Ankle Biter!

Tanza is very much at home now. Nights are perfect (but they were from day one), and he has fun around the house and garden all day. It occurs to me, that it would be far more difficult starting out with a puppy in the winter. Daylight would be short, and the weather undoubtedly not the sort to make you want to go outside, let alone stay there. These summer days are just perfect, except at the moment it is a little too hot (31ºC this afternoon). At least there is plenty of shade in our garden when we do briefly go there.

There are two main problems at the moment. The first is House Training, and the second is his manner of greeting women who, in weather like this, are wearing sandals of some sort. There are two of the fairer species at home now, and many times I've heard a loud squeak of surprise caused by Tanza coming up to them and licking or nibbling their toes. I see his point of view. He is right down there – at ankle height – and simply wants to say 'Hello'. What else can he do? Well, he'll have to learn to do something different, because we're getting very cross with that behaviour.

House Training is close to non-existant. We do take him outside every couple of hours, after a meal/sleep; or in the morning when we get him up, and he usually does perform. We'll stay outside for maybe half an hour and he might do his 'stuff' again, but shortly after coming back inside, there will be a sudden pee on the kitchen floor (at least it's sealed cork tiles), or – worse – on a carpet. There can be poo too. We never criticise him for it and usually take him outside again, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. We're hoping for a sudden breakthrough, just like with a toddler – that is a good cause for champagne all round! In our case, that will clearly have to wait.

His two main toys are a hide bone, and an empty 2.72 (!) litre plastic milk bottle which has been chased round most of the house and certainly doesn't resemble its original shape anymore.

A pensive moment – a rarity!

The cover for the drain in the outside shower tray became an instant game – and ended up about ten yards away!

Best Toy!