Dakota Update

Dakota has always been a handful since we got him in January 2009 as a puppy. He was a rescued pup and was very aggressive even at 8 weeks old. When I came home from the hospital after my bypass surgery, I expected to have trouble with him from the moment I stepped in the door. That wasn't the case. He seemed to sense that I wasn't well and was very calm and well behaved for me.

As I get stronger, he is again challenging me. A month ago, I decided it was time he learned to obey. I felt more up to handling him than I had in the past and so the battle began. Surprisingly,
a few squirts from a water bottle when he misbehaved has calmed him considerably. Here are a few photos to show you his favorite past time, which is playing with a stick.
He finds any stick that he can and holds it in his mouth just to show off.

Then he chews on it for a little while. Not to destroy it but just to chew on something.

After than, he becomes a little more aggressive with it and chews it apart.

What are you doing, Mom? You know I don't usually look directly into the camera.

Well, okay, I'll let you get a couple of good shots of me since you don't really have any.

He has now learned to lay in the grass. We have a lot of white clover in our lawn and it is soft and cool when the yard is shaded in the morning. This is Dakota's favorite time to be out in the yard. He lays and chews on a stick or tosses stones about and I sit on the porch and listen to the birds singing or watch them squabble amongst themselves. There are lots of crows around here and the cardinals and blue jays often dive bomb them.

Last month, I watched the baby cardinals learn to fly. There are many creatures around this area and the baby squirrels tease Dakota and he teases them back. I've had many a good laugh in the yard. Isn't that what life is all about?