Christmas in July

What would it be like to celebrate Christmas in the Southern hemisphere? Temperature above 80 degrees, leaves on the trees, and the lack of snow only enhanced our experience at the OccuPaws Christmas in July party. Sitting on the patio at Claddagh Irish Pub, Monte met Santa Claus, who might have been the only person not enjoying the weather. His summer clothes didn't get packed on his sleigh.

While the volunteers, puppy raisers, and trainers shared stories and libations, the puppies relaxed on the floor. The accompanying photo shows three things: how well behaved tired puppies can be, limited lighting in pubs, and the advantage of having a light colored dog. Even after brightening the photo, it's hard to spot/identify the other five dogs.

One of the most difficulty jobs a puppy raiser has is controlling how others greet our puppies. There are certain rules that should be followed. The puppy should stay calm, no jumping. The puppy should approach the greeter. I didn't do a very good job taking control of the situation when Santa greeted Monte. But it was Santa, what could I do?

Pottying on command (#2) is becoming an issue with Monte. He won't go on our terrace, but waits until we are at the end of the block. Previously we have just been happy for him to go outside.

Having tried four times without success, I eventually relented (9pm) and we took an evening walk. Sure enough one block away, he is looking longingly at the grass, trying to move toward it - a teaching opportunity. We walked one more block, turned and headed for home, keeping him centered on the sidewalk until we got to our terrace. Immediate relief, hopefully he learned something.

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