Ten-month pupdate: the art of chewing

I haven't posted a "pupdate" since month 7. Woody is the same crazy dog, just a bit larger. His favorite activity is chewing, which he has evolved into an art form. This skill emerged early, back in month 4, when he took a chunk out of a rug. At least he hasn't destroyed anything really valuable, like money or anything ... His long-time favorite was this pink towel, which was removed from the premises when we found he was not just chewing it, but eating it. And it didn't agree with him ...

This was once Lily's bed. Woody pulled it out of Lily's crate, chewed the seams, and proceeded to deposit piles of cotton batting all around the house:
While he seems to prefer textiles, really anything will do. Occasionally Woody gets into the recycling bin; cat litter jugs are a special favorite:

On a positive note, he has become much more interactive with us and loves to play tug, especially with Lily!

While he can be a handful sometimes, for the most part he is a loyal companion and I'm sure will become even more so as he matures and calms down!

Seven-month pupdate: Big Boy

Woody is taller than Lily now ... and leggier, with a more wiry build.

Six-month pupdate: the effect of puppy teeth on a tug toy

Once upon a time, a family had a chocolate lab who turned five years old and received a large, sturdy "tug toy" to commemorate the occasion. A few days later, a puppy joined the family and assumed the tug toy belonged to him.

The puppy grew, and the tug "grew" with him ... sort of:

The five-year-old lab immediately placed herself directly in front of the camera lens, and asked me to make it clear that she has not lost her talent for chewing, either:

P.S. The lower-left corner of that last photo features some of Woody's earlier work ...

Five-month pupdate

At five months, Woody is starting to look more "dogg-y" ...

He's starting to outgrow his favorite chair, but refuses to acknowledge this reality ...

We've had some beautiful warm days lately and he's discovered his own special spot in our stream. Yesterday morning he repeatedly disappeared into the bushes and emerged wet and wild. After about 30 minutes it was time for a nap in the sun!

He still has bags of puppy energy. I forget sometimes how little he used to be; I created a slideshow, Woody Grows Up, to preserve the memory ...

Four-month pupdate

Woody is 4 months old! He was born November 22, and I've decided to take a picture of him around the 22nd of each month so we can really appreciate how much he's grown (credit for this great idea goes to Laura from Somewhere in NJ, who has been doing just that with her black lab, Luka).

It's also fun to see him gaining on 5-year-old Lily:

Woody has entered that adolescent phase where his primary hobbies are barking and chewing. We were doing pretty well in the chewing department, always at the ready with something appropriate for him to sink his teeth into, until one day last week when he added this nice touch to our decor:

Oh dear. It's a good thing he's such a sweet companion.

I'll close this pupdate with a preview of coming attractions. Look at the size of those paws!

Welcome Woody!

Last week Chris went to his favorite hardwood store to buy wood for some bedside tables he's building. The hardwood store has two labs, who recently had a litter of pups. There was one adorable pup left, but someone had already put down a deposit on him. Chris spent a lot of time cuddling him anyway, and then left, thinking it was about time we thought about getting another dog. Today the hardwood place called; the other family had backed out. So he's ours! He's 9 weeks old and his name, of course, is Woody.