The Max Diary ... Week one

What a week it has been in Max's world. He was confused, and on edge for the first three days. To be expected, considering that his whole world has been turned upside down, and he has been taken from the only family he has known for 13 months.

My plan was to start him onto a routine straight away. Every morning we have been getting up at 5.30am for a trip to the park for a 10 minute run followed with a 30 minute walk. I figured that this would be the best way to use up his energy first thing in the morning. The plan has worked so far.  The only problem has been the hours in between me leaving for work and arriving home. In typical "puppy mode" he has managed to destroy my herb garden, chew through our rubbish tin, and throw the rubbish all around the back yard. Max has found things we thought we had lost, and has destroyed it all.
  But you know what, it is all only "stuff" and so what if there is no garden this Summer, next year he will be older and a lot more secure. My biggest fear was when he started getting through the back fence into the neighbours yard. So the Great Wall of China was built to keep him in.

The weekend arrived, and Max had his first trip to the beach, and he loved it. He was obedient when we let him off the lead, and we  had a great time. He is such a lovely puppy, and is going to mature into a wonderful dog. As each day goes by he is getting to know us and to get used to our routine.

All I have to do now is to stop him from chewing everything within his reach, and to stop him from jumping. Every moment we are together is training time as I reinforce what he already knows, and start to teach him not to jump. He is learning where he stands in "the new pack" and in typical puppy fashion has a memory like a sieve.

But more than anything, he is a lovable young fella, with a great personality and we are going to be great friends.