Moving Forward

                                                                  
Yesterday was back into the work routine for my foster home.   I'm not quite adjusted yet to this 5 days of one routine and 2 days of a different one but FM says I'm smart enough I can figure it out.  

FM and I had a talk last night about how she was starting to think after this weekend that I really just had regressed back past where I started.  See this weekend I really wasn't interested in her treats or or attempts to woo me with food and love.   I just wasn't in the mood.   She kinda made me mad with this new rule about getting out of my crate and doggie jail if SHE took me out.   I figured I'd show her.

So FM said she went back out and reread the information on doggie calming signals - which I know very well and apparently she forgot some of them.   She realized that maybe she needed to just back off some on the holding and touching and all.  She already "got" that I didn't like her looking me in the eye and coming up to me facing forward but she said she'd forgotten that she shouldn't smile at me and she shouldn't hold me tight when she picked me up.   Of course she did explain to me that she has to hold on to me tight enough that if I start flailing around (which I sometimes do when I wig out) that I don't fall on my head!

I did feel comfortable enough last evening to even do some sniffing around the living room while FM was actually IN the living room sitting in her chair reading.   I quickly shut off though if she looked like she might get up!

This morning went better and I really do like that she isn't trying to be all cuddly with me.   Meanwhile, doggie jail is still where I go during the day and those other sneaky cresteds stole what was left of my knuckle bone yesterday (it was small enough they could pull it through the jail bars).   Today I have the stuffed kong, the kong ball (which I haven't figured out how to get the cookies out of yet) and the buster cube to keep me busy.  
                                                                                        

I'm back!

                                                                       
Louie here!  Did you think FM wasn't going to let me say anything more after the incident with the wall thingie?   Well she did hold her promise to make me safe and makes me stay in doggie jail (the xpen) when she is gone from the house but it really isn't all that bad.   She gave me a huge knuckle bone to chew on (which by the way is almost gone after 3 days) and has been giving me this other toy called a Buster Cube.  Now that thing is interesting.  I hear stuff rattling around inside of it and if I move it around just so, it spits out food!  How cool is that!   She also has given me another toy called a Kong and it looks like this red rubber toy but she puts this goop inside of it and freezes it and then I can lick it out.  Intresting.   She said that it will help keep me busy while I'm in jail.  I also have my water and two beds.  

I am started to get a little more relaxed when FM is home now.   I discovered that I really don't need to get up and go into a reactive mode every time she gets out of her chair or off the couch.   Amazing how much more sleep I can get.  And I have started to play some with the other dogs but ONLY when FM isn't in the room.  Don't want her thinking I'm that comfortable yet.

This weekend was jammie washing weekend so all us naked dogs are really naked.  FM said it would be okay since she started up the wood stove to make the house really toasty warm - and it is.   She also put me on her lap once today and looked over some of my skin.  She said something weird is going on with some of my spots on my body (I am spotted btw) as they aren't growing hair like everywhere else, so she thinks they might be old scars from something.  They don't bother me but do make me look more spotty than I really am.

This week FM said she was going to "step it up" with my training.   Now she doesn't let me get out of my crate on my own (otherwise known as the flying freaky leap) and in order to get out of doggie jail, I have to let her pick me up.  All in addition to her picking me up to put me in.   It don't bother me as much in the morning when she does it as it does later in the day.  FM said that's because I've not had the day to think about it.   I wish I could explain to her what others have done to me while picking me up, taking me out of my crate and what they've done to me while I'm in my crate. 

FM is feeling better so I think I'm in for it with the stuff she calls "training".  She is doing more of it with the other dogs too.   Must be a "spring thing".   I have to say though, these toys with food are really cool and I've actually got some fat on me now so all my bones aren't sticking out.

New Hobby

                                                                          
FM wanted me to let you all know that she's not turned me in on a new model -- yet!   Last week seemed pretty sad for her so I really just hung out with the other dogs and she didn't make me "do" anything special.

But alas, things picked up at the house this past weekend when FM's boyfriend came and stayed a couple days.  Interesting guy.  I totally wigged when he walked in Saturday.   Couldn't find a place in the house where he wouldn't see me so I ran outside a lot.   Hey, he's a big guy and he's a PEOPLE!  Ohhh gawwddddd!  But as the day progressed he was still there (doesn't he get it - I didn't want him there).   Sunday morning though he came out of the bedroom and looked at me and yawned and licked his human lips.  Weird.   He told FM he was giving me calming signals -- well it did look a little "dog like" but he's NOT a dog!  I did kind of relax though as it seemed he maybe did know some "dog language" after all.   I guess he can visit and maybe I'll get used to him.   Hrmphhhh.

Oh but the big news is I found a new hobby.  Okay FM said it is destructo-dog hobby but hey!   You see I just am not finding these new crested dogs all that interesting during the day, nor is the box full of toys really catching my eye, nor are the numerous already chewed-on bones.   So Monday I decided to try tasting the remote control.  Hmmmm, little hard to get into but not bad and I was on a limited time control - FM was just outside shoveling.   Now mind you, she knows I was the one that chewed the corner of her leather couch (which got me banned to the family room with the other dogs when she is gone).   But yesterday, oh yesterday, I found that there are these clever strips of wood on the panels of wood in the family room.   Hey, a challenge I said to myself!!!  So there I was thinking to myself, wonder how that tastes.   Let's find out.  Pulllll pulll, POP!  Off it came.  Chomp chomp, hmmm, it doesn't taste all that good. 

Not a dog toy!!!???

Now, FM had to have a one-on-one with me last night.   She said, all the "stuff" on the floor that looksl like dog toys or dog bones - those I can have, the walls, rugs, upholstery are off limits.    But since I really couldn't bring myself to look in her eyes (still) she decided that I'd be much safer (and so would the house) if I was penned up today.  Golly darnit anyway.  This looks like a crate without the roof!   But whalllaaaa there is a REAL bone in there that no one else has tasted......we'll see how the day goes!

Not Forgotten

                                                              
FM wanted me to tell you all she's not forgotten me or all of you.   I noticed it has been a kind of stressful couple of weeks in my new home and FM said it is because a couple of the boys have been really really sick.  So on Tuesday she took them for a ride and helped them continue their trip to a place she called "The Bridge".   Now what the heck is that?   I hardly have my feet planted on this place called "The Earth" and now she's talking about "The Bridge"?   She explained that it is the place all us critters go when our time on "The Earth" is over and we start a new journey.   She said it is a wonderful place and that the two boys are now healthy and happy and being goofy and playing there.

Meanwhile she is back to paying attention to me.  Not so sure I like that.  I've been doing my best to keep up my Jeckyl and Hyde act - I'm myself when she's not around and then the moment I notice she's paying attention to me or coming back into the room, I quick shut it off.   Don't want her to think I'm getting comfy here or coming out of my shell!   She said the other night she should have named me Hyde - what!!!???  

Last night we worked on cuddling.  Now that is a weird deal.   When she picks me up (I'm up to 3 times a day and not liking it), she holds me up where I don't have to see her eyes and just talks to me and strokes my back.   She calls it de-sensitizing.  

So I guess it is back to the program for me.   I kinda back slid this past couple weeks with FM so pre-occupied but I will do my best to catch back up!

Crazy

                                                                
FM wanted me to tell you that she's sorry she hasn't been typing in my progress reports this week.  Most of the dog family here has been sick with the "crud" she calls it as has she so I've not been getting much individual attention and she hasn't really felt like blogging much.  She promises once everyone is back to healthy we'll all get back on the training bus!  Stay tuned!