Bodhi Tales

For the past 8 weeks, we have been attending AKC’s Canine Good Citizen class. The 10 item test consists of:
1. Accepting a friendly stranger
2. Sitting politely for petting
3. Appearance and grooming
4. Out for a walk on a loose lead
5. Walking through a crowd
6. Sit and down and stay in place
7. Coming when called
8. Reaction to another dog
9. Reaction to distraction
10. Supervised separation

The first time around he failed sitting politely for petting and supervised separation. After all the other dogs got a chance at the test, the evaluators allowed dogs who failed two items a “do-over.” After waiting about 2 hours, Bodhi was tired, hot, and thirsty. In a state of low energy, he was able to pass the two items without a problem. Bodhi at 4 months and 3 weeks old passed.

I wondered if a human baby at 2 years old could pass the test. It probably depends on the baby.

Did I drop the toy down the hill… Alpha will get it for me…

Bamboo is fun to chew on!

I just finished listening to Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything. He points out that in the realm of the universe, the earth is cosmic lint which makes us even less than cosmic lint. That perspective helped me realize that Bodhi and I are only here together for a blink of time. Whatever he does, I don’t have to take it so seriously. Time passes quickly. Take a breath and enjoy.

Thank you grandma and grandpa for my new personalized “Bodhi” collar, matching leash, and aloha flower name tag! I just grew out of my puppy collar and this one fits so well! See how handsome I am!

Licks and slobber,

Bodhi

Every Friday I walk Kailua-Kona town. Sometimes we go by the beach. Sometimes we just walk by the shops. All these strangers come and tell me how beautiful I am. One time a police car stopped by the curb and pack leader became nervous (I can tell). I think pack leader was afraid he was doing something wrong… The nice police officer just wanted to tell me how good looking I was and if I had friends like me on the islands? I said I’m Australian. I like Fridays because we get to walk in town with all the nice people and I also get to watch tai chi class (it is slow and boring, but there are so many people who love to pet me). I also have met a lot of Hungarian people. They always know what breed I am.

Today I practiced pointing. Jack, my favorite neighbor with the delicious treats, teases me with a feather on a fishing pole. He thinks I don’t see the fishing pole, but I do. Don’t tell him, because he gives me yummy treats. Anyway, I follow the feather and focus on pointing. It’s a silly game, and I’d rather play fetch with the ball…

This evening, I met pack leader on Walua Road. He was wearing a strange outfit, riding on two wheels. At first I didn’t recognize him… He got off the two wheels and walked with me and alpha female for a mile. It was fun. Pack leader said he rides 32 miles to and from work as his exercise routine. I like exercise and can’t wait until my bones are strong enough to run next to the two wheels!

Can you touch your nose with your Tongue?

I can!

I say let’s play

Do cats play???

Now that Bodhi is 4 1/2 months old, he has discovered that he can stand on his hind legs and put his front paws on the kitchen counter. No amount of “Off!” has deterred him yet. When told to sit, he will sit for a few seconds and then up he goes again. He seems to choose a new thing to jump up on each week. As he grows taller, more enticing objects, places – such as the bed- are within reach.

I just read “5 Things We Cannot Change and the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them” by David Richo.
The 5 things we cannot change are:
1. Everything changes and ends
2. Things do not always go according to plan
3. Life is not always fair
4. Pain is a part of life
5. People are not loving and loyal all the time

I am trying to accept the fact that Bodhi will continue to change and challenge me in our brief time together. No need to get all worked up about anything he did or didn’t do, wait a day or two and he will have moved on to something else.

Pack leader said I’ve doubled in size! According to his weight measurements, I’ve gained over 15 lbs. Pack leader made a chart of my weight and applied a 3rd order polynomial trend line using a projected weight of 60 lbs when I’m 2 years old. We will see if his assumptions and math are right…

I also got stacked and photographed today for my AKC registration application. Here are my front and side pictures.

These endless stacking photos are tiring! Pack leader is always telling me to stand when I just want to sit down… I’m glad the photo shoot is complete because I just want to take a nap!

I love to fetch things! Here I am with my frisbee.

After three days of bed rest, Bodhi was back in high gear, racing around the house. Bed rest for a puppy means only walking on a leash, no climbing stairs, and no jumping around. His leg seems better. Lack of exercise resulted in built up energy that exploded like a volcano. He dashed around the living room and crashed into a ceramic cup that I had on a shelf and broke it. Of course, I yelled at him, but I know who didn’t prevent this from happening, me. All the dog books instructed us to puppy proof the house. I thought that as long as he is supervised, he wouldn’t break anything. I was wrong. I gathered all my breakables and stored them in a closet. When we know better, we do better.

Today my buddy (I think) Banyan devised a plan to escape to the backyard. I was eager to chew on the slipper, Banyan just mumbled something about having the house to herself…

Banyan said she will open the screen door.

However, she decided that this was a stupid plan…

I went back and hugged my stuffed duck and thought about how fun it would have been to chew on the slipper.

Bodhi is four months old, can hold it for four hours in his closet during the day, and eight hours at night. He is in a defiant mode, challenging our authority. Having to be alpha dog is exhausting for me. I understand that I have to be consistent and be not afraid to confront him. We can’t be afraid to use the leash pull to show him that we are the boss and that we are in control. My learning continues.