Oliver Update

Oh my little Ollie.

Today me and my little bear curled up in bed together and took a nice long nap. I'd just bathed him so he shook and shook until I wrapped him in my comforter and cuddled right up beside him. I love it when he's sleepy, he'll let me nuzzle into his furry cheek and play with his little legs kicked into the air.

I always tell Jason, "How can I love an animal this much? I can't imagine the love I'd feel for my own children if I can feel this much for a dog."

Sometimes when he looks up at me with those sweet eyes I wonder if he's a happy dog. I mean I've seen him happy, the word 'treat' turns him into a circus dog- turning circles, making leaps, so I know he can be happy, but have you ever wondered if your pet is really happy? Like really content to be living with you?

I wish he could talk to me. I talk to him all day, just like I would to my husband or my mom. He tilts his head to one side as if digesting what I'm saying, then cocks it to the other as if to say, "Oh really? What a grand idea."

He's a brilliant dog, my Ollie. He has a cute little personality too. He's getting more used to people, only barking at passerbys or people he's unsure of. His little bark is less of a squeak now, although he does squeak with excitement when we return home to him. He knows which apartment is ours, although he gets confused at times because each apartment is pretty much the same.

He understands that when lights go out it's bedtime. He'll curl up at the bottom of the bed and go straight to sleep. I don't think he understands the concept of baths although we've bathed him plenty. Each time he lets out a heartbreaking cry and does his best to climb out of the tub. But when I'm taking a bath he'll run up to the tub full force desperate to climb up the porcelain to get to me. He's a climber that's for sure. He'll hook his claws into the fabric of an overchair and pull himself all the way up.

He's such a loyal pup, following me from room to room all day long. He won't come when I tell him to, but if I walk away it's just a matter of time before he follows. Jason tells people he doesn't care for anyone but me, but I beg to differ. He's a friendly dog if he warms up to you, and he's already making huge advancements with other dogs. He used to bark and run behind me for protection, but now he'll follow them around, sniffing them out.

He falls asleep in the weirdest places, like the picture below where he tucked his little legs under my seatbelt. What a funny dog. He just wants to feel secure. :)

The boys cuddling after his bath. Sometimes he'll dig so deep in our covers that he creates a little sauna of heat to warm up in until he dries. What a smartie.

He's not all innocent all the time though. He has a think for socks, sandals, tissues and tampons, we've decided. Since we haven't bought a kennel yet we'll put him in the bathroom when he leave the house. Since this we've learned to put the garbage can up when we leave or else he'll stand on his hind legs and fish everything right out. He loves to shred tissues, and he knows where to find them too. Since I have bad allergies here in NC he knows that tissues can either be found in the bathroom garbage can, or in mom's purse.

In the meantime though, he came across the gum in my purse and boy does this pup like gum. He chewed right through the foil, getting it stuck in his beard, his paws, and the fur on his belly. And mind you this isn't the only time. Seriously, we've had to cut gum out of his fur like four times! Pink, blue, green, all kinds of gum and I have no idea where he gets it! But man does he like it!!

My favorite surprise, however, was when I turned around from making dinner to find little Ollie on the couch with a tampon sticking out the side of his mouth like a cigar. Somehow in between searching for tissues and gum in my purse, he found a plastic wrapped tampon and went to town. It was hard to get mad at him for that one. But a couple days later he was back in my purse again, going after the same yellow tampon. One thing's for sure, when he finds something he likes, he sticks with it!

So I was doing my makeup one day when Ollie started barking like crazy. I looked around the bedroom to see what he was after, under the bed maybe, closet, no... until I saw his little nose peeking out from under the dresser! Now look how low that dresser goes. He couldn't have gone through the front. He must have squeezed behind the dresser to see what was there, then realized he couldn't get out! I grabbed my phone and snapped a shot before going back to my face. He figured it out, but he hasn't gone near it since!

Oh little Ollie. How can I love a puppy this much?