I put a timer widget on the blog to mark time with Dexter. I cannot format it, so it is in somewhat truncated form but conveys the information. This morning was more settled. I let him out and with a dragging lead with Ella to do his a.m. business. He came in. I gave him a bone (and the others). Even Daisey decided that she would enjoy a bone 'carcass'. She will not take a loaded bone.
It was the most relaxing morning we've had since Dexter's arrival. Mark left for work. Dexter was inside. He tried to bother Angel while she was enjoying her bone. Angel would have none of that. (This girl is really showing her stuff. She's not aggressive at all with us, but her canine friends get no leeway).
I figured it was time to play some ball. I let Dexter out with a trailing lead to play ball. He put nose to ground. Down sidewalk. Into paved drive, and down paved drive to road. He was in search of Mark. Into the the car I bounded, as there was no outrunning him! Luckily there were special scents at my neighbor's mailbox. Dexter came right up to my car and jumped in. (We live on a residential street).
Lesson learned: This poor boy is still concerned about being left behind, and though he was at home, his sissies were not outside--he tends to be very focused on them. Apparently I'm not as interesting as Mark or his sissies!
We are watchful of his triggers to 'don't leave me' or 'determined to follow' behaviors. The trigger to these patterns involves a male and pickup truck. This time, with Mark and his truck. I'm confident that we can overcome this as he gets more acclimated, and we work with him. We had this same problem with Ella. She would take off after me (long after I was gone). Fortunately a neighbor reported it to Mark immediately. I went back and put her inside. She does not like harsh words, and these worked with her. She knew that going outside the gate gave her a scolding.
Being able to tie him out outside where he has a 50 ft lead, can sit on the front steps and have his toys is a sanity preserver. He cannot be trusted for 1 minute to be wandering in the house. Even with chew toys, there are too many other distractions. I would never leave him there while we were not home. I put him in the 1/2 bath downstairs with a comforter, water and toys. I had to barricade the plastic water line to the toilet. It's like having a toddler--imagine the worst thing s/he would do and it is a real possibility. I hate to see the flood from a plastic water pipe cum puppy plaything.
Shudder to think.
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