Blogging has been bad lately – on all my blogs, actually. I've been busy having Lilo here, to handle the summer heat and so on. But I actually got away earlier this week and weighed Boyo after his weeks with diarrhea and bastard. With this in mind, I was quite pleased that he gained four kilos in about six weeks. He weighed in on Tuesday (I think) hela 25 kilo.
Pictures from an early morning walk with crappy light.
Boyo models and looks for gottis in different environments.
In addition, I received for me yesterday, actually for the first time, that I would measure how tall he is. I already knew he is taller than Ella (which was approx 51 cm high), but not quite how much. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my almost seven month old puppy/young dog is 60 centimeters high. I thought I was going to snap. 😀
Although I am happy for that. I like big dogs, and I always thought that Ella was in the smallest team. She was very small, also for being a German shepherd. Small and painful; I always called her my little speta. That Boyo is getting significantly bigger is just nice, can I think. Mainly because I think he will also be quite rough as an adult.
And speaking of size; about a week ago or possibly two, I watched an old clip of Boyo and Lilo playing in the kitchen. Boyo was tiny, and I couldn't help but be amazed at how incredibly quickly you forget just how small they actually were. He is far from fully grown, but still I kind of forgot that he was so small that I carried him around in a sling, and that he could go under Lilo's stomach (she is also quite short). Nu kan Lilo gå under Boyos mage (hardly, but soon without problems) instead. 😀
In addition, he has started to shed quite properly now – especially over the bottom and hind legs. I'm not looking forward to the fur shedding, when it can conceivably happen. Men; I've been through it many times before, so it won't be a big surprise. However, Boyo is my first male dog, so it will be interesting to see if he releases as much as Ella, or if it differs in any way.
I'm incredible glad that Boyo has started to become a young dog now, although in some ways it may be excessive. But it's like now he's starting to get a little funny, although he is still Ella's complete opposite.
I have by the way, as you can see in the pictures above, took out a noseband. As a new young dog, he has started to think it's fun to mup on the leash, and I have really crappy shoulders and neck. A nose halter is a fantastic tool to counteract pulling and wear on the leash of a bouncy young dog. The first walk we went together with Mozart from Leonberg, and Boyo went perfectly.
In addition, I have brought out Ella's old hoof bag and we have gone for a test walk with it to see how he reacted. He didn't seem to react significantly at all, so we'll actually take and use it a little from time to time. It is of course empty of weights – He's way too young for that. But to increase concentration on the walk, I think it can be fantastically good.
On the whole right now I feel very, very satisfied. I also think I may have started to adjust to the realization that Ella's and Boyo's intelligence and willingness to work look different, and also started to think it's ok. I'm so used to Ella's boldness and extreme willingness to do things, that I have experienced Boyo as lethargic, sluggish and quite windy. Not to mention I'm starting to find some kind of sensible level to place my hopes and demands on (I think, in all cases). Namely, I cannot expect the same level from Boyo as I did from Ella.
That’s just the way it is.