We had a couple of big wins today! First, I’m pretty sure Annie knows her name. She’s beginning to respond when called and is eagerly receiving affection.
I like to change dogs’ names when they’ve come from difficult situations. One of the most common mistakes people make when scolding or correcting their dogs is to use their names with a negative tone. We, as humans, understand context so much better than dogs. If I’m annoyed with my sister and I say, “Megan!” in an exasperated tone she usually knows why. Dogs are much simpler and they equate the sound of the word with the behavior connected to it. When you scold your dog by growling or shouting, “Fido!” they may come to fear their name. I like to give them a fresh start.
Today Annie showed us that she knows who she is and she likes it! We introduced her to her bunkmates, Ava and Evie, and to packmate, Maisey. These four girls are all very close in age and have all the ingredients to be an incredible girl band. I loved watching her embrace having friends her own age.
She had a great solo lesson with Zach and was introduced to place and stay. That’s 4 out of the 6 basic commands she’s begun to embrace. We also introduced her to some new people and have a working theory. She may be leash-reactive. I’m not quite ready to make a full declaration just yet but it appears she gets nervous and acts out when she feels cornered. It’s fairly common and fairly easy to modify so we will see.
I’m already feeling that familiar urge to say, “Come on, sweet girl, come sleep upstairs with us.” However, I will stay strong. I will do this baby no favors by adding a bad habit on top of the wonderful new good ones we are making! When she finds the perfect home she will be a great snuggle buddy for her forever family, I will just be content in her allowing me to rub her belly and tell her how amazing she is going to be.
Please enjoy the pictures of Annie’s day; follow her story on this page and visit Char-Wills to complete an application for adoption.
Leave a Reply