Hair's to you Shayla

Shayla has been here for a little over a week now. Things are going well. She certainly has an uncanny internal clock. She knows her schedule to the minutest details. When she thinks it is time for a meal or snack or whatever, she comes over to me and makes eye contact. She just stares at me. Sometimes that means she needs to go out and "do her business". But usually she is waiting for some food item. Once in a while she is a little early. If that is the case I just say with kindness in my voice, "It's too early Shayla", or, "It's not time yet, in a little while". Amazingly she responds by going back to her lazing around and waits until it is time.

One case in point was very interesting. At 6:30 in the evening she gets an evening snack: one large milk bone and then 20 softened pellets with yogurt on top. I wasn't paying attention so I just put the softened pellets and yogurt into her bowl and plopped the yogurt on top and put it down for her. She happily gobbled it down. She finished as I was putting away the yogurt and cleaning up. She approached me and got in front of me and did the eye to eye stare. I talked to her and asked if she enjoyed her snack and was just going on about my business. But she didn't break eye contact. She was desperate to get the forgotten milk bone. So as she persisted in looking at me and staying in front of me my mind began to churn and I remembered the omitted milk bone. Wow! When I put that down she was so relieved! She would have had a major meltdown if I hadn't remembered it.

Now pay attention kids - that means Scott, Evan, Lindsey, and Isaac (I'll send this to him separately). Do you feel deprived because we never had a dog when you were growing up? Do you think you need counseling because of the lost opportunities to romp in a grassy field with "Bowser" running happily beside you? Is it hard to make friends and lasting relationships because of this glaring gap in your childhood? Well look close at the picture below - and then give me a break about the dog-less childhood you had. This is just a few days collection of fur on the tiles. The carpet is loaded with her fur. If only it was longer then I could card it and spin it and weave a blanket with it.