So, Pete turned 6 months on Sunday, December 6.  He has been with us for four months.  It’s hard to imagine life without him, already.  He is growing and developing before our very eyes.  I found this photo of Pete, at four weeks, while he was still at Waltzing Mathilda Labradoodles.  The toy he is snuggled against came home with him. We call it Mr. Squeaky.

At six months, he still plays with it every day ( a favorite among his dozen or so toys). He knows it by name and will fetch it from another room when asked. As you can see, Pete now towers over Mr. Squeaky. Also notice that Mr Squeaky still has both his ears, his horns, his eyes AND his mane. Pete is blessed with a “soft mouth,” a characteristic common in both poodles and labrador retrievers that is highly valued by hunters.  While Pete does shake Mr. Squeaky, he manages to still hold him gently.  I like that in a dog!

Pete is more fun every day and continues to build his vocabulary. When I am talking to him and he cocks his head, I imagine all the words going into a computer database for later sorting and associating. It’s fun to watch the learning in real time!