Toby Update

Hey, there! It is Toby here. We are officially on spring break. The lawn is getting green fast and starting to grow. Mom has mixed feelings about that. In one week the iris have grown about 4-5 inches. I like to wake mom up between 6:30 and 7:15 to go outside. She would rather sleep a little later on non-work days, but oh well, I have her on a great and regular sleeping schedule. I demand to be in bed by 10:30 and she must be with me. We get up in the morning and go outside, waking mom up thoroughly. I have a little breakfast, play a lot, and then around 9 I like to rest and nap a bit now that it is too late for Mom to go back to bed. I am getting much better at coming when called. Several times a day we go out in the yard for 5-10 minutes and I stay within reasonable distance of where I am supposed to be. When I am taken to my potty area I always immediately scamper to the door to go in the house when I am done. Admittedly it might not be a straight line to the house, but I am pretty fast to get there. Mom has foiled my attempts to be in places in the house where I get into trouble. She found some 18 inch gates for $20 each and they even have a doggie hatch on them if she wants me to come at go at certain times and not others. They are metal so I cannot chew through, narrow enough bars so I cannot get stuck, and tall enough that I cannot get over them and they can even be raised a couple inches later if needed. Very easy for Mom to step over so she doesn't kill herself during the night. Takes her awhile to figure out that I can chew through wood, wiggle around things that are not heavy enough to block me, and I can get a running jump and get over things that may look too tall for me to manage. I think she is getting smarter. She has learned all sorts of things and I find myself obeying and doing things I had not planned on. She says it is kind of like teaching in that you have to stay 2 steps ahead. Despite putting a bit of a crimp in my plans, I have found other ways to have fun. I now put my toys in a little box when I bring them back while playing catch. This keeps the balls from rolling under the sofa and for some reason makes Mom really happy that I have this new skill. She has noticed in the last few days that I have lost many baby teeth and the adult ones are partially up now. I am chewing a bit less most of the time now. She bought Kong spray treat which is like Cheese Whiz in a can flavored for dogs. She puts it inside of my toys and makes me work for it. Today she is going to try to cut my nails herself. She used to do Sami's all the time, but I am such a wiggler and loudly object despite her trying several ways to get me used to it. She does not want to pay $10 every 2 weeks to take me in to have it done in addition to my monthly $50 grooming. I might even get a shower today, which I am losing my fondness for. She has discovered that I like being read to and will settle down on her lap in the evenings if she reads her book to me. I think she feels a little stupid doing it, but I really do like it. I also like watching TV a little bit now. As long as she remembers to take me out every 3 hours I almost always potty outside now. If she forgets, I will still use the one remaining potty pad she has in the house for me, but it is rare now. I have a great fondness for teething on thick, sturdy combs. Mom bought a few packages of them at the dollar store and a new, big fat comb with a handle, will keep me busy for awhile gnawing away. She has hidden the small deer antler she got at the pet store because I want to bury it in the sofa cushions and then dig and dig for it. So far her good quality leather is holding up to that, but she is worried that it can only take so much. Foiled again! In exchange we play fetch for 20 minutes at a time at least 4 times a day, keeping her tendonitis in her shoulder sore. She wishes she had another way to do this, but it is my very most favorite game and she has to give me a treat at the end of the 20 minutes to distract me and then hide the balls or I sit and whimper for them. Yes, I am spoiled. I will be 5 months old next Tuesday. I wonder if I will be getting presents and dessert?