Sunday
I got up at 7:05. Grace was awake. I let her out of her cage and took her outside until 8:00. We came back inside, and I fed her (one cup) and Vitamin E. She curled up on the sofa until Betsy took her outside at 9:15 and brought her back inside at 9:25, locked her in her cage and left for church. We returned at 12:15. Grace was ready to go outside. Betsy took her out. At 12:30, I took Grace and Betsy went inside. We explored until 1:45 when we returned. Betsy had her food waiting for her in her dish.
Occasional Limp
Grace had been limping occasionally on her front leg. I first noticed shortly after she last played with Dakota. It doesn’t seem like anything serious, but just in case she needs to keep stress off of it. Betsy and I carried her up and down the two flights of stairs to our apartment. That’s becoming a bit of a load these days.
Grace first sunned herself inside and then went out on the balcony. At 3:30, she announced that it was time to go outside. I took her outside. We explored until 5:00. I fed her (one cup). Grace barked asking for “trick and treat.” We went through the tricks, earning her some more food. I sat down in my chair. Before long, over my shoulder came Grace flying into my chair.. Grace either wanted to lie in my chair, or share the chair with me.
Getting Restless
I took grace out at 8:00. We returned at 8:30. Grace found an empty oatmeal carton. She had a good time playing with it and chewing it up. By 9:00, Grace was past due the time for bed. I tried to hold her off, and got down on the floor to play with her. She snapped directly at my face about an inch away. It had been a long time since she had done that. At 9:30, I called her to bed. she went directly and obediently although not particularly willingly.
Monday
Betsy heard a sound from Grace at 6:30. She got up and gave Grace the royal morning treatment. I gave her love also. Grace is still not what I would call affectionate, but she is understanding better what it means to love a human. One milestone, I’ll record at this point involves her attention. In past weeks, it was much harder for Grace to maintain eye contact with Betsy or me. If we tried to look her in the eyes, she would typically move her head to look another direction. Any eye contact was fleeting at best. Now she has reached the point where she can make eye contact and maintain it with us a natural length of time.
Cat-Like
I’ve witnessed the maturing of three puppies before Grace. Grace is different in many respects. She’s smarter, more active, socially more outgoing, more athletic, more beautiful, better behaved (including better house trained), more work (takes more effort), a better eater, more mouthy, more capable with her front paws. Overall, she’s clearly a better dog. But another thing that strikes me about Grace is her many cat-like behaviors.
When Grace starts her day, she stretches her muscles in a way very reminiscent of the cats we had in years gone by. She loves to stalk prey (whether leaves blowing in the wind or squirrels. As mentioned last week, sometimes, she’ll switch into a zone with a toy where her antics resemble a cat with catnip. She’ll playfully get up on all fours and then pounce on whatever is the object of her current fascination. It’s very cute and fun to watch.
Exercise, Exercise
Starting at 9:00, Grace started to complain that it was time for her walk. By 9:30 she became more insistent doing the silent bark. I let her out on the balcony. She lay in the sun there waiting for me to get ready. I’m starting to work with her in safe areas without a leash. She clearly knows to keep me in view, because after she runs ahead, she’ll stop, turn, look, and wait. If she sees something that really sparks her interest, I may not be able to call her back but now sometimes I can.
On our morning trek, Grace found a dead goldfinch. She carried it to the courtyard and played with it for about ten minutes, tossing it in the air and running with it in her mouth. At 11:40, we returned. I fed her (three quarter cup) and locked her in her cage. I then went out for my run. I returned at 12:20 and opened the cage. Grace lay comfortably there and did not bother to move. By 1:30, she finally emerged and moved over into the sun by the patio door. She then got into one of her long stretched-out positions along the wall.
At 2:15, I called her back to her cage. Grace knew I was going somewhere and snapped right in there. I returned at 3:00 and let Grace out. She started complaining that she should be going out for her afternoon walk. I told her to wait and let her out on the balcony. At 3:30, I took her out. As we finished up around 4:50, Dakota came around the corner. They started playing and then Grace took off. I couldn’t call her back. It was Fraggle. Then the three went at it. They finished up around 5:30. I brought her in and fed her (three quarter cup). She wanted to do “trick for treat” so we went through her battery of commands. We still haven’t mastered “Tummy.”
We returned home, and I let Grace out on the balcony to watch for Betsy’s return. By 6:00, Grace tired of that, came in, plopped down on the sofa next to me, and passed out. When Betsy came home at 6:30, Grace stayed passed out on the sofa. After about fifteen minutes, she got down and said “Hi” to Betsy. They played for a few minutes. Grace then worked on her bully stick. At 7:45, I got ready to go downstairs to get something from the car. Grace wanted to come with me. I carried her down, got what I needed from the car, and carried her back up.
Grace lay back on the sofa next to me in one of her on-the-back contortions, to take a final snooze before bed. Betsy took her out at 8:45. They returned at 9:00. I told Grace to go to bed. She went promptly and obediently.
Tuesday
At 6:20 Grace had awakened. I got up and took her out. We returned at 6:45. Betsy played fetch with her and talked to her. Then she loaded up the Kong toy with food and gave it to her. She fed Grace (one and a quarter cup) at 7:20. Then they finished playing “fetch and tug.” Grace went out on the balcony at 7:35. She returned inside at 7:45.
At 8:30, I took Grace out for her morning explore session. We returned at 10:00. I commanded Grace to go to bed. She went obediently. I went running and then visited Mom. I returned at 12:15. I held off feeding Grace intentionally. She didn’t seem to care. After I ate, I took her outside at about 12:30. We returned at 2:00. Grace went out on the balcony for about a half hour. She then rested in my chair as I prepared to leave. I fed her lunch at 3:00 and locked her in her cage. She whined a little bit as I prepared to leave to go shopping.
At 5:15, I returned, and took Grace out for about 30 minutes. When we returned, I prepared and ate my supper. At 6:30, I fed Grace (three quarter cup). About 15 minutes later she complained that we had not had our “tricks for treats” session. I went through the list with her. “Down” without any hand signal seems to be becoming a bit of a problem. I concentrated more on that command. She is getting closer each day to mastering “Tummy.”
At 8:00, I took her out for the last time before bed. The trash needed to be taken to the dumpster, so that provided the route for our walk. Grace did fine with it. We returned at 8:20. Grace lay next to me on the sofa. Betsy called her to bed and locked her in at 9:00.
Wednesday
It was light outside at 7:10. I got up and looked around the corner. Grace didn’t see me, but I could see her awake, sitting in her cage patiently. When she saw me she whined softly. I assured her I would be there to greet her in a couple of minutes. We went downstairs at 7:15. On the way down, Grace heard Taz. Grace raced down to meet her. They played for about ten minutes. Rhino and Bella also joined in for a few minutes. When the play completed, Grace proceeded to the standard business of the walk.
We returned at 7:40 to give Grace some time with Betsy. They played “fetch and tug” and then Grace settled in to chewing on her sock and a prized stick. Betsy fed Grace (one cup) with Vitamin E at 8:15. Grace seemed to be more intent on play time this morning. We did “fetch and tug” for a few minutes. Then she curled up for a nap in the chair for a while. At 9:45, she was awakened by noises and moved to a sunny spot on the floor.
More Milesotnes
At 10:00, Grace said it was time to go. I took her for a ride to get some auto parts. We returned at noon. After getting a drink of water, she went to the sunny balcony to enjoy the outdoors. Grace came in at 1:30 and told me it was time for lunch. After lunch, we headed outside. I first, installed the part on the car while Grace stayed within view. I’ll log this as a milestone. After I finished in about a half hour, I returned the tools to the apartment.
We began our exploring. I’m trying to walk with Grace off-leash in safe areas like woods, fenced areas, or large fields. Grace is improving daily. She did a fair amount of sitting in the grass and chewing sticks. At 3:00 Dakota smelled Grace and came outside. They played for forty minutes. On the way back home, we met Bella. Grace tried to play with her for about ten minutes.
New Milestone
We returned home at 4:00. At 4:15, I went out running. What’s different this time is that I left Grace in the house but not caged. When I returned, she jumped down from her chair. Nothing was disturbed. I was able to trust Grace alone for thirty minutes without her doing anything against the rules. This is a new milestone. She got on the ottoman and passed out as I fixed a sandwich and then hit the computer.
Setback
At 6:00, Grace started to become particularly insistent on playing. We did “fetch and tug” with the sock on and off for an hour and a half. She checked repeatedly out on the balcony, but there was no Betsy to be found. Then, without further warning, I looked around the corner. Grace had just left a wet spot on the floor. She knew she had done something wrong. I scolded her briefly, ordered her in her cage, and locked the door.
Shortly after I finished cleaning up the spot. Betsy returned home. Grace was still upset from the accident, but Betsy tried to console her. I took Grace outside at 8:30. We returned at 8:45. Betsy played with Grace for fifteen minutes. At 9:00, Betsy called Grace to her cage and locked the door.
Thursday
At 6:30, Betsy awoke and started talking to me. Grace heard that and whimpered at 6:40. I took her out. She briefly played with Brantley, Rhino, and Taz. We returned at 6:40. Grace pulled me when when we went in the door. Before I could get her harness, leash, and collar off, Grace had darted to cage where Betsy had her breakfast (one and a quarter cup) waiting for her. She included the Vitamin E with it.
One advantage of the accident was that Grace had a cardboard roll to play with and shred. That was fun for about ten minutes. At 8:00, Betsy gave Grace a new dental chew to keep her occupied. Grace lay down on the sofa with me until 9:30 when she told me it was time to go out for a walk. We left at 9:40. During the walk, we were in an isolated area off of the leash. About 50 yards away was a dog that Grace spotted. She darted after it. I was unable to call her back. This is something that needs more work.
Balcony Bliss
We returned at 10:30, and Grace went out on the balcony. At 10:40, I called Grace into her cage and locked her in. She was very obedient. When I returned at 11:00, I let her out of her cage and back out on the balcony. She came in at 12:30 and asked for lunch. I fed her (three quarter cup). She started to object, but didn’t persist. Instead, she went back out on the sunny, warm balcony. I took her out for forty-five minutes, brought her back inside, called her back in her cage and locked her inside. I then left to go shopping.
I returned home at 3:45. Grace went out on the balcony again. We went out at 4:45. When we were out in the woods, I had her off of the leash. She spotted some young men who appeared suddenly and ran up to them. For the second time in the same day, I couldn’t call her off of them. At 5:30, we stopped by Fraggle’s house. Fraggle came out to play. They played for an half hour. During that time, I was able to practice calling Grace to me. Each time she came, I gave her a treat.
We returned home at 6:00. I prepared and ate my dinner while Grace lay passed out under the dining room table. Betsy returned at 6:45. Grace remained in her position under the table. At 7:00, I fed Grace her dinner (three quarter cup). I was surprised that Grace did not beat me up to do “tricks for treats.”
Sock Saga
At 7:15, Grace grabbed a clean sock and proudly pranced out into the living room with it. I took it away from her. Betsy wanted to see if we could get Grace to return it. I placed it back in her mouth and Betsy called her. It worked! Grace brought the sock back to Betsy. I then gave Grace one of the old socks we had given her for toys. That commenced more “tug and fetch” play with Betsy and me. At 7:45, Grace curled up on the sofa and snoozed.
At 8:30, Betsy took Grace outside one last time before bed. When she came in, it was non-stop sock. Betsy finally lead her to her cage at 9:30, with Grace tugging on the sock, said “Good night,” and locked her in.
Friday
At 6:45, I got up. Betsy greeted Grace. Grace was particularly sweet and responsive to Betsy’s cooing and sweet talk. At 6:55, I took Grace outside. We met and said “Good bye” to Bella, who is moving today. We returned at 7:10. Grace immediately began a “tug and fetch” session with new toy (now deboweled). We played for about ten minutes and then watched Betsy leave. When we returned, Grace wanted to play the game some more. I played for a few minutes. Finally she joined me on the sofa, curled up next to me, and took a snooze.
Where’s Breakfast?
At 8:30, Grace started to become agitated. I thought she wanted to go outside. I told her she needed to wait and invited her to sit next to me. At 9:00, I needed to go outside and check something in the car. I took Grace with me. We returned in a few minutes. While I was outside I realized I hadn’t fed her breakfast. I felt bad about not recognizing her signal at 8:30. I fed her (one cup). She acted like she wanted more play, but it was warming up pretty fast, so Grace opted for going out on the balcony.
Grace Come
At 9:30, it was time for Grace to go outside. We did our normal exploring with a little less deep woods penetration. At one point, she saw two new dogs (lab mix and shepherd mix) down in the dog walk area. She wanted to race down to play with them, but they were running loose, so I restrained her. Both dogs returned to a townhouse in the neighboring property. We also practiced calling Grace to come. Grace would spot a man walking by. Her inclination was to greet him. At that moment, I called her. She came. I gave her a treat. We repeated this two more times. We returned home at 11:00. Grace went back out to the balcony.
Cage Time
At 12:15, I needed to take the car in for maintenance. I ordered Grace into her cage, fed her lunch (half cup) and locked her up. I returned at 12:45 but needed to go running, so I left Grace locked in her cage. When I returned, I released Grace. She went on the balcony to relax in the pleasant, midday sun. At 2:15, Grace came inside. Strangely, she’s going into her cage to lay down (with the door left open). After a few minutes, she moved to lie on the floor by the balcony doors, to the ottoman, and finally on the sofa next to me.
Afternoon Walk
At 3:20, I took her outside for her afternoon walk. She found a sports drink bottle. Grace pranced proudly with her little treasure up to a grassy area. There she tossed it in the air and batted it around like a kitten with a play mouse. The fun lasted about ten minutes. Then I noticed Grace’s leash was missing. I backtracked to the wooded area where she found the bottle and located the bright pink leash.
Grace waded in the pond, explored, and tracked scents. Near the end of the walk, Grace relieved herself. While I gathered a waste bag from my pocket, I released her leash. She spotted the little Yorkie. It was too tempting. She darted off to greet the dog, ignoring my command for her to come. It’s disappointing, but I have to remember she’s still a puppy less than five months old. She’s come a long way. Getting her to set aside her love of socialization in favor of obeying our commands will be a challenge.
Winding Down
We returned home at 4:55. Grace settled in on the sofa for a nap. At 5:45, I had completed preparing and eating my supper. I gave Grace hers (one cup). When she finished, she barked once, insisting that we do “tricks for treats.” I focused more on the come command this time. When we finished, Grace jumped back on the ottoman and then the sofa awaiting Betsy’s return.
Betsy arrived at 6:30. Grace greeted her from the balcony and then at the top of the stairs. They shared affection and played fetch. We all settled in on the sofa with Grace in the middle. At 8:00, I took Grace outside. We returned at 8:15. Grace remained content with staying up, but at 9:00, Betsy called her to bed and locked her in her cage.
Saturday
Grace got up at 6:30. When Betsy took her out, it was still dark, but the time they returned, at 7:20, a new morning had dawned. Grace had a morning play session with Dakota. When they returned, Grace weighed in at 35 pounds. Betsy played fetch with Grace and then tried to put her out on the balcony while she vacuumed. That worked for only fifteen minutes.
When Grace came in, she was noticeably upset by the vacuum cleaner—even when it was not running. I was doing paperwork in the other room also. That may have something to do with it, but for some reason, Grace whined repeatedly until I came out to comfort her. At 9:00, she came into my room and picked up debowelled new toy that Betsy had washed and laid out to dry. She took it to the living room to play “tug and fetch.”
Grace has raised “tug and fetch” to a whole new level. It’s now “tug, wrestle, and fetch.” She stands up on her hind legs and uses her front paws and claws to bring my arm into submission. I have not alternative other than to drop the toy and grab it again or be scratched. We finished our play at 9:15. I moved back into the office. Grace followed me there, curled up on the floor contentedly, and took a nap.
At 9:40, we could hear a bird chirping near the window. Grace got up, stood on her back legs with her front legs supporting herself on an eighteen-inch high window sill. She looked outside intently until the sound stopped. Then she lay back down. I got dressed to go running, but as Grace saw me head for the door, she wanted me to take her out. We returned at 11:00. Betsy was finishing up vacuuming. Grace went back out on the balcony.
I left to run some errands at 12:15 and returned at 1:00. My car had been parked under a pine tree. The finish was a disaster. I decide to take it in to have it washed and waxed. I left at 1:30 and returned at 3:30.
While I was out, Betsy took Grace to Bond Park. She loves wading in the shallow water. Betsy says she becomes bolder each time venturing out further. They returned at 4:30. Grace lounged around as we prepared for a dinner guest. Betsy gave Grace a bath with olive oil soap at about 5:30. Grace did fine with the quick bath and did her usual running around to dry off.
Our guest came at 6:00. Grace had no inclination to be defensive toward him. Instead, she wanted to sit next to him on the love seat. I told her “off” because she’s not allowed on that piece of furniture. Our guest left at 9:10. Grace went outside for the final time before bed. Grace lay on the chair. She blended in with the black leather. As she curled up so comfortably it was as if she was saying, “I’ll stay here for the night. I’ll be just fine.” Betsy didn’t want to risk it. She called her to her cage and locked her in for the night.