Sawyer Turns 1.

Happy Birthday, Sawyer!

We celebrated Sawyer's first birthday today!  Of course, since he's an adopted pup, we don't know the exact date, but based on vet estimates and meeting Sawyer's sister this spring (no doubt about it!), we know he was born sometime around early October.  We adopted him kind of on a whim in the middle of January, when he was about three and a half months old and had been in the pound for almost eight weeks, after being found running lost on a golf course.  I love how, every morning when I first let Sawyer out, he stands in front of me waiting, wiggling, wagging his tail, and taking tiny, quick steps in place with his front feet, until he gets some pets.  Only then, he starts his day.  So here's to Sawyer, the quirkiest, wiggliest, cuddliest, most playful pup around.

A Year-One List of Sawyer's Favorite...

Pastimes:  

• Playing soccer with, or "hunting," a tennis ball while carrying another toy, his "hunting buddy," in his mouth.
• Shoving every single toy he has under the living room furniture, then trying every possible way to get them back out, until they are too far underneath to reach.
• Walks, walks, walks, hikes, and coming along on runs.  When the leash appears, he just about loses his mind, alternating between leaping with joy and maintaining lots of adorably hopeful, wiggly eye contact.
• Fetch
• Racing Matt up and down the street until Matt can't beat him anymore
• His and Matt's trip to get the mail every night
• Wrestling or playing chase with his dog friends... or the willing human
• De-squeaking stuffed toys
• Peeling tennis balls
• Camping - he was quite skeptical of tents at first, and sulked around for a bit as if we had moved into the most pitiful house ever.  Then he realized how much swimming, hiking, and squirrel chasing there was to be done all around him. 

Tricks:

• Making the rounds in groups of people and sneakily luring attention from each person
• Roll Over (no thanks to us - our friend Sooho taught him while he was babysitting Sawyer this summer!)
• Swimming - this was his first summer of swimming!
• I think, for a one year old, that sit, lay down, stay, come, and heel should count as tricks, too.

Treats:

• Pupcakes
• Peanut Butter
• Carrots
• Sweet Potato skin that he steals if it falls on the floor while I'm peeling them... he's not very interested if I offer him one

Ways to Pester:

• Leaping as close to human eye height as he can
• Chewing his beds
• Somehow sucking his kennel cover in through the tiny holes in the side, and chewing bits of fluff out
• Unpredictably taking off to chase squirrels, or birds... or leaves...
• Taunting fenced-in dogs while out on walks

A couple of walks, a trip to the dog park, and a batch of fresh-baked treats were in order today.  The recipe for the super-healthy treats that I make, made of Sawyer's favorite puppy-safe foods, is as follows:

"Pupcakes"

Makes approx. 2 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 can Pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup natural Peanut Butter
• 1 very ripe Banana
• 3 1/2 cups Oats, pulsed into a course flour
• 1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

How To:

• Pulse the oats in a food processor into a course flour consistency
• Combine all ingredients
• Roll into small balls, approximately 1/2 inch, place on baking sheet, and flatten slightly
• Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes
• Store in freezer, and thaw a few at a time to have on hand

*If you want to be very cute, top with a little extra peanut butter for frosting.