Journal What issues have occurred while you have had your dog at home? What do you like most about having the dog with you and what has been the most difficult?
Poor Violet, one of my classmates! She has made the incredibly tough dicision to stop team training due to her health. Her health is more important, though, and I pray she is able to return to another team training in the near future. Thank you, Violet, for your honesty and bravery!
Today was a fun day, since we went shopping at Longwood Village with all our dogs. TJ Max was the most challenging, because we had to use our door leashes on our dogs to help us open the front doors, which opened in an outward direction. We had to do retrieval commands in the store, as well as most of the other stores we visited, while we tried to get some personal shopping done. Oh, and this morning McLean pooped again, making it now two days in a row And showing he is definitely comfortable to poop in my presence!
Following a long afternoon at the villages we were able to bring home our dogs until the end of team training, and we hope they remain at our homes for a long time! Showbo and McLean first met each other in our front grassy area, with Showbo barking at a confused, yet interested, McLean. They sniffed each other in a normal place for dogs to sniff each other, and then they were satisfied enough to enter the house. It was past time for McLeans supper, and I decided to feed him and give Showbo an earlier supper than usual. Both dogs are eating two different foods, and each dog showed interest in the others food. It was a huge challenge to feed both dogs when being unable to use any vision to monitor them at the same time. Ugh; what a difficult task!
My children were obedient about touching McLean or interacting with him. They focused all their doggy desires on Showbo, unfortunately for Showbo. However, Showbo got more treats, hugs and kisses than usual. McLean now has a middle name; McLean big ears Garozzo, kindly given to him by Domino. I used Showbo as bait when I told Carolena she could brush Showbo after I finished brushing McLean.
So this entry is getting hard to follow, but I am almost done.
McLean is such a gentle man! He stays out of Showbos way and allows her to do what she wants. The perfect example of this idea came at bedtime. I bought an extra large bed for McLean, but Showbo ignored her own bed and layed there first. McLean did not put up a fight and layed with half his body on his bed and the other half his body on the floor. His size and position sure made it hard to go the bathroom in the middle of the night. We all survived the sleeping locations, though!
It is great having a canine companion by my side again when I am walking. I do battle my wills every time I need help, or want help, with jobs with which I always used Showbo. I do; however, know McLean is very young and naïve after only one week of team training. We can only perform most tasks with our dogs if a trainer is present or we get a trainers permission. Do not want to corrupt McLean and his expertise training!
Ok, going to the Blue Rocks game tomorrow, and I must do some things, anything around the house.
Do want to let you know McLean has a lot of fur!