8 months

Novel is 8 months old today. I just can't stop thinking "How can he be 8 months old??!" It was just the other day that he was a wrinkly little puppy peeing in the airport wasn't it?

Top: 1st day (approx. 13 weeks old...yes,
I got Novel a little older than most pups)
Bottom: 8 months old

Novel has grown into a very handsome dog. He is not quite as big as I was expecting him to get though. At about 60 pounds, he is a nice, manageable size. Sure, he has some filling out to do, but I really don't think he is going to get much bigger.

Ever since school has started at the end of August, I have had much less time for outings with him, and he only comes to work with me 2 days a week, so he has been spending a bit more time at home recently. Honestly, I think it has been good for him. I have heard that one of the main reasons dogs fail is for separation anxiety, and for a little while there at the beginning of August, he was pretty attached to me. (some say that was because he heard me talking about neutering him, and he was simply scared to death, but that's debatable) Anyway, in the past few weeks, Novel has gotten to be pretty comfortable with being alone. Poor guy.

I THINK that Novel might be starting to actually grow up. He seems to be slowly learning to calm down. (*knocks on wood) Now, don't get me wrong...he still gets the zoomies and has a huge amount of Potential energy, ("Potential energy: The energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position relative to others, stresses within itself, electric charge, and other factors." If Novel's "position relative to others" is "close to other dogs," "Stresses within itself" are "Hungry," or "other factors" include "an off-limits item in his mouth" His potential energy approaches that of an atomic bomb) but he does seem to finally be grasping the concept of self-control... occasionally. 

In honor of his 8 month birthday, Here are 8 things I've noticed about Novel:

1. He. is a very. happy. dog. He loves everything. He loves most things a little too much.
2. He LOVES to hold things in his mouf. Espesaly big, fwuffy things.
3. He loves to make figure eights around legs. Something he will have to learn to stop!
4. He loves to work. and he works hard. When he is working, every. muscle. in his body. is focused on his job. He might even be a little too focused.
5. He loves food. He loves food. Oh, you didn't hear me? Novel loves food. And he eats it too fast at meal times. And he's getting faster. This month he threw up after eating 3 times so far. That's a record for him. Probably a record he's proud of too....
6. When Novel learns a new command, it becomes his favorite command for an indefinite amount of time. And he tries to do it every time I give any command. This can be a problem sometimes. (it really wasn't very fun with "Speak" at all. But he is getting better about that now)
7. Novel broke a glass with his tail the other day. A very lab-ish thing to do. Calm down buddy!
8. Novel is THE. messiest drinker I have ever witnessed. He sticks his whole nose in the water and then half sucks, half laps, and half just randomly flops his head around. every time. (and yes, I know that was three halfs. Novel always does everything at least 150%) And then he lifts up his head, literal rivers of water still flowing from his lips, and walks in circles around the room. Then, depending on just how much water he got on the floor, he will either lay in it, or splash in it and drink it off the floor. (see illustration below)

ok, ok, I just have to say one more thing...lol

9. Novel went on a 10.4 mile very steep hike on Sunday. Carrying a backpack. And guess what? He actually acted a tiny bit tired at the end! No pics. Sorry.