Milo's Milestones... STAY! for a moment

My baby is growing up! 
We are working on self control this month, and it's not Milo's choice. 
In the picture above, I have put him in a "sit" and "stay" and walked down the hall. With a treat in my hand. 

I look away for a second to test him and sometimes he stays for a second, which is great!

Milo: She walks miles away, starts looking at something that must be really interesting if it causes her to look away from ME 
ME: As I said, a second, and he jumps up and follows me, becoming distracted at the kitchen door...

Milo: Well, that might have been a morsel of the chicken Mama was holding, she is pretty clumsy (I love her though) and I was hurrying to see what she was looking at without me. She might have needed my help! I'm VERY helpful, you know!

Me:.... he calmly plops down at my feet!
Milo: There! I did "come!" Where is my treat!??  Ain't I cute?

Me: oh yes. Cute. That's why you're still here. And the fact that I don't know how to shake you.

So we continue to work on Sit, stay, and wait.

This month he has also learned to lift his leg to pee. At first I praised him, but that was a mistake. I did it because until then he drenched his front legs while squatting.
Now he pees to mark, and leaves his mark all over the 'hood!


I can see there will be a need for fine tuning.
He also accompanies me to the inside toilet every time I go.
Milo: Well, it is a fascinating place and Mana is easy to trap in there because I'm so big now! I walk past her, reach around to grab the "play paper" that unrolls. I grab a bit, pull, spin!! grab it farther, more spin!!! Whee!!!
I could do this all day but Mama seems to be annoyed at me. Who can figure out mama's??? I'm just helping...
Me: ... himself to paper which he loves to tear up. 

He has also been using those big boy teeth too much. His toys are shredded... why this one had yet another amputation this week. 

Milo chose this little Bronco's Bear in CO this summer. It has little pellets inside along with the fluff. How do I know? They are no longer all inside... they bled out during the unfortunate amputation.

Milo:Heeeeeeyyy... whatcha doin daddy-O?? 
That's my bear!

Me: or what's left of him. Two arms and one and a half ears are gone.
Milo now brings us a toy, a special chosen toy, and pushes it in our laps to chew on. If we have the temerity to take it, he wrestles it from us and runs off. Then immediately returns to drop it in our lap.

Milo: what fun to torment them! I'm faster! They should know that by now! Still, gotta keep them occupied so I pick out the right toy, to get their attention away from the little screens. When they are stubborn and won't play, I chew on my bed.

THAT gets their attention! The Mama especially seems to hate me chewing on my bed toy.

Now that he is often free of his braces, he is getting around the baby gate and going up to the landing on the stairs...

 He forgets about the times he's stumbled coming back down.
Milo: well it always seems like a good idea in the beginning. Then it's all, "Milo! what are you doing??!" and "Milo, do NOT come up the stairs without me!!" I mean I am a BIG BOY now, with BIG teeth, and BIG legs, and BIG ideas and have lots to do in life. I want to get at it! 

 Know what I mean???