I'm drawing a blank about the past 2 months - nothing remarkable has happened. Unless you like dogs but I don't think most of my friends here do. My new pup Lucy has progressed hugely with the training I've been giving her. She's so smart! But oy! It's been alot of work, for a stray found in the city can mean numerous hurdles - she went into heat a few days after I got her and was like a wild animal to deal with in the beginning training.I could almost tell the minute her hormones began to calm down. A street dog with PMS - no, actually she is the most affectionate dog I've ever had. This is partly due to my only ever having Siberian Huskies which are very independent and don't always take to lots of cuddly stuff. But Lucy loves attention. She's to the point now where she can just hang out and play with a toy if we're busy. She was found in the East Mt. Airy section of Phila. by my friend at work. She obviously never had any structure or direction. I got her all her shots and had to get her dewormed - then deal with her being in heat....now I am dealing with a case of ringworm. This is not a worm but a fungus. We scrubbed down the house with bleach and I sent for an expensive fungicidal shampoo and rinse for the dog. As with children, ringworm is usually seen in young dogs whose immune systems are not fully developed. We humans have not caught it thank goodness. So once THAT is over with the only thing I have to do to get her on track is get her spayed and then some pro training. I'm waiting to get her spayed until the ringworm is cleared, but also because I want to time it when her progesterone levels are higher and her uterine and surrounding tissues have had a chance to strenghthen, thus less chance of surgical complications. She's never around other dogs for these two reasons right now(ringworm and unaltered). But part of the training I want to do by June will involve socialization to dogs and other humans. The little contact I have seen her have with others has been playful. I want that to continue as she matures out of puppyhood. And especially because her appearance(everyone comments on the pit in her) carries a stigma so she has to be really well behaved or someone could make trouble for us. She's so smart and with such a sweet disposition I think she'll turn out to be a great dog and companion when I'm outdoors alone - I haven't even been able to feel safe at the beach house alone off season when the shore is like a ghost town. I hear every sound at night. Cal's Mom loves being entertained by all Lucy's puppy antics and playfulness, and Cal is like "a boy and his dog" - rough housing on the floor with her. She was mouthy and a little nippy at first but I did away with that quick, using a squeaky toy of all things-she's afraid of the sound. All I have to do now if she begs or tries to climb onto a chair where she's not allowed is set the squeaky toy nearby and she calms right down. I'll get some photos up here soon. Well all I've talked about is the dog which may interest dog folks and bore the rest. But we're quite fond of this little dog - little compared to the huskies and Cal's former Shepherd. Tags: dog training, pit bulls
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