Dilemma

We were out of town on Sunday and didn't get home until late, so Neva stayed overnight with Buddy, Kane, and Sable. No issues were reported and she appears to be more comfortable with stairs. She would follow the big dogs up and down steps a couple steps entering and exiting the house. We may need to borrow a dog for a week to work on stairs and build her confidence. Actually she is probably a little short to attempt more than a few steps; I would hate to have her take a tumble and be scarred for life.

Monday was spent recovering from a long day. Everyone slept until puppy class at The Dog Den. Much of the class time is spent off leash working on the commands. In addition to the canine distractions, the puppies receive commands from the other owners which is good. However, Neva has picked up a few bad habits: begging, grabbing treats, floor surfing, and nibbling fingers. She absolutely loses her head when treats are plentiful and doled out indiscriminately. We need to either explain to the group how to treat our puppy, limit interactions, stop attending class, or lighten up and let her be a puppy. The easiest thing to do is stop attending class, but we will probably discuss the situation with a trainer at puppy playgroup on Saturday.

We were brave and took Neva out to dinner for the first time on Tuesday. Being a tad bit older than three months, she needs a lot of work. It makes you appreciate how the older dogs lie quietly under the table. She hasn't learned DOWN or STAY yet, so we figured it would be a challenge to corral her under the table. We hoped that after a long walk she would lie down and rest; she did not. We did experience the "star" treatment. People interrupted our dinner to meet Neva. Now we know how celebrities feel eating cold food.

After our lengthy dining experience, we attempted another first. A quick trip through Wal-mart followed by dreaded grocery shopping. Neva was not bothered by the shopping cart, which she handled better than loud rolling trash cans. Of course her favorite sections were the deli, the meat department, and pet food aisle. We all returned home happy and relieved - our greatest fear, the puddle or pile, did not appear.