Big Bear Trip

I was hoping that Porter would have his first romp in the snow this last weekend, but the weather was not cooperating. He did get to play in some slush and ice though.

The new car crate worked out well. He has a lot more room, but or cargo space is suffering. The towel on top so I can have the crate as far to the left as possible but not scratch up the door frame when I close it. If this crate were an inch longer it wouldn't have fit front to back.

Indi had her usual spot and was actually settling in and looking comfortable...until we hit the winding mountain roads.

Both dogs were great at the cabin. It was mostly carpeted (and no doggie door of course) so I wasn't sure if Porter's house training would have a hiccup. I took him out frequently at first just in case, but after a day didn't need to stress about it.

Indi loved having an infant in the house again and Baby Devon was equally thrilled with Indi. I don't know who was more pleased when Devon would toss bits of her toast at Indi but both thought the arrangement was perfect.

Porter was not as obsessed with the infant or toddler as I thought he would be and I am thankful for that since it would have made for a very long weekend trying to keep him tied up and away from the kids. Unfortunately, because of his size I think, anytime Porter sniffed or even walked by the toddler, Jason would have a melt down.

I kept the doors to the bedrooms closed as much as I could and the kids kept their toys in their rooms. But even when a door was left open or socks and shoes were in the hallway, Porter didn't rush to grab at things that were not his.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the cabin has a fully fenced backyard. I was fully expecting to have to keep both dogs on leash for all potty breaks, so it was great to let them sniff and explore and chase balls and pine cones off leash. This really helped to tire Porter out.

One afternoon we walked a block to the lake with the kids and Porter. I thought there would be snow everywhere and a walk would be out of the question so I didn't bring his harness. With all the amazing mountain smells and the slush and ice along the side of the road, Porter was bound and determined to get here and there and nowhere as fast as he could. He was obsessed with the ice and I had to be careful to make sure I was standing on very dry land or he would cause me to slide and slip on the ice and mud.


At one point Porter was pulling like a sled dog and I stood my ground holding him back with all my strength. He suddenly stopped pulling and sat straight up. He has the odd sit where he's almost leaning back with his head and neck. I look to see why he was so still but also alert and I see that several ducks had come out of the lake and on to the land. He was doing a great job keeping an eye on them but not rushing over and scaring them away. Although I'm sure if he was off leash that's what he would have done. Normally he's not that interested in birds...maybe his instincts are starting to kick in.