Working Hard to Be Your Dog

On Thursday, Belize and I went to the East Atlanta Farmer's Market.  There were loud motorcycles, other dogs (some that were friendly and some that were not), lots of people, lots of food, and even a cat that tried to chase us down the street!  It was a little overwhelming.  Belize was searching for friends and comfort, but when someone would reach out to her she would get so excited she would jump on them, lick them, and even gently mouth their hands a little bit.  I realized I had rushed her into this event too quickly.  She had been crated while I was at work, and then I took her straight into a whirlwind of energy and things that spark the senses.  I was glad she loved everyone so much, but I knew she had not mastered the art of greetings.  I took her on a walk around the neighborhood and then circled back.  We sat in a calm area, apart from the festivity, and tried to "settle."  I gave her treats when she seemed to be more relaxed and then I brought her home.

Today, we have been doing training drills on and off throughout the day.  We are working on "leave it" and "off," along with teaching her to sit when she wants attention or is greeting me at the door (refrigerator, wherever).  She is working hard and learning quickly.  She is still a puppy, and she is still so excited to have someone pay attention to her, so you can tell it takes all of her mental power and self-control to do what you ask her to,  but she so badly wants to please (or get a nip of hotdog--we are in the stage of high-value rewards) and so she does it.  I am so impressed and proud of her.  She is going to be a great dog for someone because she will do anything to be with them, impress them, make them laugh, and console them when things get rough.  She likes the treats, but she lives for "good girl" and an ear scratch so we use that as a reward frequently too.

BUT no one wants to work all day so we try to play a lot too!  We did a fun impromptu photo shoot for Stubby's Heros.  They are being kind enough to post us on their Facebook page--what a wonderful group!

Belize is available for adoption.  If you or someone you know might be interested, please have them contact me at mckelvey.laura731@gmail.com