Can you hear me now?

I feel like I've gotten lucky the past 2 days - they've been good days as far as Howie is concerned. I don't know if it's because he's around me all the time, but Howie in general does not respond when I say his name - not even a sideways glance with the eyes! It was to the point where I actually wondered if maybe his hearing hadnt full developed. [silly me. remember at the hotel when he froze at every little sound he heard outside! duh. of course his hearing is great.] so, I'd accepted that he just doesnt respond to his name. [it is interesting trying to communicate with something that cannot speak back.] But last night, Howie just thrilled me! We were playing late after I got home and with two different toys - I said 'Howie, where's hippo?' and he went and found hippo!!! and the same with porky - 'Howie, where's porky??' and he ran to porky! now, of course, with both toys, Howie is practicing what we in the Rau family call anger management (hysterical that Howie does this just like Rudy!!). I think the next step I need to focus on now that Howie is starting to find toys by name, he sits on command and is starting to understand Shake, Release, and Get Down - I want to figure out how to master Come Here. I've tried several different words to see if he responds initially to one better than another, or if a certain hand movement helps, but no luck so far :) I've kind of given up on discipline regarding biting...I'm pretty sure that when he's biting or throwing his mouth my direction, he's not actually "biting" (though it may feel like it!). In reality, it just happens to be my fingers or chin or ear or toe or pant leg that's nearest to his mouth! The stern no makes him race away from me but then come running back - I take this to mean he thinks its a game. So instead of the stern no, I've been working to have toys nearby to always grab one so that we have something to play with that's good to play with, and then tell him good boy when he goes and finds a toy he'd like to play with. At least while it works, all is well on the homefront with Howie!

Howie & I Survived Roswell

Words cant describe how good it feels to be back in Little Rock - to be home, to have Howie home. We got back today around noon after spending the week in Roswell, New Mexico. Day after day, it never ceases to amaze me how different life is with Howie. Not a bad different or good different, just different. He rules how I spend my every minute. When I go to bed, when I wake up, how much time I spend working, and how much time I spend doing anything else. Or at least, it does for now. Its interesting, not knowing what life will look like in a year, after Howie's grown up a bit. And at the same time, since I'm a person that lives so much in the moment, there's a lot of temptation for me right now to be scared and stressed thinking about the next year. Though most of the time I actually do enjoy the work I do, the travel has never been the best part (even if it does mean extra money). And even though I know Howie will adjust to all the moving around, this first trip to Roswell has put a lot of hard thoughts in my head. We started out at the Days Inn. I've stayed at decent Days Inn before, so I thought we'd be fine. But this place... the toilet was clogged & they couldnt get ahold of anyone to come fix it, nor did they immediately offer to move me (that was more of a last-minute move on their part). Also, the floor was disgusting - my and howie's feet were black after just spending a short time there. Luckily, the La Quinta Inn & Suites also allowed pets and so Howie & I moved and it was much better. Last night coming home, we stopped in Oklahoma City - stayed at a La Quinta Inn [not and Suites - makes a big difference!]. anyway, i guess i'd had it in my head that hotels that accept pets arent as nice but i didnt equate that with them being dirty. or moreso filthy. So last night, for example, I was extremely preoccupied with everything Howie was finding on the hotel room floor. eek. sooo, yeah. lots to think about. on the up side, Howie's teaching me a lot right now. Trying to learn how to take care of him, how to pay attention to what he needs and, even as a dog, is trying to tell me. He's changed the way I look at life, and the future. Other than my family, he's the first thing to come into my life that I know for sure will be here for at least the next 10 years. that makes me think about the future of my job, my life-marriage, kids, etc. He kind of has me looking at things differently - who would've thought a pup would be part of wanting to settle down. odd how people change as they grow up. not that i can think of specifics, but i remember even just 5 or 10 years ago, thinking i didnt understand why adults acted certain ways, but now i'm starting to see certain things.. just need to find some time to actually come up with specific things :)

i just thought this was too cute. i'm still trying to figure out what habits are good and which are not, and then how to cure the bad ones, but in the meantime, i'm glad there are definitely lots of moments that i just love this pup like crazy - they completely outweigh the times he's being a bad, bad dog!
(and the pics above... the first is howie with a new bone - he was excited; if you look closely, you can see his tongue out to the side! he was licking his lips :) the next is a rare shot of howie sitting still enough for me to take a picture of him sometime other than when he's sleeping! and the last is what normally happens when i try to take a picture of howie awake!

hello from Howie!

hi everyone, Howie here, what's up! momma thinks i have too much free time so she started this blog for me. she thinks i'm napping now but instead i wanted to tell you more about myself on here! boy, do i have her fooled! she does play me classical music during naptime and i do like that.

so my full name is Howard Johnson Rau, but please dont call me Howard. yuck. call me Howie! I was born in Columbia, Missouri on July 14, 2009. I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. My brother is furry like me, but both sisters and mom & dad have short hair. mine's softest though, so ha! i do miss my family.. i was the last to leave home and boy was i scared when that happened. i cried and cried and cried but it didnt work. momma loves me lots, though, and gives me TONS of treats, so its not so bad. she talks to me a lot too, not that i understand what she's saying... i'm not even 3 months old! sheesh! she keeps repeating something; i wonder what she's trying to say. she doesnt seem to like me going to the bathroom but its not my fault my bladder's the size of an acorn! what does she expect!

yesterday we went to the vet - boy, were they mean. sticking stuff IN where stuff's only supposed to come OUT! not cool, vet. not cool at all. i found out there that i weigh 4.2 pounds right now. everyone keeps telling me i'm going to be a big boy and that i dont look like a chihuahua. i'll show them - soon my ears will pop up and i'll figure out these stairs we have to take to get outside so i can burn off this puppy fat.

i used to sleep in this nice little cage, it was nice and safe and cozy, but then momma moved all my stuff to a bigger one. it's kind of scary, but i have more space so i can stretch out lots.

momma keeps bringing home new toys for me, too. that's pretty great. my favorites are my green ball with the bell inside [although it scared me at first!] and my hambone plastic toy - i chase it in circles, its pretty funny. i'll see if momma can show you guys sometime. and yesterday she took me outside with my tennis ball and we played and watched cars. i hope we get to do that again soon. and i have like 4 bones! its awesome! my only problem is figuring out where to bury them! i keep trying to dig into the couch and blanket. it doesnt work, but boy does momma get upset about that!

well, i'm actually starting to get pretty tired. i really like sleeping but try not to let momma know that so she lets me keep playing with my toys! hope i get to meet you guys soon!

reflections

okay this is TOO cute!! howie clearly does not understand the concept of a mirror! and while i was best friends with myself as a baby (sat in the hall in front of the mirror with my toys! somehow there was always a friend there to play too!), howie does not like the dog in the window!! you gotta listen for his puppy growl!