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!