Major Lucy triumph

Let me mark a major event for Facebook: Lucinda the dog figured out fetch and retrieve tonight. We had NOT been trying to teach her - we just like throwing the tennis ball and watching her grab it and pretend it's a ferocious beast, and we hope that, eventually, she'll drop it such that we can get it. But tonight, unasked, she *consistently* brought it back and dropped it at our feet. We're blown away by her intelligence. OUR DOG IS GIFTED. Fetch me the appropriate bumper sticker.

She's a year old now - her birthday was May 4th. Same day as May the Fourth Be With You day. I've never known any of my dog's birthdays. I gave her turkey bacon for her birthday.

Some recent photos:

April Lucinda the dog update

We've had Lucinda for 16 weeks now. Almost four months. She's 11 months old.

When we took her to the vet in January, he said he wanted us to wait before we take her on any big, day-long hikes until she's at least a year old, because she needs to build up more muscle mass. Walking her three miles a day was no problem, but we shouldn't push her too hard. Now, three months later, Stefan said he thinks she's put on more muscle in her legs, as they don't look quite as skinny as they used to, and I agree. Her feet also don't look too large for her legs. She's still oh-so-skinny, and all legs, but she looks heartier than when we got her. But she's no taller than she was when we got her - she just looks taller, because she has so much more confidence.

Lucy finished her five weeks of dog training at Pieces of the Universe, a school for dogs run by my former across-the-street neighbor. Lucy loved it - the attention, the other dogs, the excitement, the together time, the smell of goats in the distance... Stefan did the training with her more than me - I usually stood to the side and watched. I wanted it to be their time. She left class knowing sit, down and stay, though she can't do any of those things if she's too excited. She can crawl for a treat when she's down, and Stefan also got her rolling over for a treat, but she doesn't know either on command. I'd like to keep doing weekly workouts with her here at our house, same day and same time, with Stefan, but it hasn't happened yet.

But she still doesn't understand come when she's off leash in the house or in the backyard. Not at all. Even high-value treats don't work. When she's on leash - on a walk, in the yard, even in the house -she gets it, even without a treat, and she gets it most of the time when she's off leash and playing with another dog - we test her frequently in those circumstances. We'll keep working on it - we know it's a trust issue more than a defiance issue. Lucinda loves us, but she still doesn't entirely trust us. Even with me, I have to trick her out of her crate for her morning walk: I walk into the utility room and close the door to the kitchen, then go out the side door, and stand there, outside, and count to 20 (to myself). Then I come back in, slide the door to go into the kitchen, and Lucy's usually out of her crate, standing in the dining room, and if I talk extra sweet, she'll lay down and let me put on her leash so we can go out - but sometimes, she still dashes back into her crate, and I have to start over.

She's only scared of me when it's time to walk. Maybe scared is the wrong word. I think she's just so excited that we're going somewhere that she comforts herself by running in the crate. If I can get the leash on her when she's inside the crate, she trots out once I'm done, no problem - relaxed that the anticipation of getting the leash on is now over.

Otherwise, she loves to cuddle, she loves to trot into our bedroom at 3 a.m. and lick Stefan's knee, and when we're at the dog park, she loves to get comforted when she runs over to us, in between running like the wind all around the place. Wow but she can move. It's a sight to behold!

I have a daily commitment for Lucy: that she will get to do three fun activities every day - meals don't count. The first of the day is always the same: our morning walk. Both of the other activities are usually a walk as well, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. But I like when one of those activities can, instead, be playing with another dog - in our back yard, across the street in the Methodists' big yard, in the nearby sports field next to the central school office, or best of all, the dog park at Thatcher Park.

Yes, I've been daring to let Lucinda off-leash, but only when we're across the street or in the almost-enclosed field next to the central school office, and only if there is another dog there that she wants to play with. While they play, every few minutes, I call her, and she always comes. Also, thanks to the dog classes, I know what to do when Lucy freaks out over something - talk to her gently, and keep the kibble coming - I wear a small bag full of food for all such ocassions. She no longer fears trash cans on the street, or large trailers parked somewhere today that weren't there yesterday.

She's curious of strangers, but won't automatically come to them. But if she knows you - yowsa, look out, here she comes! She loves Virgil, our neighbor from the group home for adults with disabilities, and when I put her on a line in the front yard so she can be with me while I garden, he sometimes lays with her, which she loves. On our walks, there are at least five houses at which she stops - she knows a dog lives there that she loves, or it's a house where she's been invited in. She never forgets the places and people she really likes.

Lucy and Gray Max the cat continue to be hilarious together. Max will come on command, and if he's near Lucy, she will follow him. Yes, our cat is a herding cat. Max still cuddles Lucy when he comes in the mornings and evenings, but still refuses to play with her. But I still think it's coming... I just hope that I can get their interactions on video.

I so regret not having any videos of Buster and Wiley... glad I have a few of Albi.

She's had four dogs visit the back yard to spend time with her - so far. Yes, we have our own little dog park... One is Violet, a neighbor's dog, who isn't interested in playing with her at all - we had Violet over while her owners were away for the weekend, and she was more interested in being with Stefan and me than with Lucy. And, yet, Lucy is so happy whenever she sees her. Another is Bently, a Goldern Retriever who loves to run as much as she does - keep your knees bent when they are together, because if they run into you, you will go flying like a snooker ball. But her favorite guest is Murree, no question - at more than 200 pounds, he's no match for 40 pound, full-of-beans Lucy. Geesh but she loves him. And vice versa. I'm very glad to have videos of the two of them playing.

It will be interesting to read these blogs in a year or two, to see how our girl has changed...

Our own not-so-viral dog videos

There's nothing quite like watching our 11 month old dog, Lucinda, at 40 pounds (soaking wet!), playing with her best buddy in the world, Murree, a two year old Newfoundland, over 200 pounds. They loved each other the moment they found each other whilst walking through Forest Grove.

We love having Murree over for visits. It's our own little dog park in our backyard. I decided to use my snazzy new $80 smart phone (yes, eighty, not eight hundred) to record their antics. Oh how I wish I had videos of Buster and Wiley playing....

This is how they are when we first get Murree into our back yard:


Eventually, Lucy hits excitement overload. Lucy is a blur, while Murree is more of a loper:


Finally, when tired, they are each other's chew toys:


Also see these previous blogs about Lucinda:

We Love Lucy

The meaning of noises

What I’ve learned about Lucinda

February Lucinda the dog update

February Lucinda the dog update

We've had Lucinda the dog eight weeks now. It's so wonderful, so comforting, so normal, to have a dog at home again. It's brought back so many memories of Buster, Wiley and Albi when they each first came into my life.

Lucy is less skittish with strangers, so much so that people have thought she's grown. One person said to me today, "My goodness, she's twice the size she was when I last saw her!" Um... no. She's gained less than two pounds since we first weighed her on Jan. 3 at PetSmart. I took her to the vet one day just for her to go inside and meet everyone, so her first visit wouldn't involve anything but friendly people and dog treats. When we took her back, along with Max the Cat (he needed his boosters), she handled being chipped like it was no big thing at ALL.

She walks on a leash incredibly well now, and I've trained with her every day - she knows sit, down, and stay from both positions, and I'm working on "go to your bed". But she just does not understand "come" when we are inside the house or in the yard. At the dog park or when she's walking on a leash - yes, she totally gets it, and it's really wonderful to call her name at the dog park and have her bound toward you and lean up against you as you tell her what a good girl she is. Inside our house and in the yard, I use the most delicious dog treats possible, but she will only "come" in the house or in the yard if we are in the middle of a training session - try it when you are on one side of the house and she's on the other, and she'll just stare at you.

But, sadly, we've had a setback regarding trust. Lucy is a bit more skittish, and seems a bit depressed. And I think it all goes back to our horrible scare with her about three weeks ago.

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you know that we had a horrible scare with Lucy on January 29: around 2:30 that day, after Lucy and I had finished our B Street Trail walk and were two blocks from home on 18th, I fell and lost my grip on the leash. As soon as I hit the ground, Lucy BOLTED. She FLEW down 18th street, her leash dragging behind her, making a loud noise because of the plastic holder for her poop bags banging against the sidewalk and street. I couldn't even begin to catch her as she bolted away from me. She ran two blocks as fast as she could, almost getting hit by a car, then I saw her in the distance turn the corner of where we live, on Birch and 18th. And then she was gone. An hour later, EVERY person in Forest Grove with a dog was out looking for her. Neighbors went out in their cars looking for her. I called Stefan at work. He came home and joined the search. I stood in front of the house, looking, calling, crying LOTS, making a general spectacle of myself. I searched under bushes, in nooks and crannies all around our house and the neighbors. Nothing. Crazy reports came in on the Facebook Forest Grove community of sightings as far away as Cornelius - and poor Stefan drove to every one of them, no matter how crazy.

More than four hours later, night had fallen, and temperatures were dropping - it would freeze that night, or come close. I was imagining the worst, and thought, if we don't find her, this is one of the worst days of my life. Stefan and I decided to go on the route of our usual morning walk, backwards, calling for her. About 45 minutes later, we got back to the house and Stefan heard something rustling in the neighbor's yard next to our fence. It was Lucinda. She' hadn't been there or near there until then, as I'd looked there thoroughly earlier. We think that by going out and calling, she heard us from wherever she was hiding somewhere on the block and came home. She bolted away from us when Stefan approached, but stopped in the front grass, sat, and eyed me with a side, terrified glance. I had to approach slowly, with a raw hide, and I talked and talked. She dropped down on her belly, but was ready to run. I stopped before I got too close and she would bolt again. Finally, she crawled tentatively came forward for the rawhide. She was shaking uncontrollably. Still wearing her collar and leash - the sound of it dragging behind her had contributed to her panic. I held her and wept. Stefan came up and held her too. We brought her inside - both her and her leash wet all over. I fainted shortly after we got her inside - everything just kinda went gray and fuzzy. I think Stefan thought I was kidding. I'm just glad I didn't hit anything on the way down.

Everyone in Forest Grove was awesome. Beyond awesome. I cannot believe how many people went out with their own dogs or cars just to look for our dog! I think she would have come home sooner had the Methodist Church playground not been packed for an hour with screaming kids - she does not like groups of children (she's fine with one or two).

Since then, she's progressed well on training and walking on leash, but we've gone a bit backwards in terms of trust, and that really breaks my heart. When it's time to walk, each morning, afternoon and evening, she cowers and crawls under the futon couch and won't come out, no matter what awesome treat I offer her. I have to put the retractable leash on her when she isn't under the couch and isn't expecting it, and then she'll go on a walk just fine - no cowering at all. She rarely pulls now. But she also rarely sleeps with us in the bedroom anymore, on her bed next to mine. Instead, she sleeps in her crate, getting up in the night to let me know when it's time for a pee break (anytime between 2 and 4 a.m.) - and then she is happy to be put on leash.

She's been to a private dog training class, and she will begin group classes in March. And I'm doing all I can to rebuild our trust: I lay in the floor with her whenever she's outside her crate, and pull her into my lap sometimes - she loves to be held. The best days are always when she can visit the dog park, or have a dog over to play in the back yard - all her inhibitions melt away, and after we get back home, she's happy and content. I would LOVE to get another dog - I think it would help her tremendously. But that's a while a way - we've got things to work on until then.

More:

What I’ve learned about Lucinda

The meaning of noises

We Love Lucy