Week 1 done :)

It has been a week since Mark came out to consult with us about Earl - and it has been a week of ups and downs - and 'lightbulb' moments when things have just clicked - and times when I have lain awake in bed unable to stop my brain form ticking over.

I have been gratified by the support I have received from people and have realised jusy how much there is aboout dogs - including my own - that I don't know.

I wrote yesterday about what I thought was the reason Earl had jumped at me yesterday - and what I planned to do - well I did.

Breakfast was the same as usual - I am the only one up at that time (Oh the ungodliness of 5.30 am) and so I make sure he keeps his distance both when I am making the food and when I have placed the bowl down. At dinner time tonight I sat in my chair in the lounge and didn't move from it while OH put the kibble in the bowls and took them to the kitchen to put the wet food in it - Earl sat in front of me and I quietly patted him - saying "Good Boy" - he lay down without being told and I continued to pat him - very low key. We had a leash on him just in case he went to the kitchen gate so I could call him back and reinforce it if needed - OH made the food and walked through to the laundry and put it down - no real interest from Earl - I stood up and walked to the gate and in front of Earl betwen him and the laundry - he wasn't too interested. He did move towards the food but stopped as soon as OH told him to and lay down - as he looked away and submitted we gave him a couple more minutes and then invited him to eat.

I love the fact that I am on holidays and can take them for long walks - we took them for about 50 minutes today - lots of opportunities for Earl to sniff around and also some times when he needed to walk closer to me along the streets. That was before his tea so I am sure that helped to dissipate some of his energy.

I am coming to the reluctant conclusion that I must make the ultimate sacrifice of 1 hour of sleep in the morning to ensure the dogs (and myself) get a decent walk each day - then if I have time in the afternoon I can do some training sessions with them or take them to 12 year olds football training for socialisation and some laps of the oval. If I keep telling myself that 5 am is really no different to 6 am maybe I will eventually believe it :) (Can see some early nights happening too)

Glad we weren't walking them half an hour later as the kids saw a dog run past the house - and called out to me as I have returned a couple of the local dogs to their homes when they have wandered - I went out and saw a large brindle staffy with a thick leather collar on the front lawn - as I came out it took off but turned at the end of the street to bark at me - not in a particularly friendly way either. I hope its owners found it quickly as I would not have liked to have it wandering the streets - it wasn't one I felt comfortable with approaching at all - unlike the 2 GSD's from round the corner or the little Jack Russel from next door.

So - 1 week down - thaks for hanging in there with me - let's see what the next week brings us (besides early mornings and a return to work *sigh*)