On Tuesday, April 17th, Gordo and Stella spent a day at the kennel where they will live for two weeks while Kent and I are on vacation.  They seemed to do just fine and I think having been there once will help alleviate some stress.  I won't pretend that they aren't going to have some adjusting to do.  But I think change is good and they will learn to cope with various situations on their own.  I take comfort in knowing they will be very well cared for and safe.  Guilt is such a powerful emotion and it is hard to remember that they don't feel it and only reflect it if we are guilt ridden.  All they feel is our stress which is not a good leadership quality on our part.  If we are relaxed and happy they will not have any reason to fear a new situation.  Deep breathing helps as does not fussing over them when you leave them and pick them up.  

   We have had a couple of lovely walks down along the river in the last week or so.  They are able to run and explore off leash and they have a wonderful time.  Stella follows Gordo everywhere and they both are very good at keeping an eye on where I am.  Neither one of them wander very far off and are always within eye sight.  I posted a couple of photos of them playing with a stick. Gordo was showing Stella that it is OK to wade into the water to get it. I made sure we were near a back water that was only a few inches deep.  The absolute best part of these walks to the river is coming home and having Stella sleep for a long time!! I get so much done while she is down and out.  They say a tired puppy is a good puppy and that is true.  On days when I don't have as much time to play with her she does get bored and starts looking for something new to keep her attention, usually chewing on end tables or the books on them! I will say that she is settling down nicely and is really a happy fun loving little dog with very good manners.  She and Tinker the cat have become bosom buddies and get into wrestling matches with lots of playing and tumbling.  If Stella gets too rough Tinker lets her have it with a good bop on the nose.  
   She has entered into the jumping up stage and I am trying very hard to be consistent about either ignoring it or giving her the command "OFF!" in a voice that clearly shows I'm not happy.  She stops immediately and knows she is out of bounds.  I try to get other people to do the same but it is not always successful.  Over time she will learn and I never lose my temper or shout out of control at her as, again, that does not display good leadership. 
    I continue with leash work daily and she definitely knows "heel".  We venture out into the front yard and alley where there are many distractions.  She is very easily distracted and I must be patient and reward her for good behavior.  She is a long way from going for a long walk on a leash in public and this must not be rushed.  It would only set us up for failure and result in stress and frustration.  There will be plenty of time for that in the years ahead.
   This will be my last blog entry for a couple of weeks.  When we return I will resume with the adventures of Stella the Jack Russell.