Doggy Daddy Boot-camp

"Can... Can I wake him up yet?
...How 'bout now?"

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Well, this morning Leia went to stretch and collapsed to the floor again. I think her back left leg either almost dislocated or just failed to support her. She limped on it for just a second and then was ok but I know how scary that can be. She placed herself at my feet and is resting. It worries me because I know her back hips look/feel fragile and don't want them to actually fully dislocate. Knowing this also sheds a bit more light on why she might be protective of her hindquarters.

In the mornings Leia has been pretty good about letting Daddy sleep once I get her up (right now the little anchor is laying on my foot) but sometimes she will sit near the door and peek in or look back and forth between me and the door as if to say "so, can I go get him up now?"

"Sniff" = potty time

This week has been about passing the torch to Tom. Next week he is taking on all of her care so we've been going over her routine. Leia is his first dog and he is loving it, but it does take some adjustment.

At night we have been practicing how to walk her and discussing which ways work best. At first Leia didn't respect him on the walk, because she just assumed "eh, you don't know how walks go sooo I'll just pull ya along." but soon she realized Daddy knew the rules and techniques too and began following him like she follows me. Passing along training tips opens communication between us and seems to help our relationship too.

I can tell Tom is proud and actually enjoying it. It gives him a chance to bond with her as well as establish that he and I (on the power tree) are at an equal level and Leia is bellow us, instead of the power tree a few days ago where it was Mommy at the top and Daddy and Leia were about equal (from her perspective). This is a much needed improvement and you can see it in how she behaves with him. She is challenging him a bit (just like she challenges me) but she is learning and He is making me proud.

(Practicing "Sit" and going on our walk)

On an amusing note, the other night it was time for Leia to get in bed. She was resting by the couch so I gently called for her. No dice. I picked up the treat box and shook it. With that, Leia leaped to her feet, ran to her crate, skidded in and stood wagging, waiting for her treat. I was pleasantly stunned. I had expected the noise to maybe get her to her feet and wandering over but this was even better. We praised her, gave her the cookie, and put her to bed.

She has been getting much better about bed time and isn't fussing at night anymore (as she has realized that he isn't leaving and so it's ok for us to go to bed at night, neither of us is "gone forever"). Sometimes she will dodge the crate the first time to see if maybe I'll give her the treat and let her just not go to be but when she realizes that isn't gonna happen, she settles in for bed time.

As far as her health goes, her ears are looking better, to me. She is doing well with the drops but still isn't a fan of cleaning. She loves her bed and toys and will often pile all her toys around her bed so she can just lay there and play with one at a time. She "detagged" all of her stuffed animals yesterday morning (and luckily did not eat the tags!).

We've just about killed her first 40lb bag of food (or was it 35lb?) and she is still eating well (especially when she gets peanut butter mixed in to the water we put over her food). 

 It's also amusing to consider how her love of toys has transformed. When she first came home she acted like she wasn't sure what to do with toys. Now, on a regular basis, she is running through the apartment thrashing her penguin or triceratops, batting her ball around, or chewing her bone. We are both thrilled with out girl and while training continues, she is definitely part of the family and a huge part of our lives.

Tom tries to plan things so we don't have to leave her alone for long and is interested in ways to continue her training. This is a big change for him because up until now, he has had two pets, a fish for about a week, and a street cat for about a day (until it was diagnosed with a terminal disease). I can tell he wants to be a good doggy-daddy and watching his compassion and care for her blossom is so cool.

While it has been a busy week, and I haven't had much time to post, it has also been an exciting one filled with growth and positive changes.


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