We’ve  had Bud for seven months, and I’m happy to report he is a healthy dog, and it seems, a happy dog. We have eased up on our worries about him, and in the morning, he has the run of the farm, dashing off into the swamp and the woods in pursuit of the elusive mouse or rat.

I don’t think he’s got any yet. Bud’s motto seems to be chase everything that moves but hurt nothing. The chickens just step aside for him now, the cats prepare to swat him in the nose.

Our Meat Tenderizer scheme has reduced the amount of poop he eats, but he still lapses once in awhile. He hates the rain, and when it pours, he simply will not eliminate outside, but he does go into our bathroom to do his business, I’ll give him that.

If his hunting and roaming instincts have sharpened, so has his sweetness and calm inside of the house. No more marking, peeing, chewing socks or shoes. My puppy theory about him was accurate, I think.

He started love all over again when he came here, we had to go through the puppy period from the beginning, even though he was two years old. Bud comes when called, except when in hot pursuit of a chipmunk.

He is appropriate around people, but doesn’t seem to care about them all that much, his family is where he puts all of his affection. He loves everything that lives in the house.

Most of Bud’s fear of men has gone, but men with sticks will drive him to terror and flight. He loves Red and still guards him around the sheep. He loves to hang out with me in my study and when I take a nap, he hops into my lap and naps with me. I’ve found this comforting and appealing.

He sits when told – at least for a few seconds. He never runs off, he is no fool, and he never goes near the road, something we have managed to train all of our dogs not to ever do.

Every morning, he gets to take a ride, usually to the Post Office, or to a convenience store for coffee. He loves to go to the bank where the tellers put biscuits in pneumatic tubes. He accepts this with grace and dignity. Like most good dogs, he likes to come along.

He still sleeps in a crate in the bedroom on most nights, on hot nights we let him sleep at the foot of the bed near the fan. He absolutely loves to snuggle and will worm his way as close as possible. Sometimes I kick him back to the foot of the bed and he takes this in strike.

I’ll wrote more about him later, but this is a good start for an update past the six month mark.