#RiddickPup Is Eleven Weeks Old

Riddick weighed in at 8.4kg this morning, so he's gained 400g in the last week. 
He's eating 110g of a mixture of mostly Nutriphase Puppy with some Purina Olympic Puppy added (we're switching gradually from the Purina to the Nutriphase) and it doesn't seem to adversely affect his tummy at all.

hungry puppies wait as I prepare their food

I have taken to adding almost half a bowl of water to his dry pellets when he eats- when I don't spread his food out across the kitchen floor- in order to slow down his eating. He eats so fast he literally chokes himself! I am also doing the same as I did with Volt and touching Riddick, his food and his bowl when he eats so that he doesn't get food-aggressive in the future. He also has to sit and wait until I say "okay" and he is already waiting a wee bit and not pulling insanely on his collar when I put his bowl down.
He is also responding readily to "sit" and I am teaching him slowly not to snatch when offered a treat.
He listens really well too, when we visit my sister and her almost one year old son wants to cuddle the puppy, when I tell him not to bite or jump up 'coz he LONGS to nibble on fingers like puppies do!
And yes, we are allowing Riddick to sleep on the couch and on our bed with us! Shocking I know, and Volt is not allowed on the furniture at all, and I am a touch surprised by how "lax" I am with Riddick and the furniture! And he is such a snuggle pup!

I know it may sound silly that I didn't realise it sooner, but its taken me this long to register that Riddick's "signals" are different to Volt's!! I know, right!?! Whilst we were house-training Volt, he started "asking" me if he could go outside by sitting at the back door, sometimes whining if I didn't notice. Riddick will come to me to ask to go out. If I am baking or doing the dishes or whatever, Riddick will hang around, literally under my feet until I call him to the back door. If I don't "click" what he wants fast enough, he will go on the floor.

And if he is insecure in a situation, like if I take him somewhere he hasn't been before, he whines and howls- LOUDLY! Its a little embarrassing because just to look at him you'd swear he was in pain the way he screams. And when he's insecure like that is when he is especially difficult on the leash, trying to hold onto it in his mouth.
And he and Volt are SUCH friends! I love having Volt around to keep Riddick entertained and cuddle with him and teach him manners!

We have also noticed how much more Riddick's sense of hearing is tuned in compared to Volt or Thelma and Louise. When the other dogs are asleep, they're asleep. Volt and the girls will react to a noise if they're asleep, and then will bark if they think its threatening. But Riddick even reacts to doggy noises on the TV!

Car travel is going really well! He whines a little when he gets in the car, and if we're in the car too long he will get fidgety, but he sleeps most of the time.

I made the mistake this week, of putting my fingers in Riddick's mouth to take away something he was chewing on without telling him to "leave it"... unlike Volt who would hesitate in what he was doing if I opened his mouth, Riddick continued chewing! Needless to say, there was a loud shout and a lot of swearing as I ran to the kitchen to nurse my now bleeding and throbbing finger! It still hurts, but its not a big injury. And of course I am far more careful now!
He LOVES climbing the stairs! He can now go up and down so when he wakes up for busies in the morning he follows me downstairs and we wake Volt up in his crate before heading out the back door! Its great not to have to carry him anymore let me tell you!

This week he also got his first cow's hoof chew toy and he LOVED it! As with everything, I took it away from him a couple of times so that he knows who is boss, but he doesn't argue or growl or anything.