Torean, torean, torean...

Our fluffy son is now thirteen weeks old, and a very solid 29.5 pounds according to the vet. His little quirks can either make us wince, or make us laugh, but each day with him is still something to admire. His ears have finally come up and are staying up nicely. Some days with his ears up and the way he barks when he wants attention make me think of a jackal. He has a lot of growing to do before he fits those ears of his, but we all are slightly sad to see him leaving his puppyhood behind. He has come along so much since the day we brought our six week old fuzz ball home from Ohio. Walking with him is still a challenge but he is getting better about walking beside us, not trying to take the lead from us. He is obsessed with grass, and dirt, and worms, he has accumulated quite the hole in his kennel to play in often coming inside looking like a wild dirt clod ready to play some more. He loves chasing my husband around the yard, especially now that he has grown, and he can catch my husband almost every time. Torean is still not sure about the cats, he wags his tail like crazy when he sees the cats, but he has not quite learned boundaries. The cats are being remarkably tolerant with him, and hopefully they can be together in the future without hisses, and scratched noses. Each day he can still amaze us with his antics, make us angry, make us laugh and make us melt when he is so excited to see us. We brag about him like he is our own flesh and blood child, and we already have a ridiculous amount of pictures of him. If this is what puppy love is, it truly is wonderful. HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL OF YOU, FROM ME, MY HUSBAND, AND OUR TROUBLEMAKER!

Adventures in brushing an Elkhound, a bitey one at that!

Torean finally got an overdue grooming this afternoon, and I must admit that after grooming and grooming, Torean has claimed the victory. An elkhound coat is a marvel to me. After pulling five packed clumps off the brush I turn around to watch our bouncing fuzzball and find even more fur ready to come out. I am not used to having a dog with such a coat as his. Our first dog was a dalmation, the second was a retriever mix, neither of them were as challenging to groom as Torean is. Torean must be feeling better though, our defuzzed little angel found his second  wind when he realized his grooming was done, and now he is sliding across the floor chasing his favorite toy, a stuffed hedgehog. He took his grooming well, seemingly more interested in trying to bite the brush more than anything else, but then he settled down when he realized it actually felt kind of good to be rid of his itchy fur. Tomorrow is bound to be a thrill for him with cold weather blowing in, it will probably be a good time to get him out for another long walk. Torean has decided that he does not want to walk on his harness now, trying a comical combination of plunking down, trying to make me carry him, and if all else fails looking pathetic at anyone who might be watching. His biting problem is improving, and with time, so will his attempts to get out of walking. All in all he is still one hysterical puppy and he made his eleven week birthday a special one.

Fun times

Torean went to the park today, and he got plenty of chances to stalk his beloved leaves. He also gave me plenty of chances to take photos, most of which just got uploaded on to the website. It is www.teamtorean.com! Check it out to see the new pictures!