PROGRESS AND AN OVERNIGHT GUEST

I don’t know why there are no applications for Chief.  Everyone that meets him really likes him.  He is a great looking dog for starters and once he gets past the uncertainty of a new introduction with someone he is really a big suck who loves attention.   He is making great progress in all areas and is eager to please with the right motivation.   He is walking really well on leash, rides well in the truck, hardly ever barks at anything (not even when someone knocked on my door yesterday).  He plays well with other dogs and has good recall. 

CHIEF - ready for his close-up

On Thursday night we had a visitor.  Mattisue (now shortened to Mattie) came for an overnighter while her family went out of town.  When she came to me I was at dinner in Richmond with some friends and I put her in the front of the truck and Chief was in the back.  When we got home I took Mattie in the house first and then brought Chief in second.  They wagged tails, did the appropriate sniffing and then really could have cared less about each other while we set about putting food down for them.  After dinner we went out for a walk. It was a pretty rainy night, so out came the raincoats.  They both looked so cute I had to catch a photo.   They walked really well on leash together too.  I love walking two well behaved dogs!

Back at home to watch a bit of TV before bedtime and they both wanted on the couch.  Chief was a bit growly as he didn’t seem to love sharing his side of the couch so he was awarded with getting pushed off.  Back up on the couch a while later he was much better and later in the evening even tried to initiate play with Mattie.  She was settled in for the night and didn’t want much part of that though, so Chief left her alone. 



'Gee your hair smells terrific'



Mattie is such a cutie and with her
hair grown fuller she looks more like a pup

 

Mattie went home on Friday night and boy was she happy to see her family again.  After that me and Chief headed out to New West for a ‘growly class’ put on by Shannon (http://www.yogadog.ca/).  She had invited us knowing it might be a good fit for Chief to work through introductions and she was right.  It was at the Bosley’s store in New West and each dog was down a different aisle while the dogs, one by one, went past each aisle and they had to learn to relax and reduce their stress.  It was the perfect controlled environment for me to work with Chief as the dog park is just full of too many excited dogs, having fun and not always in control. 

On Saturday we went for our first off leash walk with a friend and her dog that Chief already knows very well.  We went to Annacis Island to a stretch of path where you’d never find another soul or dog, especially on a rainy weekend.   Chief had a great time ripping off some built-up energy and at the end of the walk the two dogs chased the ball.  The ride home consisted of Chief sitting up at the back window pretending to look out, but his eyes were closed and his head was bobbing as he fought to stay awake.  I love a tired, happy dog!

 

'can I come in yet?'

Today, I was thinking that I can’t believe that after so many times of asking Chief to not come through the door at the same time and push me aside, that he still tries to do it, and I think ‘why can’t you stop yourself from that impulse?’...and on the same day I was thinking that I wish there were certain foods I could keep in the house and ration them out for myself.  If I get a container of popcorn kernels I can pretty much guarantee that I will eat a bowl of popcorn every night until the container is gone.  After each night I think “okay, that’s it, I will save the popcorn until weekends” but by the next evening I’m standing at the stove making some.  So I suppose I really do understand the difficulty of controlling yourself from doing something you really want to do, no matter the consquences.  Me and Chief are both works in progress, and I will be extra patient with him.

 

p.s. I'm typing this after Chief patiently waited at the door for me to take his picture (mind you I wasn't trying to go through the door at the same time) and I am popcorn free tonight. (for now)