Thurmon's 2012 New Year's Resolutions

In 2012 I resolve to:

1. come when called
2. cut back on my sweater consumption
3. shed all my fur outside, not inside
4. figure out why my humans make me do silly things, like bringing them balls that they just throw away again

Dec 22, 2011: Vacation

Thurmon is off on vacation, going home to his breeder's for the holidays. We hope he'll have a good time, and although we want him to miss us a little, he'll have other dog family and friends to keep him busy. We'll miss you Thurmon - see you before you know it!

Below: Thurmon peers in at us through the basement kitchen window - Mark says he's looking in at his "human aquarium".

Dec 21, 2011: Super Snuggler

No more lamentations from Mark that Thurmon won't snuggle - in the last few weeks he's transformed into a dog who's happy to sleep on your lap for hours if you're willing to sit still for it. We couldn't be happier - now we don't have to turn the furnace on - just let Thurmon keep us warm!

Dec 17, 2011: Thurmons Firsts

Thursday this week was Thurmon's first day at work. We had a four-hour window, what with the TTC restrictions on dog travel, and the travel time from home to work. I think I really only managed about two hours of work though - he was definitely a bit of a distraction. But there was only a minor dust-up with one dog when we arrived (a little territorialism going on), his interactions with the other dogs were fairly subdued (probably because I kept him on the leash) and he refrained from getting yippy and demanding, so there's hope for Thurmon to become a good workmate in the future.

Then last night was Thurmon's first party. Our friend Lima hosted an open house, and Thurmon wrangled himself an invitation. To get there we took Thurmon on his first street car ride. He would have loved to sniff in all the corners, steal the scarves and mittens, and gnaw on the genuine reindeer hide, but we kept him on his leash and distracted him with dropped crumbs (thanks Margot!) and a cosy spot on the kitchen carpet. Then he had a long walk and a subway ride home, meeting several very friendly people along the way. And finally to bed, an hour and a half later than usual - what a late-night adventure!

Addendum: Although we'd hoped his late night adventure would allow us to sleep in, it only gained us an extra 45 minutes. What does it take to tire this guy out?!

Nov 30, 2011: Snowcone

Thurmon got neutered yesterday, so today was his first day of wearing a cone.

It's been pretty funny, seeing him bang into things due to the cone. We're not convinced he realizes there's an object around his neck - just some mysterious force field that keeps getting in the way.

Even better is that today was our first snow. Thurmon was limited to going outside in the back yard on his leash, while wearing the cone, but I don't think he minded at all - he was so excited to find that there was amazing, edible white stuff covering the ground wherever he went. And as he bent down to taste it, snow would get scooped up in his cone and then tossed into the air in front of him as he raised his head - fantastic!

Another cone benefit: if you're chewing something (say a bully stick, or an antler) and it falls from your mouth, it doesn't go far so long as your cone is upright. All in all this cone thing might be working out ok for Thurmon...

Nov 28, 2011: Grand Stairmaster

At last - Thurmon went down the stairs to the basement all on his own! He never did master the basement stairs in our last home, and that was only a half flight from the landing. Since these stairs are a full flight, and quite steep (enough so that Mark and I are careful to watch our footing) I had little hope of him mastering it any time soon. But with one small nudge from me, and Mark beckoning from the bottom, he went down them cautiously but smoothly.

What a relief - the former system for getting him downstairs was a bit tedious: letting him out the patio door on the first floor, into the back yard, then opening the side door to the basement, and beckoning him back in.

Addendum: Thurmon has since trotted down them at full speed even when no one is downstairs to lure him, as if there's nothing at all remarkable about using the stairs. He is now the Grand Stairmaster.

Below: Thurmon 'planking' - torso resting on the couch, back legs standing on the floor. He's taken to doing this for surprisingly long stretches recently.

Nov 15, 2011: Glass Walls

Today Thurmon got to meet the dogs and and other good folks at InViVo. It was his first visit to the heart of the city - the land of skyscrapers and paved surfaces as far as the eye can see. Even so he did quite well, walking nicely beside me. But he looked relieved to finally find a patch of grass where he could relieve himself - I don't think taking a bathroom break on a hard surface will come naturally to him (and maybe that's for the best).

The funniest part of the visit was when Thurmon walked into a glass wall. Twice. First was just after we'd entered the office, and he excitedly tried to rush to meet a new person. The second time was as we were leaving the office, and he was trying to exit to the lobby. Both times there was much laughter. You just couldn't help it.

The Many Ears of Thurmon

I plan to gradually collect photos of Thurmon's many ear signals - a sort of semaphore of his moods...

Earless: folded back as much as possible. Earless Thurmon is an ecstatically happy puppy. Earless Thurmon almost looks bald.

Aerodynamic: not as extreme as Earless - the ears are folded back, but in a more relaxed fashion. Aerodynamic Thurmon has just started out on a morning walk, and is really looking forward to his dog adventures.

Alert: ears up and perky. Alert Thurmon is the default mode, but is especially noticeable as his walks progress, and he moves on from Aerodynamic.

Mixed Signals: one ear Aerodynamic and the other Alert. Seems to be a transition state from Aerodynamic to Alert.

Yoda: ears part way down, in concentration. From behind he looks just like the Star Wars character Yoda. Yoda Thurmon chews on a great new treat, giving it all his attention. He might be inclined to wax philosophical at such moments, much like Yoda.

Half-Mast: similar to Yoda, but with a less happy connotation. Half-Mast Thurmon is stressed, such as when he's on a car ride.


Residual Flop: one ear floppy. Residual Flop Thurmon is newly awakened from a deep sleep, when one of his ears occasionally reverts to its early puppy state. But only ever one ear.

Tilty-Head: not strictly an ear semaphore, as it combines Alert ears with a series of head tilts. Tilty-Head Thurmon is trying to figure something out, most often a puzzling new sound. Tilty-Head can be triggered by speaking in melodic French, as in "Donnez-moi le tilty".

Nov 13, 2011: Dogs, Walks, Friends

Since moving to our new neighbourhood Thurmon is getting much more exercise and dog socialization. With the Cedarvale off-leash park nearby and Viewmount park even closer, he has the opportunity to play with other dogs on a daily basis.

We've also been going for very long morning walks (up to almost 2 hours) on the Kay Gardiner Beltline Trail when the weather is nice - it's such a lovely walk, with trees lining both sides and cushy and easy-on-the-feet gravel underneath (it's a former rail line, so smooth going all the way).

And Thurmon has a new neighbouring friend for playdates - Hamish, just down the end of the street. They've had some good sessions of running, wrestling and sharing toys, both in the backyard and in the house.

I think Thurmon would pronounce the new neighbourhood a success!

Below: A beautiful fall day, along the way on the Beltline

Oct 21, 2011: Swept Away

Today Thurmon went for his first car ride since we brought him home to live with us. Sara's conference was over, so we all took the day off to run some errands and go on some outings in the rental car.

First we showed her our new house, taking a load of fragile items while we were at it. Thurmon didn't much enjoy the ride, sitting on Mark's lap, with stressed half-mast ears the whole way. But he had a nice treat after arriving, meeting a friendly poodle just down the street.

Then we took Thurmon on his first hike, in the Rouge Valley. Initially he was off leash, and did well staying close to us. But then he ran ahead out of sight, and we were worried about where he might have gone. It turns out there was a dog ahead of us on the trail - Thurmon showed up trotting next to him as they approached. So back on the leash he went.

He did get one more off-leash event - a short swim in the creek. Unlike the creek near our house (which is stepped through a series of dammed pools), this one had a current. It actually seemed like it might be too shallow for him to get in a swim, but when he got to the middle he was able to paddle. But almost immediately he started to be swept away. Thurmon had never before experienced a current, and seemed rather shocked. But when I called him over he swam right away to the edge of the bank.

After all this excitement, Thurmon was finally so tired that he actually overcame the stress of the car ride, and fell asleep on the way home.

Below: Sara, Mark and Thurmon

Oct 18, 2011: Girls in the Pen, Saras

Thurmon had new visitors this evening.

The first arrivals were my friends Heather and Dan, and their two little girls, Sara and Emily. We all went on a walk together, during which Sara (the older girl) got comfortable with Thurmon by feeding him treats, and finding different leaves for him to try nibbling. Toddler Emily never got quite comfortable around him, but she did like sitting inside his pen! In fact both girls enjoyed being penned up, safe from incessant buhund licks, but able to enjoy seeing him nearby. Thurmon found it odd to be excluded from the space that's usually all his own, but he took it well. Maybe being fed dinner, kibble by kibble, from Sara's little hand made up for it all.

Then later in the evening Thurmon had his next visitor - my sister-in-law Sara. The two Saras had fun meeting each other, and Thurmon got even more attention and love. What a night!

Below - Thurmon's new best friends: Dan, Sara, Emily and Heather

Oct 16, 2011: Big Boy, Dead Mouse, The P Train

Today Thurmon graduated to his "big boy" collar. We'd bought a medium-sized collar to match his leash before we picked him up, but it was too large for his puppy size. But now he's finally grown into it.

He also had an exciting hydro corridor discovery - a dead mouse! The hydro corridor just got mowed (which only happens every few months), and I suspect that all the little creatures living in the long grass couldn't outrun the large mowing machine, and got chopped down. Ugh - we had to pull the dead mouse out of his mouth - he'd snatched it up before we even realized what was happening, and was definitely not inclined to "drop it". [Note: dead mouse discoveries would continue to happen right up until we moved at the end of the month. The hydro corridor walk was starting to become a dreaded zone.]

We went on another subway outing, with a visit to Cedarvale. On the way home, Thurmon started to let out a yip each time the train stopped, which was unusual, because he had been very quiet on his previous train rides. We finally realized what was happening when a stream of urine started trickling out from under him. Poor guy - he didn't even stand up to do it, and was obviously trying to hold it in. Luckily I'd had an old towel in my backpack (for cleaning off potentially muddy paws), so I looked like a real pro, whipping it out and wiping up the floor. Next time he yips on the subway we'll know it's for a good reason.

Oct 13, 2011: Coyotes!

On this morning's hydro corridor walk, we saw two coyotes! Thurmon was bounding about in the long grass when he flushed two coyotes out. You could tell that he instantly knew they were not dogs - he barked excitedly and didn't budge from my side - whereas with dogs he never barks and runs right up to meet them. The coyotes couldn't have cared less that he was there - they trotted off across the mowed path and on their way, never looking back. Meanwhile I leashed Thurmon up and we left in the other direction - Thurmon kept barking, yet moving quickly along with me - he didn't try to go back to chase them or check them out. What a wild encounter!

Oct 09, 2011: Big Day Out

Today was a beautiful sunny day, essentially summer, even more than the typical autumn Indian summer. Mark took the day off, so there was lots of time for 'dog enrichment'.

Thurmon had a long subway ride, even changing trains, to visit the new house. He explored the house and back yard - we look forward to putting in a fence so he can run around. He settled down inside while we did a bit of work fixing things up.

Then we went for a walk to Cedarvale park, where we found the amazing off-leash dog park. It's fully fenced, huge, with grassy hills and a wood chip covered area. There were lots of dogs, starting off mostly small, so Thumron had more confidence than we'd seen in his previous dog park visits. Eventually a huge Great Dane entered from the far side and only Thurmon had the confidence to trot over to greet him! We were quite proud of him.

Oct 08, 2011: Vet

Thurmon had his first visit to a Toronto vet today. In the middle of last night we woke to Thurmon vomiting up his kibbles - and worms! Live worms, many of them, wriggling and writhing about. It was like that horrendous scene in Alien, where the alien bursts out of the stomach - completely unexpected, like some unreal nightmare.

So, off to the vet. Thurmon actually seemed to enjoy himself quite well - he met lots of friendly people and got to look at a cat inside its carrier. He also got weighed - we now know that Thurmon is 25 pounds. Although perhaps that number will drop a bit after he sheds "the collective".

Hopefully the medication kicks in fast and we never again see such a midnight terror!

Oct 07, 2011: Spa

Today we finally tackled clipping Thurmon's nails. We'd been nervous about it, but we shouldn't have been. He thought it was the best thing ever! He lay on his back between Mark's legs, being fed kibbles by me like a sultan in his harem, while Mark clipped away. I think Thurmon can't wait until his next visit to the spa.

Oct 06, 2011: Bounding & Burrowing

Thurmon has really enjoyed bounding through the long grass on our morning walks in the hydro corridor. His solution to obstacles isn't to barrel through - it's to bounce higher - very perky! When he isn't bounding he's burrowing in, sniffing out creatures hiding in the grass. Sometimes the only way I can spot him is by his curly, upturned tail, bobbing along with a little white flash like a deer's tail.

Oct 04, 2011: Puppy Play

On our evening walk today we ran into a neighbour who has a 7-month-old puppy. We joined him and went for a walk and play together at the school park. Thurmon was not so submissive as he had been at the dog park, maybe because it was just one-on-one, maybe because they were closer in age. It certainly wasn't because they were closer in size - this rottweiler pup outweighed Thurmon by at least two or maybe three times!

Below - the champ towels off after discovering the rain-filled ditch in the hydro corridor. "Put me back in the ring!"

Oct 01, 2011: Dog Park

Today Thurmon went to the Withrow dog park. There were more dogs, of a greater variety, than the last park we visited. Thurmon was by far the most submissive dog there, on his back in the dirt most of the time, particularly because there was one dog that liked nothing better than to jump on him and take him down. And yet Thurmon kept bouncing back, going back for more - he was happy! He was one of the smaller and younger dogs there, so hopefully he'll learn to stick up for himself a little more as he grows. He was, however, impressive with his recall skills - more than once I called his name when he got too close to heading out the open gate, and he always came running right away - you could tell other dog owners were impressed.

After the dog park we visited the farmer's market. Thurmon met an Akita mix - he was very barky and interested in this other shy dog. He must have sensed a Spitz kinship.

The trip to this park was his longest subway ride yet, and he handled it reasonably well. Here's hoping we can start getting him to travel further across town, and then get used to the bus.

Below: Mark's sweater. Sans neckline. My experiment in leaving Thurmon unsupervised while I showered has failed. The need for Mark to put his clothing away more securely has also been demonstrated.

Sep 30, 2011: Snuggling

Thurmon is not a natural snuggler, much to Mark's dismay. He keeps bringing him up on the couch for a snuggle, and for a few moments it seems to be working - until Thurmon gets a certain look in his eyes, like a sudden realization that he's been tricked into snuggling, and then he flails about looking for a way to get back down on the ground.

But there's been gradual improvement, with longer intervals of snuggling (encouraged by kibble feeding). This morning it almost seemed to be working, until the inevitable occurred.

Below: The snuggle. The flail. The search for an escape route.

Sep 29, 2011: Teeth!

Thurmon's adult teeth are coming in. We've been able to see wiggly baby teeth right next to adult teeth poking through. And he's got big back molars now - all the better to chew with. He's making faster work of his bully sticks, and some of his favourite toys have fallen prey finally to repeat chewing - good-bye beaver, good-bye monkey, good-bye ambiguous rabbit-like animal - you were much loved! Hang in there meerkat - you've only lost an ear so far!

Sep 28, 2011: Worms Are Thurmon's Catnip

Today Thurmon discovered worms. It's possible he's been trying to discover them for a while, because every now and then he gets fixated on a spot in the lawn, and starts snuffling in the clover, getting into the dirt. Today when he did it he pulled out a worm. He went crazy, mouthing it, then dropping it and rolling madly all over it, like a cat on catnip. I'll have to try to get a video of him doing this!

Sep 26, 2011: Good Morning

Below: Resting during his morning run. Thurmon's new harness (designed to discourage him from pulling ahead while walking) doesn't slow him down at all when I left him off the leash to run.

Sep 25, 2011: Another Swim

Today Thurmon went for another swim in the creek. The mad rolling in sand and gravel phase of last weekend seems to have passed (I hope) - a few rolls after swimming, but he mostly just shook the water out of his coat. Much easier to clean up!

Sep 24, 2011: Doppelganger

Tonight Thurmon received another lovely gift, a stuffed animal from Drew and Anna. It's a white wool figure, shaped like a rabbit, but ambiguous enough that it could be almost any animal. In fact, it rather resembles Thurmon with its light colour, sleek shape and relatively long ears. So does that make it wrong that Thurmon enjoys chewing it so much?

Below: Thurmon and his doppelganger.

Sep 23, 2011: Perfectionist

Thurmon is showing signs of seeking perfection in the world around him - must be his herding tendencies to put everything in order.

On Wednesday's walk he expressed a strong dislike (i.e. he barked) for a neighbour's blue bin that was piled high with cardboard boxes on top - Thurmon has already determined that all items are supposed to fit inside, because that's how all the other bins look, and this one did not belong.

And today he found a flaw in the paint job on the bedroom wall, which he tried to bite off with his teeth. I'll have to do a better job of painting the new house before we move in!

Below: the flaw on the wall

Sep 21: Training

Today Thurmon started professional clicker training, with an at-home visit from Mirkka, of Mindful Behaviours. He's taking to it quite well, and we're seeing a real difference in his walks already - far less pulling.

Below: Thurmon on a run in the hydro corridor - a beautiful misty morning.

Sep 20, 2011: Crate!

From the first night Thurmon was good about going in his crate at bedtime, and stayed in quietly until we let him out in the morning, but he didn't go in it otherwise, and he certainly wouldn't stay put if the door wasn't shut. A few times we had to put him in during the day for a couple of hours when neither of us could be home, and he seemed to take this fairly well, with limited barkings of protest.

After a couple of weeks he was getting harder to lure in - you'd reach in with your hand as far as possible to tempt him with the treat, but he wouldn't go in all the way - he'd keep his back legs out the door so you couldn't close it. Finally I hit on a solution - dropping kibbles in through the grating at the back - he'd follow all the way in, and not feel crowded or threatened at the door, because nobody's arm was snaking in there with him.

We've also wondered if he wasn't keen on napping in it during the day because of the summer heat - he really likes to stretch out and lie with his legs all akimbo in the air (presumably to stay cool). Now that it's getting cooler I've noticed that he's napping more in curled-up, compact positions better suited to the crate.

So I've been making the crate a place of magical kibbley goodness - if Thurmon goes in on his own, kibbles shower down. Then if he sits down to sniff at the grating for more treats, kibbles shower down. And if he goes down all on his own and relaxes, kibbles shower down.

And at long last he's napping in it. Yesterday he went in, and after some kibbles he settled down and had an hour-long nap, with the door open. And today he's in there again. Crate training is underway!

Below: I love the geometric perfection of Thurmon's tail, so tightly curled now that it's verging on a spiral.

Sep 18, 2011: Short & Stocky

Today Thurmon went for his second subway ride, going two stops to Main station. He was still as anxious as yesterday, but sat still and didn't bark, so I think he'll manage to get used to it.

After disembarking we walked down to the Norwood off-leash dog park. It was Thurmon's first real city street walking, since all the streets in our neighbourhood have grassy boulevards between the sidewalk and traffic. He handled it well, and it wasn't long before the park was in view.

It turned out we'd shown up at "greyhound hour" - every Sunday at noon greyhound owners congregate at this park with their dogs. I've always thought of Thurmon as rather elegant and refined, but he looked short and stocky next to these fine animals! They warned us that their dogs are bred to chase small, light-coloured animals, so if he ran he might tempt a swarm of greyhounds to run him down. It did happen a few times, but as soon as he stopped they lost interest in him, so he didn't seem to mind. He also met a puggle that was a good size match for lots of wrestling. Thurmon definitely is the submissive dog in general.

As we got ready to leave we met a fellow who exclaimed "a Norwegian buhund!" Since nobody ever recognizes his breed we were quite surprised. It turns out he walks another buhund, named Heidi, who lives in the area. Odds are this could be a relative of Thurmon from the same breeder.

After the park we walked over to Phil and Nadia's house. While Mark helped Phil assemble a shed I kept Thurmon quiet on his leash. We took a couple more short walks over the course of the afternoon, enjoying a little more off-leash time with a few dogs in the park down the street. He also managed to greet several dogs while on-leash in a much more calm fashion than usual - hopefully due to socialization, and not just being tired after such a long day out.

We had hoped all this exercise would tire Thurmon out so much that he would sleep silently through the night, but in fact he was noisier than usual, making strange bubbling/whistling sounds, like there was a sucking chest wound in his mouth. I suspect he's teething, so he was more droolly, making the bizarre sounds possible. Let's hope this phase is short.

Below: a photo of the many items I have removed from Thurmon's mouth, while rooting around in the backyard

Sep 17, 2011: TTC! And More Swimming.

This morning Thurmon went on his first subway ride. There was no barking, however he did have to be more or less hauled through the door on the leash. But at least he got on the first train, so I think we've got a good base to build on.

We just went one station, so that we could walk back through the ravine. We met some dogs and Thurmon did ok on leash greeting - not quite as hyperactive and jumpy. He swam in the creek - remembered right away from last weekend how to swim, and went in for a paddle even without the inducement of a thrown stick. He also discovered the joy of coming out of the water and rolling in the dry creek bed area - covering himself in sand. What a mess!

I tried rinsing him off when we got home, but he was pretty freaked out by the jet spray on the hose, so I mostly had to towel him down and comb and brush to get out as much sand as possible. As the day has gone by he has dried out, and I've found more sand particles on the floor where he's been napping. He looks pretty much as good as new by now!

Sep 16, 2011: Deer!

This morning, as Thurmon and I prepared for his off-leash run in the hydro corridor, we saw three large deer! This caused Thurmon to strain mightily at his leash, and to bark. The deer ran off and Thurmon had to stay on-leash, since I didn't know if he'd run after them (and if they'd run in a direction to take them across a busy road - they must have crossed one somewhere to get up to where we saw them). To compensate I took Thurmon on the pedestrian bridge to watch the subway trains up close.

Not long after arriving home, Thurmon was suspiciously quiet while I worked in the kitchen. I checked in to discover him sitting on the living room floor, eating my bookmark. He had barely disturbed the book on the coffee table, like the trick of pulling out the table cloth without disturbing the dishes on top of it.

Below: The deer. The book. The bookmark.

Sep 14, 2011: Sold!

Turns out selling your home isn't so easy when you've got a puppy at home. But after several long walks and unexpected interruptions to his naps, Thurmon can rest easy - no more visitors, no more inspections - our house is sold!

Below: Thurmon dresses up formally for the occasion, wearing his squeaky beaver as a tie, tucked in at his collar. (I just know that if I'd done this to a cat, it would have gone insane trying to get away from the toy. But Thurmon thought it was great - wherever he went he had a squeaky beaver to chew on.)

Sep 13, 2011: Dogs, dogs, dogs

Yesterday Thurmon and I spent quite a bit of time in the hydro corridor, hanging out, which led to meeting three other dogs that Thurmon got to play with off-leash. He had a fantastic time, running about and sniffing. He's really been getting overexcited when meeting dogs on-leash while walking on the sidewalks, and we were worried that this would carry over to his off-leash encounters. But it all went quite smoothly yesterday. The first two dogs were smaller than him, and there was lots of active running about. The third dog was a husky. It was fascinating to see the similarity between them - upright ears and curly tail - but much larger!

Speaking of curly tails, we can see that Thurmon's has become much curlier in the last week or so, forming a complete circle most of the time. It bobs about so much more noticeably now when he wags it in happiness.

Below: Thurmon, beautifully backlit on a morning run in the hydro corridor.

Sep 11, 2011: Battle!

Today Thurmon and I did battle with a groundhog!

I'm sure it's the same groundhog who's feasted from our garden before, and now he's back, after leaving us in peace for several weeks. When Thurmon caught sight of him he lunged for the garden, being stopped by the fence (a loose fence of deer netting draped on bamboo - my aim with the groundhog has been frustration rather than hard-core obstruction). The groundhog frantically tried to find a way out of the netting, getting caught at times, but not finding his exit. So I decided to open up the entry and let Thurmon in. Thurmon surged forward, then stopped, and sniffed the groundhog. And after a few seconds of sniffing, the groundhog, having no exit, decided to make the best of it, and started munching on the kale again.

At this point I started thwacking the groundhog's flank with a bamboo pole, but it wouldn't budge. So I took Thurmon inside and went back out with the garden hose. I hosed the groundhog with a hard spray, which he tried his best to avoid, but I couldn't seem to get him to aim in the direction of the exit. So I went inside too for a few minutes, to give the groundhog time to retreat.

Then Thurmon and I came back out. The groundhog was gone, and Thurmon sniffed about eagerly for any sign of him.

On a less dramatic note, we walked Thurmon up into the subway station this morning - he handled the stairs well, and had a chance to sniff around. Next step will be taking him on the train. In the meantime I'll try to take him down there to wait for Mark a few times when he's coming home, so that it becomes a place of happy associations. There's nothing more fun than Thurmon realizing that the person walking towards him has turned out to be his owner.

Sep 10, 2011: Swimming!

This morning we took Thurmon back down to the Warden Woods ravine, to play in the creek that he enjoyed so much last weekend. Mark threw a stick in the water, which led Thurmon to jump in at the edge trying to get to it. He would only bound in as far as his feet could touch bottom, and in his frustration at not being able to reach the stick he kept trying to bite the surface of the water, then would dash out and race across the rocks, only to jump back in the water to repeat the cycle - very funny.

And then, almost without realizing it, he'd gone in deeper and was swimming out to the stick, then swimming back with it in his mouth. Very exciting! One stick was enough for him - after that he trotted up the hill, ready to go home for a very long nap.

Below: Thurmon starts to swim, followed by the triumphant return.

Sep 08, 2011: Trainspotting

Thurmon is fascinated by the subway trains that pass by the hydro corridor where he gets to run in the long grass (the subway runs aboveground at this end of the line). He almost always stops to watch them go by, so yesterday I took him for a closer view. We stood on the pedestrian stretch of the overpass over St. Clair, where there's just a few feet beyond a chain link fence separating him from the train. I thought he might be scared getting that close to such a huge and noisy vehicle, but it wasn't a problem at all. We also watched the traffic passing directly below us on St. Clair - which he found less alarming than walking alongside it.

Below: Thurmon stretches out on the kitchen floor with his monkey. It seemed like a very artfully arranged composition.

Sep 07, 2011: Stairmaster!

Tonight Thurmon finally went down the stairs all by himself! We've been having to carry him out to the backyard because he didn't have the coordination to use the stairs - and then seemed to develop a great fear of the stairs himself (if we held a treat over the first step he'd bark, jump back, and run around the house madly in protest).

But tonight when I went to put the recycling out, I left the door to the outside open. And what did I find when I came back through the fence gate? Thurmon - just standing there waiting for me! Obviously he'd come down the stairs all on his own - I think he just didn't want anyone watching and making a big production of it.

To confirm that this wasn't just a freak event I got him to come back up the stairs, brought out a favourite treat, showed him that I was putting it on the ground outside, and then stepped out of view. Sure enough a few seconds later he appeared on the ground. He's since gone out a few more times sans treat, so it seems to be the new regular thing.

Below: Thurmon discovers a great new toy - Mark's gardening glove. Thurmon found it and put his head inside to take a good sniff, and then found himself stuck. He was shaking it so fast to get it off that I was barely able to take this photo.

Sep 06, 2011: Dreaming

Right now Thurmon is dreaming, making funny little barks, growls and yipping noises. In fact I think he just uttered more sounds in a few minutes of dreaming than I hear from him in a typical day - he really is a quiet dog.

Below: Thurmon nibbling Mark's beard - a special treat.

Sep 05, 2011: Water!

Since today is a holiday there was time for an extra long walk for Thurmon. First we crossed St. Clair Ave. (his busiest traffic crossing yet) to visit the ravine park backing onto houses, which gave Thurmon a nice, long grassy hill for running at top speed. Then we crossed over to the Warden Woods ravine park, where recent landscaping to naturalize the creek has created a nice shallow rock-bottomed waterway, Thurmon's first chance to run about getting wet. He loved it, running about madly. He didn't cross the waterway until Mark did so first, and then he tackled it. After that he loved the water, eventually splashing in (probably a result of clumsiness) and just about managing to swim in the pool near the shallows.

One of the best things about taking Thurmon in the water? No doggie odour. That's right - Thurmon smells as clean after as he did before - buhunds are known for having naturally clean coats. What a bonus!

Sep 03, 2011: Ice!

New treat on a hot day - ice cubes! Very popular, although they did present something of a challenge initially - Thurmon's ears went down to half mast while concentrating on chewing it and not letting it slip out of his mouth.

Sep 01, 2011: Beasts

Today Thurmon worked on conquering a few fears - progress was made, although it isn't yet complete.

He checked out strange items by the curb that had been put out for garbage day - given enough time to sniff he is okay with them.

We walked up to the intersection at Birchmount to watch busy traffic go by. He sat down firmly about 10 feet away, but after a few minutes felt fine about walking up closer. He protested again as I drew him around the corner to actually stand on the busy street, but he calmed down as he sat and watched the cars.

And today, for the first time since he came home, I vacuumed (actually, I vacuumed last week too, but I did it while Thurmon was out on a walk with Mark). I started the vacuum in the basement and he stood upstairs and started barking. So I brought it up so he could check it out, before turning it on again. He was hesitant about the strange beast, but walked around sniffing it. Then I turned it on again, he backed away, barked a little, and then went and sat on his spot in the living room. When I came back after finishing he seemed a bit stressed, panting and yawning. So now he's having a restorative nap at my feet, under the computer desk.

Below: Thurmon and I sit on the front steps, waiting for Mark to come home.

Aug 31, 2011: Thurmon's Activities

So what is Thurmon up to these days?

He enjoys playing under the bed - seems to like pushing himself around under it, scrabbling away in the constrained space. Tonight he realized he could tear at the fabric lining the underside of the boxspring. Not good. It's been sprayed with bitter apple and now he leaves it alone, but he still likes spending time under the bed. You can often find him naping next to the bed, with just his head under the bedskirt.

Speaking of naps, he has many favoured locations: by the water dish (he has ended up with the tip of his tail lying in the water), under the bench in the entryway (that's a new spot, starting just a few days ago), by the dining room table up against the wall, on his towel in the living room, on either side of the bed (but usually on Mark's side), and against Julie's feet under the computer desk (so far that's just the once, today, but it would be nice if it continues).

I've been training him to eat dandelion flowers - it seems like the gardening task he's best suited to at this point (but I like to imagine that he'll find some other useful gardening tasks to take on as he gets older). He doesn't notice them on his own, but if I point to a flower he'll come over and tear it off with relish.

And he's learning to "drop it" - seems to be catching on very fast. So fast that it's hard to get him to hang onto his toys as I walk toward him. We'll have to try it at a distance. Or with more delectable items - like dirty socks! And without a treat directly on hand to swap for the dropped item.

Aug 27, 2011: Showered With Gifts

Two more visitors and two more gifts - Jane brought a squeaky unstuffed beaver, and Clarissa brought a squeaky rubber monkey. At one point he seemed to be trying to play with them both simultaneously - no easy feat.

Below: Thurmon tries to sleep under toy mountain.

Aug 26, 2011: A Thurmon Scare

Today Thurmon caught his collar on the kitchen cupboard door handle (as he kept determinedly trying to jump up while I was working at the counter).

He screamed and thrashed about wildly trying to get loose - it only lasted a second before I had him off, but it was one of those moments that seem to last forever, as you feel like you're moving in slow motion. Yikes.

What a vindication for not leaving him unattended - confinement in the crate is definitely needed at this stage if I'm not home to watch him. And that collar is coming off in any situation where it could prove a liability.

It was a harsher lesson than I would have dealt, but it does seem to have cured Thurmon of jumping up at the counter!

Aug 25, 2011: Thurmon Gets the Hiccups

A few times now we've noticed that Thurmon has hiccups. He had them this afternoon as he was lying down; I rolled him back and forth a few times and it seemed to cure them - or at least he forgot that he was having them!

Aug 24, 2011: Escargot, Shelter in the Storm

Today Thurmon discovered a love of snails - there are lots to be found behind the fence surrounding the raspberry bushes, and Thurmon realized he could easily poke his head in to get them.

It turns out that Thumron has no fear of thunder or lightning, during a storm strong enough to shut down the CNE. Must be his namesake Thor - god of thunder!

Below: Thurmon sleeping with his squeaky rabbit. Not actually during the storm, but it's about how peaceful he was!

Aug 23, 2011: Exciting Walks

Thurmon had some exciting walks today. Before supper he met one of the neighbourhood dogs for the first time, a little bichon frise mix. Thurmon excitedly twirled about while the bichon frise mostly tried to keep his distance. Then Thurmon met four young children who were playing on their front lawn - they rushed up to meet him and let him have his fill of licking them all over - he was delighted and kept his cool quite well under the onslaught of affection.

Then later in the evening when I had to go out, Mark walked him to say good-bye as I left for the subway, then took him along the hydro corridor through the long grass. He met a huge Australian Shepherd - Mark said he nudged Thurmon with his nose and Thurmon immediately rolled over - he knew who was the dominant dog there!

Below: Thurmon gets in a good stretch.

Aug 22, 2011: The Gifts Keep Coming

Lucky Thurmon had two more young visitors today, and two more gifts - it's like Christmas every day! Toddler Chloe and older sister Emily brought Thurmon a flat three-legged pig (he sort of looks like he could be a frisbee) with five squeakers(!) and a braided rope with tennis balls at either end. He squeaked, he chased the rope toy when tossed, and he was quite well-behaved during the visit - eager to lick but staying quiet and with all feet on the ground, which made me proud.

We continue to work on "Come" and have started "Stay". Walks continue to get longer, with more exposure to traffic and large vehicles. In fact, Thurmon stopped traffic in our subdivision - as I had him sit to wait for a van to turn the corner the driver rolled down her window to shout out a compliment.

Aug 20, 2011: Thurmon Gets a Gift or Two

This morning Thurmon had a visit from Nadia, Phil and their toddler Danica, and Danica presented him with a gift - a bone. It has lots of rubbery protuberances and textures, and is a big hit.

Thurmon also had his first off-leash lesson in the park on "Come", running between me and Mark as he got treats of cheese. Hard to say if the lesson was really soaking in, but he loved the cheese. And the chance to run fast.

And then in the evening Thurmon got another gift - a squeaky rabbit (almost more of a disembodied rabbit "skin") from Aaron and Sabreena. It has two squeakers in it, and he's loved chewing on both ends. I like it because if I can hear him squeaking in the other room I know that he's not up to any trouble.