An ordinary Saturday. And that is a joyous thing.

He's so big he barely fits in the dog bed anymore.

A gorgeous snowy day. Angus started it out by making sure that I don't get too cocky about his progress: After several days of sleeping through the night, he needed to go out at 2 a.m. And after going out again at 5 and 5:30 and 6, he peed in the living room.

OK, then! I have been put in my place!  But after that everything got better.

We all went for a lovely walk through the woods behind the Joyce Kilmer fireplace in the park. Angus had never been there, and he sniffed and peed and tromped through the snow and pulled like crazy. He's gotten so strong! (Later we weighed him and he has gained 2.5 pounds this week. Yikes! He's 20 pounds now.)

He pulled so hard I wondered if it was time for leash training, though he seems pretty young for it. He's just barely three months. Will my shoulder hold out?

Angus pulls as hard as he can but cannot get traction in the snow.

When we got home he got stuck, as usual, on the second floor. He loves racing up those stairs but he refuses to come down them; they are much longer and steeper than any other staircase in our house.

He sat at the top, nervously putting his paws on the first step and then backing up. Rosie finally ran up and sat beside him and showed him how to do it. It was lovely to watch: She put her paws on the first step and looked at Angus and then came down a few steps and looked back.

He watched her, and he made movements to follow, but he just couldn't do it.

Doug worked with him a long time, dropping treats on the steps and talking to him, and finally Angus did it--he came all the way down the stairs on his own. I am not sure he will do it again any time soon, though. He did not seem confident.

No rush. In a way it's useful to have him trapped up there from time to time.

By then, Angus was ready for a nap, but heck no! Time for puppy class!

We cannot pet Angus until he realizes he is supposed to sit. But first, the lunge.

The class has dwindled in size since the first week and there were only five puppies for the last class--the two Ziggys, the perfectly behaved and very large Everest, zippy little Hazel, and Angus.

It was a fun class, and at one point the teacher talked about what comes next now that puppy class is over. Continue to socialize them, she stressed; it will make a huge difference in their lives. She also recommended leash training, but not yet--let them explore, she said. So what if they pull. Let them get out there and sniff the world and be excited about it and in a month or two we can teach them how to walk next to us like civilized dogs.

I loved that idea--that dogs should be allowed to be dogs for a while, and I am sure my shoulder will hold up, though if Angus continues to grow at the rate he is growing I will not be able to walk both dogs together by myself for much longer.

(Note to self: Calm down! He's only 20 pounds.)

Even though I have my hand turned incorrectly for the command, Angus executes a beautiful down stay.

In the late afternoon we walked around the lake--another first for Angus; he's been down to the lake many times but this was his first circumnavigation. It was still snowing--it had been snowing all day--and we stopped everyone we met and asked them if they wanted to pet a puppy. And who could say no to that?

Angus is formally introduced to our neighbor, Andy.