Changing Before My Eyes & Bubble Wrap

I had to go away for the weekend and was apart from Niko.  Before this, we have only been apart for one day at a time.  I missed the lil guy a whole lot! My better half took care of Niko while I was gone. I was told Niko had a nice weekend nonetheless.  He went for a car ride both days. The first day was to go fishing. Niko stayed in a crate in the car (it was a cool summer day) while the guys went fishing. However, Niko did get to hike a little and stretch his paws.  The next day, he went on another drive and got to run around off the leash on a big piece of land in the country.  He played wonderfully with Sandy the yellow lab.  I heard that Niko was a little shy about performing his new tricks in front of others.  We will have to work on his stage fright =)
That is the report I got of Niko while I was gone.


Today, I reunited with Niko after 3 days of being apart. I couldn't believe the slight changes I noticed.  His fur is darker, becoming more of that red sesame color.   He was also faster when he was active.  I don't know if it's me or if he's just changing that fast.  It's amazing how quick he is. Once his attention is on something you're holding, he will follow it very attentively and quickly.  He darts around like a hyper little puppy. It's fun to watch him, but tiring if you just want him to be calm and cuddly.


I found some bubble wrap and remembered a lesson we learned in class.  The purpose is to socialize the dog to unfamiliar surfaces. I put the bubble wrap on the floor and was ready with my clicker and treats(a meatball). Niko went towards it and sniffed the bubble wrap at first. I clicked and treat. Soon, he put one paw, then two paws, then  eventually  he started popping the bubbles by accident with his nails. It was so fun and cute. There were times he popped the bubbles with his own weight.  I was happy to see that he didn't get intimidated by the popping noises.  Niko has a delicate way of touching things with his paws. It's almost like he's dancing and tip toeing. 
Now that I'm a dog owner, I find myself gravitating towards articles in the dog topic.  I'm intrigued by what people have documented about dogs. An article I read today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/books/review/Schine-t.html?_r=1&em