THE PRINCESS AND THE PEE

We received so many wonderful suggestions for getting our dog to sleep in the crate.  Some of the better ones were,  rubbing a towel all over our bodies and placing it in with her, giving her a kong with peanut butter, don't make her sleep in the crate, and throw a towel over the crate.  At one point I was ready to rub my body in peanut butter and lay over the crate.  We chose to throw the towel over the crate.  

Well, our little darling slept one night.  All night.  What a pleasure.  We are home free.  Wrong.  The next night she went to bed peacefully and woke at 2:45 to go potty.  Now the fact that I had to go to the bathroom and wouldn't get up for fear of waking her, was of no matter to her.  She had to go and had to go now.  Not at all concerned over who she woke up.  My husband and I discussed it and he got up to handle the matter.  He then was able to get her back in the crate and get one hour sleep.  She is only 1 1/2 years old after all.

This time we will not feed her after 7:00 and see what happens.  She'll probably wake up starved.  Yes, that will happen.

Today I did something I swore I would never do.  I brushed my dogs teeth.  Our last dog had a bad tooth and had to have it pulled.  It felt like it cost more than all of my fillings put together.  I didn't know dogs teeth rotted and made them sick.  I though they just fell out.  Well Bella has shiny white teeth that are the result of at least weekly brushing.  Went to the pet store bought her toothpaste (peanut butter of course) and a toothbrush.  Laid a towel down on my desk and asked her to open up.  She didn't.  I then said teeth and she allowed me in there to do a mediocre job as she ate the toothpaste.  Told her to spit.  She didn't.  Told her to gargle and rinse.  She didn't.  Useless.

Well while we are up there, let's just trim those nails with out master grooming tool.  Never did that.  She saw the tool and lifted one foot.  I proceeded to sand the nails (scared to death I'd hurt her).  She demanded a cookie and got down.  I still hear the click, click, click of nails.  Tomorrow is another day.

"Love, don't spoil.  You will pay my friend, you will pay."

You can see what a show dog looks like.  Always at attention.

Bella is a Smooth Fox Terrier.  Our original Fox Terrorist was from a puppy mill.  We adored her and she ran the show.  She traded for things we carelessly left around, she slept in her own bed by choice, and was basically the perfect pet.  She passed away on Memorial day of this year.  We were Never, Ever, Ever, Getting Another Dog (Taylor Swift?)

We first met Bella at the Reno Dog show in August.  Not overly impressed, but, we really liked the breeders, so let's give it a go.  We went to the breeders home the following weekend and picked out several dogs that were not available as they were close to finishing their championship.  Bella came running out and I knew she'd be the one.  Full of life and a sweet face.  We picked her up two weeks later.  In the meantime, I had set up pet insurance, a time to have her spayed (we would not finish her), obedience school (for me) and purchased all the necessary equipment that never was needed in the pioneer days but is now a necessity.

Basic rules were agreed upon between my husband and I.  She would not be allowed on the furniture.  She would not eat people food.  She would be crate trained (already was!  Wonderful).  She would be obedience trained, after all she was in the show ring and she is a show dog.  We would do everything correctly and not let her run us like our Dixie did.  

She was on the furniture within minutes.  Okay, we can let that slide.  We made her a pancake but quickly threw it out.  She didn't use the crate on the way home, but we did put her in a doggy seatbelt (one of the necessities).  The first day was wonderful.  Carried her to her "potty place", she showed me she knows the "Leave it Command" and she loved us and we paid close attention to her needs.  She then promptly pooped on the floor.  My friend, the owner of Well Mannered Mutts" quickly told us to love her not spoil her.  You will pay, my friend, you will pay.  

The first night, she was in her crate and whimpered for about an hour and a half.  We said no, corrected her and eventually things went well.  After all, she missed her previous owners.  The second night, not so good.  Cried, called for her mother, beat on the cage and eventually I slept in a knot in the room next to her so she knew I was close.  I was so twisted up I had to go to our bed.  Wrong.  She heard me move and immediately started crying.  It was 3:00 A.M.  Okay, my husband gets up at 4:00, so no big deal.  He can be flexible.  Wrong again.  We now taught her if she cries enough she can get up whenever she wants and we'll beckon to her call.  I showed her pictures of Rescue Dogs, and explained to her that I knew Rescue people and she would be welcome.  I then succumbed to telling her she would be fish bait.  She just groaned and went to sleep.

I put her in her crate and I went to my 6:30 pilates class and then to visit my mother.  I then roamed Walmart thinking it might be a good place to spend the day.  So tempting.  Three hours later I came home to a dog that was not crying, had not starved to death, had not called the SPCA, and did not have a bowel blockage due to not going to the bathroom while I was gone.  Success.  I waited, put away the groceries and took her out of the crate. We're on the right track for today.  Stay tuned for tonight.