Post for April

So, I haven't posted for all of April. I've been a bit busy these days...we got a dog. It's like getting a two-year-old that doesn't speak English. I don't think I have ever fully appreciated how much work a dog is. As a child there's no real responsibility and the only dog I had as an adult was June who was a dream dog (until we had kids but that another story).

Paris is a 7-month-old lab/shepherd mix. Her story is that she was living in the wild on a reservation being used as target practice until the owner of her mother finally called a rescue group for the puppies. Apparently when they picked up her and her siblings they were skin and bones, had chemical burns on their bodies and mouths (they don't think it was abuse, more just scrounging for food and water and getting into things that were dangerous) and one of her brothers had a bullet lodged in his leg.

She was then fostered in a family with 2 other dogs, 3 cats and 4 kids under the age of 8.

It all started when Erica emailed me a post about a couple of chocolate labs up for adoption through an agency that she volunteers with. Rene had wanted to get a dog last summer but having just had Lucienne I said no (and after this month I am sooooo glad I did!!). We were going to reconsider this spring and these labs set it in motion. We never did get an answer back from them but we started looking on petfinder.com. I didn't really want a puppy and would have been happy with a smaller dog. Rene really wanted a big dog and would love a puppy. We agreed that we both had to fully agree and not "persuade" the other on any particular dog. If either of us said no it was no. And so we agreed on looking at "Asia" (now Paris).

Long story shorter, we went to London and came back with a dog. At her foster home she was jumping up on people, eating food out of hands (grabbed a cupcake from Audree), and jumping on furniture. But, she was generally a sweet dog, very cute and soft and really was great with kids. That was my one, huge requirement.

So, a quick run down of Paris:
- Favourite things to chew are Barbies, Petshops, marbles and toilet paper, never a shortage at our house.
- It took her a day to stop jumping on us and the furniture (quick learner).
- She was not house trained but took about 2 weeks to get it down pat. Unfortunately the toyroom got hit the hardest. The only room with carpet so I'd imagine lots of good smells up there (future reno). We're working at keeping that door closed, too much to chew and mark.
- She's a big puppy and Audree has been knocked down a few times when she gets into her bouncy mood.
- She chases cats. Not good for poor Roxy. She has confined herself to the basement or top bunk. They're okay if Rene and I are in the room controlling the situation but it's a full blown chase if there's a chance meeting. They've had 3 good fights. Roxy is starting to migrate a little more in the house but we have a long way to go. I really, really, really hope we can work on this to the point where Roxy can wonder at will and not be scared. I think if Roxy would stand her ground she'd be okay.
- She chases squirrels. Not good for walks.
- She doesn't bark (yay!!). I hope this stays this way.
- She loves to play with other dogs.
- She's great with kids. Lucienne has got a hold of her fur a couple of times and Paris doesn't react.
- She's very wary of strangers. It takes a couple visits for her to become comfortable with them. On walks she stays clear but if someone approaches her she'll try desperately to run away. Not sure how to fix this. I just keep watching the Dog Whisperer hoping something will click.
- She doesn't like the treadmill but I'm working on it...not as consistently as I'd like but will keep trying to fit it in our day.
- She's doing really well at staying on her pillow in the livingroom while we eat. I hate begging dogs!!
- She doesn't rush the front door when people come, love this! Mind you, if we fix the wary of strangers issue we may have to work on keeping her away from the front door when the doorbell rings.
- She's great in her crate. Doesn't go in it freely during the day but has no problem going and staying when we need to go out or at night.

I've really got to get training her. She's pretty good at sit, okay with come but doesn't do well with stay or lie down. It would be fun to teach her some tricks. I'd like her to be able to go on the treadmill by herself (Cesar keeps saying that eventually dogs ask to go on, I'm sceptical).

Things have been easier since we finished fencing the yard. Now when she gets too crazy I send her outside for a bit and can have some peace. 

I'd also love to get her peeing and pooping in the same place in the yard. My plan is to lay down some rocks or something. She does poop in one spot but unfortunately it's right behind the kids' swings. It will also be hard to keep the kids away from her rocks...we'll see how this all goes. Already we have burned patches all over from her peeing.

Rene has been awseome at taking her for a walk every morning. He wakes up 15 minutes earlier. One of these days I'll get up early and take her for a run but it hasn't happened yet. I'm in charge of the evening walk when Rene comes home from work as long as there isn't anything going on right after. I get dinner almost ready and he finishes it up while I go for a run or walk with her.
 

So, that's Paris. And that was our April (she would have made a cute April too!). Especially since our other dog was June. I wish I'd thought of that!