Slightly over two weeks with my new family and I'm almost dead. You wouldn't believe how many miles they've got out of me already. If I were a car, I'd be out of guarantee by now! Although I have to admit that it's great fun. We have settled into a daily routine that I quite enjoy. First thing in the morning is a quick walk to the park to meet some canine friends and to do one's business. Depending on the weather I take it leisurely, or I whizz around the first corner to my favourite bush, dump whatever I can and try to run back before they catch me.
You know ever since day one they let me off the lead and stroll through the park at my own pace. I think that's quite considerate especially since they never go far so that I can run back and hide between their legs whenever someone strange and tall appears. After our morning walk I have a bite and fool around the living room. Midday is the time for a monster walk. They get the car out of the garage and then we drive off to some wood, lake, or vineyard where I haven't been before. It's all very exciting and great fun so I do enjoy getting into the car and taking a nap on Monika's foot before and after long walks.
A couple of days ago we came across a couple of green guys in the woods, they were partly hiding behind trees and were not too amused to see us. They shot their guns but that didn't bother me at all. Monika and Gene say I'm quite safe as long as I stay close to them. (That's probably why the wild boar and the fox lay dead on their sides when we passed them, they had no human companions to take the bullets for them, I guess.)
But since there was a lot of hunting going on that day, we had to take a great big detour. I gave them that I-can't-walk-any-more-look and Monika fell for it; she carried me for a couple hundred yards until Gene asked her to put me down again. So I happily walked off into the underwood. Save a yard here, save a yard there, that's my motto.
Normally it's a second feeding time after the walk but sometimes I just doze off while eating. Can't help it. It just happens. Food after a walk is to me what a boring late-night-film on TV is to those humans.
Ever since my family have come up with the early evening walk in the park before we go out for that last late night walk, I've changed to a 100%-bladder-control-and-all dog. Any time awake, the door to the garden is quickly opened, I take one or two steps onto the lawn, let it flow and go back in before I'm even properly awake. Good service that is.
At night I'm perfectly happy. I can smell the big guys in the other room, that's all I need. I'm no baby anymore, you know.
I now know the meaning of quite a number of German words, some I know that well, I can react to them immediately if I'm not too distracted. Those words are "Komm" (come), "Sitz" (sit), "Aus" (stop it), and "Pfui" don't eat that, and "Ab" means that I really fucked up and have to leave them in peace for at least twenty seconds or longer. I've got a feeling that "Platz" means lie down and that "Such" means go and look for something.
However, going out for walks at night often makes me forget the meaning of commands. I mean they know it and I know it: the only reason we go out in the middle of the night is that they want me to do my big business.
So why on earth should I come to wherever they are and sit at their sides once I've done what they wanted me to do in the first place. Or to cut a long story short, at night I keep running away and head for home whenever I can. Yesterday we drove to a training ground for Hovawarts. Nobody was there. Fortunately! But Gene left his card. It looks as if he wants to get me in school as soon as possible. Well, if anyone from that club rings while he is out, I sure won't answer the phone. I rather fool around than go to school and be compared to others and the whole caboodle. I mean you must know how it is: You're the only child, you're the best child on earth. Automatically. When there are others around, there's competition and you might not end up the lucky A+ bastard. So, there you are. That's why I won't answer the phone for him when he's out.
And that damn computer of his is also only one bite away from not answering! Believe me!