Our Tux

I love our Tux.
He's starting to fill out...he's gained about fifteen pounds since we got him. Also, he's mellowed out (for the most part). He still has a touch of separation anxiety: when we get home in the afternoon, his exuberance borders on hysteria. But the rest of the time, he's pretty laid-back and reasonably obedient.
The training progresses. He definitely knows "sit" and "stay". He understands "down" but still is pretty leisurely about obeying that command--unless he knows you'll throw his toy when he obeys: then he goes down like a shot. Likewise, he knows the word "come", but you have to say it very firmly for him to get that you mean he's got to come, and he's got to come now. Once that's gotten through his bear-shaped head, he'll come with alacrity.
On a leash, he's pretty good, all things considered...leaps and bounds better (or rather, no leaps and bounds better) than he was when he arrived. He heels fairly well and will automatically sit when you stop. Distractions are presenting a bit of a challenge for him, though. For instance, if Daddy's walking him and Mommy is ten feet ahead, well, that situation is intolerable for Tux.
But...
I've gotten him to heel without a leash on two occasions--both, I hasten to admit, on our property. He trots into his room without protest each morning and evening. And wow, does he ever love car rides. So much so, I'm almost afraid to type the words "car ride"...God knows, whispering them will cause him to perk his ears up--"did you say 'car ride'? You did! Yay!'--and then thunder down the stairs to wait at the door.
And he loves us, that's undeniable. I'll always be a cat person, but it's hard not to read the love in a dog's eyes without melting.
An article in last week's travel section about a place called Happy Tails Resort (www.happytails.on.ca) caught my attention. It's outside Huntsville, and sounds like heaven on earth for dogs and cats. What's more, the prices are quite reasonable--I wouldn't trust anybody charging any less to take good care of our pet. A few years hence, when we go abroad, we'll make a point of dropping Tux off for his own holiday.
Gotta go play fetch now...