Well, Well.
It started out good. Lots of Personal sniffing, tails wagging, tentative friendliness. Then it deteriorated a little with Chinche spending a large portion of the day in the bathroom sleeping. Actually, she normally does that. It was 100 degrees today. Bathroom is the coolest place. But today...for a different reason and not coming out as much.
She growls and snaps at attention. And new dog, T, backs off. But always tries again later. Am thinking it will get better. Chinche has Never known Play. When she came here she had been a road dog. They are not of playfull spirit, but rather, very serious dogs. She is a very serious dog. T is a very Trying dog. She just Tries everything. If it works, good. If it doesn't, well, maybe later. She has a good attitude.
thinking about trying again later.
she is deep into Learning. She is deep into knowing Every Single Thing here. Every Single Thing. She is memorizing Every Single Thing. It's really something to see.
i was a little startled when Jan brought out this crate. I have never thought about using a crate with a dog or anything, ever. But she is heavy about crates. She says it avoids a lot of unnecessary grief for a dog. I'd brought it home yesterday and set it up this morning. It changed the decor of the Living Room. It's right next to the door.
I'd read an article in NY Times a while ago about changes in how Day Cares are working with kids and one of the things that stuck in my mind was the establishment of Breathing Stars. A large Star is created on the floor, off to the side some, and when there is a moment of Stress of any kind, the child is asked if they would like to go to the Breathing Star. Where they sit. no comotion at the Breathing Star. so they can sit there. Center themselves for as long as is needed. And i watched T use her crate this way off and on off and on off and on all day she would go into her Breathing Star Crate and just lied down. or, even just sit a minute. As i write this now, in the Dark, she is all curled into sleep. Door is open. It's her space. So i look at that. I'll close her door tonight, after this so maybe the cat Tazmeena can learn that she can go in and out, no worry. Tazmeena spent the day sleeping on one of the Cloth shelves in the bedroom. She has great worry.
Doe Goats were Startled! she goes around, doing her memorization work which includes their gate, but really, is no more interested in them than any blade of grass, any small stick of wood, any piece of the Earth. And maybe this is the VERY BEST THING. It's all the same to her. Just Stuff she needs to Learn. THIS, THIS is quite Beauty Full. and the real Blessing of it all.
She visited the buck pen a couple times and when i was changing their water early and at first, they jumped back!...snorting...stomping their feet...but she stood at the fence and they came, they touched noses....Taking eachother in through scent and it was just O K .
So...Day One. and Really, it couldn't have gone better. Last night, in the middle of the night i woke and thought oh, Jeez. What have i done?????????? But again...it could not be better. She is Happy and Willing and Curious and well, just so absolutely perfectly Great. Dogs. Dogs are amazing Beings. Tonight i look to my left and she is sleeping gently in her Breating Star Crate. Totally WILLING to find all the ways to FIT here.
so...i am feeling incredibly Lucky. She will make her way and she will memorize the land, she will run the peripheries over and over. She will Claim it, Claim Us and be Our Dog.
Though her vet papers say she is an Australian Shepard Cross, if you google Catahoula, that is much more what she is like.
and maybe Best, i was able to work on this.
