Max has a soft side

Max has to be one of the most annoying puppies I've ever had.  Or perhaps, my tolerance for annoyance is much lower these days.  (The kids use up their own fair share after all.) So I have really very little patience for Max.

He can look all innocent and sweet...

This is shortly after we got him!

But even this is rare.  He is more likely to eat shoes...

William's shoe!  Otherwise...I probably wouldn't
have stopped to take a picture.

Get into stuff he isn't supposed too...

He would NOT leave our Christmas tree alone...*sigh*

Annoy you by digging in the couch for stuff (even if you are sitting there)...

Pretend like he is all innocent and lay on your pillow as you get into bed...

He looks beat up here...but he had some puppy mange going on.

"Hug" you to death...

Make himself comfortable wherever he feels like...

This weekend, he tore up my electric blanket.  Yes, he is still alive.  He is one of the nippiest dogs I've ever had, and in particular he likes to nip at Peter.  These aren't vicious nips.  These are "We are having fun playing!" nips.  And he seems particularly fond of Peter.

Last week Peter was pretty sick.  He laid on the couch all day and even turned off his video games voluntarily.  He had that nasty bug that is going around - I was particularly proud that he recognized he needed to puke and went to the bathroom himself.

And even though he got out of bed at a normal time for him, he pretty much just went back to sleep - eventually landing on the couch.  He looked like this in the morning...

I was prepared to put Max in his kennel or outside so Peter could get some rest.  Turns out, I didn't have too.  I was thoroughly impressed that Max just curled up next to Peter and cuddled.

That afternoon Peter slept more.  Max took a turn at being a pillow.

They were like this for about an hour until I moved Peter because he looked just plain uncomfortable.

I thought perhaps Max was just sleepy - but the very next day when Peter was better (but still had to stay home since he was not symptom-free for 24 hrs), I did have to deal with Max as he was insistently pestering Peter.  Peter was also better.  This really can't be a coincidence.

All I can say is this dog knows how to worm his way into your heart.  I'm not particularly fond of him, but as long as he can figure out when to chill out then there is probably hope for him yet.

He even has moments...albeit rare...where he is good.  I took a photo of one such occasion just to have proof.

(He's chewing on one of his raw hides here...something he is SUPPOSED to chew on.)