Max is LOUD!

Dear Gavin,

I should tell you that your new puppy is LOUD! Last night was the worst night so far. Gramma put the kennel in the store and put Max down for the night after she fed him and held him. He went right to sleep and we all went to bed. We were sleeping peacefully. I was in my usual place, snuggled next to Papa. Emmy was snuggled next to Gramma and Oscar was right next to Gramma's leg in his spot he loves the best. The puppy called Toni does not like covers. I don't know why. I asked and she said that her fur is heavier than mine, but so is Emmy's and she likes covers. Anyway, Toni sleeps between Gramma and Papa's pillows. There is no room for another dog ......

But, that is not why Gramma makes Max sleep in a kennel. She is trying to start his training for your mom. She is trying to teach him to sleep in his kennel. I still sleep in mine from time to time. My kennel is my safe place, you know. Gramma has these pee-pee pads for him to do his business on. She does not want him to learn to go in the yard. He did all of his business right where Gramma wanted him to right before bedtime. Gramma put one her old robes that smell like her in the kennel, then she swaddled your puppy. This looked cruel to me! She uses Papa's old t-shirts and she wraps Max tight with all of his legs inside and only his little head showing, Then she pats him on his bottom. He goes right to sleep!

So, there we all were, in the middle of sleeping a good sleep, when I heard it. At first I did not know what it was! Then I remembered that Max was here and he was yelping! LOUD!!! How could such a little creature make such loud noises. Gramma woke up and she went to see why he was yelping. When she came back she had Max with her. She swaddled him again and got back in bed holding him! Toni sniffed him and told us other dogs that it was Max she was holding. Oscar told her to go back to sleep. Emmy moved over to Papa with me. I could not believe she was going to let him sleep in our bed!

She just held him until he went to sleep and then she took him back to his kennel. I got down and went along with her. After she put Max back in his kennel she picked me up and held me for a few minutes. She told me that Max had a little accident in his kennel and wanted her to clean it up. Us dogs don't like it when our kennel is messed up. That is why Max was yelping. He wanted Gramma to get the poop out of his sleeping space. Hmmmm, I think Max must be kind of smart to know to call Gramma, don't you? I was impressed. I spent the rest of the night in my kennel and dreamed about you. Then later on I had a nightmare and had to go get back in bed with Papa.

I have to go help Gramma play with Max now, so that he will get tired enough for a nap. I will try to teach him to beg for a treat from you, okay?

Your training dog, Wall-E