Jack is settling in quite nicely!

We bought this bed for Max, who never stepped foot on it. Jack has no such qualms: he sleeps on it, runs and slides on it, and even tugs on it when I try to push it back in place. Thankfully, he appears to be housetrained. We had two accidents the day he came home, but nothing since then. He even makes it overnight without accidents. To encourage a good relationship between Jack and the 10yo (David), we’ve given David the job of feeding him, and that’s going very well. Jack is learning to sit and stay while David gets it ready for him.

Of course Jack is still a puppy, so there is some nipping and jumping going on, but it’s so obvious the intent is playful that it’s not scary. It is a bit disconcerting when he barrels down the stairs toward me, though the grin on his face makes me laugh. Sure, we’re discouraging it, but you can’t miss his exuberant joy in everything he does. When he sees us, his whole body wags. And he tries so hard to be good: he comes and leans so hard against your legs, curling around you and soaking in all the love you can give him. Then when he gets it, he gets all bouncy and jumpy. “You like me! You really like me!” He’s like a three-year-old in a way, because they live life so fully. They’re still so curious and excited about everything and they can’t always contain their joy and excitement.

He’s not so good at playing fetch yet but he does love the yard. He runs hard, his eyes rolling back a little so he gets a crazy look on his face. He snuffles around in the dirt and finds sticks to gnaw on, and it’s adorable when he starts chasing butterflies. But probably the cutest thing he does is lie down with his legs out behind him. He does it all the time, then scrabbles around when he wants to move or get up. Maybe he likes the cool wood floor against his belly? I’m not sure, but we all hope he doesn’t grow out of it anytime soon.

But of all the things I love about Jack, the thing I love the most is his friendly attitude. We took him with us to an outdoor birthday party with about twenty family members, including four young kids. I think he did fine.

We’re hoping to start a training class soon, and he’s shown signs of being a quick learner. I’m looking forward to a lot of years of joy with Captain Jack!