By Tim Marren<br><a href="mailto:tim.marren@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Tim</a>
LOCKPORT — It’s been a while — and many puppy bites with those dagger-like teeth — since I’ve updated readers on our chocolate lab, Lucy.
I’ve had a bunch of requests from readers, all wondering how the little girl is doing. She’s doing fine, but she’s keeping Katie and I busy as can be. She has brought us to our knees a few times, both figuratively and literally — mainly to clean up messes.
She’s now up to 22 pounds and just over 4 months old. Aside from an ear infection, which is common for labs, especially in a wet summer like this, she’s healthy as can be.
As is the case with puppies, her baby teeth are falling out (thank God) and new ones are all ready moving in.
She’s running the normal course of puppy life.
Here are some highlights from the last few weeks or so:
DOGGIE PADDLE: It’s too cold now to swim, but just a few weeks ago on that weekend we called “summer,” Lucy took to the in-law’s pool like Michael Phelps. It was amazing to see. The only time she had come in contact with water was her bowl and a quick bath if she had an accident in her crate. But when she saw the pool, she took two steps in and was swimming from person to person. It’s good to know that if we ever go on vacation and bring the dog, she’s a swimmer!
SIT 101: Lucy started school earlier than the neighborhood kids. Lucy has had two of her Monday night obedience classes so far at Oh My Dog Daycare in North Tonawanda. The facility, equipped with a daycare area, training area and doggie spa, is fantastic. Lucy loves it. She’s friends with a couple classmates and loves sneaking a kiss or nose rub between each lesson with whatever dog is next to her. She’s pretty good with sit, watch me and stay. We need to work on longer stays, leave it and down. No class tomorrow, so we have an extra week to bone up.
No pun intended.
FOUR-LEGGED VACUUM: We’re at the point where we’re spelling W-A-L-K because Lucy gets so excited when we ask her if she wants to go for a walk. We go first thing in the morning and a little after dinner. She no longer eats her leash or resists walking — she absolutely loves it. It’s an adventure for her. New smells, new people, new places to poop. It has to be her favorite part of the day, after eating and sleeping, of course.
On walks we rename Lucy. Her name is Hoover as she sucks up every rock, stick, rabbit poop and leaf. Left, right, forward, right, back, left, forward — she’s sucking it all up and pulling us along the way. We’re constantly pulling on the leash or screaming “leave it” as she tries to devour everything on the sidewalk.
She has her directions down, because we could go a mile south and as soon as we turn around to go home, she clutches a piece of her leash in her mouth and “pulls” us most of the way home, no matter if it’s a new route or an old route.
I can’t believe what a star she is around town. Every day and night people stop to pet her. Drivers smile and point as they drive by. Kids scream in excitement when she comes down the block. Several blocks away, people know her name from meeting her before. People I run into around town ask if I was the one walking the puppy with the pink collar. Her fan club is strong. It’s funny and cute now, but it will be sad when she’s older and “just another dog” to those people who fawned over her as a puppy. Everyone loves a puppy.
For as long as she’s with us, she’ll never be just another dog to us.
Tim Marren is the managing editor of the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. Contact him at Tim.Marren@lockportjournal.com or 439-9222.
