Day 10: Troy's birthday is revealed!

Today marks one week since I met Troy. Last Wednesday seems like it was so long ago. I can't believe how far we've come in such a short amount of time. Also, who knew you could love a dog so much, so quickly?
One week ago I struggled getting him to cuddle with me and struggled with getting him to sit. Don't get me wrong, we still have times where he doesn't want to listen to me but the difference between this time last Wednesday and today is incredible.

This morning we found out when our dogs were born. Troy and his brother Taboo are the oldest dogs in our class. They were both born on May 27th, 2013. This makes him almost 19 months old! I can't wait to do something special for his second birthday in May. It will be even more special since I have to make up for missing his first birthday ;)

We continued to practice all of the skills we've learned so far (tugs, push, nudge, help, etc.) as well as practicing fetch a little more. He picked up the slipper today with much less difficulty than before. He also picked up a fairly large pen which was great and I'm looking forward to having him be able to do this for me at school in January!

The morning was fairly low key for us but the afternoon was full of excitement!

We went on our second outing together as a group to the grocery store! Troy did amazing as I knew he would. I even took him down the aisle with dog food and toys. He was more interested in sniffing the floor and looking at me which is exactly what I was hoping he'd do. There were no accidents in the store and multiple people commented on how beautiful and well behaved he is. Overall I'd say that the grocery store was a very successful outing!

After we got back from the grocery store it was time to play. Today the dogs got to play with each other which was a lot more exciting for Troy. He played with his brother, Taboo, and a girl named Ryden.
Troy isn't really into toys very much so he spent most of his time following Ryden and trying to hump her. It's funny because he's such a relaxed and well behaved dog but for some reason when he's playing with other dogs he has a tendency to want to hump them. When I call his name he looks at me and stops right away which is great. As long as he responds to me when I deter him from the behavior then I'm not worried.
I threw a tennis ball a couple of times and he played with that for a few seconds. Then he picked up a stuffed santa toy on his own. I was shocked because I've never seen him take the initiative to play by himself. He played with Santa for a minute or two before following Ryden around again. 1-2 minutes doesn't seem like very long, but for Troy this is great progress (don't forget - the first time we played he just layed on the floor for the entire play time). I hope I can find a few toys he likes to play with quietly because it's a great way for him to destress in the apartment when we get home. I can't throw tennis balls in our bedroom!

I also want to say quickly that I am overwhelmed by the support of the Lions Foundation with my blog. LFC Dog Guides shared a link to my blog on their facebook page today and I have already had over 700 views today from their post! I can't thank them enough for giving me Troy and changing my life in so many ways, but also for helping me share my experience with others. So to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, thank you. I really appreciate everything you've done and are doing for Troy and I. I don't know what I'd be doing if it weren't for you and everyone involved (foster families, sponsors, etc.)

I hope you all have a great night and as always, here are a few pictures from today:

He was a tired boy this morning!

Troy did great on our walk to the grocery store!

Playing with Ryden. Troy is the one without the toy (on the left)