Puppy love

Jake is four and a half years old now, and we have been observing some changes in his behaviors and finding some new habbits.

Observation 1:
The dogs loves to lie right next to the kitchen door so that they can hear whatever is going on in the kitchen. Whenever I walk into the kitchen, I can hear the dog door in the garage flips open, flap, flap, flap 3 times, and after a few seconds Jake shows up in the patio looking into the kitchen window. He gives me the most inquisitive look for a moment, then he goes away, and the dog door flap, flap, flap 3 time. If I open the kitchen door, I can find him waiting for me right there at the door. Sometimes I am busy working in the kitchen and I ignore him, he would run back and forth from the garage to the patio four or five times, until I open the door to pet them or give them some treats. Of course there are times I don't open the kitchen door at all, and eventually he stops running back and forth. I usually feel guilty when I ignore the pup this way.

The milk bones are given away way too fast since Jake starts this routine. I wonder if Jake tells Amy: "I do all the leg work and you reap the benefits." I don't think dogs think this way, and that's why they can stay happy.

Observation 2:
Jake is a perfect retriever and he really likes to retrieve his orange ball. If I'm watering the lawn, he would put the ball right on the lawn in front of me and wait there until I throw it. If I am doing laundry, he would drop the ball in the laundry basket. One time when I was collecting cloths from the dryer, I found one of his many balls in there.  If I am sitting at my desk, he would put the slobbery orange ball on my lap, and when it rolled off of me and fell on the floor, he would pick it up and put it back on my lap. He could do this until the cows come home, or I give in and throw the ball for him. If he can't find a ball or a toy, he would just randomly bring us shoes or socks he found around the house. When I'm scratching Amy on her belly, he would put the ball on Amy.

Observation 3:
Usually we don't let the dogs in the bedroom at night for multiple reasons. First it is too hot for these fury dogs and secondly Jake can't stay off the bed, and he would be moving around the bed every so often to reposition himself. He really takes up a third of the bed. Sometimes I would wake up to feel the warm tongue of the dog or a wet toy in my face.

On the eve of this Fourth Of July, people were playing fireworks at their homes. Amy got scared and she was pushing the garage door to escape. Jack woke up to let the dogs in the bedroom. Amy hides her head under the bed to find shelter and comfort while Jake surprisingly obeys his order to stay off the bed. Though he was panting and moving around throughout the night. He walks around the bed and nudges us. If we have an arm out at the edge of the bed, he comes over and puts his nose right there for us to scratch him.