Hey!
The last two weeks Bekki and I have not been very good about keeping up our momentum and going out to hike places out of the book and find locally made drinks. I figured you should know the reason as to why. Aside from having hectic schedules – of our own making – we have a new recruit to the family that took up a whole weekend by himself.
Meet Bear:
I got him from a breeder in Rockford, IL, he was born 1/20/2017 so I was able to pick him up on 3/10. Bear is a German Short-haired Pointer – he will grow up to be a big boy! But the best part is that he is a very active breed – known for loving the outdoors and hiking, swimming, running and hunting. This is the very reason I decided to get this breed, because I wanted a dog that would be able to do everything that I love to do and not hate life while doing it.
Unfortunately, he is still really small and young – at 9 weeks he’s barely 10lbs. That’s big for his age, but still small and not full of fat for the harsh WI winters. His third day home we were hit with 15 inches of snow and 15-degree weather! In order to combat his hatred of the cold and snow (because he’s young) – I bought him a neon-orange vest to keep him warm and dry-ish.
Bear in his vest!
Nevertheless, going outside was his least favorite activity. It made potty training him very easy. He knew that outside was for bathroom breaks only. That’s not to say he’s entirely house-broken at this point! We still have a short ways to go, with the occasional accident here and there. Bear has not figured out how to voice his need to go out, and neither Bekki nor I have fully learned how to recognize when he needs to go potty. And yes, I do say go potty!
Now that it’s getting a little warmer, he enjoys going outside to romp around more. He is still unsure of going on actual walks because he gets turned around quite easily. As a puppy he definitely has a short attention span. One moment he could be focused on going potty, and then a stick catches his eye and he forgets what he was just doing!
He still sleeps most of the day – and when he’s tired he really won’t do anything. He huffs and whines and keeps his eyes shut tight!
His favorite thing to do is cuddle with me and Bekki. It’s one of the few ways he is willing to sleep at night. In an effort to crate train him – everytime he falls asleep while I’m home, I transfer him into his crate and close the door. Now while I’m at work, he stays in the crate and only whines when he needs to go potty.
He’s a lovable, cuddly pup with a whole bunch of adventure ahead of him. To get him started on life, he will be joining us on our adventures from now on! Expect to see more hikes and updates on Bear as the blog develops.
He refused to sit on Bekki’s lap during the drive to Whitnall Park.
This past weekend, Bekki and I took Bear for his first training hike in Whitnall Park. It is a short drive from our house – and near our Uncle Eric’s who also has a huge backyard that Bear can play and romp freely in. Bear did extremely well, and is slowly learning that running the entire way will tire you out too quickly to enjoy the whole hike. It was also so muddy from the rain and melting snow that when he hit his limit, he was soaked in mud and too cold to move. I ended up carrying him for the last 1/2 mile. But overall, he did fantastic!! He even almost went entirely into the freezing lake because he saw a bird he wanted to chase! His water instincts are strong and I’m excited to expand on them when the warm weather comes.
Look for some more surprising news as the hikes, adventures and brews keep coming!
As always, here’s to the next one!
BACKPACKING FOR BREWS 