Happy Birthday, Hubert!

My Hubert is now 2 years old. He has been showing signs of maturity lately...


Instance 1: Going Out

I've trained Hubert to associate the term "bedroom" with his kennel because I just didn't like the word kennel. His really over-sized kennel takes up half of the laundry room, and his litter box the other. There's a small space in between for his water dispenser and food bowl. When I go out during the day, I usually put on my shoes, and then say, "Hubert, let's go to your bedroom."  (Yes, I'm a "we" and "us" kind of speaker. It stuck in my normal conversation speech from my fitness instructor days. The Boy hates when I say, "Hey babe, can we take out the trash?" and he's like, "Yes, let's, both of us, tie up the trash and together we can take it outside your front door!").  Hubert then walks into his bedroom, lays down, and I put up the baby gate so he still has access to his litterbox, etc.

Before he learned to go into his bedroom and lay down, when he would see me putting on my shoes, he would jump jump jump, bark bark bark, and cry cry cry.  I slowly taught him to go to his bedroom. And then taught him to lay down when he goes into his bedroom to keep him calm.  Then I taught him to clean up his toys by taking them to his bedroom before I leave.

Well, last week, The Boy and I were putting on our shoes to go out, and when I turned to ask Hubert to go to his bedroom, we noticed he was already there, relaxed with raw hide in between his front paws.

I could have cried with delight. 


Instance 2: Goodnight

Before bed, Hubert gets a little cranky and paces around the house, looking for a place to sleep. Pace pace pace and then finally finds a place on my lap (but moreso my torso; he's big) and sleeps. During this time, The Boy sends him to his bedroom and he usually gladly goes. He's obviously waiting for the command for him to go to bed.

Last Sunday, my brother, The Boy, and I were playing video games and chatting in the living room when I notice that Hubert wasn't nearby (he's ALWAYS by one of us).  I get up to find him in his bedroom, fast asleep.

*Squeee*

My baby's all grown up. :)







See more Hubert through the years on my Flickr     

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