January 27, 2003
8:30 a.m.
Okay, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this. Dogs potty on a loose schedule and I'm starting to understand Dusty's. She seems to go about every 4 to 5 hours.
Last night, I took her out at 9:00 (no luck) and went to bed. My alarm was set for midnight and she was ready to pee at midnight (quickly, too - it was cooolllld out there!). She slept through the night and we both went back to sleep after the 5:00 a.m. alarm went off. Around 6:00 a.m. she started whining and when I took her out, she both peed and pooed. Good Dog!
The training books advise that puppies should be allowed to play outside after they potty as a reward for good behaviour. With the extreme cold, I've had to rethink the whole reward/incentive thing. To reward Dusty, I praise her profously after she goes, then scoop her up and bring her inside. Then, I dry off her feet and then cuddle her until she's warm and we play inside.
The crate training is going more slowly. Right now we're working on short-term confinement. She has learned that 'settle' means that she's supposed to lay down and be quiet. I got through most of a shower before she started whining.
This morning, she has an appointment with the vet. This is just a checkup to make sure she's healthy. I'll probably find out how much she weighs.
6:45
I improvised a dog carrier out of an Eddie Bauer gardening bag and my yoga strap. I put a towel inside and voila! We certainly got a lot of attention as we were walking down Bloor Street! Dusty's little nose was sticking out, checking out all of the new smells.
In the waiting area at the vet's, we met the groomer who gave me some good advice about daily grooming to keep her coat healthy. Dusty was frightened of the cold metal examination table in the vet's office but she was very good during the examination. That's saying a lot, since at one point she had a thermometre up her bum!
The potty thing has been going really well today. She's mostly going right on schedule. We've had no accidents yet (knock on wood!).
Tomorrow, I'm going to start the crate training in earnest by leaving her in the apartment, crated, for short periods. I'm beginning to feel like a shut-in and it would be nice to go out for a coffee every now and then.