We Stopped for Awhile

So much has happened in a week.  We stopped for a week in Denver at this house with an old lady that smelled something like my mom and there was a little tiny black dog there who really likes my mom.  At first, my mom left me in the van and went inside for awhile.  Then she came back and took me to the gate to the yard.  The tiny little dog was there and we sniffed a bit.  Then I got to go inside the yard and meet and sniff the little dog.  She was wary but ok to me.  That made me a bit nervous so I didn't try to get the little to play with me.  After awhile, we went inside the house.  The little dog liked my mom's lap a lot and started to warn me away.  My mom put the dog off her lap and scolded her for being mean to me.  I was a perfect lady.  I don't mind mom petting other dogs.  She does it all the time and other people pet me.  After a few times, the little dog stopped being mean and we got along fine.
There was a nice big yard to play in.  When I first got there, I noticed the little dog went thru a little door and got inside.  So I followed.  It was tight but I got in and didn't wreck anything.  My mom and the old lady were amazed and talked about some other dog who did the same thing but tore the door to pieces.  Must be because I'm so sleek even tho I'm a big girl.  They put a table up against the little door to keep me from using it again.  Mom tossed my toys for tricks and it was fun.  One of my cats got to come into the yard and house with me. The other one was afraid to leave the van.

After 4 days, I was feeling pretty confident.  The little dog ran with me when I chased toys but only barked.  Mom was busy with fixing some things for the old lady.  Then I made a big mistake, I guess.  It seemed reasonable to me at the time but mom was really mad at me.  Mom brought out my dinner and the little dog started to come over to take it.  So I leaped at her and pinned her to the ground and gave that little dog a good talking to in no uncertain terms so that she would never try to take my food again!  Mom pulled me off the dog and took me to the van and I had to stay there the whole day.  I didn't get my dinner either.  I had no intention of actually hurting the little dog but mom said I nipped her ear a little.  They fussed over the little dog for a long time.

In the evening, when mom came into the van to give the cats food and me some, I lunged my nose at one of the cats because I was a bit cross.  She scolded me again, stopped getting my food ready, made me sit and wait, and fed the cats first.  Then I got my food and a little potty break.  Later, mom scolded me for even looking at the cat eating.  She kept telling me to not even think about it.  So I finally put my head down.  I never got to go inside the house again and they kept the little dog away from me.  We chatted some thru the door and I told her I didn't mean to hurt her but she said she was scared of me.

Thursday, we got all our stuff and left the old lady and her dog and went to a new place my mom called her sister.  They have a yard and a really fun standard poodle named Pete.  Pete was a little rough and wary at first.  We got to know each other and now are good friends.  I had so much fun with him.  He's close to my size and just as energetic.  He has a big soccer ball that he boxes around the yard with his paws.  I don't know how to do that trick.  I can do tricks he can't tho like spin in circles.  I found a rope/tennis ball toy of his and got him to play chase and tug with it.  Mom's sister said Pete hadn't touched it in ages.

Pete and Dirona playing with Pete's soccer ball

Dirona got Pete's soccer ball

Pete playing soccer

In the evening Pete and I rode in a pickup to an open land where they put water from a tank on plants.  There was lots of room to run.  Pete and I had a blast.  I got a stick and taught Pete how to play chase and tug with it.  He kept trying to hump me, but I know how to twist and roll out of that.  Pete got scolded for it but they were impressed at my skill in making male dogs stop that.

In the morning, I woke up at 6 am and whined at my mom to let me go play with Pete again.  I know I'm not supposed to bother her until she gets up but I just couldn't wait.  She kept telling me to go to my bed but in a little while, I asked again.  Finally at 8, she took me back there again.  That's when she understood it was playing with Pete that I wanted since I didn't stop to pee.

We played for 3 hours, then we went for a long walk to some river flooding over the pathway.  That was fun. I got excited and started lapping and biting at the river water.  While walking, mom worked a lot on my polite walking.  I know I'm not supposed to pull but there are so many interesting smells and things to investigate.  I did a lot better on the way back, but then I'd forget again.  Pete was really good at that.  After we got back, I got to stay with Pete all day until we went back to the van for bed and dinner.  We played and rested together.  Mom says we get to stay here for a while but she is going to work harder on my distraction problems and resource guarding.  I really like Pete.