So, somehow in the space of a week Ash has gone from a shy little guy who only wants to be cuddled – witness Exhibit A:

to a dog of entirely different confidence, a nasty habit of a shrieking when I am trying to deal with contractors quoting us for new windows (I bet the barking today was because he could sense the price tag…), and who can learn commands without us repeating them more than 10 times. Witness Exhibit B!

My mother always told me that puppies were from hell….I’m sorry that I ever doubted her!!

Honestly, the glass shattering pitch of his barking aside Ash has been a bucket of fun. I can see his little guard dog instincts when we’re on walks, he’ll just plant his feet and want to watch anything that changes in the neighborhood, and it takes all of my will to derail him from his tiny Ash sized missions. The best thing about him (other than the sleep deprivation! Which, hello, is every night for about an hour and a half of barking! Woo!) is that he forces me to break my routine. I want to knit? Sorry – he has to go for a walk! I am tired? Sorry – the guy is dying to play! It has jolted Fiance and I into a different way of living that’s fun & sweet, as well as being sincerely tiring.

The thing about having a puppy his age is that he can’t be left alone for whole days, so I’ve stepped from bus tickets to a bus pass – in the morning I car pool to work, at lunch I walk 3 blocks to the bus, walk 1 block to my transfer, and then 4 blocks to my house – then I repeat that in reverse going back to work, and then do it again at 4:00 pm going home. That’s walking 24 blocks a day, and that doesn’t count the three 6 – 8 block walks a day that I give Ash!

Any questions I had about maintaining my current measurements for the wedding dress have been completely brushed aside, and there are no questions about his cuteness. My remedy to all the barking: ever more exercise!

Charmingly our office still doesn’t have any power, but on Friday the electrician will be here and I’ll be fully wired! And in the mean time my iMac is chugging away, teeming with moving and house pictures to come over the next couple weeks. And thanks so much for all of the well wishes about Ash and the move! The good thoughts helped!