Walking Along the Road

You wouldn't think that walking along the side of the road on a leash would be a major feat for a dog but... when you are Thea it is a miracle!

Today Thea wanted to go out the front door. She has become wonderfully curious about what is beyond her boundries... the bathroom, the laundry room, the dining room, the garage, the front door. So, today I clipped the leash on her and said... "Let's go" and walked right out the front door with her. Don't get me wrong, she was a bit jumpy but she walked down the sidewalk to the decorative stone, walked over that to the grass, came back over the driveway and walked right down to the street. She sniffed the garage door, the plants, the grass and the cars but she kept going!

Thea has a bad habit of trying to bite on her leash. She sits back on her bum with the leash in her mouth as if to say... Ut, uh, not doing that. But, today she did very little leash biting. She actually seemed to enjoy walking with me.

I think there is hope for our sad little girl.

Oh, did I mention, she has a gouge in her ear. Perhaps she got into a fight with another dog, perhaps she was abused by a human but her poor pointed ear is more like a forked ear. It just makes her all the more beautiful! What a sweet, precious, brave girl she is.

Agility Show - November 30, 2009

We had another great adventure in packing into the RV for a four day trip to an agility show. Thea didn't want to stay in her crate during the 2 1/2 hour drive north. She stayed mostly on the couch and didn't seem stressed in the least! Another wonderful breakthrough.

Thea got to walk on leash each day while we were at the show. She was best when there wasn't too much action going on. By Sunday I was able to take her around the perimeter of the property and we walked right down the main drive way with the agility ring to our left and the vendors to our right! She is a champ!!! Her tail was up and wagging throughout the walk!

Her trouble seemed to be in coming down the steps out of the RV. We had the x-pens set up right outside the RV so all she had to do was walk down 4 little steps... she just doesn't seem to "get it". Going up is much easier for her.

While she was outside in the x-pen she stayed pretty much in one corner lying on her belly but she did venture around the pen a few times.

She was so happy to get home! She ran and played in the yard. I think it is giving her security to keep coming home to the same place.

A day at the beach - November 22, 2009

Today we got adventurous and tried going to the beach. Mary, who knows Jane, who knows a lady who owns a house on the beach invited us to bring our gang to the beach each weekend. The most we've had on the beach at one time was 18 dogs!

Well, it was a bit much for Thea. I made the mistake of taking her down to the beach instead of just staying by the pool. It was just too much for the poor girl so I carried her back up to the pool area which is completely fenced in. She stayed in one corner the whole time. I could not coax her out so I brought Trik up to try to make her feel more comfortable which worked a little bit. When the other dogs joined us she started coming out of her shell. Jane sat with Thea for a while making her feel safer. By the time we were ready to leave she was coming up by the pool and getting more adventurous.

It was an exciting and exhausting day for this brave big girl.

Doggie Door II - November, 21, 2009

I just caught Thea sticking her head out of the doggie door in the kennel room! Oh, my... she may just be getting bold enough to follow one of the others out the door! What an achievement that will be!

One day...

Be careful what you wish for - November 18, 2009

Actually, it is a wonderful sign when Thea has to be reprimanded! She started chewing on a shelf in my office. I traded her for a chew bone and she has not gone back to chewing on the shelf! Yeah!

New travels to the office - November 17, 2009

I am so sick and tired of Thea living only in the doggie room and the family room... she is scared to death of doorways... so today I picked her up and carried her into my office. I have a big doggie pillow on the floor in here. I set her down at the farthest point from the door which is by my desk chair. She sniffed around a bit then scurried over to the big pillow where she rested a bit. She didn't have a bit of trouble going out the office door. Now she is in and out of the office all day.

Poor Thea just slips and slides across the tile floor. I've given her massages and realize her muscle tone is so poor, she is just mush.

I trimmed the hair around her pads today. It was so terribly long. I think it has been hindering her traction on the tile floors. She just layed in my lap and let me have my way. How can she be so trusting after all she has been through???

Doggie Door - November 15, 2009

Thea traveled all the way from her crate to the deck without having to be picked up!!! And... she went through the doggie door all by herself!

Incredible that these 2 insignificant acts are such an accomplishment for this little girl.