Bella

Bella.  Bella Lou.  Bella Cita.  And sometimes Bellatrix.  What would we do with out you?!  This little pup has worked her way into our family too perfectly.  She is feisty and lovey and smart and fun.  The boys had her outside all day Saturday playing in the snow and running and chasing snowballs until she stood by the door begging me to let her in so she could sleep.

She really is smart.  I have worked commands with her and she gets them so easily.  She can sit, wait, down, come, paw and is currently attempting to roll over.  She is fully trained to ring a bell to go outside.  I over and over, took her paw, said paw, rang her paw on the bell, gave her a treat and put her outside.  Then she caught on and rang it herself!  We were so impressed.  Then one night she rang the bell and sat waiting for a treat with zero intention of ever going outside!  OH NO!  So I had to change it up and give her the treat after she had gone potty!  Told you she was smart.

The worst part about her is the play biting.  She chases after the kids (usually Emmitt who runs away from her screaming and clambering up on a piece of furniture).  Well she thinks it a game and he is her ultimate prize and goes tearing after him. She can officially get on the furniture now, which causes more screaming by Emmitt and more biting from Bella.  She is better, but once she is broke of that habit I think it'll be even better.  She does other naughty puppy things like dig holes in the sandbox and comes in super dirty. But she is getting used to her baths and let's me blow dry her! After the big snow came, she forgot that the deck is not a place to poop or pee.  We MUST stop her from that! Ick! 
She jumped over her playgate about 2 weeks ago and officially lost that freedom.  She is crated during the day while we are gone.  I come home at lunch to let her out and feed and play with her.  She can't really help but go nutty at night when we are home.  On the weekends when we are home all day, she is much better.  She sleeps in her crate at night too.  After that first week home, she has been holding it all night and gets up with me in the morning to go out.  She really is a good puppy.  The boys have done really well with her.  Some days I wonder if they really knew what getting a puppy was all about and other days, it's amazing to watch them with her.  They whine about picking up the poop and when she attacks them, but some of her puppy ways are so short lived that they have made a life long friend in her...