Shortly after Christmas, after Ryder Batson's arrival into our home, we came upon our first stumbling block of the new puppy. 

Every evening, he found himself curled up comfy and asleep either on the floor or the couch.  I would gently wake him and then proceed to help him to the back door to potty before bedtime in his crate.  Somewhere around day 5 or 6 Ryder became tired of this routine... of my prodding and poking... carrying him out into the cold... 

 

 I'll never for get the first time he tried to attack me!  He rolled over spastically on to his back, swinging his head from side to side trying to bite my hands as they wrapped around his little body... all the while making a horrible baby dinosaur type noise!

 

This of course was quickly corrected and he has learned this is just the practice and he has to follow the rules.  I will admit however that even now, as I wake him for bedtime.. I am a little nervous  LOL  He's a lot bigger now!

 

Regardless, he has been good.  He slowly lets me push him to the edge of the couch where he slides down face first and summer sault on to the floor in a lump.  Then I lift him under the front end as his butt falls heavily to the floor.  I let go... get a better grip... then lift again, and start scooting him towards the door.  I bust the typically frozen door open and shove him out with my foot.  He's good about doing his business and trotting straight down the hall and into his crate!  He'll wait patiently for me to come and close the crate door and go to bed.  ( I think Maggie walks by every night and sticks her tongue out at him because she doesn't have to be locked up

 

Four nights ago, Ryder decided he'd like to try something different at bed time.  I pushed, lifted, scooted and shoved as usual, but when he came back in and ran down the hallway he slid rapidly under my bed and hid there.  I finally lured him out with a dog bone (which he will not fall for again)  The next night, my husband wondered why we don't just leave him out. 

 

That's a fair question.  He doesn't ever  have accidents and I keep the house picked up enough that I don't think he will destroy anything.  Honestly he'll probably sleep under the bed the whole time.  My concern is that Ellie come into our room every early morning and leaves her door open, and Ryder loves to eat her things.  The other issue is that he wants nothing more then to be on our bed, so I worried he'd try to do that as well.  He belongs in a crate still.

 

So Three nights ago, Ryder stayed up all night with Brett and ended up sleeping under my bed when they finally did decide to call it an evening.  He was a good boy.  Until 5:30 when he noticed access to Ellie's room.  Then the stuffed animal chewing began!  I got up and saved her stuffy, closing her door.

 

Two nights ago, Ryder made the mad dash to the far side of our bed to slip underneath, but Brett cut him off in the nick of time!

 

That brings us to the slippery pig contest of last night's bedtime dance!  Once again, push, lift, scoot, shove... then I waited ...  He came through the door, saw me waiting on him ... and hesitated... he took only a split second to size up the situation and the race was ON!!!  He took off like lightening through the kitchen, hung a Louie and ran down the hallway.  I chased after him in the dark... finger constantly slipping off his smooth, short coat as I reached for him!  Brett had pushed our bedroom door shut but not actually latched it, so when he reached the door it slowed him, but did not stop him!  He pushed it with his adorable little nose and shot through like a rocket!  Me, hot on his heels, he dropped to his belly and began to slide his way under the bed.  I reached him just in time to grab the last back leg before it disappeared for the night!  I grabbed on to his hock and dragged him backwards out from under the bed.  Suddenly flash backs to our first week together! He flipped over to his back and once again began the twisting  spastically, swinging his head from side to side trying to bite my hands as they wrapped around his body... all the while making a horrible baby dinosaur type noise!!  I finally got a grip, rolled him over and scooped him up.  I kissed him on the head and told him to get into his crate, gave him a little push inside, and shut the door as he laid down in defeat...