I wanted to give you an update on Ardi (formerly Willy).

He is really the best dog I could have asked for. Extremely smart and friendly, and so athletic. Even the first day I got him, while all of his siblings were resting quietly in their new owners’ arms, Ardi was jumping straight into the air to try to get from my lap to the conference table we were all sitting at.

We’ve started doing puppy agility lessons, and he is an absolute star. While the fact that he’s one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever met helps, he has a huge amount of enthusiasm for the obstacles. Thanks for introducing him to so many things as a baby, I think that really helped!

He never ended up turning as grey as Sage, although there’s still time I suppose. He has some darker spots around his body too (noticeably over his left eye), which leads me to think that he’s actually merle after all. He just got his first haircut yesterday too, and he’s an absolute fluff ball. I have noticed that he sheds a little bit, but I have extremely sensitive dog allergies, and have had no problem with him at all.

The photos are from before and after his haircut, and the video is particularly cute. He has a toy that’s like a bucket and comes with three squeaky chicken legs. My mom threw one for him and he couldn’t find it, so he went and found another one (so smart!) Let me know if you have issues seeing it, I can resend the video if need be.

Thank you so much for raising such a wonderful puppy, he’s really all I could have hoped that he would be and more!”

(At five weeks)