It's been one month already...

I can't believe it has been a month since I picked Dexter up from the breeder. What a month it has been! It's amazing to see how much a puppy can change in just a short time. It took 3 weeks to break him of his early morning wake up calls. Now he's a second shifter just like his mom and is happy sleeping in every morning. No more waking up with the sun! He no longer cries when I wake up and now patiently waits for me to let him out of his crate and take him outside.

Potty training is going well. Not perfect like it was with Bear but it's going. He has moments where he will sit at the door waiting to be let out and moments where he stares at you while suddenly peeing on the leather couch or floor without warning. When he does go outside he will not go back in until he is done, and when he is finished he sits in front of the door waiting for his treat. Hopefully the accidents taper off and we get this potty training thing done soon.

Dexter loves to play with his people but up until now has not been able to go out and explore the world. Today we took him to a place called Fido's Gym. It is an indoor "gym" for dogs to play and socialize. Basically a large warehouse with rubber flooring, an agility course and of course a million balls to play with. The dogs are all temperament tested and there are always people to watch them including the owners. They only allow a few dogs at a time and they only allow dogs with similar play styles to be in the gym at the same time. So hopefully this will be a good place for Dexter to socialize and play. Today was his first visit with new dogs and people and it took him the entire hour to come out of his shell and play. The dogs were very patient with him and brought him toys to play with. He was a very timid boy and kept his tail between his legs hiding behind whatever human he thought could protect him. We had a few submissive pee accidents but hopefully those will stop as he becomes more comfortable. Saturday he begins puppy classes there. I hope this is a place he grows to love since it is indoors and air conditioned. It gets very hot and humid here in SW Florida in addition to the mosquito swarms and daily summer rains.

Now that Dexter has finished his vaccinations I can't wait to get him in the kayak again and try new things. Let the adventures begin!!

The gym: