Calm

Dog Blog Post #154: This weekend was our the last trip to the indoor sports place - at least until the next round of Lacrosse starts up in a few weeks. Henry has been going there 3 times a week since the day after we brought him home (at 8 weeks old) and from the start he has been totally oblivious to the noise and commotion that goes on there.

(His temperament test wasn't kidding when it gave him the lowest ranking on noise sensitivity!)

For whatever reason, it turned out to be a total zoo in there. I'm guessing the girls soccer game on the middle field was running long, as not only were there tons of screaming kids and parents there, but there was a whole other set of screaming girls and parents milling about smartly in the open space between the fields.

Meanwhile, our attention was on the Lacrosse game that was going into overtime (with yet more kids and screaming parents) with, of course, a whole other set of kids and parents (ourselves included) waiting for our game to start.

The result of all this was pretty much total chaos.

Kids were running around everywhere, balls were ricocheting everywhere, adults where standing around everywhere, and through it all, my little Sit-n-Stare just sat and stared.

At me.

It was an amazing display of Focus and concentration. (Yes, it was blatant "Romancing the Cookie", but I don't care. It was still amazing.)

Henry met gobs of people. Adults (young and old), kids (big and small) and one toddler  

(Note to parents: don't be stupid and let your toddler play with a puppy! Yes, Henry was a perfect gentleman. Even cleaned the baby's hands for her :) but it's still a stupid thing for a parent to allow. And yes, the parent was right there and was clueless, despite my best efforts to tell her it was a bad idea.)

I have to wonder about some of those kids, though. I had things like:

Me: Please don't pull puppy's tail, he doesn't like that.
Tail Puller (still pulling): When I pull my doggies tail she bites me.
Me: You wouldn't like it if you had a tail and someone pulled it, would you?
Tail Puller (still pulling): Nooooo. (tug tug tug)

Arg! (I took Henry elsewhere at that point!)

Me: I don't think puppy wants a cone placed on his head.
Cone Carrier: staring at me blankly, continuing to try to put heavy orange one on Henry's head.
Henry: Lowering head but otherwise ignoring Cone Carrier

Arg! (Henry and I moved on yet again)

That said, most kids were very gentle, and Henry was a doll. Having been to the day-spa the day before, he was a plush as a new toy, super sweet, and oh-so-very calm.

Really calm.

Calm when his ears were ruffled, calm when he was hugged, calm when 5 kids surrounded him all petting at once.

I hope he enjoyed it. He seemed to. He doesn't get all spun up like my other puppies did, at least not with kids.

He seems to like adults better, but that could just be a height thing. Kids are at his level so he can just sit there and soak it up. With adults, he stands and stares up at them, and will give them kisses if they bend down within range.

Will this extremely good behavior last? I have no idea. I sure hope so, but as I've never had a puppy this calm before, I have no idea!

That night, totally exhausted, he crashed on the sofa on his new soft blankie.

Awwww....