Our puppy turns six months in a few days. Named ‘Sebe’ by my daughter (short for Sebastian), he is a Yorkshire terrier and we picked him up late January. Sebe is now an integral part of our everyday family life. I trimmed him yesterday, shaving off more of his black puppy fur as we have had a good few days of warm weather. So I thought this was a good time for a little puppy update.
Behaviour
Sebe is very social. He can approach a stranger when we are out walking and roll over for a belly rub. When I introduced our newest member of the family to our neighbours, I did give them treats for them to offer. But I think it is a natural part of his character and for Yorkshire terriers in general.
A less desirable trait is beginning to show: He barks. When we let him run free in the backyard, he comments when a woodpeckers pecks and a neighbour works their garden. The classic dog owner behaviour is to join in by scolding the dog. I avoid this. The dog doesn’t pick up that you are displeased with the barking, it is just proud that it has started this concert where the whole pack now joins in. My approach is to ignore him at first, then distract him by offering another activity if he persists and I feel the neighbours start getting annoyed.
I fenced in the backyard so we can just open the door and let him run loose. He still wakes up early in the morning, and especially on days with snow, the rest of the family was less eager to get dressed for an outdoor promenade at 5 am. It took a few attempts before we had sealed off all openings.
He also likes to run. I practice taking him off the leash when out for a walk. Not that I have full control over him, but he sure enjoys sprinting and usually returns when I kneel down and he feels he had done his nosing around. We live in a very quiet area, lots of open green areas and footpaths, only few roads.
Bite
Sebe got his adult set of teeth. Chewing on everything for a week or two. He was born with underbite, this hasn’t disappeared. So far nothing to see a doctor about. We are all special, nobody is perfect. Underbite is a common issue with small dogs and we don’t plan on him breeding.
He is getting past 4 kg now. We went for the premium food from the pet store for the first couple of months, now we are switching to a brand that is half price and a little easier to get.
House training
Sebe now almost exclusively does his ‘business’ outdoors. It took a good long concentrated effort to house train him, offering frequent outdoor visits, especially right after eating, sleeping, and playing. When he does miss and does his business inside, it is usually because we ignored his signals. Like not getting away from the computer when he stares pleadingly at us.
Kids greet him warmly when they come home from school. I walk him in the morning and sometimes again late afternoon or evening if he gets bored and starts stealing shoes and stuff. He needs a sniffy round around the block where he marks every bush and lamp post. But I also take him for longer hikes. When we go off trail he is fully immersed in picking up sounds and smells. You then get a happy and tired dog who chills on the couch for hours.
Travelling
Sebe follows us most places but not all — he is not allowed into grocery stores and some museums and public buildings. We learned to take turns dog sitting while the rest of the family went shopping or swimming or whatnot.
We have travelled with him. He now accepts both sitting in the car and taking the subway to the city centre. First time I walked with him in the Stockholm inner city, I picked up that something was different and it took me a little while to realise that his tail was between his legs, not upright as I was used to. Now it’s better though I still carry him from time to time. I bought a bag for him to travel in that we use both in the car and in the subway.
Reflections
So what are my reflections after 3 months as a dog owner? We had a dog at home when I was about the age of my kids (a dachshund). But I have not had a dog of my own until now.
The timing has been great. Kids are now 9 and 11. My wife is working from home most days. I am between jobs, attending the occasional on site job interview. We no longer drive long drives to Denmark. Our house with a little fenced in backyard and plenty of green areas nearby is very dog friendly.
We picked up the skills and stuff we need and got into pleasant routines and habits. It might be nice to sleep a little bit longer some days. But hey, then you get nose licks and a warm soft belly to rub. A very positive experience so far. Though I still reflect from time to time on the ethics in how we humans breed animals to live a life purely for our pleasure.
My daughter yesterday said that the worst part of having a dog is when they steal your stuff. I disagreed. The worst part is when they get sick. Luckily we have not yet experienced that. Let’s hope for a long, rich dog life for our little new member of the family.