# We Have Lift Off!!



## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

Mandalay has jumped!!

I know this is silly and I am getting myself all giddy over some normal kind of puppy thing, but I was seriously getting concerned.

Up to this point (she turned 14 weeks old over the weekend) Mandalay has learned to climb on to things like the couch, the deck, My daughters low bed, etc. She could get her front feet onto something, but then just climbed her back legs up - she could not grasp that she was able to leap up with them. I kept thinking she was going to rip a hole in the couch everytime she tried to get up there.

Well Monday she was outside playing with my daughter and the little girls next door and I had her on a 30 foot tie out. The girls kept running just out of Mandi's reach and this was causing Mandalay to "choke" everytime she got to the end of the lead. I got tired of telling the girls who live next door to stop it (my daughter knows she'd end up in the corner if she kept doing this to the dog) and so I finally gave up and called Mandi onto the deck to sit with me. She came running as fast as she could and I was waiting for her to slam face first into the side of the deck (it is low, about 2 feet off the ground) since she had yet to be able to jump. I took a deep breath and braced myself and instead Mandalay lept into the air and JUMPED ONTO THE DECK!! She even landed on her feet!

I was so shocked and happy. Even my 5yo daughter came running up telling Mandi how proud she was of her. Well, now Mandalay is just the jumping fool. She jumps onto the couch and then off and up again. She jumps onto the ottoman (her favorite place) and onto my daughters bed. She cant get on my bed yet, but it is a really high bed and I can hardly climb up there myself. She even figured out how to JUMP onto the bench and over the gate I have up to keep her out of the basement so the cats can go down there to do their business without Mandi's big head popping into the littler box to say hi. LoL. 

I'm so proud of the puppy!!


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## chevysmom (Feb 15, 2008)

Awww! Way to go Mandalay!!


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

learning to jump is great. ask around and see if jumping alot at 14 weeks is ok.


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

WTG Mandalay. Discovering those new skills is part of the great adventure!




> Originally Posted By: doggiedadlearning to jump is great. ask around and see if jumping alot at 14 weeks is ok.


Doggiedad is referring to managing and avoiding undue stress on the joints and bond structure during the development period-usually 18-24 months. Advice has range to not allowing puppies to jump at all to not jumping any higher than their own heights.


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