Wednesday, 10/20/2010
It was certainly an interesting day. I spent part of the morning packing and the rest playing with the pups.
Without Grace to challenge Gimme and being more than a little possessive of her newly selected person, she was being quite the little twit. While Tana cleaned up the puppy area in the sun room, I sat with the pups on the deck, entertaining them by being a human chew toy. Gimme decided that no one should be allowed to sit in my lap. Whenever she saw someone there, she'd come over and press in between us. If they didn't move off voluntarily, she would drive them away. One puppy made the mistake of coming back to my lap later (for the second time) and Gimme got quite mad about it, persisted in driving her off and wasn't accepting her submissive behaviors as a cue to cease the attack. So I intervened and chastised my girl, which of course resulted in another pouting episode, but at least she got the hint and took it down a notch or two.
I think she may not be impressed by her first 8 hours with her newly captured person. She rode as carry-on luggage and was severely disappointed with that experience. Never having been confined before, she made it very clear that it wasn't what she signed up for. Often attacking her puppy buddy in frustration. Peanut butter in her baby Kong was the only positive in that experience. She found the airport experience taxing, but bounced back after short breaks and did well on the flight, falling asleep after cleaning out her Kong one more time.
People were fascinated and captivated by her. She gives cute a whole new dimension and EVERYONE wanted to touch her. The flight crew loved her and were constantly checking on her - admiring her sleeping. Gimme has her own agenda, so time spent in a Sherpa bag is not on her list. She just knows she is the center of the universe and we hear reports that Colorado tipped when our plane took off. Auntie Tana said it was pretty scary at first, but that things have settled down now.
Uncle Michael hates her and barked at her - she thinks he's aberrant, really aberrant. Meaggi isn't sure what to think of her, and I think Meaggi is just reeeeeally hoping she's not going to be a pain in the heiney like someone else she knows. Meaggi watches her a lot and so Gimme barks at her from her crate.
This puppy is scary-smart and will be everything I ever want for a performance dog, but I have no doubt she will challenge me along the way. As I was eating lunch, she came over to beg her share, trying to climb into my lap. I just waited and when she finally sat, I popped a goodie in her mouth. It only took that one treat and after that she'd play for a minute, then run over and sit for another treat. She even did one tuck sit. She comes from a rawfed litter and has never had that gangly out-of-balance experience, so she's very coordinated. Anyway, back to the scary smart - hours later in the airport, despite all the stress and distraction, whenever she wanted something (like getting picked up), she would come right up and sit in front of me. That has already become her default and now she's learning that sometimes it doesn't work (can you say variable schedule of reinforcement). For instance sitting as a demand to get out of a crate doesn't work (nor does barking, screaming, killing your puppy buddy or dozens of other behaviors).
When we got home, it took her less than 2 minutes to climb to the top and perch on the wire edge of the expen in the living room, ready to leap to freedom. Gimme is having a little difficulty accepting the concept of confinement and separation. Mostly she just screams her objections for a really long time. Her persistence will one day be an attractive behavior, but not the way she is using it now. I'm really having to work to stand my ground, since its an absolute necessity. Not to mention that with her personality, if I give in now, she'll rule my life for the next 15 years.
LAUGH OF THE DAY - All seven of the people in the airport who asked me how long it takes for the spots to turn black. I told them I hoped NEVER, since I'd waited a long time to get another liver spotted Dalmatian.
BUMMER OF THE DAY - The idiot woman who was in line behind me to get on the plane and had to share with me her stupid opinions that I was being cruel and abusive to keep Gimme in the Sherpa bag, since she couldn't stretch out both back and front legs at the same time. I explained to her that while I understand everyone has their opinions about things, I was personally inclined to take my advice about short term crating from the AVMA, rather than someone who was just plain wrong. I'm thinking I didn't win a convert...
She is quite the little girl and already has me in the pad of her paw - but don't tell her (I'm hoping she doesn't find out).
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