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?
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