Sometimes I forget, but then I remember...

Raising Zoltan is a journey, it's long and it is complicated and sometimes along the way there are things that I forget. They are all silly little things, but they are things I forget none the less.

I think the biggest thing that I sometimes forget is that Zoltan is still just a puppy, a bouncy, fun, energetic, 4 (almost 5) month old puppy. He is usually so well behaved, listens to his commands the first time he is asked and generally just a mellow boy that when he is acting like a puppy I tend to get frustrated. When he stares at me like he doesn't know what "sit" means or when he's zooming around the house with a piece of paper that he stole from the recycling bin I forget that he is still a puppy. I forget that he is not perfect and that he is still in the process of learning.

It is my job to shape him into an amazing dog, to teach him that running through the house with stolen paper is not appropriate and that yes when I ask you to "sit" I really mean that you need to do it right now not in 5 minutes, not after you grab a toy and get to the other side of the room, right now! 

As I sit here and type this entry, Zoltan is laying next to the ottoman of the chair I'm sitting in, sleeping so peacefully that I can't help but remember why I wanted to do this. Sure he is just a puppy right now and sure I'm just paving the way for his future but that's just it, I am paving the way with my love and patience by teaching him the things that will make him a great service dog one day (hopefully!).  I hope that one day Zoltan will go on to help somebody lead a much better life and that they will be able to do things that were one a challenge for them all because I had patience and taught Zoltan how to be a polite, respectful and good young dog right from the very start!

So sometimes I forget, and sometimes I get frustrated but then I remember. I remember that he is just a puppy and I remember that it is my job to keep calm and just laugh because after all he is just a silly puppy!