Hey guys. I know this letter is long overdue so my apologies. Tanner is doing great. He is very healthy and a joyful addition to our tiny family. Walter especially has bonded with him.
He doesn't bark. Well, not in the classic sense. Never when someone knocks on the door and never at other dogs. Very well-mannered indeed. He does however bark when it seems as though he is trying to tell us something. A playful, frustrated bark that is so adorable. We don't reward it and we try not to laugh.
He has no problems sleeping through the night and shares our bedroom in his sherpa-bag. I think he appreciates his own space when he's tired. Unlike the cat who would gladly sit in Walter's lap all day and all night.
Speaking of the cat, they are getting along just fine. Not friends. Not Enemies. Frienemies. LOL! The cat now sits on the back of Walter's chair draped on his neck like a furry turtleneck. Tanner at is knees stretched out in the recliner. Funny!!
Occasionally (2+ times a week) Tanner will come to work for a few hours. The salon customers love him. He's a hit! A home run with some and so much so that now every day they come in and peek weirdly over our counter and ask, Is he here? Where's Tanner? It makes me laugh. I'm not sure if they are here for a tan or for Tanner!
He's smart. Did I tell you how smart this little guy is? Not just good looking but quick-minded and has picked up so many tricks. We take him to training classes on Tuesday nights and we like to sit at the front of the class. Tanner is the teacher's pet. Joan always borrows him to demonstrate to the class how the next lesson is done. He's such a show off! The truth is we are pretty lazy at training and we're not sure why he knows everything!!! Seriously. Why does he know how to sit? I showed him one time. And he retrieves a ball. I had a golden retriever that didn't retrieve as consistently as Tanner.
We're in the process of a kitchen renovation. Bad timing for sure but nevertheless the interesting outcome is how Tanner is handling it all. An endless parade of strangers and noises and power-tools yet he is completely unfazed. I would not call him fearless however. He did have that run-in with a dandelion the other day. He did not want to leave the front door for a walk. I guess a new dandelion had sprouted up that morning on the front patio and he had never seen one before. He wouldn't go past it until Walter plucked it up and put it in his mouth. Having slayed the evil flower, Tanner was ready to go for a stroll.
House training is good. Not perfect but we are accident-free by 7 days. I think that's pretty good. We comb, and bathe him and he hates being dried. Cries like a baby. Worst of all is try to brush his teeth. He's not having it. Which is weird because everything goes in his mouth--everything--except the toothbrush.
Hope all is well with you and the family. Give Corey a snuggle for us. He was our "tiny tanner" and we think of him often.
Our best to you,
Marion, Walter, Tanner (and the cat)
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 4:59PM 
