All About Aspen

Since our whole lives pretty much revolve around our 9 month old chocolate lab, we figured she deserved her own post...

Aspen is an interesting character with quite the personality. Just like her dad, she is sensitive, tenderhearted, and...slightly stubborn. :) They can often be found romping around the yard working on projects or wrestling in the basement.

One of the unique things we've noticed about Aspen is her tendency to use her front paws like hands. A while back, Aspen had an ear infection which required putting drops in her ears. She didn't like the initial drop and would avoid it at all costs by turning her ear toward the ground and lowering it toward the floor while covering her other ear with her two front paws. She also easily entertains herself by getting her favorite yellow ball and passing it back and forth from paw to paw or knocking it away, waiting for it to stop and then pouncing. Her most recent tricks (and our favorites) are holding Scott's arm close to her body and shaking my hand.

Well, if you know Scott, you know that Aspen is bound to be a hunting dog. At the beginning of April, Scott sent her away to work with a professional trainer up in Idaho. After several weeks of not cooperating with the trainer, Scott decided to go and pick her up....she had failed puppy school! When Scott arrived, the trainer informed Scott that ever since he had made the decision to pick her up, she was retrieving great! Just our luck right? After careful consideration of the pros and cons, it was decided that she would return home and Scott would train her himself. (I just don't think Scott liked the way that Aspen was looking at that trainer...)

After a lot of hard work by Scott and his dad, Aspen has learned (and is still learning) all there is to know about duck hunting. It is my hope, for Scott's sanity (and my own), that she is ready come October!