It is gratifying to see Bud evolve from this cowering and battered creature to this very happy dog, every day he seems more settled and comfortable, less wild and frantic. He is still a terror, chasing after sheep, donkeys, chickens and barn cats – he doesn’t seem to want to catch them, just rile them up a bit.

But he is finding new things to love. I wasn’t sure Bud was capable of relaxing until it got warmer, we find that he LOVES to lounge out in the sun in the dog run out back.

He will sit there for hours, watching the sheep in the pasture, barking at the chickens or dogs being walked across the road, or just staring up at the sky. He was a dog that was almost never still, and it is nice to see him soak up some rays, obviously warm weather is his element, not the winter.

I find that Maria and I talk about Bud often in our podcasts, he is a good story, there is always something to learn or laugh at from him, often at the same time. Yesterday, he managed to sneak up stairs to Maria’s office, nose open the door, discover her stash of wool and drag it downstairs where he was apprehended.

I have no idea what drove him to go up there.

When I nap once in awhile, Bud always hops up onto my chest or stomach and naps with me. I am working on training him to walk with me on country roads. More and more, when I write he is curled up on a dog bed next to Red, snoring  like a Buffalo.

Good to see this new and calmer side of Bud, he is becoming quite the happy dog. I’m glad I stuck it out with him in his crazy days.