So many thoughts and emotions with and about this little girl! She appears to be crating very well. A small bark/whine at the beginning, but we've been firm with "QUIET" and she settles after that. It's not an anxious cry/bark but more of a "hey! I'm in here!" kinda thing. She tries the same type of thing when she wants to follow Molly back into the apartment but she hasn't peed yet. I correct her and we move along and she is fine. The last thing I want to do is create an opportunity for separation anxiety. The neighbors said they didn't hear anything this morning/afternoon when she and Molly were home alone. (YAY!)
We're working on the housebreaking. Poor Nick. I took her out this morning to pee before I left at 7 and between 7 and 7:20 she peed 3 more times (that's even with being taken out twice.) I do think she has a UTI so we're trying to keep all that in mind too. (vet appt is scheduled, but of course not as soon as I want it to be!) We figure if we use the same key words and don't let her back inside until after she pees she'll get it pretty quickly. She appears to be a fast learner at everything else. We're taking her out every hour and treating with hotdog and lots of praise. Molly's a good model too : )
Already she's walking on a leash so much more nicely. She loves to watch the cars go by when we're out back (usually waiting for her to PEE!) The 4 of us went around the apartments again this evening. She works so hard to move. We figure her leg was lopped off and since she lived in a cage she never figured out how to balance and move her body quite right. She does fine on it, but we are convinced that over time it will become more "natural." These dogs never cease to amaze me.
She's taken to laying on the couch. She won't lay on the umteen dog beds on the floor, but she paws up at the couch. Of course Moo lays on the couch so if we're using her as the model it's ok for Ori to be on the couch too. She snuggles with Molly and every time I turn around she has her head resting on Nick's leg and they both look as pleased as punch.
You can't tell from the pictures, but I do think she's a tad on the thick side. I can't find her ribs which is weird, but true. She hasn't been eating all of the food we've been feeding her and we haven't been pushing the issue. Ori has started drinking from a water bowl which is fabulous! No food aggression from either girls (Ori shared a bite from Molly's dish tonight....) She does have a mammary tumor which I'm hoping we can have removed when she gets spayed. She looks like she's been bred and bred and bred though...poor girl still rolls over for a belly rub though. Her teeth don't look bad either.
I've already learned a few things about a 3-legged dog. 1) You can't lift up the front leg to move the leash or she falls on her face. (oops!) 2) Chewing on a bone becomes much more complicated that it is for a 4 legged dog, but it is possible! 3) laying down appears to be more comfortable than sitting.
Nick has already started teaching her sit and while I was getting dinner ready tonight for the girls I turn around and sure enough Ori's sitting! She's a smart little girl. Smart, smart, smart. She makes little noises like Tink did and she had me looking a few times for my little heart dog last night. Her sighs and exhales sound the same if that makes any sense.
I can't believe how much has happened, how much we've all learned, and how far things have come in 1 day. Is it possible? Can it stay like this? I'm currently here with Ori in my lap as I type this. Somehow it seems like she knows that's what it's here for...and that's where she belongs....
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