Day 3

Well, today lots of progress was made, mostly in the way of our pack dynamics!

Bean is getting more and more comfortable around the boys, although it's still a rocky road. She's intimidated by their size, and she is used to being close to the top of the pack (as she was in her first home) whereas in this one she's bound to be on the bottom. She's not liking this adjustment, but with the boys being so big, that's how it's got to be - although she'd admirably defend her rank in a tussle with the boys, there'd be too much risk of her getting injured because of her size and her back (you always have to look out for a doxie's back, it's a fragile spine since it's so long!). If she's on the bottom and can be firmly assured there was no chance for her to get higher and could come to accept that role, she would not have to be pushy and fight to protect her position. And that's good. I don't want a crazy yappy pushy little dog - I want at dog that is happy with it's place in life and knows that it's where it should be.

Now, becoming the omega female is hard for little Bean. She doesn't want to give up things she thinks are "hers" and this guarding behavior is NOT acceptable. So I, being the higher up, occasionally take her toys when she's not playing with them and give those toys to the big dogs. This says to the big dogs "anything you want of hers, you don't have to nicely ask - you're higher up in the pack than she is" and says to Bean "you may like your things, but if the bigger dogs really want it, you don't have much of a say about it." The boys have exclusive rights to their food, and if Bean tries to nose in when they're eating or try to guard it, she gets shooed away. Bean occasionally barks at the big dogs when they nose her (they're not pushing her or even hurting her in any way at all, but she freaks out at them!). When she barks at the dogs, I've squirt her with a squirt bottle that I've taken to carrying around. I try to be sneaky about it so she doesn't know where it comes from - I don't want her to associate the startle and unpleasant wet with ME instead of with the BARKING. And she's already starting to understand that barking at the boys or showing them any kind of genuine aggression means bad things. Today Baccio took a toy and ran around the back yard with it, and when Bean and Samson chased him, Bean was wagging her tail! She hardly ever does that except for when I'm playing with her or when she's being praised for a good piddle or poo!

On that front (the potty training one) there were lots of successes, and only one failure. She got under the table when we were all at dinner, and she (seriously, how ew is this) peed right next to my foot, getting my sock wet. I had JUST taken her outside not 5 minutes before and the whole time we'd been out she'd walked around and chewed on the grass (she does it ALL the time when she's outside...only the long stuff. I don't know what's up with that but it's cute as hell) so it was just an honest accident on her part. Being that it was the only failure and there were so many successes, I'm overall SUPER proud of her - especially her last outing of the night where she peed AND pooed in one trip! Who ever knew I'd be so excited about a dog's elimination and excretion? I can't wait for the day when she just feels like she has to go, and walks HERSELF outside to do it. Oh, that will be a glorious day!

Her anxiety has improved as well. She will sleep in her bed on the floor next to me while I sit in the lazyboy watching tv or reading my book, and she's come to realize that jumping on my leg and whining for attention has the opposite effect. In order to earn my attention she has to sit and look at me patiently - and even then, sometimes I won't. It's on my terms. I know puppies need to be played with a lot and never doubt we play until she's tuckered several times a day, but nothing is free when it comes to training! Sometimes I just can't help picking her up and having her fall asleep on my lap...but it's a rare treat. She might be called a "lap dog" but knowing that she'll see it as getting to treat a the top dog in the pack like her personal throne, I know it's something that would undermine my training.

Finally, crate training. I'm not using the crate to potty train her, I'm using the direct method. But her crate is where she sleeps at night, and I think she's coming to accept that inevitability. Last night she barked for a half an hour straight, and then gave up. Tonight she barked only for 10 minutes! I think it helps that she can hear the sleeping sounds of the boys, as they're kenneled right next to her. My hope is that she feels like she's more in the pack this way. <3

I always feel like there's more I can say about our days together. Until we get the potty training and the anxiety straightened out she occupies the majority of my day's focus - but once she settles in and pees where she's supposed to I won't worry about her as much. She is just a puppy in a very new place with very new rules. And I just know that if I'm consistent and patiant with her, she's going to be the awesomest little dog ever!

Commands we know (wip = work in progress!):
sit
out (for the kitchen - she's not allowed to wander about my feet and trip me when I'm cooking and whatnot!)
no (haha, most of the time)
down
stand (wip)
wait (wip)
HER NAME! Today she responds readily to it!
go to bed (wip0
kennel up!

That's all for this day! Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. <3

- me