Greetings from Tucker! He’s been doing just great as he continues to settle into family life. I think he’s an old soul in a young dog’s body he is so mellow. When he is in the house he’s quiet and tends to spend all his time on his favorite dog bed, and the cat is usually lying next to him. This past week he changed it up a few times and got on one of the other beds. So he’s stretching his wings!

Tucker is a nature boy—he totally comes alive when he is outside. He marches right out to go potty, then stretches, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s, then will plop down and roll in the snow. He’s been regularly initiating play with the other dogs. He looks like a cartoon dog when he flops over to them (he’s all legs), and side checks them to engage. He is a very gentle player. He just loves his time outside, and that is when he’s the most relaxed.

We continue to go for lots of walks—at least two a day. We’ve been practicing walking in heel position and he does well with that. He’s getting the hang of taking small pit stops to do his business. He also likes the more “free” walks where he is on a long lead and has more latitude with his pace. We usually do these walks in a county park.

Today I took him and one of the other dogs to a county park we haven’t been to before. The trails were icy in spots but he did awesome. He has this nice relaxed bouncy gait, and he’s super easy to walk. He came home and passed out in his favorite bed! He loves getting in the truck to go somewhere, and he rides really well. When we go outside sometimes he’ll pull me toward the truck because he wants to go bye-bye.

One thing that has really changed this past week is his eye contact and how much he is tuning into me. He watches my every move. He’s discovered beef sticks and I think part of his attentiveness has to do with my setting a treat down next to him when I walk by.

He also found his voice! I have an office in the lower level of the house, and this past week I was working and the resident dogs came down to keep me company. He was upstairs by himself and all of a sudden he let out one loud bark—he wanted to be with us! I coaxed him down the steps, and there was a whole other house there! He had to be coaxed back up the steps, but since then he goes up and down the steps like a champ (with just a tad of guidance)!

This handsome boy is a sweetheart. He’s made such wonderful progress since his first posting, I tend to focus on those accomplishments. He still has things to work through, and they will take time and patience as be builds his confidence. He tends to be more skittish in the house. I often times will need to give him a nudge to get him up to go outside to go potty, or to go in another room. If I said “Tucker come here” or “Let’s go potty” he’ll just lay there. If I give the slightest nudge though—I usually gently lift his Easy Walk harness just to get him to stand, then he is good-to-go and will head to the door.

I praise him like crazy for the smallest of accomplishments, and he’s responding to that. When he is outside he is tons more responsive though. Today he was playing outside with the other dogs and I called for him, “Tucker!!” and he looked over toward me. He’s not quite ready to come over to me yet when I call, but getting him to acknowledge his name is a big accomplishment, and an even bigger win when he smiles!