Mornings are always good.

I was never a morning person until we got this farm.  Now I love mornings. 

After Mr. Wobbly Jake got bedded down last night, we all went to bed.  I woke up at 3:30 this morning, to realize that Jake had managed to get all the way to my bedroom, and up on the bed.  Barely up.  You could see he just made it before he collapsed again.  I must have been really tired, not  feeling him get there.  But Murphy, who usually takes prime spot on the bed, was on the floor, and had allowed Jake preference.  He's a good buddy.  (And they're both lucky Chris is out of town, else they wouldn't fit!  We need a bigger bed.)

Jake is over the anaesthesia wobble, although obviously sore from the surgery.  Too sore to dodge Reilly, but I'm keeping Sir Reilly from pestering him.  He ate a good breakfast, and took his pain meds, so should be doing a bit better soon.  And Jake held it all night.  That's one tough bladder.

Reilly is full of himself this morning.  We went out and I swept the back walk and steps.  He was finding bits of things there to eat, so it's all gone now.  Sydney and I cleaned and swept the carport yesterday.  We still have the front porch to do, but I had to evict two wasp nests in bad places.  But all the blown leaves, and occasional rocks and roof debris still appearing after the house got re-roofed is now gone from the more accessible puppy areas.

I'm still viewing this as a week of settling in for Reilly.  Next week, after guests leave, we'll start learning some puppy manners.  And we'll start going to the park each morning for a short bit.  Chris will return this weekend, and he goes up there to run the paths most mornings.  We'll go too, but walk the short path, or a bit of it.  He's too young to do any heavy walking, for sure.  This is mostly to get him used to going places, seeing other things and other dogs.  Once he's got the potty training under his belt reasonably well, I'll start taking him to dog friendly places like Tractor Supply.  But, first things first.

6:00 pm:
Only one pee-on-paper in the house today, when we were gone for a couple hours.  Still working on the poop thing.  He wants to sneak into a carpeted area for that.  Normal for a lot of pups; it's the underfoot texture change.  I realized just a bit ago that it's my fault, because I've cleaned up after him toooo quickly.  I left nothing for scent.  So I'll be collecting his next couple deposits and leaving them outside in the area I want him to use.  That'll help.  I don't know why I forgot that.  Oh well, it won't slow us down long.  Mastiffs house train faster than any breed we've ever had. 

He's a more vocal pup than Murphy or Jake were.  He yipped on awakening several times today, and was ready to go out immediately.  I'm not sure yet if he knows what he's doing, or if it's coincidental, but it happened several times today.  Good way to learn cause-and-effect, but I'd like to transfer it from yip to bell ringing.  He also yips when excited.  If he's sitting otuside watching something, then decides he wants petting, he does this funny twist of a jump and yip to start off running toward me for loving on.  So cute!

Reilly has learned that when I sit in a chair, he can get in my lap and lick my face all he wants.  So when I sit outside to watch him, he comes running to ask to get up.  He'll spend five minutes getting loved on and washing my face, then be ready to go exploring.  The face washing will get old when his tongue is as big as my face, but we'll work that out later.

It's been an overall good day for Reilly, and me.