Update--12/31/98: Ty is now 20 lbs. We now think that he may have collie and shepherd in him rather than Lab. He has the long hair and floppy ears of a collie. Ty enjoys being with other dogs and going up to strangers. We will start him in obedience classes at 5 months. Ty has learned to jump onto the couch, where he likes to take a nap during the day. Ty is ALMOST housebroken, but he continues to have a few accidents when we don't understand that he's trying to tell us he has to go out NOW.
March 1999: At almost 7 months of age, Ty is now a whopping 35 lbs. That Purina Puppy Chow is really something! However, Ty still tries to scavenge people food whenever he can. He enjoys going for rides in the truck (inside the cab, thank you); playing with his toys; and running around in his grandparents' backyard, knocking over potted plants and digging in the garden. Ty was neutered on his 6th month birthday. He is also now housebroken. The bad part is, he still wakes his mommy up in the middle of the night to go outside!
Ty has been called a "pretty dog" by so many people that we've started calling him a "Pretty Boy." He's not particularly tough or brave (he's scared of cats), but he is a good watchdog. Ty will look out the window and growl at people he doesn't recognize. His coat has become so black--he looks more like a German Shepherd in the face and his back.
July 1999: Ty is now around 50 lbs., but he looks so skinny! He's really enjoying life in Florida now. He went to the beach for the first time recently and was scared of the waves, so his daddy took him to the bay, where Ty learned how to swim! Ty is now a water dog! He loves lying around on the couch and sneaking on our bed, but he is happy to take a nap anywhere. He has stairs to run up and down for exercise--he sounds like a herd of elephants! Ty still hasn't learned to move away from Taylor or Gumbo whenever they try to bite him, so I have to remind him. What a silly dog!
October 1999: Ty is holding steady around 50 lbs. He is still as hyper as can be, running around the house at breakneck speed. Ty enjoys lounging around on the furniture, but his favorite activity (unfortunately) is digging holes in the backyard. He needs regular supervision, as he has a tendency to get into trouble whenever he's bored. If we're not home, Ty will pull newspaper out of Taylor's (military macaw) cage and shred the paper all over my kitchen and living room floor. My husband recently bought a dog training book from PetSmart, and the next day Ty chewed up part of the book. (I thought that was pretty funny, but I couldn't laugh about it, of course.) Oh well, we love Ty anyway.
This was my first day at home. I just took a bath, so I'm really tired.