new and interesting Frank

about two weeks ago, he started sitting on his own.  it seems backward, but i have not seen him do that since he got here.  i think his hind legs were too weak to sustain that position, and he lacked the confidence to hold that position if he ever got into it.  so one night, we had him out for a walk, and James had to go back to get another bag and the flashlight, when Frank suddenly planted his ass on the ground and sat waiting.  i was surprised, normally, he lays down if he gets tired or bored.  but that night, and fairly regularly now, he will sit rather than lay down.
i figured that was a pretty cool new trick for him, though it's one he has had to relearn and train for, so imagine my surprise when he did a couple of new tricks tonight.  I took him to Bath&Biscuits for a bath, and normally we put him in the back of my car and he immediately lays down.  not tonight.  he stood the whole way, moving with the car and not falling down.  halfway to the bath place, he sat down but then stood up again, nose out the window and tail wagging.  when we got to the bath place, he was still standing, and when i opened the hatch back, he jumped out and didn't fall!  good little boy :-)  he proceeded to walk into the bath place, and with a little coaxing he got into the tub using the stairs.  he stood for his whole bath, something he doesn't do very often, and when we were done, he used the stairs out of the tub.  i gave him duck treats after the bath, let the ladies that run the place fawn over him and give him lots of doggy love, and headed home.  once we got him inside and fed, he let me know he wanted out so i took him for a walk.  he surprised me yet again by actually taking the lead, and keeping a good pace.  and he did all that WITHOUT treats. 

it may not seem like much, but any time he shows this much interest in life, this much resolve to use his legs, this much liveliness, jeez i tell ya it makes me feel so good.  and I know he must be feeling good too, because at this moment he is walking over to me and he has propeller butt.  for the uninitiated, propeller butt refers to his tail wagging in complete circles, like a propeller :-)