Borador Puppy
Grace slept through the night. We arose at 4:55 AM Sunday and went out. After returning from outside, I tried multiple times to coax Grace back to sleep. While I was able to calm her and have her rest peacefully, as soon as I shut the door to her room, she got up. By 6:30, the sky started to lighten, and we started our day.
Since it was Sunday, I knew she needed some exercise; because she would be shut up for a few hours while we went to church. The problem was, Grace did not seem to be ready to go out again. I opted for the balcony instead. Betsy put some peanut butter in Grace’s new Kong toy. She played with that a while and worked on getting the food out of it.
The Kong toy has a hole in one end into which you can place food. The toy makes the dog work to get his food. Peanut butter requires a lot of work. Puppy food comes out much more easily. It still presents some challenge though while making play a rewarding experience.
Betsy tied the sock squeaky toy on door knob so Grace can tug and bat it around on her own. Betsy read that we are not supposed to play tug when Grace initiates it.
At 7:15 we tried again and made another attempt to go outside. By this time she was ready. She ran around a bit and then vomited up what looked like her supper from yesterday. It may have been the peanut butter before breakfast that triggered the reaction. Grace took it in stride though. After about an hour outside, we returned and Grace ate her breakfast. At 8:55, I left for church at the assisted living facility across the street. Betsy picked me up there to continue on to our church at about 10:00.
Last week, Grace did fine when we went to church, but we continued to harbor nagging doubts regarding whether or not Grace could handle being couped up in her room for a few hours.
First Class
At 3:00, Grace went to visit a dog trainer at Petco. The one-hour private instruction session cost only $10. The trainer emphasized using treats to lure the dog to respond to motion cues and as the dog responds correctly, reinforce with “good” followed by the name of the command. He said to freeze and face away when the dog exhibits bad behavior. Physical slapping does to help. A short period of timeout may be useful depending on your dog. It works for Grace.
After Grace and I returned from the class, we again had to leave Grace in her room (for a nap) while we went to the evening church service. We wondered whether after doing the stint in the morning, Grace would be able to handle another couple of hours that night. When we returned, all was well. It appeared that Grace had napped while we were out as we had hoped.
Playtime Bonanza
When I took her out, Grace hit the jackpot. First, she met the one-year old female lab, named Sammie. They did doggie play for at least ten minutes. Grace had a ball.
Shortly after Sammie and Grace finished playing, there was Jack, her Australian Shepherd playmate. Jack had just returned from an overnight trip to the coast. They played some but seemed a bit lethargic.
Soccer
Earlier Grace saw some young boys kicking around a soccer ball in the grass courtyard next to the pool. It frightened her. The ball on the grass still had Grace spooked, but she slowly approached it. Then she nudged it. This looks like it might be fun after all. The low air pressure in the ball permitted Grace to grip and carry it in her mouth. With that, she was off to the races.
In true Lab fashion, she batted the ball around with her feet and carried it to where she wanted it in her mouth. At one end of the courtyard, the lawn descends in a little hill. Grace had found her game field. She took the ball to the top, nudged it, and chased it down the hill. Then she grabbed it, shook it forcefully, batted it around some more, and then ran it back up the hill. This fun continued until Grace expended her high energy reserve.
By 9 PM, Grace had turned out of sorts. I tried to put her to bed in her cage, but she came back out. By 9:15, she passed out in the living room next to us. I tried to pick her up at 9:30, but she growled at me. I used the treats and commands I learned to lure her to bed. It worked like a charm. I shut the door and Grace was in bed and off to sleep.
Monday, Monday
At 5:20 AM Grace stirred and made some slight whimpering sounds. She made it through another night. We went down to the grounds for her to do her business. On the way back, she grabbed the soccer ball that she had such a good time with yesterday. Deftly she bounded up one and a half flights of stairs with it, leaving it on her little lookout perch at the landing.
When we returned inside, I used treats to attract her to her mat inside her cage. I suspected it would be difficult getting her back asleep because of the late hour. After three exit trys and more luring, she settled down as I gently stroked her paw. After about half an hour (6:20) of no motion from her, I left her room and shut the door without latching it.
By 7:10, Grace awoke. We went outside straightaway. I like to do training when she gets up. We immediately made the 100 yard circuit around the grassy courtyard. She responded very quickly to the whistle and pointed index finger to the side of my foot. As before, I gave her treats along the way. She ran the last leg, finishing the course in record time.
In her travels, Grace saw Jack on his patio. The railing that separates the patio from the landscape contains openings large enough for Grace to get her head between the rails. With her tail and whole back end wagging excitedly, she plunged her head through the uprights, trying to get Jack to respond with play. Jack was a bit put off by it all and decided to turn and go inside. I called Grace back with a treat to divert her attention away from Jack. That did the trick, and she moved on to the next area to explore.
Treasure Hunt
Along the way, Grace constantly looks for little treasures. She found a small bamboo stick as well as a perfect pine cone for teething. She loves to accelerate suddenly and then either stop or change direction abruptly. I’ve learned to drop the leash if things get too abrupt, rather than have her harmed by the sudden restraint from doing these erratic, nimble Borador puppy moves. One of the fun landscape features is pampas grass. Grace loves to weave among the plants that her the feeling of secluded underbrush. They make a fascinating diversion for an energetic, inquisitive puppy.
More Challenges
About 8:20 we returned inside. On the way up, I noticed the soccer ball now sitting on the first floor. Grace paid no attention to it. Once inside, I gave her treats and commands on the mat in her cage. After Grace had her breakfast (also in her cage), she joined me on the balcony lounge chair. At 10:15, we went out again for more play and explore time. We first took out the trash with my using treats to direct her. The somewhat tedious process worked. Eventually, we made it. I tried to get her to run with me, but she would go only twenty yards before stopping.
At 11:15, I left Grace with Betsy inside. When I returned, Betsy reported that Grace had an accident on the carpet. I wondered if it had something to do with my being away. I took her out again until 12:30, gave her a treat on her mat in the cage, and fed her lunch. She napped for over an hour after lunch, but around 2:00 she started meandering around the house. I heard a little whine from her and checked. There was a second accident in just a few hours. This was becoming exasperating to me, given all of the time I’ve spent outside with Grace walking her and knowing that she can go eight hours at night, but apparently cannot handle an hour and a half during the day.
Afternoon Walk
Since the accident, Grace has been lying by my side asleep. At 4:15, I took Grace out with me to get the mail. I had to lure her with treats. We made it with some difficulty almost to the mailbox. Then Grace saw the painters. They and their equipment frightened her. She wanted to turn back. I ended up picking her up and carrying her the rest of the way. The mailbox had nothing in it. On the way back, we met a disinterested Jack. Jack’s owners said they saw the mail carrier just loading up boxes—very unusual to be that late. We returned home at 5:00. Betsy fed Grace her supper. After dinner, Grace took a nap.
At 7:45, I noticed Grace sneaking around get out of my sight. I took her out and she definitely needed to go. We returned at 8:15. Grace then amused herself with the Kong toy and a rawhide chew stick. At 8:45, the same thing happened, sneaking and then wetting out of sight. Betsy took her out one last time. Things had worked so well up to this point, but now we have to keep an eye on her constantly. Betsy put grace to bed at 9:15.
Very Early Tuesday
Betsy heard Grace stirring (no whining) in her room about 3 AM. She checked on Grace and found she had been sleeping. Grace fell back asleep despite the disturbance. Betsy had an early appointment Tuesday. She set the alarm for 5:45. Grace even slept through that. Finally, after Betsy turned on lights, Grace awoke and let me know with a soft whine. She was still groggy but went downstairs on her own, did her business and returned back at 6:40.
I figured since she had just been outside, I could leave her unattended while I used the bathroom. When I returned, (drum roll) there she was in the living room chewing on my running shoes. I clap my hands to gain her attention when she does something wrong. She stopped, and I placed the shoes in the closet. A few minutes later, while entering this on the computer, I heard her chewing on a plastic blinds retention clip. A loud clap got her attention and she stopped. She’s now lying beside me.
Training Circuit
At 7:30, it was time for our training and exercise/exploring session. Grace did better going around the circuit this morning. Perhaps this relates to whether or not her tummy has food in it. She did lots of sniffing and discovering. She saw a crow walking around a fenced drainage pond. Her fascination grew as I wondered whether or not the retriever instinct motivated this level of interest. Later the bird flew, perched, and then flew away as Grace watched intently.
Another Mystery Solved
Grace acted like she wanted to play chase with me. I let down the leash, and we darted back and forth on the dew-drenched lawn. Suddenly, it hit me. Perhaps Grace does not run far with me because she prefers grass to pavement. Previously, I marveled at the soft texture of her puppy paw pads. I expect pavement could erode those gentle pads in a hurry. I ran over to the grass courtyard. Sure enough, she would tear after me over and over again at full speed until I had to take a break. This idea of staying on grass likely will help me train her to go on (jogging) runs with me eventually.
Grace’s First Buffet
We hung out on the balcony until Betsy returned home around 9:45. We went out for another walk from 10 to 10:30. I went across the street to visit my mom at the assisted living facility. Grace cheered both the residents and staff there but did locate the resident dog’s food and ate three-fourths of it. After we took her home, Betsy fed her a cup of food. This made Grace really full. At 1:30 I took her out briefly. She had a chance to play with other dogs in the courtyard, but lacked her normal energy. We returned and put her in her bed for a serious nap.
Having a Ball
About 5:00 I took her out again. This time with the soccer ball and tennis ball. She likes the soccer ball best because it’s more like a game bird. She even shakes it as if she’s trying to break it’s neck. She also had a chance to play with another playful dog. Grace and Brantly, a German Shepherd mix, had a good time jumping around each other.
When she came inside, Betsy gave her a small portion for dinner. I shut the gate to her cage while she’s eating and try to get her to sit before I open the gate. We’re trying to acclimate her to being in the cage with the gate closed. After all of the activity from the last outing, Grace again passed out on the kitchen floor until about 7:00. By 7:30, Betsy decided it was time to take “little one” out.
By 8:00, Grace’s little tummy couldn’t take it. She had eaten the full serving size of regular dog food on top of her breakfast and lunch. Her abdomen looked as tight as a drum. She finally threw up to relieve her overstuffed digestive system.
Bedtime Ordeal
As usual, bedtime is bad-time. She most likely does things then that she’s not supposed to do. That includes biting, snapping, and wetting on the carpet. I took her out from 8:30 to 9:00. Each time when return, I take her to her cage, place my hand on her mat and tell her “down.” She’s getting the routine but usually also exits the cage after inhaling the treat.
By 9:30, I decided to insist on her going to bed. I tried her first in the cage, then in the little bed, and finally on the floor. as I lay with her. On the floor, she finally relented. I got up and shut the door. After preparing myself for bed, I noticed a small wet spot on the floor outside the closed door to the master area. After cleaning that up, I noticed another outside the closed door of the bedroom where we currently sleep. I cleaned them in sequence. I suppose Grace did each one while we left her alone as we brushed our teeth.
Rise and Shine
Wednesday morning, Grace began stirring around 6:30. I opened her door to find her awake and ready to start the day. We went downstairs easily. On the way down, Grace found the pine cone that she had left the day before on the landing between the second and third floors. She did something to drop it and it fell down to the sidewalk, surprising her. We then continued downstairs to the ground where she found her little fallen prize.
Since Grace seems confused about wetting inside sometimes, I now try to give her a treat after she does any elimination outside. Often after I gathered her waste and prepare to take it to a disposal station, Grace would make it difficult to get there. For the past few days, I tried tying her to a nearby bench or other convenient spot and telling her to “stay.” She seemed to understand and wait patiently for me to return.
Reverse Psychology
Yesterday, I tried the “stay” trick without tying her. After proceeding a short distance to the station, there came Grace, bounding toward me. While she did not perform the “stay” command as desired, she did do something better. She came with me to the disposal station. Today, we just used the “come” command. By now, she understands that one pretty well. It worked.
Normally we do the 100 yard circuit practicing “come” during the outing right before breakfast. This time, since she had already started, we continued around rather easily. The only hitch came when we reached the usual ending point. She thought she had completed the task. In this case though, since we started at a different point, we needed to do one more leg. Grace did it easily and as a bonus, returned back to the normal start end point.
After returning to the apartment, we went out to the balcony to share the lounge chair and take in more fresh air. She saw her reflection in the patio door window pane and growled. As 8:00 approached, Grace could hear breakfast beckoning. While she ate, the door to the cage remained shut until she finished and responded properly to the “sit” command. She seems less anxious about the closed door at this point.
Morning Playtime
After breakfast, it was time for play and exploring outside. I took the tennis ball and threw it across the courtyard. Grace tore after it and retrieved it like a pro. Then Bella (an eight-year-old black Lab) showed up. Grace went wild jumping and trying to get Bella to play. Bella responded somewhat to Grace’s persistent promptings, but Grace was definitely the initiator.
Then another dog came by. That encounter consisted primarily of a sniff session. It ended rather quickly, and Grace moved on to her next adventure. She turned the corner and guess whom she saw. It was Jack! Today he seemed to be feeling a bit more frisky. They had a great time with their little tag and chase routine. After quite a while, Grace finally moved on. We played fetch with the tennis ball once more before we returned home at about 9:15. As you can imagine, after a drink of water, a tired Grace lay down for a serious nap.
Balcony Bliss
After the nap, things started to become a bit boring in the apartment for Grace. We returned to the balcony. There she revels in the sights and sounds of the big outdoors, fresh air, and sunshine. There’s always human activity of some sort below and the sounds of birds and traffic noise in the background. The gentle breeze feels good blowing across her sleek black coat as it carries interesting and varied smells to her ever-attentive scent detection system. With a stick and rawhide chew, Grace satisfies her constant need to chew and teethe. We took a quick pit stop before lunch. After lunch, Grace took a long nap.
Lazy Afternoon
Grace and I took out the trash at 2:30. As usual, we struggled getting there as Grace preferred to investigate every leaf and smell along the way. Comparatively speaking, we made it back fairly soon. An hour later we went out again. This time we tried the soccer ball. Grace played with it for a while but not with the same level of enthusiasm as before. At 3:45 we went out again. Betsy joined us after exploring for a while, and we picked up the mail. With the two of us there, Grace had more incentive to walk with us and not meander along the way. After we returned, Betsy fed Grace. I then measured her weight at 20 pounds. I’ll take another measurement tomorrow as a double-check.
I just sat down to eat at 6:00. Grace went to the front door. Could she be telling us she needs to go outside? Immediately, I took her out. It turns out she did need to go. After she relieved herself, we noticed Bella coming around the corner. Then Sammie joined them. The three dogs had a great time chasing after each other and some toys. Unfortunately, we had to get back so I could quickly eat some supper and then get to prayer meeting by 7:00. After eating, I put grace in her room, shut the door, and hoped for the best.
We returned home about 9:00 to find Grace asleep. Betsy took her out to relieve herself and within a few minutes brought her back. Grace entertained herself for a little while, but again lay down at my feet and fell asleep. I picked her up and put her to bed at 10:15.
Late Start
Grace started stirring around 6 AM Thrusday, but we waited until 7:00 to take her out. Betsy took her but said she did not take her around the circuit to train her to do “come.” When Betsy returned at 7:15, I took her back out to do the circuit and returned. Betsy fed her at 7:30 rather than 8:00. She kept the door to her cage closed a bit longer this time. Grace tolerated it.
Betsy took Grace back outside about 8:15. She tried to work with her to “come” but seemed to have trouble getting Grace to respond. At 8:25, Grace returned. I was on the floor doing sit-ups. Grace jumped in trying to do puppy play with my moving head. After I finished, I went outside to the balcony. A few minutes later, Grace joined me on the lounge chair. At 9:45, I took Grace out to relieve herself.
Morning Exercise
When we returned at 10:00, Betsy was sleeping and Grace acted like she needed more exercise. I grabbed the soccer ball and took her back down to play. After about five minutes of play with the ball, Bella showed up. They played on their own first, and Bella had her own football. The football was heavy and hard to manage for Grace, but since Bella dominated the soccer ball, Grace had to do her best with the heavy football. She was a real trooper, finding a way to grip and carry it. Despite the challenges, Grace had a good time, but I had to get going, so I rushed her upstairs.
Because I did not want to disturb Betsy and did not want to lock Grace in her room or cage, I moved the cage to block the entrance to her room. That way, I hoped she would know this is not sleep time. Unfortunately, it did not work. Betsy got up and took Grace for another walk. When they returned, Betsy fed her and took her out again. By 12:30 Grace finally went down for a nap on the living room floor, and I went out to do errands.
After-Dinner Playtime
Grace and Betsy went out a couple of times in the afternoon. Then around 6 PM, Grace went to the door. We’ve learned not to ignore that queue. I took her down while talking with my son. Sure enough, she needed to go. Shortly after we returned, Betsy decided that Grace needed to go out again.
Before long, Grace spotted Bella at the other end of the courtyard fetching her ball. Grace darted for her playmate and then spent about a half hour playing with her. As mentioned earlier, Bella’s fetch toy does not work very well for Grace. Betsy spotted me watching form the balcony and asked me to throw down a tennis ball. While that works much better for Grace, Bella favored it also and dominated the fetch exercise. Still, Grace ran along with Bella and playfully jumped around Bella’s face.
Winding Down
By the time they returned, dusk had set in, and Grace began to wind down. At 8:20, Grace went to her room and stretched out on the floor. It looks like that’s where she prefers to sleep—even with her cage now in the living room. We left a memory-foam mat and her first bed (the bottom of a litter box lined with a towel) on the floor there. By 10:00 PM she had moved to her bed. I shut the door. Grace made no protest.
Friday
After going over nine and a half hours without a break, at 6:00 AM Grace made a little whine to let us know it was time to go out. Although we have plenty of treats, I couldn’t find any close at hand. It didn’t matter. Grace did her business promptly and followed commands just fine. When we returned, Grace executed the traditional “down” command on the mat in her cage, and I gave her a couple larger treats. While I was preparing more treats, she smelled them, so I gave her some commands and a few treats in response.
After chewing on various chew items, by 7:15, Grace got up, went to Betsy’s door, whined, and lay down in front of it. Grace missed Betsy. The Border Collie herding instinct likely magnifies her need to keep an eye on everyone. Betsy got up to use the bathroom. Grace wanted to follow her, but the shut door blocked her. She whined. I consoled her with words. When Betsy emerged, Grace relaxed.
Doing the Circuit
At 7:30, we went out to do the circuit. Grace completed the course easily, with one distraction. At the far end, another dog, Isabella, was heading back home. After a few seconds of prompting, I regained Grace’s attention. From there, we ran to the finish line. After some exploring and another round of elimination, at 8:00 we heard Betsy’s voice from the third-floor office window. With that, it took little coaxing to get Grace to race up the stairs and come back inside. I did the traditional “down” with a treat in her cage, and then Betsy fed her.
We close her cage door when she eats, and let her out immediately when wishes to emerge. Yesterday, I attached the fluffy sock, pull and squeaky toy inside her cage also, so when she wants to play with that toy she must go inside the cage. For a brief time Grace entered the cage on her own and lay down. We presently also have placed her food and treats on top of the cage. The residual odor may also entice her a bit if it doesn’t frustrate her. Unfortunately, the close proximity of food and treats was too much for her. We ended up moving these items to the storage room.
Balcony
At 8:15, Grace and I went out to the balcony to share the lounge chair—I with my ever-present laptop and Grace curled up between my legs. Despite a sock, stick, and rawhide chew, she preferred to gnaw on the anodized aluminum arm of the chair. I thought to myself, that arm is metal, certainly a puppy will not damage that. Oops, aluminum is a relatively soft metal and four times softer than tooth enamel. As a matter of fact, tooth enamel is even twice as hard as iron. Grace had successfully left her signature on our lounge chair.
Running and More
By 9:30, it was time for my run. I figured I’d see if Grace would be able to run with me. After trying multiple spurts. I gave up, brought her back to her cage, and locked her inside. After inserting multiple chews and toys, I went on to do my exercise routine. When I returned about a half hour later, there lay Grace, peaceful and content.
After releasing her, we headed outside for extensive exploring time. Grace seems to need a lot of sniff and mouth time. At one point, we went to a courtyard. I gave chase another try. She followed me a few laps, before moving on to something else. Before long, she realized she needed a drink, and bolted up the stairs to the water dish in her cage. Then Grace made her way to her room for a little nap. Betsy closed the door, but didn’t latch it, just to give Grace more darkness.
At noon, Grace let us know her nap was over. Betsy gave her lunch and shut the cage door again. She came out ready to go outside. Sure enough, Grace needed a bathroom break. On the way down, I grabbed the soccer ball for more exercise. It also served as an easy way to encourage her down the stairs. A simple start of the ball down the steps sent it bouncing downward with Grace close behind. Once out in the courtyard, we played soccer. I kicked the ball and she chased and retrieved it. Sometimes she grips the ball and shakes it violently. After about ten minutes, Grace transitioned to exploration mode.
We returned for indoor play with Betsy until 1:30, Grace retreated again to her room for an afternoon nap. About 15 minutes later, Betsy opened a bag of tortilla chips. Any bag sound to Grace reminds her of food or treats. That was enough to get her attention and disturb her nap. Betsy decided to take a nap at 1:45, entered the bedroom, and shut the door. Grace followed, lying down in her room for a few minutes, but since I’m in the living room, she felt more comfortable lying down near me and tearing up a tissue.
That Other Dog
We have a console with glass doors on which we placed a small television. When Grace sees her reflection in the doors, she becomes agitated. She may bark or try to walk behind the console to get to that other dog. When she was resting, she saw that pesky reflection again and decided to move to a safer place about six feet away. Betsy said she had previously shown Grace her reflection in a mirror, but apparently she does not fully understand reflections yet.
Another Milestone
At 3:45, Grace stood at the end of the living room nearest the exterior door and barked. I immediately took her outside. She relieved herself. I believe we have reached another milestone! Grace just let me know when she needed to go outside. Then the exploring continued. I needed to do some more work inside before the end of the day, so we returned at about 4:15. Betsy fed her at about 4:45.
At 6:00, Grace seemed to be getting rambunctious—wanting to climb up on the table and not knowing what to do with herself. At 6:15, I decided to try taking her to the balcony. That worked for about ten minutes. Then Grace started barking. Taking her inside did not solve it. Finally, I decided to try taking her outside. Again, she needed to relieve herself. After that, we played with a football left in the courtyard. We returned at 7:00.
At 7:30, Grace went to the door again. Betsy took her out this time. They came back within a few minutes. When she returned she started gnawing on a throw rug. Rather than stop her, we just let her go. Finally, by 8:00 we turned out the light, Grace took the cue, and finally started to stretch out and fell asleep. At 8:55, Betsy lifted her up and put her to bed in her room.
Saturday
Saturday morning Grace got up at 5:30 to go outside. When we returned, she was ready to start her day. I tried to give her various toys and chews, but she needed more activity. At 7 AM, Grace let me know she needed to go out. A few more times like that, and I believe we can conclude declare her house-trained. We started the circuit, but she needed to stop to relieve herself. We then continued around just fine. When we finished, we explored for about half an hour.
Grace started getting really interested in biting and tugging her leash. That involved violent jerking that reminded me of what she might do if she found a prey. I’m sure she would grab it by the neck and break it. We were in the courtyard, so I disconnected the leash. That made the game even more fun. After a few minutes, I tried the chase game. Grace chased me long enough to wear me out.
When we returned, Grace went to the door of the bedroom where Betsy was sleeping and made a few noises to beckon her. Betsy got up and and played with her. At 8:10, Betsy gave Grace her breakfast. We shut the cage door and tried to keep Grace inside and entertained for a few minutes after she finished her meal. She’s still getting used to the restriction of being caged. Tomorrow we intend to go to church and expect to leave her there, so the more we can orient her to this, the better.
Although we had some rain at night, this was the first rainy day we’ve had since we adopted Grace. The temperature of 66 degrees felt just warm enough to allow me to be outside in shorts and a T-shirt. I couldn’t help wondering what Grace did at her first home when it rained. When she was nursing, I’m sure she found shelter and comfort at her mother’s side, but once she was weaned, I wonder if she found any shelter, or if she just weathered the storm. I cannot recall whether or not any shelter existed in her pen.
At 8:20, I took Grace to the balcony to join me on the lounge chair. The enclosed balcony protects from the rain. We just hear the water running from the roof to the downspouts, the hissing sound in the distance of tires dispersing water from the road, and the soft white noise of raindrops hitting the ground. Grace was finally resting peacefully.
Suddenly, Grace sat up, looked me in the eye, and whined at 9:20. That was close enough for me. Betsy took her out this time. As suspected, Grace did need to relieve herself, Betsy described her as “sort of a mess.” Grace usually needs coaxing to go downstairs. It seems like if she’s got to go, she would anxiously proceed downstairs to the grass. They returned within ten minutes. Betsy then tried some more cage training for about five minutes before returning Grace to the balcony.
At 9:40, the rain intensified. This seemed to spook Grace. She began to bark at it. I invited her to go inside and she went. Betsy then played “fetch” with her. Betsy had things to do, so she decided to put Grace in her cage. Grace cried for about five minutes and then settled down. Betsy said she wanted to go shopping to get a harness for Grace, rather than a collar, fearing the collar might hurt Grace’s neck.
Outing
Betsy and Grace left on their little outing at 10:30. They went to Petco. Grace picked out a big bone and started opening it before Betsy could take it away. She really loves working on it, but we decided to save if for crate time. They also went to the local outdoor farmer’s market. The vendors recognize Grace now and comment on how much she’s grown in just a week. At noon, Betsy fed her and took her outside for a brief break.
Early-Afternoon Break
Grace said she needed to go back out at 1:30. I took her out. Grace indeed did need to go out. Along the way she found a chunk of hardened tar. Grace played with it gleefully—throwing it up in the air, batting it around with her paws, mouthing it, and pouncing on it. As soon as she left that treasure, she spotted Jack. Grace did her jumping on Jack’s head routine and Jack just put up with it. He didn’t do the chase game like he does sometimes.
After Jack left, we went to the courtyard. There I ran around it several times and let Grace chase me. She really wanted to nip at my legs, but has learned not to bite flesh. I had shorts on, and she would nip at them. After about an hour, we returned inside and Betsy tried to get Grace interested in spending time in her cage. She tried using the new bone. Grace just put the bone in her mouth and walked outside of the cage with it. She loaded the Kong toy with food. That worked for a little while, but the toy rolled under the cage divider. and the dual dish holder. Betsy moved the divider down to eliminate that problem.
Betsy draped a sheet over one end of the cage to make it feel more secluded. After a number of tries, Betsy succeeded in getting Grace to lie down and then fall asleep in the crate with the door open. She finally got up around 4:40. Betsy took her out for a quick potty break. When they returned, Betsy put some liver into the Kong toy. That kept Grace busy for a while.
Evening Antics
Around dinner time, Grace started up with her antics. A little after 5 PM, she started barking. I guessed that she needed to have her supper. Betsy gave Grace her supper, but the barking started up again. Betsy had a Max Lucado dramatic reading of the Bible playing on her CD player. I suggested that that perhaps that was spooking Grace. Betsy turned that off. When she did, the barking stopped. But the antics continued. She would begin chewing on the leg of a chair or stand up with her front paws on the table. We tried timeout, but Grace persisted.
Exasperated, Betsy secured Grace in her cage. Grace then serenaded us with whimpers and barks while we ate. After about fifteen minutes, Grace gave in and fell asleep. About a half hour later, at about 6:45, Betsy awakened Grace and took her outside. They returned in about five minutes. Upon returning, Grace renewed her chewing operation on a rawhide bone without further bad behavior. Perhaps the short nap did her some good.
I turned out the lights in the living room. Betsy went to the office and turned on the lights there. Under the shut door Grace could see the lights on there and hear Betsy talking on the phone. She went to the office door at 7:40 and let us know that she wanted to go in. I let her in and shut the door. She fell asleep around 8:00, so Betsy put her to bed.