First Day of Puppy Kindergarten

Last night Nelson and I had our first class of puppy kindergarten...as you can see from the picture I took yesterday afternoon, it couldn't have come at a better time :)

Class was great. There was only one other dog in the class, a small dog owned by an adorable little girl and her parents, and it was wonderful. I enjoyed the fact that the class was so small so we really got one-on-one attention. Nelson was able to show off some of the skills he's learned so far, and the other family was quite impressed with his demeanor at such a young age compared to their 15 week old. Nelson was able to play with the other dog, I was able to ask lots of questions, namely how to stop him from scratching my arms into oblivion, and when it was all said and done, I feel I learned a lot in the class, and so did Nelson. As Debra said, it really was a great bonding experience for Nelson and I, and it really reaffirmed that what I had been doing was correct, namely taking him to parks to meet other people/dogs, taking him with me places to absorb different sounds and not be frightened, and having him meet children. 

He slept great last night, probably all pooped from the class! While he is still waking up at 430, I am beginning to be able to get him to go back to sleep for about 45 more minutes, IF I give him a nice walk at 430. 

Our next class is in 2 weeks, so until then we will continue to practice practice practice. After puppy kindergarten we will move on to a 5 week obedience class beginning at the start of February. We've got quite a semester ahead of us!

With love, Nelson & Ellen

Good Boy Nelson, Good Boy!

What a night. A couple firsts happened last night. The first one is that I watched Nelson go in to his crate on his own without being told to go in it (which at this point he has only done to grab his favorite toys) and he actually laid down and started to sleep! Thats never happened before! It really started our night off great. Following this was a night of him sleeping in his crate, uninterrupted from 1015-545! The longest he has ever gone without waking up by far. Amazing night, lets hope he keeps it up. If nothing more, this shows me that he is learning and that he is maturing, and it's a great feeling.

There is some other exciting news around the bend, but I am going to keep that to myself until it is final. Some of you may already know but keep it under lock and key :)

Happy 9 week birthday!

As I write this Nelson is currently in his favorite spot--lying on the cool tile next to the front door with his favorite thing next to him- his fan. Last night was a bit harder sleep wise because he woke up twice, and decided at 545 he was up for the day! All of this is normal, but I cannot wait for the day (night) he decides to sleep through the night! Hopefully before August 14th, when classes start! 

Today Nelson and I go to my internship. He loves being there, and is becoming quite a traveler, and enjoys sleeping in his crate while I drive. 

Some exciting news is on Wednesday Nelson and I start Puppy Kindergarten! Its a 3 week course, every Wednesday, and is basically just a "head start" to obedience. I'll keep you all updated on how it goes.

Welcome to Big Boy Nelson's Blog!

Hi! Welcome to Nelson's blog. 

 

Nelson was born on May 26th, 2008, in Myrtle, Missouri from a fantastic breeder named Harlan (http://www.bernese-mountain-dog-pups.net/) My dad and I started our day at 5am and didn't return home until almost 930pm on July 4th. It was a great day, filled with father/daughter bonding, 50's music, talks of Boy George, and ended with a fantastic addition to the Wegner family, Big Boy Nelson.

Nelson was born to a father named Cosmo and a mother named Grace. Right when we went to Harlan's land to see Nelson Harlan said to me "You'll know exactly which one he is". And boy was he right! All of a sudden this puppy that is 1/3rd bigger than all of his litter mates comes running up to the fence, and immediately begins to chew on the metal fence. Right then and there I knew I was going to have my hands full, in a great way.

Since that day things have been great. I am getting used to waking up at 530, and Nelson is getting used to sleeping in his crate next to my bed. My goal is to have him sleeping all through the night by the time school starts again August 14th. We are getting very close.

Well, I hope you all enjoy this site and I will continue to publish stories about our days, pictures of the Big Boy, and keep everyone up to date on his progress!!