Charlie meets the world!

As a new puppy owner, I know that all puppies need to be protected from Parvo/Distemper, so being quarantined at home did not concern me. Sunset VCA takes precautions to keep everyone safe because of CoVid 19. We park in a numbered space and call. My vet sends out a technician to carry Charlie into the building. I am surprised that he goes along with this. I have not actually met Dr. Wallace, but my friend recommends all the vets here. At 16 weeks he has all his puppy shots, and Charlie can take walks in our neighborhood.

In the past few days, he met some of my neighbors in a more personal way. My leash is 6 feet long, and he shows interest in the people he encounters. I know that his socialization has been slowed by this pandemic, but I think he is making up for lost time. His tail is wagging, and Charlie takes two steps forward, and three backward. Playing this little game. After 5 minutes he is ready to give some puppy love. That means puppy kisses on the toes.

With Libby, I enrolled her in Puppy Kindergarten at 10 weeks. This time around I relied on some books, and BAXTER & Bella Online Training. I heard of this program from my breeder Jo at Serenity Springs Labradoodles. I tuned into lesson 4 – Puppy Games, and we played some games. The focus of these games were commands for “Leave It”, “Find It”, “Come”, and “Watch me”. I learned a new way to reinforce these learned commands. I just started a 6-week course of Puppy Class with Charlie.

Something spooked Charlie during our first walk around the block. I think it was a truck driving past us.

So now we are taking it slow and practicing loose leash walking to our mailbox. When he is outside, treats have less of an effect. He doesn’t want to lose sight of his house. I usually take one step and stop until Charlie realizes that if he wants to continue to move he needs to watch me. I also change direction on Charlie and we make our way back home in a zig-zag way.

My neighbor has two Golden Retrievers, and the other day Bailey came over for a playdate. It went well. Bailey has a 1-year-old Golden named Phoebe who usually gets her way, so he is used to puppy energy. He chased Charlie and Charlie got nice and tired out.

A couple of times a day we practice various commands. Baxter & Bella describes 4 puppy zones: Calm, Playful, Energized, and Over Threshold. Before Charlie gets wild, I start a training session. Puppy push-ups (sit, down, sit). Touch, Settle, Watch Me. Come. Stay. Quiet (Shhh).

Now when Charlie goes for his car ride he sits safely in the back seat. I have a seat cover that connects with the front seat to create a hammock effect. His harness is buckled into the existing seat belt.

A couple of barks, and then quiet. But those sharp little barks are startling to a driver. It takes time to prepare for our time in town. Treats, check. Water, check. Water dish, check but forgot to take it out of the car. Poop bags, check. Not sure if Charlie will need this since he just went.

So the plan was to meet my daughter, and 4 grandsons in downtown Fair Oaks (about 5 minutes from my house) around 10 a.m. In Fair Oaks, I need to take notice of the weather. Too hot, and little paws may burn. Didn’t expect the sensory overload upon arriving on Main Street. Fair Oaks is known for its wild chickens and roosters wandering all over town.

Rooster crowing at the break of dawn, and any other time!

My dog Libby immediately was amused and wanted to make friends by chasing chickens. Charlie heard the rooster’s crowing and then pretty much ignored them.

Cars and trucks passing on the road was another thing. Recognize any of these models?

We passed a quiet guitar player sitting on a bench until a pickup truck pulled in with his stereo blasting. The driver left the music on and told the guitar player that he should be playing along with the stereo.

Problematic was the 3 loud motorcycles roaring down the street, causing Charlie’s tail to end up between his legs.

We kept walking, and with my grandson’s arrival, Charlie felt good enough to raise his tail up. Eli really has a way with him. Charlie walked nicely next to the stroller. He met a couple of calm dogs and enjoyed water from a cup. We stopped at O Café and took our pastries to-go. I noticed some social distancing, and some face masks in town. Not everyone is observing this practice though.

Fire Engines roared through town, but this sound didn’t disturb Charlie. Well, only one of these actually drove down Main Street. Can you guess which one?

After this adventure, Charlie went home, had some lunch, and fell asleep in his crate. This was a first. A nap during the day in his crate! Yay!!

No photos were captured today, but all were captured by me at another time or place. Luckily I have my catalog organized in Lightroom Classic. This time I was too involved in the whole adventure. Next time I’ll remember to at least pull out my iPhone.

So as they say, “… I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Here’s to many more adventures, near and far.