Stuart's Big Breakthrough

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Since getting Stuart back in June - Florida has been hot enough that the house is closed up with the a.c. on.  Finally the weather is cooling off and it was time to turn the a.c. off - and open up the house - the entire back is made of big sliding glass panels.  Which leaves Stuart total access to the pool on the lanai - so how to keep him out.  I tried to teach him that if his collar was ON then the pool was off limits but it didn't work very well as I was not as consistent as I should have been, clearly not his fault.  In an act of desperation I took one of our free standing gates that I have used to separate off the back hallway.  Guess what?  Stuart gets it!!!  Even though he clearly could walk right around the gate or get in from either side of the shallow end and get right in.   Stuart has been attending a Good Manners Training Class and he is just a rock star there too.  Stuart is just so cute and goofy acting but he is proving that he is also a smart boy - good job Stuart!!!

 You can see the gate and that he could totally just get right in.Here is Stuart checking out the spa.

[shelly]

Well.. I see a FEW things here i want to comment on.... FIRST OMD.. I can NOT believe how big he is getting!  SO CUTE! 

SECOND... Never mind smart doodle... what a SMART MOMMY!  That was very ingenius of YOU, Jane!

THIRDLY... is a question!  Is your pool screened off because of the gators??? AND FINALLY... I LOVE your pool!  (I wanna come live with YOU and your boys!)

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Shelly - Stuart is getting so big - I think about 53 lbs now but the growth is slowing down - thank goodness.  I'm not that smart - it was an act of desperation - lol.  I think training classes have taught ME that dogs really want to do what we want them too - they just don't speak english so I was trying to figure out what would mean "stop" to Stuart and came up with the wooden gate, the same ones we got when he was first with us to keep him in the kitchen, and that we use to keep him in the hallway if we leave the house.  I was so proud of him that he understood!  The pool screen is what most all homes have down here - it is to keep the bugs out so that you can just open the back of your house up but I'm sure a gator would walk or chomp his way right on through it. 

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Wow Jane, you are brilliant. Stuart, not only are you smart but you are gorgeous! I'll just bet Daddy loves his two boys when he gets home on the weekends. Let's see some new Rooney/Stuart pictures so we can see the size difference.

Love the Lanai, you have my dream home except my dream home would be in Oregon to be perfect, no gators.

[Lauria Orr]

Lisa, Did you see the news the other day...there WAS a gator in Oregon!  It was found in a pond...the theory is that it was somebody's pet, and likely got too big and was dumped. I am in Portland, and I think this was found in the area!

[Carol and Banjo]

How cute is that!    I wouldn't have noticed the white chest and feet had you not commented on it......but now looking .... SO adorable!   It sounds to me....like Rooney is the classic "perfect" 1st born and Rooney is the goofy, nutty...do anything younger brother!  LOL.

It's great that they've filled your life with such joy!       Oh, and by the way......that fence wouldn't keep me out of that beautiful pool!