This stillness with the children was not possible when Zeke started at Greenwood. He was rowdy and impulsive. He has really got himself under control now. He still gets excited in new public places, but it passes after about 5 or 10 minutes of obedience drills. He is really a fun dog and the kids just love him.
I think the most difficult situations we face in public involve other dogs. A lot depends on the behavior of the other dog and their owner. Sometimes we walk by in good form and other times it turns into a huge battle. Zeke gets so excited about pet stores that we need 45 minutes of obedience work outside before we can ever get to the door.
I've had some concern about him needing frequent potty breaks. He is eating 5 cups of food a day and having up to one poop per cup. During a busy day, he may break poo every 4 hours. With excitement, maybe two or three hours. He made it through a movie in the theater last night, but he was clearly uncomfortable the last half hour. At that point, it had been about 3 hours since the last poo. He cleared the building and I got the vest off, so I consider it a success walk. He just has a lot of poo. Hopefully, his metabolism will slow down and he will get by on less food when he is older. I am so happy to see some weight on him. He is looking pretty normal. I think he neck has grown two inches in the last month. Just what we needed...more neck.
We are planning Zeke's crossing over ceremony. He will walk over the bridge and receive his harness around the end of June. You are welcome to join us. Just let me know if you are interested so I can send you details.
