Life seems to have patterns - mine has been pretty boring since I got neutered and stuck in a crate! Now that I have my stitches out and Mom knows I'm able to focus a bit better she's been taking me to places she thinks might present a challenge for me. Boy do I have her number! I wish there were more pictures of these feats but when it's just me and Mom who will take the picture?
First Mom found a busy, busy road where the speed limit is 55mph. She thought it would be a challenge because of the vehicles flying by, trucks with jake brakes, median maintenance crews - even an ambulance screaming by. She thought wrong! What's the big deal? So then she took me to a busy plaza area that has a freeway overpass to walk on. We walked halfway across and paused there for a bit so I could see all the cars thundering underneath me - again, what's the big deal? It's just noise, after all! Next up - trains! Since we had to wait for the train anyway, Mom pulled over and parked and we got out and walked toward where the train was rumbling by. Mom thought it would get me rattled because it's not only noisy but the ground shakes a lot and the crossing has lots of bells and lights. Nope, no big deal! I walked slowly and kept an eye on it but then when I realized it stayed in its place I quickly became interested in smelling everything else.
Now Mom is trying to think of more challenging things. Things like relieving in odd places, crowds, etc. So far I'm doing just fine except for kids and other dogs. When I have my jacket on I do pretty well. Mom can tell me to sit/stay and walk a couple of feet behind me and let the kids try to call me and offer me stuff but I know now I have to stay there. She still can't go very far but we're getting there. I have a few favorite people that always get to love on me when I'm not working so now Mom is showing me that when I have my jacket on I have to behave even when they want me to say hi. That's more challenging than any noises she can throw at me! My other challenge is slurping stuff off the floors. *sigh* I don't know why I can't eat the little pieces of stuff on the floor but Mom's sure not happy when I do. She will reach in my mouth as far as she has to to get the little piece out, put it back on the floor and tell me to leave it. She looks at me like she's daring me to try reaching for it again but I wait until she's not looking to try. She pries my jaws open again, all the while muttering about my acting like a teenager...
