I'm here to tell ya, I'm a holy terror!

Good Morning. My name is Sam Elliott, and I am a rabble rouser. A real bona-fide holy terror!

Each morning, I wake up with so much energy - I hardly know what to do with it! So I run around the house, helter-skelter, grabbing at everything in my way. So far this morning, I have: pulled up a plant and run around the entire house, spreading dirt everywhere, drug at least three rugs from where they belong, pulled clothing down off of the chairs they were hanging on, shredded a cereal box, destroyed a shipping box, spilled my water and food everywhere, attempted to chew on a chair leg and some wood trim, pulled my Master Tim's sweat pants down, and yanked on Granny's scarf. Never mind that I have several chew toys in plain view - I'm not really interested in having them, because I can have them anytime. I also got into a stack of Granny's christmas cards, an old book belonging to Grandpa, and a white teddy bear that I am completely infatuated with - no matter how much I hear the word "NO!"

In fact, if you really want to know, it is my belief, my world-view so to speak, that everything and I mean everything, was put on this earth for me to sniff, explore, taste, chew, and so on. When I am this  energetic, my master Tim doesn't know what to do with me - I can tell. He follows me around. He say's "NO!" all the time. He picks me up and tries to put me somewhere else. It's true, my attention span is short, and sometimes this technique works, but usually, I wind up back doing something I'm not supposed to do before too long.

We go outside for walks, and potty breaks all the time. This helps, and eventually I start to get tired, but each morning, there is about two hours of tension. Master Tim keeps threatening me. He tells me that musky season is open for one more day!

On the bright side, I am working on learning words like COME, SIT, and NO. My kennel training, potty training, socializing, and generally learning to be independent is coming along better than expected - so says my master Tim.  Right now, our biggest issue is how to keep me from destroying everything, and, how to keep me from piddling in the house. It's a full time job, but hey, I gotta be a puppy!

Later,

Sammy

Puppy snoring at its best! Just watch and you'll see...

This is what I do when I play really, really hard, I get really, really tired, and then someone holds me, I get content, and then...

I'm Learning So Much, And I'm a Good Boy!

It's been at least a week since we blogged, I think. We have been so busy doing so much fun stuff, I can hardly wait to tell you all about it!

Well, first of all, we don't sleep in the ice castle any more - at least for a little while. Now we are sleeping in the house! That's because I'm not noisy anymore. For instance, last night I slept in my crate for nine hours before I whined to get out and go pee! Sometimes I sleep in Master Tim's room, sometimes I have been alone in a heated garage. I prefer to be with Master Tim, but either way, I'm ok. I'm usually too tired to care.

I have been with Master Tim on his trapline. One day, I was out all afternoon, and I went so far that Master Tim and the Gutenkauf boys - Colton and Christian, had to help carry me back to the truck. I was soooo tired, that I just wanted to lay down in the woods and go to sleep! But I'm learning to get around in the woods. I climb over fallen trees, and I crawl through the tall grass; I go over hilly humps and down steep banks. I've been on a frozen lake several times, and I even got to play in snow for the very first time! I like to eat snow; it feels cold in my mouth, and I've learned that it helps me not feel thirsty. Master Tim is very careful not to let me go near anything that could hurt me on the trapline.

Master Tim says that my socializing skills are so good! I have been to visit many of his friends, which are now my friends too. Everyone wants to hold me. I even went to work with Master Tim at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge one day, and I got to meet lots of nice men. I licked their faces and nibbled on their ears, and some of them, I pulled on their beards, just like I do with Master Tim.

I have really gotten to like the truck. Master Tim puts me on the front passenger seat, in my crate, and I usually go right to sleep, for a long time - so I'm a great traveler. A few days ago, I learned that I can use the side steps to crawl in the truck all by myself - and when I think we are going somewhere (like when Master Tim starts the truck and leaves the door open), I do just that. Today, I learned to get out all by myself too. I was reluctant to get down, but when Master Tim got the food out and put it on the ground, I just had to! Sometimes Master Tim plays with me all morning, and I am so tired, that I sleep for several hours while he goes checking his traps. I always get to run and sniff around in the woods, and in the fields when we go trapping.

I'm so excited to tell you that I went on my very first big hunting trip! Master Tim and I drove a few hours to Western Minnesota - where we stayed with Lauren Dorweiler for a few days. Master Tim says I am too little to go hunting with him right now, so I sleep in the crate in our truck while he goes for a couple of hours. When Master Tim and his friends come back, they usually have birds that smell sooooo good! Mallards and pheasants! One day, they came back with a great big pile of them, and I crawled all over it, and tried to pick up and drag one of the ones with a big green head, but it was just too heavy for me. So instead, I like to pick up and run around with just about anything I can find - corn stalks, leaves, sticks... even garbage - like plastic bags and pieces of paper.

Potty training is going pretty good. I NEVER poop in the house, but I still forget and piddle a little bit sometimes. A few times, I have been in the middle of piddling just a little bit, and Master Tims says "NO!" and scoops me up to go outside to the spot where we always go "takinaleak" and 'takinadump." By then, I am usually done, but, it helps me a lot if we go out every half hour or so.

My biggest challenge right now is chewing. I want to chew on EVERYTHING! It doesn't matter if there are three of my toys nearby - I still want to grab a flower, granny's nightgown, or the clothing hanging off a chair. I tear around the house, like a retriever, so proud - sometimes tossing my head and making lots of noise. When I get so rambunctious, which usually happens in the morning - I get the feeling that Master Tim doesn't know what to do with me. So he tries to hold me on his lap. When he holds me tight, that's when I have a tantrum. I wiggle and squirm, and even bark and holler. Master Tim calls me "The Drama King." It's true, I am very vocal, and one way or another, I will let you know just how I am feeling!

Gordon Setters like me are pointers, and sometimes when I am sniffing, I "flash point." It's almost always with my right foot. Sometimes, I also just "stretch out" like in the photo below. Aren't I something?

Learning to socialize and be independent in Minnesota.

This is a selfie of me with my new friends, Emily (left) and Sara (right). Tim took me to meet some new people. He says it is an important step in my development - so that I can learn to be with other people and be polite and secure, and be independent of HIM. I guess he went shopping or something, and left me with them. They have a very cool property with some trails in the woods, and a frozen swamp. I chased Sara through the woods for a long, long time. I think that's the farthest I've ever run in my life! Sara has three other brothers who I met. Colton, Christian, and Hunter Timothy. They held me and played with me, and I licked them and nibbled on their ears. I have seen a few kids before, when I was in Oklahoma, but I have not spent this much time with them before. I have never gone to visit THEM, that's for sure. I think I love kids, and I hope we can go visit them again soon!

After we went home to the ice castle, I was so tired, I could barely stay awake. I was sitting on Tim's lap, and I actually tipped over several times!  But Tim kept bugging me so I wouldn't fall asleep. When he put me in my kennel/bed, I fell fast asleep, and I didn't even cry until 5:30 am! That's like 8 hours or something! Tim was so happy with me, he praised me up and down, and made a big deal out of it again. I guess we reached out goal of being more independent and getting more sleep. When I woke up at 5:30, Tim and I went outside to go potty, and then he took me in his bed with him for some snuggle time. That was a special treat. So warm and comfortable in his big, warm sleeping bag.

After Tim's shopping trip last night, I have some new toys: a red squeaky ball, a piece of rope with some knots and shredded ends, some chew toys, milk bone treats, and a new, smaller kennel that Tim keeps in the house. So, I have one bigger kennel bed in the ice castle, and one smaller kennel bed in the house. Both have a nice, fluffy pad inside. This morning, after a fun run around the property, I went in my new smaller kennel while Tim sat and worked on his computer. This took a couple of hours. Mostly, I just slept. But when I woke up, Tim took me outside, and I went pee and poop again.  He always takes me to the same spot, and when I get there, I sniff around, and it makes me feel like going some more. I'm getting pretty good at this, but I have had a couple of piddle accidents in Granny's kitchen. So far, I haven't gotten into any big trouble, but Tim is warning me that his grace won't last forever. Whatever that means?

Right now I am chasing Ben's dog Maverick around. His nickname is "Mavvy." Mavvy likes to chase me too. Tim is typing my blog quick, while I play, with the content that he and I have agreed on. Then he says, we are going for a long, long walk in the woods. He wants me to be all tired out again, so that I sleep all night. Colton and Christian might go with us, and help with Tims trapping, and me.

See you next Time!

SamE.

Oklahoma to Minnesota, and Life With My New Master

Here's the deal - for this to be believable, you have to use your imagination a little bit, ok? Even though I don't talk very much, I do know English, just like any dog in a Disney movie. I know you. You've watched them, and you've gotten into them. You've laughed and cried at them. So you must believe in them to some extent. Well then, do that with my blog! I think you're gonna love it. So will your kids and grandkids!

My new master, Tim, is always talking to me, explaining things, and taking pictures. I'm working on my typing skills, but as a puppy, they are just not there yet - so I have enlisted Tim to write my blog. I think he has as good a handle on the goings-on with my life, so lets just give him a chance and see how he does, ok

I am from J&S Kennels, near the outskirts of Ponca City, Oklahoma. I'm just over 8 weeks old! I'm a Gordon Setter. Do you know what that is? Well, it's kind of like an Irish Setter, or a Red Setter, except I am mostly black, with some tan around my eyes, muzzle, chest, and feet. My tan color is darker than the rest of my 7 litter mates - which makes me unique. I also have black stripes of fur that goes up my toes, that looks like a continuation of my toenails. My new Master thinks this is cool too!

Something terrible happened two nights ago that I want to tell you about. You see, I used to have two other masters - Mike and Patti, who for the most part, have always been kind to me. They gave me food and water every day. They made sure I got outside to play, and that I got to meet lots of people and experience new things - so that I get socialized and confident. Mike and Patti are the masters of my mom and dad. Well, things really changed the other night, and I still like Patti, but I am not so sure about Mike anymore. You see, he came out to the kennel, took me away from my brothers and sisters, and put me in a separate crate. Then he fed them, and I had to sit and watch. Eventually, he left, and I had to stay that way the entire night. What a bunch of crap! I mean, we have a routine around here. We eat three squares a day, and we cuddle at night. I know this - even if I can see my litter mates, I don't like being alone AT ALL! That's why I screamed and cried almost the whole night.

The next morning, a stranger walked in the door. Well, he's not a stranger anymore, but at that time, he was a stranger to me. It was Tim! He came to the kennel door, opened it up, and scooped me up into his arms. Finally, after all that crying - Tim had come to rescue me! He was really nice. He talked softly to me, so soothe me, cuz I was kind of worked up. And Tim is really nice with his hands. He gives me all kinds of attention. He pets me. Strokes me. Scratches and tickles my ears.

I saw him shake hands with Mike, and then we got in a Red crate of some kind - a crate that moves! Tim showed me around in the crate. He showed me the seats, the center console, the windows, the floor, and so on. Then we started to move, and the last thing I saw was Mike and Patti waving goodbye. Goodbye Patti! Good riddance, Mike!

I'm was feeling just a little unsettled, because everything I was experienced was brand new. There are lots of interesting smells in Tim's truck, and it's a little messy. I'm sure if you've ridden with Tim, you will agree. Mostly, I just cuddled with Tim, but eventually, when I got more comfortable, I started to explore the red crate - which Tim calls his truck.

Looking out the window, I saw other crates moving around too. I didn't see any puppies in them, but there were people. Something interesting was happening too. When I looked to the right, everything was getting farther away, but when I looked to the left, everything was getting closer. I saw trees and bushes, fields of grass, corn and soybean fields, and once in a while, I even noticed that Tim would crane his neck backwards to look up in the sky. When I looked where he was looking, I think I saw Mallards and Geese, and Tim looked pretty interested.

Tim says I am going to hunt, and we are going "up north" to Minnesota, where there are grouse, woodcock, pheasants, and ducks. I don't know what they are, but I can't wait to find out!

Meanwhile, I was feeling a little tired - because I didn't sleep so well the night before. I started trying to find places to sleep. The passenger seat across from Tim was too far away, and I was feeling a little insecure about that. The center console was a little too hard for me, but it was really warm, so I tried sleeping on it in just about every position I could. Thing is, it's just not quite big enough. No matter what I tried, something was always flopping off - my head, my leg, or even half of me. I noticed that Tim kept putting his arm over by me, so that I wouldn't fall off. That helped.

Mostly, I slept on Tims lap. I tried that in every position too. I tried half on Tim, and half on the center console. I tried hanging my legs over one of his legs, and over both legs. I tried right side up, and upside down. One time, I even went up on his shoulders and pinned myself between Tims head and the seat. That didn't last very long. My favorite and longest sleep was when I sacked out in the crook of Tims left arm, and sort of lay on my right side. That lasted a looooooong time! While I was there, I dreamed of playing with my brothers and sisters. When I woke up, Tim told me that my nose was twitching, and my legs were running!

Then Tim told me we needed gas. Whatever, but the great thing is, I had to pee sooooo bad - now I know that getting gas is a good thing! As soon as he put me down on the pavement, I peed a big old puddle - so big that before I was done, it had spread out on the pavement, and I was standing in it with all four feet. No big deal, said Tim. He petted me, and told me he was proud of me for not doing that in the truck. And he cleaned me up with some water and a piece of clothing. We did this routine several times yesterday, while we were driving to Minnesota. Each time we stopped, I wanted to go sniff around in the grass, but Tim wouldn't let me. He explained that all my immunizations were not done yet, and I was highly susceptible to a virus called "Parvo", which is from other dogs who pee at rest stops and convenience stores. Well, that makes sense, and I sure don't want to get sick!  I'm so glad Tim explains everything to me. I'm looking forward to playing in the grass more in about six weeks or so.

Overall, I'd say it was a great adventure. My only complaint was when we had to stop suddenly, and I rolled off the center console and fell on the floor. What a rude awakening! I heard Tim mumbling about someone driving one of the other moving crates. He helped me get back up on his lap, where it is warm and safe. The last time we stopped to pee and buy gas, it was getting dark. After that, I slept on Tims lap all the way to Minnesota.

Then something really strange happened. When we got out of the truck, it was really cold. I could totally see my breath! This would never happen in Oklahoma. But I felt energized and spunky, so I ran around for awhile while Tim watched me. Then, I went inside a house for the very first time. That's when I met a little old lady named "Granny." Granny held me while Tim went back outside to do some things. When he came back in, I got to eat some food and drink some water. Then Tim held me while he and Granny talked back and forth. Since I had just slept for so long, I wanted to get down and explore, but Tim wouldn't let me, so I wiggled and grumbled as much as I could. Eventually, he took me back outside, where I could run and sniff. I liked picking up leaves and sticks, and running with them.

The most confusing thing to me is night time. And unfortunately, last night was more of the same. Tim took me to something that he calls his new "ice castle." After he showed me around, he put me in another one of those crates that doesn't move, and then Tim lay down on a bed nearby. My crate was comfortable and everything. I had a soft bed too. But I just didn't like being alone. So I started protesting. At first, I just barked. I could see Tim laying right there looking at me. He talked soothingly to me, but he would not come and rescue me like he did this morning. That puzzled me. So then I turned on the waterworks. I screamed and cried. I wailed and moaned. I had a tantrum. I bounced off the walls of the crate so hard that my master said I was shaking the whole trailer! But still, he wouldn't rescue me. He kept talking softly, saying he was there, and that it would be ok. That I needed to learn to sleep alone, and be independent. Finally, I got so exhausted, that I lay down and went to sleep.

During the night, I kept waking up, only to find myself alone. Since I was still half asleep, I started protesting again. When it didn't work, I decided to try some different forms of manipulation. I put my head up in the air and did my most lonely, mournful howl, just like my ancestors. That Tim is one tough customer, cuz even that didn't work. He just lay there like a stone, but he did keep talking to me. It felt good to know he was there.

It was a long night. Tim told me I was a good boy. That I slept six hours, and was up three hours. He wants me to see if I can sleep more tonight, and protest less. Well, we'll see.

As soon as Tim let me out of the kennel, I squatted and took another long pee. Tim said he was proud of me for not peeing in my bed. Well, duh! Who would do that?

Tim must have had to pee too. I noticed him over behind some bushes, so I went over to investigate, and I got a little wet. Tim cleaned me off again though.

Then I got to go for a good long run. Tim took me around the perimeter of his yard. There are so many new things here in Minnesota! The ground is hard, and white, and crispy. It makes my feet cold, and I can't decide whether to stop and sit down, or run faster. I picked up lots of leaves and sticks. Whenever I did, Tim would run away clapping, and when I would chase him, he would scoop me up, take the stick, and make a big deal out of it. This is fun! I went up and down stairs for the first time. I got to investigate Granny's Garden, which is fenced in - but I found a way out really quickly. I even got to walk and run around on a frozen lake, and when Tim went up a grassy bank, I ran right up it behind him.

After that, I got to go back in the house and see Granny again. I snuggled with her while Tim got me a bowl of food, and a bowl of water. Then, I ate the most I've eaten in a long time. Maybe in forever! Afterwards, my belly was so full, I felt like I had to make some room. When I squatted to poop, Tim got excited and yelled NO! He scooped me up and ran faster than I've ever seen him go. Before I knew it, I was outside. The urge was still there, so I pooped right where he put me down. Then he made a great big deal out of me again. I wonder what's up with that.

Today has been a great day. I've been able to eat, explore, and have lots of fun. There are so many interesting things to see, do, and smell. And I don't miss being in that truck.

Right now, I'm feeling kind of tired again. I was just running along, and then I ran out of gas, and plopped right down on the rug. Tim seemed to notice.  He says he has some paper work to do, and that I'm going back in the kennel for some sleepy time. Well, I have just enough energy to protest for awhile - but if he doesn't rescue me, I'm definitely taking a nap!

Sorry this has been so long, but dude, there's a lot to tell you.

Catch you later,

Sam E.