Biscuit also has been lying in his kennel, of his own choice! We don't put him in there any more. He gets gated off when we leave instead. So he only goes in there if he wants to, or if we're playing a game the vet recommended that involves him getting to eat peanut butter off a spoon. I'm suspicious that he now thinks "Kennel!" means "Peanut butter!"
He did have his first accident in the house. Totally our fault. He was barking a ton at 1 am. We thought he was just getting agitated by deer outside. We aren't our best at 1 am, being woken up from sleep. To our credit we each went downstairs and checked on him. In the morning, poop on the throw rug in front of the fireplace. Thank goodness my mom and I didn't find a new fireproof hearth rug while she was here. Note to us: let the dog out when he barks. The problem with letting him out, and the reason it we didn't do it in the middle of the night - you have to go out with him on a leash or he won't go. Gotta break him of that one.
He could also stand to be a little less mouthy with Anna. He still thinks she is his equal. He only listens to her when she has treats in her hand, and is the only one he treats like another puppy (grabs her sleeves with his teeth, for example). There has been more than one time she has deserved to be bitten (but wasn't). She knows he hates it when she blows air in his face, yet every day she manages to do so at least once. She puts hats on him, throws a blanket over him and laughs hysterically when he runs around trying to get it off, and tries to make him perform in her "dog shows." These performances usually entail her running around the tree in the front yard with a stick, trying to get him to follow her and jump over it. Mostly, he just jumps and bites the stick. He likes her enough to bark at anything that moves to protect her when it's just the two of them outside together, and comes and comforts her when she cries. She LOVES him, and he likes her with awareness that "ya know, sometimes huggin' turns into chokin'" (a quote from younger Anna).
Molly is nowhere near tough enough with him. He knows he can get away with murder when she's in charge, such as squirrel chasing when she has the leash. He knows the sound of a bus means Molly, and runs to the door. If I leave the door open, he'll sit and watch until she gets on and the bus drives away. When I am mad at him or he at me, he goes to Molly for love. He knows she is his ticket to unconditional affection.
We got him a new coat and boots. I don't have a picture - though I'm sure I'll get requests. It's not for fashion - it's to keep me from having to spend 20 minutes cleaning him up when he comes in. ALL of the little leaves on the ground get crunched up and stick all over the bottom of him and then he rubs them on every carpet in the house, and there are little leaves and sticks and dirt all over my floors. He looks pretty funny. Jeff refuses to be seen with Biscuit in his "outfit." Biscuit, for the record, hates being seen in his outfit. He tries to slink away when we put it on, and when we succeed, he stands with his head, ears, and tail as down as they can go, looking completely defeated. I try to let him go without it as often as possible, and he is so much happier and bouncier without the boots and coat.
He loves walks without the outfit, hiking especially. He loves attention. He loves the area rug "Grandma and Grandpa" bought me for my birthday. He loves them too. He loves peanut butter, beef treats, and salty things. He hates being left a lone still, though he's doing a little better.
Looks like the little shih-t(zu) is here to stay:)
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