An Otto update

There were enough comments in the last post about how big Otto has gotten that I decided to start my day with a dog discussion. I've always been a dog guy, and at my age I've owned quite a few.

I've owned multiple breeds, and only one that was questionable as to his pure blood. That was the old pitbull who passed on earlier this year. My oldest son adopted him off the street, then abandoned him with Mom & Dad. He was my buddy for the next 13 years.

I've owned a lot of “bully” breeds, from the pitbull to several bull terriers. Otto is my first actual bulldog, and I have a hunch he isn't my last. I think they do better at home for a few hours when they have a friend. My wife would like to get a female bulldog the next time Otto's breeder produces a litter. I think this is a wonderful idea myself.

Dogs seem to grow for about a year. I'm talking about their framework here. They spend the next two years bulking up and maturing. At least that's my observation with bully breeds. My English setter didn't do much bulking up.

Otto was born, whelped if you like doggy terms, on April first. April Fools Day is kind of fitting for him, now that I think about it. We never got to meet him until Memorial Day Weekend. He looked like this:

That makes him about six months old right now. He will get larger until about April of 2017. Here is the image I took last night. (Again, so you don't have to click back.)

The breed standard is for dogs (males in doggy terms) to weigh about fifty pounds. I think he's going to exceed the breed standard, because he already weighs that much. Imagine him bulking up for two and a half more years.

I believe in feeding quality food, puppy variety the first year, and adult kibble after that. I also believe in letting a puppy eat as much as he wants. The only exception to that was my basset hound. She would eat until she exploded. After their first birthday, I measure what they get.

I have a trick with the short haired breeds. You should be able to tell they have ribs, but not be able to actually see them. This is the right weight for that animal. Otto could be a little chubby right now, but he's a growing boy and I'll address that after his birthday.

He seems to acquire toys at the same rate as the old pitbull did, but he doesn't destroy them at the same rate. This means he's amassed quite a collection. Apparently he needs them all, and I see them all getting played with.

His favorite one is pumpkin ball. When it showed up, it had a flashing light that came on when it moved, and it squeaked when he bit it. Time and usage have killed the light, and it has a hole now so the squeaker is dependent on how it fits in his mouth.

We've looked for a replacement, but there are no more around. It's a seasonal product, no doubt.

Dogs are important to me. Bad day at work, the dog still loves you. Wife's at def con two, dog still loves you. I really appreciate that, and that's why I'm a dog guy. Here's an example:

Otto has a strange habit of always bringing something when we get home. Lately this is pumpkin ball, but it has been any of his other toys, or possibly something from the laundry room. It's like he wants to share or something. When I came home from Coeur d'Alene, my wife let him into the garage to see me. He was embarrassed because he didn't have anything to share with me. He found an old leaf, and brought me that. He cares enough to want me to have something, even if it's an old leaf.

Now, even though this is more of a goofing off weekend, I still want to get some things done. I think I'll start with my markups from critique group… after another round of pumpkin ball.