The Tank is Always Half-Full...Always

For the past week, Brock has been on the "ring the bell, go outside (key step), potty, get a treat (key step, according to any Labrador) Plan". He has only had a few false alarms - where he rang the bell, went outside, didn't potty, but waited patiently for a treat. Surprisingly, he continues to ring the bell about every 15 to 20 minutes and he pees EVERY time. Not just a drop or two, but a fair amount. Enough to warrant a treat. It constantly amazes me that there is always some left in the tank - it's never empty.

The past two days, he seems to really be picking up on the whole concept. We still have not had an accident-free day, but there has been some improvement, for sure. I have noticed the times when accidents seem to happen is usually when he's been playing with Berdy and doesn't realize until it's happening or he has rung the bell within minutes of coming back in the house and I've ignored it as a false alarm. My bad. Hopefully, we will both catch on soon and I can change the "Days without an accident" to one, instead of always leaving it at the sad number of zero.

On some non-potty related news, Brock is growing quite rapidly. I think we are starting to hit the two pounds per week growth rate. According to the breeder, he's a BIG, BIG boy. To me, he just looks like Brock. He's all in proportion, so unless I saw one of his littermate or another puppy his age and breed, I guess I just don't realize how much of a moose he is. Now with Berdy, that's another story. She looks well-marbled or well-insulated. That dog will definitely not starve to death this winter, even if I stopped feeding her right now. Both dogs eat well and vigorously and much to Berdy's dismay, Brock gets 1 1/2cups 2x a day to her 1cup 2x per day. He's also getting a lot of treats for all the outdoor activity. He's a growing boy!

Next: Brock WILL be going down the stairs from the kitchen to the landing. We tried a few times this week, with little success. However, now that he seems to be able to hold it a little longer, we are going to start this training in earnest. Wish him luck!