New Dog Day Hrmnwmnrm

SUMMARY: summarytext

Backfill: May 6, 2009
Note to Tika's foster mom:
I'd love to know whatever the shelter knows about her first appearance at 4 months. But that's not a condition of whether I keep her--it's just insatiable curiosity.

Last couple or 3 days, I've left her out of the pen most of the time because she's settled down so much. When she starts wandering a lot and I'm trying to concentrate on work, I put her back in so she doesn't get into something. But she seems to have figured out that first thing in the morning is mom-reading-the-paper-and-having-breakfast time and is settling down to rest on a mat in the kitchen like the other dogs do. Same thing while I'm working at the computer--she seems to have picked a favorite mat, which overlooks my office area, and has been resting there.

She still isn't using the doggie door on her own. She goes 2/3 of the way through to sniff around on the deck (that's where the dog food is kept) and then tries to back in and it doesn't work very well. So I can't rely on her to potty herself so I have to keep an eye on her and take her out regularly. Had an accident on the carpet the other evening while I was watching TV--it was after agility class and i just wasn't thinking that she hadn't peed before class, or after class while I was showing her off, and when we got home she just wanted dinner (she learns quickly!) and then I settled down with my dinner and the TV. She kept being pushy and annoying and I didn't even then get the hint til she squatted in front of me.

I'm still of mixed minds about the dog door thing--would be nice if she were self-pottying, but it's still probably good that she's not in the yard unsupervised. My extra-long super-warm down coat is getting a lot of use these days, and it hardly ever sees the light of day!

I meant to ask you--did you do any teaching, or see any signs of, her knowing how to Shake or to wait on a bed without leaving? She's so good at those things-- I guess if you don't know, we'll probably never know what else the previous owners actually thought to teach her.

So if I keep her, what are the adoption fees or whatever's involved?