Hi Niki: Can you believe our little Duke is a year old today? Gosh, what were you doing this year last time, eh? LOL. It is awfully cold here so we couldn't take him out on any long excursions but he's had his usual walks and our full attention for the day and some 'gourmet' dog food (filet mignon flavor) for which he licked his platter clean. So, let me tell you about 1 year old Duke. What a little personality he has turned out to be. Some of it because of the odd things we had to do with him when he was sick and some of it just pure "dukeness". Here's the list: -if he sees you heading for the shower, he'll race to get in the bathroom with you -- still loves the "steam" and occassionally, just because it seems to make him so happy, we coupage him for old time's sake. -if he hears one of us picking up our keys he'll race you to the door. If you are going out, he hopes very much that you are planning to take him with you. No matter if he just came in from being out the whole of the day, he never tires of the outdoors and LOVES his walks. -if he sees a ball (no matter how big or how small) he is ready to play. Indoors with his own mini-tennis-ball he flys back and forth the whole length of the condo until he wears us out and we call for a break. Outdoors, he'll chase footballs, basketballs, baseballs., tennis balls, you name it, if he sees a ball in motion he tries hard to get in the game. I bet you he'd chase a bowling ball down a lane if he he saw it. We think he'd be good at flyball - he likes to sleep in his own little bed with his fleece blanket arranged "just so"(at the foot of ours). Often our duvet will slide over the end and all but cover him completely. He doesn't mind this in the least and, in fact, seems to position himself to make sure he gets covered up. -once he gets up in the morning (anytime between 6 and 7a.m.) he comes around to my side of the bed and paws to be picked up. He likes to snuggle in and sleep with us until we are ready to rise. Often this will be snuggled up against one of us, but sometimes he just lies on his back smack in the middle of the two of us and sleeps so soundly we have to wake him up. -Duke remains very social and loves to greet people. He seems to be particularly sensitive to people with special needs. He will approach a wheelchair, a homeless person begging change on the street, an elderly person etc. Once when we met a blind man in the park he seemed to intuitively know he should sit still for this man to pet him. Everyone adores him. Of course if he hears someone say, "oh, he's so cute" he stops immediately and gives them his full attention. -he likes kids too and is very gentle with them -Duke loves all dogs but big ones in particular. He has no fear which is sometimes a worry but generally it works out okay since he's very good at rolling on his back in utter submission if he feels it is necessary for the relationship. There are a number of young pups in the neighbourhood (most bigger than Duke) and he has no problem hopping up on their heads and snapping their snouts shut with his little mouth if they get too nippy. That is really priceless to watch. -he is still a snuggler. When he's tired or not feeling well or especially if he thinks you are not feeling well he'll come and snuggle in -- the other night he was lying on my lap and then he suddenly got up and moved up and snuggled into my chest putting his head on my shoulder -he will obey "sit", "watch me", "come", commands and we are working on "stay" too. He knows "no" and "uh,huh" and of course lives for the "good boy's". -he gets the zoomies every now and again and boy does he fly. If there's an obstacle in his way he just leaps over it. He's a good little jumper. -his favorite toys are his little squeaky duck, his nylabone and as already mentioned, his balls. Jerry got him one that "lights up" and although he can't actually retrieve that one (too big for his mouth) he LOVES to chase it around the house until the light goes off. Of course he has about a dozen more toys and he plays with them all at one time or another. -the pants you made for him are in his small crate. He takes great pleasure in dragging these out and tossing them into the middle of the living room floor -- we have no idea why as he enjoys sleeping on them in his crate -he is beautifully litter trained and/or will go outside whatever is available when he needs it -when he hears the phone ring he comes running and listens to see if it's a voice he knows (mostly my husband's or my parent's or mine). If he recognizes the tone he'll try to get closer to the receiver and often I'll put it on speaker phone for him and then he cocks his head this way and that trying to figure out how the voice got in there. -he doesn't bark much but he always barks at the icemaker when it is on, when the apt. buzzer goes, or when he hears/sees a dog on TV. He really can get quite worked up about dogs on TV to the point that we have to change the channel to settle him down. It's so funny because he has NEVER barked at a real dog. -he loves going to the vet's office as long as we stay in reception. He HATES going into the examining room and seeing the vet's assistant and/or the vet. He will bury his head in my neck or under my arm in the hopes that if he can't see them, they can't see him. But in the end, he lets them do whatever they want without so much as a murmur and then when they are done he literally leaps back into my arms and buries his head again. But, as soon as we are out in reception he's everyone's best bud (even the vet) giving kisses all 'round. He's very quick to forgive - he loves to chase a mop or broom so cleaning the floor with him in the house is quite a feat -- at first you get annoyed but in the end it is so cute you are bowled over laughing -he's pretty particular about "his" things. The other day I washed his fleece blanket (from his bed) and he saw me putting it in the washer. He heard me open the washer later and was there in a flash looking for his blankie. Well, seems like I've hardly begun to describe our little guy -- we just love him to bits and are so thankful to have him. No wonder he celebrates his birthday at Thanksgiving time. Hope you and Fred and Daisy and the gang are all doing well. Thanks again, joan k.