Taran is Home!

Sorry for the lack of updates, puppies are hard work and very time consuming!

Taran(aka Statesman's Sea Warrior) the Welsh springer spaniel puppy has been home with us for two weeks now and is a little over 11 weeks old. He is acclimating to the new environment wonderfully and has been such a joy. He did great in the 7 hour car ride home, slept most of the way. Although he was a little frightened of my Lab mix, Kiba, initially, they are starting to get along very well now. Taran does not like to roughhouse the way Kiba would like him too, but they will play tug together with a toy. It's very cute!

Taran is incredibly smart. I started clicker training him on the second day he came home. He took to it almost immediately. He learned sit the first day, and is really good at it now. Next he learned to touch a target stick with his nose, which he finds incredibly fun. Down is coming along well, although a little slower than sit. I've worked some on come, leave it, going to his kennel, and last night we started training going to a mat. I also taught him speak, because he loves to bark and I thought it would be nice to have it on cue.

Sometimes his intelligence gets us in trouble, though. On the third day he was home with us he learned how to climb right out of his exercise pen! I can not leave in there and leave his sight anymore or else he will climb right out of it. We have a spiral staircase leading up to out loft where our guinea pig lives, and Taran quickly learned to climb right up the stairs and hop into the guinea pig cage! Luckily all he wanted to do was play with Popcorn(who is not afraid of dogs in the slightest and actually seems to enjoy their company), so there was no harm done. I will need to be more careful in the future though. He did learn very quickly not to bother the rats when one nipped him on the nose.

His socialization is going very well. He has meet many people and dogs already. Living in an apartment complex is actually very helpful with this, he sees many different people everyday on walks, and several dogs as well. I also take him to work with me everyday so he sees all kinds of cats and dogs. He is so sweet with everyone he meets, and everyone just loves him. I get lots of questions as to what breed he is. Several people have been able to guess that he is a springer, although no one yet has known what a Welsh springer is. Someone even asked me if he was a beagle puppy! He starts puppy class on the 28th at Best Paw Forward, so that will be a chance for even more socialization. Today we have a playdate with two havanese/maltese puppies. That should be fun!

My biggest problem with Taran right now is that he can't stand to be out of my sight. If I leave the room he is in he screams and cries and just absolutely panics. I have been trying to acclimate him to being left alone. I only give him attention when he is being quiet, and while I'm at work I click and treat him throughout the day for times when he is calm or playing with his toys in his cage. I think we are making progress, but it seems to be going very slowly. I hope that we will be able to work through this and that he doesn't not develop separation anxiety as he gets older.

All in all I am very happy to have such a wonderful and beautiful puppy. He has been a lot of hard work and I have not gotten much sleep recently but I know he is going to be so worth it. I am already seeing the potential he has to be an amazing dog. He's confident, friendly, loves every one, and is so, so smart! I look forward to continuing his training and socialization and watching him grow.

More pictures of Taran can be seen here, and some videos of him are here.