This year Mother Nature blessed us with a beautiful Easter Sunday with clear skies and temperatures in the high 60's.  Our friends Mark and Susan joined us for a picnic in the foothills of the Sapphire Mountains southwest of our home.  It was Stella's second time out into the big world and she was in the company of four other dogs and four people.  You know it's a good thing when the dogs outnumber the people! After a short hike we settled on a lovely north facing slope under the shade of a large Ponderosa pine tree.  Stella was much more interested in what was in the picnic basket than anything else.  At one point she managed to get her head stuck in a zip lock bag that contained a small slice of bell pepper.  She wasn't about to give up trying to get that slice out of the bag!  Eventually she joined the other dogs exploring the hillsides trying to keep up with Sophie who is always off looking for something to dig up.  Several times when they would disappear from sight I would test Stella's recall skills and call her to come.  Without fail she would appear over the hill running quickly to me, and Sophie was right on her heels.  I will say it again, this one achievement with her is the single most important thing she has learned so far.  To know she will come to me without question could save her life some day and it also demonstrates that she knows it is in her best interest to do so.  It is all part of her accepting Kent and I as her Alpha pair and knowing that her very survival depends on her looking to us for any decision she makes.  We have been very consistent about giving her the correct signals in our every day lives that tell her we are in charge.  It is paying off!
Last Friday was Stella's four month birthday and this last Monday she received her third set of shots including her first rabies vaccine. We also went ahead and had her micro chipped.  There were a few whimpers and she wasn't having any of that thermometer being put in delicate places but Dr. Boer said he thought she still liked him after it was all over.  Another couple of weeks and she should be able to venture into public areas where other dogs are roaming about.  As a matter of fact, very soon she and Gordo will be spending two weeks in a kennel as we are taking a vacation.  My plan is to take them there sometime in the next week or so and leave them for a day just to get to know the people and place ahead of time.  It is a very reputable kennel and I know they will be very well cared for.  I think it is a good idea for Stella to get used to a kennel early so that it is not a traumatic experience.  Most of the time Gordo was left with friends which was great except he didn't learn about kennels and when it was necessary to use one he was very stressed. 

Well, we had such a busy week full of wonderful visits from friends and their dogs.  Starting first with Ani the Australian Shepherd pup, then my friend Susan brought her three dogs; Sophie, Brixon and Penny on Friday. Saturday Kaylene came with Stella's sister ZuZu and her mom Hilly.  Everyone got along great! Susan's dogs are older and Stella didn't have much luck getting them to play. Sophie is actually Stella's great-great Aunt.  It was so fun to see another pup from Stella's litter.  It was interesting to see how different they are. ZuZu is much smaller than Stella with shorter legs and a more stout body. Her temperament is very fiesty as well. It's hard to say if my work with Stella using  Amichien Bonding contributes to her calm, relaxed personality but there is a big difference in her reaction to noises compared to ZuZu.  ZuZu's hackles would go up and there was lots of barking. I have yet to see Stella with her hackles up.  The three of them had a great time chewing on sticks, playing tug of war with toys and chasing each other around the back yard.

On Sunday Stella had her first visit to the big wide world outside of our home and yard. I took her up to Susan's house.  They live in the woods on many acres and the five dogs spent time exploring fields and rock piles as well as eating a fair amount of deer and elk droppings. I think Stella might even prefer it to the cat poo.  It is always a concern whether or not a dog will stay close to you off leash and Stella was very happy to stay with the pack, especially following Sophie and Penny around.  I guess those girls like to stick together!  She would get a certain distance away and then her little head would pop up and you could tell she was checking out where I was.  If I was too far away she would come running pell mell in my direction.  That is a good thing and shows she knows that being with the Alpha of her pack is critical for her survival and well being.

I am trying to use less and less food reward with Stella during leash training sessions.  We are venturing out into the front yard more and even into the alley and through our back gate into the back yard.  It takes great patience on my part to not react negatively when she stops healing and takes off to check out a smell or a noise.  I freeze, call her back to me, say heel and continue on.  If she just can't focus her attention back to me I end the session.  I have to continually remind myself that she isn't trying to test my patience or be deliberately disobedient.  She is still very young and her attention span is short. She reacts instinctively to sights and smells.  The important thing is that she continue to associate our walks with positive rewards of praise when she gets it right, which is often.  I know I have said this before but my dogs have taught me to have patience, which is a good thing in this world!

  

Yesterday my friend Tori brought her 10 week old Australian Shepherd puppy Ani to play with Stella for the second time.  Things went much better and the two of them gradually settled into what puppies do; biting each other, chasing, teasing and setting boundaries.  I think Stella is still a little intimidating to Ani.  Ani would make sure there was a chair or table or Tori's legs to hide behind just in case a brief time out was needed.  The photo I posted isn't great but Ani has a beautiful face and a natural smile I wanted you to see. They eventually started tug of war games with the toys, one of which is in the photo.

Stella's left ear is up and I promise not to mention ears again as I am getting flack for being so concerned about them.  But now that they are both up and where they should be she has that adorable perky Jack Russell look that defines the breed. OK.....nuf said about ears.

Leash training is coming along.  I do two short sessions a day and yesterday we ventured out into the front yard where I knew there would be added distractions.  She has been out there before but I held her and just let her look around.  Gordo continues to be a good example for her except for his barking at people coming to the house.  He was also aggressive toward Ani yesterday.  He seems to see himself as Stella's protector.   I try not to make a big deal about these things and just keep him under control with a leash or isolate him until he settles.  Luckily, his barking and temperament have not rubbed off on Stella and I am hopeful that the opposite will happen in time.  I took him for a walk later in the day, just the two of us and he is so good.  I think his and my time alone is important and seems to calm him.