Today our 91-pound yellow Labrador Retriever ‘puppy,’ Amber, is one year old!
Amber at one year – 3/7/2018
I sang the birthday song to her, but she just sniffed my jeans pockets to see if I had any treats.
Our lives have really changed since we got her 10-1/2 months ago –
Amber has trained US more than we’ve trained HER. She has taught us to
- always get up with an alarm clock, even on weekends, to take her outside
- feed her twice a day, being careful to not upset her tummy
- put probiotics in her food to help with her digestion
- put drops in her water to help keep her teeth clean
- allow her to walk right up into my husband’s chair during the evening for a good snuggle
- make me jump out of MY chair when she looks expectant and get on the couch so she can snuggle with ME
- keep treats in our pockets at all times
- keep her shock collar and zapper charged up all the time (even though we mostly just need to warn her with some sound now)
- keep her supplied with chewy and/or squeaky toys in every room
- become a gated community, with gates at the office doorway, doorway between the dining area/kitchen and living room, and at the utility room doorway
- respond to a loud, close bark to take her outside
- accompany her when she goes outside so that she doesn’t eat anything that catches her eye
- understand that all bets are off – training ‘gone’ when visitors are here
- realize that she loves people and will get into the vehicles with the UPS, Fedex, or mail people
- understand that anything left anywhere within reach is fair game for a good chewing and/or destroying
- acknowledge that she is the center of our world, around whom all things are planned
- realize that in an argument with a 91-pound puppy, be careful what you wish for
Amber is the proverbial bull-in-a-china shop. If your drink is on the table, she won’t usually bother it with her nose, but her wagging tail will get it every time. She’s a sneaky pete. If you wanted to eat something later, don’t leave it on the counter in the kitchen unless you have the gate closed. It WILL mysteriously disappear. A bounding dog is a strong signal to get out of the way….
An exhausting, wonderful start to what we hope will be a good, long relationship. We’ll be grateful if her brain someday catches up with her exuberance. Happy Birthday, Amber!
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