More of the same…

Haven't posted in a while, but honestly not a lot has been happening with Miss Allie.

She's maintaining her weight nicely with about 1.75 cups of Kirkland (Costco) chicken & rice kibble twice a day. She likes yogurt a lot, though right now the dogs get it mainly in the form of a frozen yogurt treat when they're left alone, and that's not happening much lately.

She either learned or re-learned "down," and she'll sit from a down - it's a pretty one, too. She still hasn't figured out how to sit from a standing position, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have trouble with it if someone worked with her on it a couple of days in a row. She's smart and very food motivated : )

We have a mealtime routine that Allie now has down pat. It lets the dogs know who's in charge and also keeps them from driving me crazy while I fix their food. Everyone has their special spot in the kitchen, and it never takes fosters long to go to their dish and leave the others alone. Allie was no exception. They all must wait outside the kitchen in a down position while I put their dishes in place. When I'm ready, and if everyone is patiently waiting in a "down, " I'll release them to eat by saying "Good stay - okay!" They all go to their spot and chow down.

Allie is still up to her hijinks with the towels. I have no idea where that comes from - I guess it's just her thing.

One thing we've observed about Allie that I haven't posted about before is that she's a little bit skittish. It's nothing like Sara, my paranoid thunderphobe, and Allie's really not a spook, but if your tone sounds harsh to her when you call her she will run away, and she's a little anxious during stormy weather (no howling or barking, though).

Because we've fostered a few would-be-dominant males who need their guardians to be assertive, I've tried to impress upon the kids that they need to use a firm tone when dealing with the dogs. Brandon, our 14-year-old, has a hard time finding the right tone…the one that says I expect you to come now, but I'm not going to hurt you when you get here. He's the only one Allie runs from now, though when she first arrived here she seemed afraid to come when called by anyone. A firm - but enthusiastic - tone with a couple of "good girls" thrown in and she does great.

This week is #4 of the second half of her heartworm treatment. In about two and a half weeks she'll be clear to start ramping up to a normal activity level. She's a perky little girl, so I suspect at first we'll have to keep her in check more than she'd like. But at least she won't have to look down the street longingly any more, or watch everyone go for a walk except her.