s a lot older than I am.

Looking at these photos, it’s easy to see how much he’s grown. He was around ten pounds when we brought him home in July and this week he’s weighing in at thirty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this picture with Marsha, the groomer, his legs look so long, a friend commented that she wished hers were like that.

It would be nice if I had a better recollection of the other Doods at this stage so I’d have a more accurate frame of reference. I should have kept puppy books, just like the baby books I had for the daughters. To be honest, I wasn’t that great at those either. I may have exaggerated from time to time or made up a few things here and there. Hey, I had three kids under the age of five and a half.

ELBEE And once again, we know why she wasn’t mother of the year.

As for Stanley’s behavior, he has some quirks but his evil twin with the sharp teeth is making fewer and fewer appearances. For instance, he has put those long legs to work counter surfing, something I’m sure he picked up from Elbee.

ELBEE No comment.

He has also developed a fetish for my tee shirts and steals them out of the closet, something he picked up from Gus.

GUS No Comment.

On the bright side, Stanley is hanging so naturally with the pack whether relaxing or interacting. He spends hours playing with Gus, his former nemesis. He’s learned commands from Elbee. He even got Riley, our 15 year old Golden, to run a few laps around the yard with him. They like him! They really like him!

His leash walking may be what has surprised me the most. Last night I took him  for a short walk in the neighborhood. Since that was pretty uneventful, today I upped the ante and took him on Ventura Boulevard, one of the busiest streets in the San Fernando Valley. I didn’t know what to expect but tried to do the calm, assertive “dog whisperer” thing. I was shocked when it actually worked.

He was freakishly good, staying calmly by my side. He sniffed all over the place but barely pulled on the leash unlike a certain other dog who shall remain nameless. (It begins and ends with “e”). He initially reacted to the traffic but then ignored it. There were hints of Charley. I figured that either I’m a fabulous trainer or he’s a genius.

ELBEE Is she serious?