I published this new photo today of Stella playing with one of the cat's toys.  I tied a catnip spider to a string and Stella just loves to chase it around the room.  I realized the last few photos were of Stella asleep and I don't want anyone to get the impression that all she does is saw logs!!  So an action shot was called for.

Todays entry, though, is going to be about food.  Nothing else in the world is as important to a canine than food. It is all about survival and whoever controls the food is in charge.  Stella had some pretty bad manners where food was concerned.  She was used to being free fed with big bowls of dry food available at all times.  The first thing I noticed when I was preparing her food was that she would get very demanding, impatient, excited and bark and jump on my legs.  This was totally unacceptable.  A subordinate would never get into the Alpha's space and demand food.  In fact, in the wild, the Alphas eat first, undisturbed. The others stay back and wait until their leaders have had their fill and walk away. They are then free to go in and eat.  As Gordo and Stella wait to be fed I fill their bowls as they watch and then gesture eat a little tidbit of something (not dog food!).  It's usually a cracker or some peanuts.  I noticed that Stella  became very agitated when she saw me eating.  If she approached me I gently slid her away from me with my foot.  I made no eye contact.   She had to settle down before  her food was offered.  After about 5 days of this she stopped approaching me.  Now she sits quietly and waits for her food to be set down.  By eating first I have placed myself above her in the pecking order.  It has been absolutely exhilarating to watch this transformation.  A little puppy who was asking questions about her status in her new pack has backed off and realized that she is not in control.  In the long run it is the beginning of her realization that she does not have to be Alpha in this pack and it will release her from a job she does not want.  She will be able to relax and enjoy life knowing it's not her job to take care of us.
Stella was also in the habit of filling her mouth with food, walking away and dropping in on the floor and eating it.  This probably developed from competition with her litter mates for food.  She also tried to run over to Gordo's dish while he was eating and get some of his.  I intervened immediately as he could have hurt her.  I just placed her back in front of her dish.  If she walked away from her dish again,with food still in it, I picked up her dish and that was that.  She does not get the option of coming and going to her dish to finish her meal.  Believe me, she won't starve, and it makes a very strong message as to who is in control of the food.