A one year old dog

Today is Tasha's birthday. Her full name, as you may know, is Natasha of the Wolves of Isengard. We made it through the first year, puppyhood, pretty much unscathed. I think she's just about hit her adult size. And even though she still has more to learn, she's come a long way. House training went relatively quickly (although it never seems so while you're doing it). She accepts her harness and leash with no fuss. She's behaving very well off-leash. She gets along well with Bert the cat. She's waiting longer and longer each morning before wanting to go outside. And she loves riding in the car.

Happy birthday Tasha!

I made a grooming appointment for her this coming Tuesday. With all the muddy weather we've had since the first of the year, she really needs a good bath. And she needs to get brushed out well. One problem we have is something that the breeder warned us about: the fur behind a Shetland's ears mats very easily. And lo, Tasha has a big knot of fur behind each of her ears. I will need to be especially vigilant and brush behind her ears every day from Tuesday forward to help keep the fur from matting again.