A look back after 6 months

From left by row, Shadow at two, three, four and five months old

Shadow officially turns six months old today, and it's hard not to let my mind wander back to the first day he came into my life. Emotionally wrecked at the hands of another, less responsible breeder (Don't let that happen to you), Chris and I made the trip up to Blue Diamond with a pesky glimmer of hope that neither of us would allow to shine through.

After weeks of torture, we had resigned ourselves to the fact that the bed we had bought, the toys we had gleefully picked out, the ID tag we had engraved ... none of these things would be used for at least another three months. After coming to love and watch this other puppy grow (at least until the breeder stopped showing us pictures), we were devastated at the thought of now waiting for another breeder to approve us, another dog to get pregnant, another mother to nurse her pups for 8 weeks, etc.

We meet Shadow at 7 weeks old

Finding a lovable silver Lab puppy on the same schedule at that point would have been like planning a 200-person wedding the week before. I made phone calls, and everyone was sorry but I was too late.. too late... too late. Then Janet from Blue Diamond picked up the phone.

She had not one but two silver males and several charcoal puppies ready to go home in a week. They hadn't even been advertised. And we could have the pick of the litter. Still, we were hesitant. (As the now-butchered saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.")

Shadow comes home with us at 8 weeks

Then we arrived, met two wonderful people and spent a half hour sitting on the floor playing with a room full of bounding, healthy, happy 7-week-old puppies. We didn't even have to deliberate over which was to be ours; he picked us. It was one of those moments I'll never forget: When Chris and I looked at each other, then at the cuddly, shoestring-gnawing bundle of fur that had chosen to sit in my lap for a good 10 minutes (enamored by my jeans and my shoes while his brothers came up to inspect and then to bound away) and smiled at each other. Our eyes said it all. This little guy was a sweetheart with a little spunk, and he was ours.

Shadow at 10 weeks and 6 months. It’s amazing how fast the time goes.

Now a member of our family for 4 months, there are times I wonder where that sweet little guy has gone. But those feelings never last long. Shadow is a character, that's for sure. He can be stubborn, he can be disobedient, and he can get a little too excited sometimes. But he still rests his head in my lap (after trying unsuccessfully to put his entire body there), he still follows me around like he is my shadow, he's still soft as silk, and he still does something funny or adorable every day.

He is the puppy I always wanted and almost didn't get. And his existence in my life is proof that things do indeed happen for a reason, and every so often where you are is where you were always meant to be.

Back to the Vet

When you have to shout the date of your next appointment at the woman behind the counter as your suddenly 58-pound dog yanks you, flailing, out the front door of the vet's office... he may no longer be a puppy.

Shadow returned to the vet today after a nearly two-month hiatus. His first call of action was to attempt climbing a woman in the waiting area. Then he moved on to the secretary, all the while skating along the tile floor like a berserk spider wearing roller skates.

My favorite part of the checkup, however, was when Shadow embarked upon his first (to my knowledge) feline encounter. It was a quartet of newborn kittens, to be exact, and both species were captivated by each other.

One particularly gutsy black kitten engaged in a sort of staring contest with the six-month-old silver Lab until (I hate to admit it) Shadow let out a whine. (I apologize for the picture quality, but I was armed only with my iPhone, and dogs move super fast.)

Finally past the waiting area, Shadow was so strong and rambunctious that the attendant had to call in backup to get him on the scale. And when I say scale, I mean a steel trough with no sides that rises a good three feet off the ground with the flick of a switch.

But what else can I expect from a new-to-this-world puppy in the body of a 58-pound adolescent dog? He sleeps through the night, he doesn't launch into a barking frenzy the moment I walk in or out of the door, he can be left outside his crate while I'm not paying him any attention, he's about 90 percent housebroken, and he can actually walk tolerably on a lead.

The jumping on people is the biggest issue left, but just like all the others, it will one day be history. And one day I'll miss his rambunctious, I-want-to-play-with-

everything-and-sniff-everything-and-jump-on-everything crazy phase.

Moose Offers a Challenge

Even without a Frisbee or the approval of Sir Artie, Shadow and his "cousin" Moose are vying for dominance... this time of the YouTube variety.

In response to Shadow's first swim on Independence Day weekend, Moose (with help from my cousin-in-law, Nick) put together a video of his own kayak adventure. It's extremely cute and funny and offers a challenge to his darker, younger cousin at the end.

Rest assured, we'll be accepting that challenge. Maybe we should start teaching Shadow to jump through hoops?   ; )

Anyway, check out the video below. Double-click to see it larger (on YouTube rather than this blog) and to subscribe to Moose and Nick's YouTube "channel."

Easy Walk

Replacing Shadow's collar with a harness (only for walks) was possibly the wisest thing we've done for the little guy since he came home.

Shadow just loves people. Even more than squirrels and acorns, as far as I can tell, which is pretty impressive. When Chris and I set out to get a dog, one thing we knew hands down was that we wanted him to be loyal, protective to a certain degree, and friendly.

Of course -- me being a first-time dog owner and all -- I didn't realize that "friendly" meant he would try to play with every jogger, cyclist, grandmother and three-year-old out enjoying Mother Nature. (And by "play with," I mean pummel.)

I also didn't know that Labrador retrievers are known for giving every last drop of energy possible to reach their target, whether or not they strangle themselves in the process. Call it heart, call it chutzpah, call it dedication if you want. But most of the time I just call "NO!"

That's why walks with my wonderful little growing companion were, well, pretty unbearable over the last couple months.

In desperation, I accepted a choke collar at one point from a well-meaning neighbor, read a few articles about it, and gave it a shot. Let's just say Shadow and I entered a new level in our relationship that day, much in the way that friends aren't really friends unless they can have a fight.

So, after hearing the word "harness" from several people in the neighborhood and doing more research to make sure it wouldn't harm him, I put in an order for an Easy Walk harness. It's the same product Shadow's former teacher recommended a month ago (call me slow on the uptake if you want), and according to the box "is designed to gently discourage your dog from pulling" while walking on a leash. The low chest strap, it says, has a "patent-pending martingale loop" that's supposed to make it easy for walker to control dog without hurting him, without encouraging him to pull harder, and without damaging his trachea.

Two weeks after it's arrival, cynical me has become one of those people in the neighborhood who advises people to buy this thing. I actually enjoy walking Shadow now, and I don't come back sweaty and pissed.

And more importantly, Shadow doesn't seem to mind it either. Of course he tried to eat it the first couple times I put it over his head, but that's what dogs do. Now Shadow just sits there panting and waiting to frolic outside with his two-legged companion, who, for whatever reason unknown to him, is a billion times happier.

No dogs allowed...

My apologies for not updating the blog earlier this week, but as you can see, I was spending a few days with animals of the not-so-cuddly kind up in Cape Cod.

Don't get me wrong, being away from my Shadow did make the hissing geese and sticky-fingered seagulls somewhat more palatable... but only when they were flying/swimming/waddling in the opposite direction.

Yes, this year I had to not only cut short my family vacation, but go without half my family because Shadow is:
a) a dog, and hence not allowed on many public beaches (what a drag)
b) not yet fully trained, and thus not ready to be left anywhere while Chris and I cavort around said dogless beaches
c) not yet ready in my overbearing motherly opinion to be left in a kennel (and certainly not for this sort of trip, i.e. not overseas)

On Day Two of the trip, I grabbed one of those handy dandy Cape Cod guides at Cuffy's to do some research on "dog friendly" places for next year, and was sorry to see that most were parks or -- get this -- the parking lot by a beach. A few sandy stretches do allow dogs, but one quick drive past Flax and Cliff ponds in Nickerson State Park told me I'd rather turn the hose on him in the backyard. (Crowded doesn't even begin to describe it)

So now that I'm home with the little guy -- who even in 85 degree heat makes for an excellent furry toe-warmer, I must say -- I am diving back into my writing and on a mission to find some great dog vacation solutions for those of us who would like to bring our furry buddies with us sometimes and who can't fit them in a purse. I'll let you know what I find.

In the meantime enjoy a few photos from the trip which, although short, was very nice :)

Photo rights to these and all others appearing on this blog (excluding Amazon.com links) are the property of the creator of "Me and My Shadow" and may not be used without consent.

Puppies

Blue Diamond Breeding, the wonderful folks who brought Shadow into our lives, have another litter planned for August or September. Click here for details.

How could anyone pass up even a half-brother or sister of this little guy?

Video: Shadow Masters the Stairs

In the beginning of June, Shadow finally conquered his fear (the only one we've met so far) and made his way down the front stairs. Here is the long lost video detailing that treacherous journey. (Double-click to see it larger on YouTube)