Sherlock Growing Up!

Sherlock is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I've loved these dogs for as long as I remember. When I was little, maybe 7 or 8 years old, we took our dog to the vet, and while we were there a Toller walked through the door, and I loudly and proudly announced to my mother, "LOOK! A NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER!" I used to study my dog books like they were the bible. I loved learning about the breeds, and the Tollers always stuck out to me. 

We met our breeder, Shel and her dog Ruby at a dog agility trial back in November 2013. We kept close contact with her, and were lucky enough to be chosen to get one of Ruby's puppies! 

Birthdate: August 26, 2014

Parents: Ruby X Loki

Ruby

Loki

Siblings: Charlotte, Poppy and Gunnar

I know this is going to sound corny and dorky, but that's okay. Sherlock has been such a blessing in our lives, especially mine. I don't even know anymore what we did before we had Sherlock. How did we occupy our time? How did we used to spend our money? Having a dog is a lot of responsibility, and it forces you to get out for a walk every day and constantly seek out training opportunities, but it is SO worth the work and energy. 

Here is a little timeline of Sherlock growing up

3 Weeks old: This was the "house-hippo" stage. The pups could barely walk, but Sherlock (at that time called Rupert) was out and about attempting to run and play while the other puppies slept. This rambunctious, adventurous attitude never went away. 

Sherlock with his mommy, Ruby

4 weeks old:

4.5 weeks old: We didn't know yet which puppy we were going to get to take home, but we were always drawn to Rupert. 

5 weeks old:

6 weeks old: I'm so grateful that David is a photographer and that we got to visit the puppies every week so we can have awesome pictures like this!

7 weeks old: I think this was the week we found out which pup would be our Sherlock. We were SO excited to bring him home next week.

8 weeks old: This was his first trip to the beach the day after he came home

(Left to Right) Gunnar, Sherlock, Poppy, Charlotte

9 weeks old:

10 weeks old:

11 weeks old: Seriously though. How did we get any work done with this guy roaming the house! I can't believe how cute he was/is.

12 weeks old:

13 weeks old:

14 weeks old:

15 weeks old:

4 months old:

5 months old:

Sherlock's graduation day from his first obedience class at TNT Kennels

6 months old:

7 months old:

8 months old:

9 months old:

How has he affected me?

They say you get the dog you need, not the dog you want. I wanted a sweet, petite little girl who loved to cuddle and would just lay at my feet all day. I got a goofy, happy-go-lucky, stocky boy who dislikes cuddling and would much rather be chasing his ball or making a ruckus. 

I think I wanted a sweet little girl because I wanted something easy, or something to nurture me when I’m upset or having a hard time getting out of bed and out of the house.
Sherlock is not like that. If he notices I’m upset (and I like to think he is pretty intuitive that way), instead of coming over and snuggling up, he pushes me to get off my butt and do something. Whether it’s because he’s decided to rip up the toilet paper again, or that NOW WE MUST PLAY FETCH, or that instead of snuggling he’d rather jump on my head and lick my ears. He always makes me laugh and has really helped me to gain some perspective when I'm going through a hard time. 

Since we got Sherlock, I have tapered off Wellbutrin, the anxiety medication I had been on since April 2014. This was a big step for me, but having a dog around is very therapeutic.  

What do we do to keep Sherlock busy?

We have been taking Obedience classes at TNT Kennels since January, and those run once a week in the evenings.

We also are taking Agility classes which run a different night of the week in Abbotsford. He LOVES agility classes. He is definitely a working dog. He's very smart, but not too neurotic. We describe him as "a Border Collie with an off-switch."

Sherlock's favorite activity?

Fetch. Plain and simple. 

What do we call him?

Sherlock

Sherly (more often than I'd like to admit)

Kins (this derived from "Sherlykins")

Our favorite thing about Sherlock?

I think my absolute favorite thing about Sherlock is his personality. He is SO happy-go-lucky, goofy, dorky, curious, adventurous and confident. 

I never have to worry about him being aggressive towards other dogs or with children pulling his tail or stealing his toys. 

Most embarrassing moment?

Yesterday we were at the park taking a break from our game of fetch. I was sitting in the grass, and a little off-leash dog came over to say hi. I was giving him a pet, and before I know it Sherlock decided this would be a good time to "mark his territory". HE PEED ON ME! I was too shocked to react appropriately. I believe a noise similar to squeaky brakes came out of me. 

At first I was mad, and embarrassed that I had to walk home with what was obviously dog pee on my leg, and then I was insulted that he would think that was okay. I had spent SO much time working with this dog! How could he pee on me?!

After doing some research, it sounds like he was trying to let the other dog know, "this is my person. She won't like you the way she likes me." Great... Thanks Sherlock. Very endearing and all, but that will NOT be happening again. This is much more common with un-neutered males, but that is not an excuse. Some training will be put in to prevent this in the future! Thank goodness he didn't pee on a stranger! Stinker.

Hope you enjoyed this lengthy and photo-filled post!