It really did not take all that long

Look at that face. More dog than puppy.

Angus sleeps through the night. He's been sleeping through the night for quite some time.

He has not had an accident in the house in two weeks. (Fingers crossed on this one.)

He still barks occasionally at strangers, but he doesn't go ballistic at everyone he sees.

He walks pretty well on the leash even though he hasn't yet had formal training.  He does strain like crazy when all four of us walk together because he wants to be up in front with Rosie. (But if he's ahead of her, then she barks. She is lead dog.)

His stomach calmed down weeks ago and he eats everything robustly, even bully sticks, with no ill effects.

He sits nicely when we tell him to, although for some reason he thinks he should be on the striped rug in the kitchen when he does so. (I guess because that's where we first taught him to sit.)

His favorite place to sit.

He stays, a little. For a few seconds.

He plays like crazy with Rosie. He fetches, a little, though he's no Toby.

He races up and down the big staircase with abandon.

His morning ritual is to be freed from his crate, dash over to where my socks are, grab one, and then prance out into the hall with it. He doesn't chew it. He just likes to possess it.

He does chew as many dish towels as he can get his jaws on. He doesn't drop them, no matter how much kibble we toss his way. So we have to pry them off his teeth.

As far as we can tell he hasn't yet started losing his puppy teeth but the vet said it should be any day now.

Right now, not yet 6 a.m., he's rattling around in his toy box, looking for something. He knows where his toy box is. He knows those toys are for him. He knows which one he's looking for.

What is there to say?  He's still a puppy but he's a great puppy and he's a growing puppy and he is a good puppy.

He fits into our lives so well. It's hard to remember he hasn't always been with us.

Toby in his last summer

Last night I dreamed that Toby came back. He was old but not yet decrepit and he was upstairs, sleeping. It was a lovely little detail in a dream that otherwise made little sense. Our dogs have always been with us. Our dogs will always be with us.