Cats and Dogs

Angel, the cat, came home late last night. She has been grounded! She is not going out again for a while. I took her over to Xena again. Xena was sleeping at the time. Angel didn't fight or struggle she just wet herself... and my hand... and the floor. I am really surprised by her fear. Maybe because the puppy is as big as a fully grown Jack Russel she thinks its an older dog.I don't know. I would like them to be friends but also respect the cats need to have a safe space.

I took Xena to the kids school again yesterday. She is not the scared puppy I first picked up. She is quite happy sniffing around the park and playing in the sand. She's also much better in the back yard. Not trying to hide but listening to noises.

Although Xena still jumps up a little it has been not to bad in the last 24 hours with the kids. Mona tried walking towards her, rather than standing still or turning her back on her. This gently threw Xena off balance and she cut out the jumping. Although the dog trainer at puppy class has taught us heaps I also found a few good sites online that deal with the more dominant minded breeds of dog. That's where we found out about walking into the jump. If she jumps on me she gets the 'Cesar Millan.' (Anyone who watches the show would know what I mean... on her side on the floor, held down.)

My boyfriend who used to have very large pig hunting dogs (mostly ridgeback x rotties/ labs) on the farm growing up says to put their front leg through the collar. Which is a good idea too... if the other things don't work.

I don't like putting Xena in the laundry during the day. But I do it anyway to show her that I can do it if I want to. I assure you its a good sized laundry. Today I played outside with her for an hour after morning work and gave her a bone. Then we came inside and I placed her in the laundry. I honestly don't want her under my feet 24/7. Does that sound selfish? Probably. She cried a little then had her nap. If I feel she is going to nap anyways, she may as well do it in her kennel... not under my legs. I cleaned the house just trying to get her used to household noises while she's in there. Every now and then she would cry and scratch the door then go back to rest. Part of me feels guilty but the gut feeling is I'm doing the right thing.

The laundry has her kennel, mat, rotated toys, water, no food bowl as I gave her lunch outside and blankie. It also has her puppy peeing mat which is fresh.

I can't wait for her to be an outside dog more than an inside one. It's just that she's a little young right now. This afternoon I will take her to a new park near where my younger daughter is playing netball. There is a pond there with geese and ducks. I want to see how she is with them.

For a ridgeback, she doesn't seem to have too great a prey drive. She was eating her bone earlier and a lot of birds came down for the figs in the backyard (I don't mind sharing) She watched them but really wasn't interested. She enjoyed her bone. Then a pigeon flew right up to us and landed about a meter from Xena. She watched it with a kind of 'What is that?' whimsical look on her face but still laid there chewing her bone.

Although we don't need Xena to be a farm dog, both my partner and I have grown up in country areas and think dogs shouldn't go other animals unless instructed to. Anyways its all quiet here. I'm going to read up a bit more and get the floors mopped.