We had a bullyXherder mix before. He was only 30 pounds at this age when we adopted him (maxed out at 45 as an adult), but he was so much more work—and not just because we hadn’t owned larger dogs together yet. He hadn’t been well-socialized (the rescue got his litter/mother when they were older) and was not crate-trained when we took him in, but had severe social anxiety and was an adept counter-surfer who took out seven loaves of bread and three cordless phones. He was also prey-driven and went after our cat

He turned out to be a wonderful dog and my best hiking buddy. I try to remember that as we raise this kid. He can be a stinker, but he’s overall an outgoing pup. Given it’s winter-time and more difficult to find outdoor activities that have other dogs, it’s been more of a challenge getting him the stimulation/socialization he needs. I’m hoping to reset our routine over this holiday to get him out more.

Colorblocks are my fave.