Saturday, March 16

Another day of sleep and food and not much else. She was much more relaxed outside today, though not even close to where she needs to be... but hey, it's not even been a week. I think she is doing splendidly, all things considered.

Clicker training is going well, she's a neophyte but seems to be picking it up nicely. Sam of course, is only there for the treats and boy oh boy is he harvesting them. He is going to gain weight shamefully... I think I really need to have blood panels done again to see if he has some systemic condition that allows him to gain weight so fast, on so little (call that wishful thinking). He DOES drink a lot of water, and is possibly the laziest dog I have ever encountered!

I've taken her out back a number of times, very short forays every time, on a fixed and very short leash. Mostly, she sees the chickens and becomes intensely focused on them but not any more to the point that she's stiff as a board and ready to rush them. Now, she will look at me quickly when I demand her attention (and then look back immediately). She willingly turns around and goes back inside to lavish praise and a treat, but won't take a treat from my hand while looking at them outside. I'll consider it progress when she does, and am experimenting on which treats have the highest value to her. Twice she saw the rabbit and fixated more strongly on her than the chickens, but did not try to rush her like before. Both times I let her look a very short while (less than one minute) before turning and going back inside. I'm very satisfied with our progress.

I did notice when I moved my hand very fast around her head, she flinched strongly and squeezed her eyes shut. Quite a telling reaction.

On the leash outside, she still pulls strongly. Yesterday and today, I began the full stop each time she'd really lean into the line, moving forward only when she'd relax the tension on the line. It's too soon to see real progress but I think she is starting to understand what I want... the tension lightens quite quickly now.

Today we encountered a passel of teenage girls right in front of my front door when we left the house, and she didn't try to rush them or bark at them. That's also progress.

She is eating like a champion and is going through staggering amounts of food. She polished almost a week's supply in two days!!! Where Sam eats less than he should according to the general BARF rule of thumb, I think she will need more than the average dog. Perhaps the next deworming dosage will make a difference, but I doubt it.

All my couch are belong to her... Ruby, I really think her name will be Ruby.