The Good Life

It's obvious to us that Melia hasn't spent a heck of a lot of time as a family dog.  She doesn't know commands (sit, shake, stay) or language (no, bath, walk, run, out) yet, but she's getting better responding to her name, "come" and "out", and she seems to be pretty well crate-trained.  We've found her hanging out in her crate during the day (as if on cue, she just gave up a bone in the snuggle bed and trotted into to her crate for a little snooze).  On Monday, her first day in the house alone with Toby, we put her in the crate when we left for work.  I came home early to check on her and she had managed to get out of the crate.  But strangely enough, there was a little rug wadded up in her crate.  It's a mystery.  I figure she managed to get the crate open, explored the house, got her toenail caught on one of the little kitchen rugs and drug it back into her crate.  Her toenail wasn't damaged or bleeding, but there were some snags on the rug.

The next day, I used a clip to make sure she couldn't get out of the crate.

Even though she doesn't mind the crate, she's a bit of a 4 year old when it comes time for bed.  Her favorite spot in the evening is the snuggle bed-- which is in the living room where all of our evening action takes place.  I think she knows when we're getting ready for bed and she plays dead in the snuggle bed.  No amount of coaxing, bribery or commands can get her up out of that snuggle bed and into the crate independently.  Now, I'm no doggie psychologist, but my best guess here is that she wants to be with us and when we go to bed, she gets locked in her crate while Toby gets to snuggle up in bed.  I think it's pure manipulation on her part!

Don't get me wrong... she's not a conniving little pup.  She is a real love bug.  The back yard is an acre, fenced in.  After work today, I walked back with the dogs to monitor any digestive issues she might be having with the change of scenery and the antibiotics she's taking.  I saw nothing because she wouldn't leave my side.  This is a dog that simply wants to be with me.  She doesn't follow me room to room, like Doji did.  But she keeps an eye on me.  She wants to be with one of us.  She's content being in her crate if she can see/hear us.  If we go out of the house, she wants to be out of the house.  If we're out and we go in, she wants to be in.  This was quite annoying this afternoon as I went in and out a few times while grilling dinner.  I actually stepped on her!  Instead of getting out of the way, she plays her only move-- flop down and play dead at your feet.

I'm not the only one she flops down one.  She plays with Toby quite a bit.  Toby doesn't necessarily play back.  Yesterday, she would nip at his feet and then immediately flop over on her back to show Toby her belly.  I called it her WWF (world wrestling federation) move.  She nipped and flopped, nipped and flopped, nipped and flopped.  Toby just kind of looked at her with an expression that said, "what do you want me to do?".  Eventually, he wandered away during a flop.  Her energy level is increasing with each day and I'm almost on the verge of saying she's a puppy!  She certainly plays like one.  Maybe she just had such a miserable and loveless puppyhood, that her true puppy is coming out now.