That dog is bigger than when we picked her up on Saturday, I'm pretty sure. Whether or not she is physically bigger (I do think she is), she is intellectually and emotionally a significantly advanced pup. She is learning tricks, developing her personality, and overcoming fears. It's that last one I'm most proud of.
Yesterday's panic attack in the car was rough on Saoirse. She really thought we were going to go on another four hour drive to change her circumstances yet again. The stroll around Petco wasn't long enough for her to regain equilibrium. I was determined to keep trying, so she gets over her fear and learns that cars usually end up someplace fun in short order. When my daughter asked me to come hold the baby for a while so she could rearrange her house, and said I could bring the puppy, I agreed.
The drive was barely a mile. The dog screamed like I was skinning her alive. I didn't know what do think. So once I got her settled in the back yard, with the grandbaby in my lap, downing a huge bottle of milk, I googled my problem. There were tips about convincing puppies to approach the car slowly, using lots of treats, not starting the car right away, and cuddling before getting latched in to drive. Other than needing to start the car fairly early on, because it was uncomfortably warm, I did all that. She was quiet by the time I latched her harness to the seat belt. I gave her treats as we rolled slowly down the block to the stop sign. I petted her and praised her for staying quiet. She was calm the entire way home. I couldn't believe it was the same dog. I intend to go somewhere with her tomorrow, doing the same process, starting from zero, to make sure it sticks.
She has already shown me how much she appreciates being allowed to sleep on the bed, and surprisingly, I don't mind it. More shockingly, Athena is tolerating sharing the space. There are still sudden swats in the dining room between them, but as long as Athena gets the right side of me, and Saoirse gets my left, there is peace.
Well, there is peace for everyone except the raccoon toy. As I keep saying, "That raccoon knows what it did."
Saoirse was calm, even when the baby grabbed her face (and baby was calm when Saoirse licked her nose). They love each other, and the above picture led directly to the below (after we quickly removed Dino's hands from the puppy eyes).
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