Sir Ailbe, Born To Serve: Basic Training Boot Camp

I just have to tell you what has been happening to me since my mom got home. She's got me on a regular schedule of eating. Oh, I now sleep in till the wee one named James comes in and says "It's morning Grammy.. The suns up".. That's usually around 8 to 8:30 AM.. Then my mom helps me off the bed because she doesn't want me to get hurt. Then she gets her coat on and I sit and wait till she gets the leash. Then we're off to the outside for a quick walk. I think I only take a about 30 quick steps and man do I have to go after holding it for 7 hours. Then I go for a quick walk to finish up my outside duties. Once I'm done I go in for breakfast. I eat 1 1/2 cups of dry Taste of the Wild - Salmon .. My mom puts me in a sit/stay until she's got the food ready. If I move she makes me sit/stay "again".. Once the food is in the bowl she says to me "All Right" which means EAT!!! My mommy leaves the room to take Shadow out and have some time with him.

After breakfast and some water I get to romp around the living room. My favorite thing to do is chase James and nip at him.. Man my mommy gets upset. She has this little roll of newspaper and snaps it on her hands. Well, I back off -- Her command she's teaching me is "Enough" .. James loves to squeal and I think he just wants to play.. I'm guessing that isn't the right answer. Then I find my chew toys and will use them .. My mommy will play fetch with the keys.. I take off with them and I get into trouble. I guess I'll have to learn to give them back which I don't think is fair.

When she came back from Virginia she hung these noisy things on the door handle called sleigh bells. What the heck does she want me to do with them. Every time I plan on going out she says "Ailbe, ring the bells" .. She put some nice peanut butter on them and I attacked them. Then she makes me sit and stay to put on the leash .. She tells me up for she can open the door.. I then get another sit and stay and my mom exits the door and STARES at me and I'm thinking "What the heck are we doing mom?".. then she says "Ailbe, Let's Go" .. Then I'm off to the yard again. Then she tells me "Ailbe, Go Potty" and I pee really quick .. Then we're off on another walk and I go again in the area that I claimed as my own. We continue on for a short walk around the apt complex before returning home. When I get to my door I go in another sit/stay and can't move till my mommy gets in the house and tells me its Alright to come in. By this time I'm really tired and climb up on the couch (Oh, I have claimed it as my throne) to go too sleep. During this time my mom cleans the area up, does the morning dishes, etc.. If my sissy is off they go off somewhere for a little bit after I have an outdoor break. They're usually back in a couple hours. I'm starting to hold it in and in the past 2 1/2 wks and only had a couple accidents in the crate where my mom had to clean my bedding. She hates it when I poop in the house and I've gotten into loads of trouble because of it.


My favorite place to crash

So, in the past week I haven't had one accident in the living room nor my crate.. yippee.. I bark if they're home to let me out to go when I'm in the crate.. Other wise I go to the door and give a little whine and mom points at the bells and just says bells .. I ring them and out we go.. I'm going longer and longer on doing outside breaks.. It's like a light bulb went off in my head and it said "Mommy is not a meany, but she loves me and I want to do the best to please her"..

One thing I'm doing pretty good at is walking on a loose leash. If I go ahead my mommy stops and turns the other way.. then I have to turnaround to be near her.. Also, one of coolest things I've learned is that when mommy stops I go into a sit/stay till she's says "walk on".. Usually I'll remember to do it automatically and other times she does this little click with her mouth and I sit immediately.


The "Key" Task -- picking up -- holding -- give them back

My afternoons are really fun playing with my toys and my mommy.. I get another 1 1/2 cups around 4:30 to 5 PM daily.. My mommy has been feeding my big brother at this time since he was a pup.. So, he starts the hungry talk.. So, I do my sit/stay routine and get my dinner.. My mom then gets Shadow's dinner to him (he has to stay in another area or I'll grab his food).. Then its out again for another walk.. Usually its only the pee one and I don't do the other for about an hour or two after I eat lately. Then I'm put into the crate while mommy takes care of Shadow .. It his time to play with her.. While I'm sleeping in my crate mommy fixes dinner.. If I wake while dinner is going on my mom says "Ailbe, no bark - quiet" .. Then they ignore me.. I give this grunt sound and plop down and say quiet.. During lunch thou my mom makes me sit near the table and not to beg. Begging and giving scraps are not allowed in my household.. not even a crumb..

My day ends with another bell ringing about an hour before my mommy goes to bed. I come back in and plop on the couch.. My mommy finishes watching her program and then she has to drag me off to bed. I go right back to sleep.. Then my day starts over again with James coming in to wake us up.