WWQP Bulletin Board Chat

HEEEERE SHE IS!

At first Kit was so spooked she wouldn’t get out of her travel crate and the freight guys removed the hardware to life the top off. They were both very gentle and all three of us talked to her in soft voices. Finally one of the guys gently lifted her out of the crate whereupon I put on a collar with my name and phone # on a brass type plate riveted to it. She was terrified as I walked her around a bit on lead. She had to be dragged into the car. I had the rear seats down and she didn’t move a muscle until we got home after a fairly quick stay in a motel in A’ville as I was having vision problems with all the oncoming headlights and rain adding to the problem. She slept in a corner of the motel room refusing both water and food. It’s been a slow and fairly intensive process but finally this morning she ate a full meal. Yesterday, after consulting with the breeder, I went out and bought the brand of food she was used to only not the high performance formula the breeder uses as she won’t be field training, trialing and hunting anymore. She’d been drinking for several days. She finally made peace with the dog that was peering at her through the funny long narrow window (my full length mirror that she’d growling at for two days). She now hangs out on the floor right in front of it. She is a love and will end up in my lap if I allow it. Right now she’s filthy, matted and has much too much hair for the heat and the environment of very heavy low growth here so she’ll have to make the acquaintance of Herb the groomer. It will no doubt spook her but will be a bit easier to keep comfortable and socially acceptable. She panicked when my neighbors came here to meet her Sunday with their two most submissive dogs so we’ll have to do that one at a time. Today I decided to walk her down near the creek on which I used to live. No one was home and no dogs came running out but she enjoyed cooling off in the creek although I think the current surprised her. Earlier she’d gotten into a muddy “branch” that empties into the creek to slake her thirst and she was mucky to say the least. My old bad girl Molly loved nothing better than a muddy hole in which to cool off. Dirty was always better as far as she was concerned.

Dear Kit is a pleasure to walk off lead. I think part of it is the breeding and training for close hunting and part of it is her current skittishness. I’d tried tossing a tennis ball for her before today and she chased it then had no interest in picking it up. Today she picked that ball up in the yard as soon as we went out and brought it to me delivering it to hand. When I got the tennis racquet she cringed a bit and when I whacked to ball she took off like a shot and with tail wagging furiously brought it right back. I’m glad that’s working because that’s the only way she can get the exercise she needs as a young and very fit field dog. Actually, I walked farther today than I have in quite a while so guess who else is benefiting? While out today I went to a neighbor’s house where there is only one little dog and rang the doorbell. Ann and Bailey came to the door and Kit ran to the far edge of the yard with tail attached to belly then turned and barked a bit suspiciously. Eventually, while I held big bad Bailey (about 6 or 7 pounds) Ann approached Kit who was then on her back and Ann sweet talked her and pet her tummy. The tail did wag just a bit so things are coming along. She still refuses treats from my hand despite the fact that the breeder says she’s a glutton for them. She’s let me brush her but when I tried to hose off the worst of the dirt and cool her off before coming into the house today she acted as if it were sulfuric acid rather than water. I know for a fact that the breeder always hoses off the dogs after exercise in the hot weather. She isn’t mine entirely yet but it’s coming along. I did scold her a bit today when she failed to retrieve the ball to hand after about ten successful such performances which I know she’s been doing all her life with birds and I used the commands she’s been taught. It’s the first time as I’ve been refraining from issuing commands because of her tendency to spook when I do and I don’t want to lose the ground we have gained. She always checks in with me at very frequent intervals when she’s running around loose. I gently reminded her that I’m the alpha bitch around here. She’s lying comfortably on the bare wood floor now and I think she’s actually a bit tired out and all’s right with her world.

NOW if only the guy from the plumbing and heating company would get here and get my hot water boiler working so I can shower, run the dishwasher and do the laundry. I might actually get into the sewing room today for the first time in about a month.

Jane

posted by Jane in NC @ 12:02 PM