Vets & Mail Carriers

Porter met two new kids and 2 new adult women today and did his usually routine of falling into a deep sleep shortly after they arrive. I'd think it was a defense mechanism but he is sleeping a lot all day long. He's not lethargic and he promptly perks up for food and short bouts of fun, so he must either be catching up still from his first day here or his body is hard at work growing and processing all these new things.

One of his favorite activities in the backyard now is to eat wood chips and spiderwebs. He's constantly foraging which means that the majority of his potty trips are now on leash. He's also quite fond of curling up right next to the outside water dish and napping but not before dunking his whole muzzle in the water, blowing bubbles and dribbling his entire mouth contents all over the place.

It might be a fluke, but if I pause he sits before I open the crate. It's also the angle of his head since he looks up at me. I don't think he's 100% connected it yet, but it's a start.

After meeting his new friends we loaded up in the car and drove to the vet for a quick visit. His appointment and shots are not until next week but I wanted him to visit and get loves and cookies before anything unpleasant takes place there. I didn't let him down on the floor since I'm more worried about germs on the vet's office floor than I am about germs at a park. But then that all went out the window when the office manager asked me if I wanted to go into an exam room. I placed him on the table and fed him liver treats as the Office Manager massaged his ears and touched his paws. I didn't stay long since I didn't have many treats but I also wanted to keep it short and sweet. He also saw the office cat.

He was much better on this ride than the one bringing him home. He fussed very slightly and despite just having had a huge nap he even relaxed in a down and was quiet for a good portion of the trip.

We were in luck when we got home because the mail carrier was making his rounds. He was nice enough to stop for a minute when I asked if he could meet Porter. More liver treats flowed as he was pet.

And once again, he is napping in his crate. He prefers the wood floors right next to the couch and my laptop (or next to the outside water dish) but I convinced him to stay in the crate. He also does the cutest thing on hard floor surfaces; when he lies down he just slowly slides his back end out until he's all the way down.

So far his people socialization count is:
Men: 3
Women: 6
People in uniform: 3 (mail carrier and 2 vet techs)
School aged children: 5
Preschool children: 2
Toddlers: 1