Hot weather and a dark coat.

Not the best combination, is it, Ember?

It was 80℉ on Saturday afternoon.  Let's try out the pool!  

I had not had the pool out while the yard was flagged and we were "on leash" even in the back yard.  But since the sprinkler dude said she could be loose back there and he didn't care about the flags possibly going missing, I decided I need the extra tools to keep this dog busy and engaged!

Then of course she comes inside trailing water from her toes as she runs from room to room.

What I don't know is if he realizes how proficient this puppy is at taking out the flags.  Will he be OK if they are ALL gone?

She is removing the yard flags, one or two each trip outside!  I hope the sprinkler repair guys know that they are likely to be missing several by Monday!  I know she's taken 3 of the pink ones (marking the sprinkler heads), four of the orange ones (marking buried cable), and so far, two red ones (power lines underground).

  

Did I mention that I decided to try out the "cut resistant" sleeves recommended by my kid sis?  They got some for her hubby when their dog was new to the household and was nipping just him.  

I was concerned that if I wore sleeves, she would just bite harder.  The sleeves and a pair of similar gloves were delivered on Friday, so I started to try them out Friday evening.

My concerns seem to be well founded.  That was a wasted investment, perhaps.  But at least I know.  When I wear the gloves, Ember things it's an interactive chew toy!

Thus ended the experiment in protective clothing!  Thing is, it's almost Summer.  Ordinary people she meets will not be dressed in protective gear.  And isn't that what they use to train guard dogs TO attack?  Gear up the target?

We'll see what the Zoom Room trainers have to offer come Tuesday.  But I'm slowly assimilating and deciding that the disruption in her life lately is a factor, as is her age (4 months is usually the start of the potential teething phase), and the signals I give when correcting her that could in themselves be encouraging "the game".  Many, many factors and distractions in a puppy's life.

Middle of the night bonding

I woke up about 11:15 p.m. and headed down to offer middle of the night potty break to my little fur-baby.  She came out and headed straight to the couch, no interest in going outside at all.  This time I trusted her, and I stretched out on the other side of the couch.  From then until about 1:15 a.m. it was a quiet time of snoozing a bit, re-establishing trust a bit, and eventually her head on my lap and even on my shoulder at one point.  Soothing words and pets, the apology that a dog and her human give one another.

She let me know she needed to go out in subtle ways, and I opened the sliding door for her to go do her business in the night, then made her a treat to take back into her den for the rest of the night.

At this point The Prisoner came in, and I fed him his breakfast, 3 hours early!  He did some rubbing up and so on, as cats do.  Then I climbed the stairs to my own bed, where I slept until 4:15 or so.  It was a cool and wet morning, with occasional rumbles of thunder and light rain.

Ember had a zoomies session triggered by one of those rumbles, and then she did her business before coming back in.  We had breakfast for her in the 5 a.m. hour, interrupted by various play sessions, indoors and out.  She resisted the harness when she was being such a good girl, so we went back to the tried and true, four paws into the den, a little settle time, then she lets me put it on in exchange for a treat.

And we went on a leash walk around our normal block between the showers.  And managed to navigate both leaving and returning to the house without stealing any additional flags.  I am so grateful to have the fenced back yard cleared for her to run in this weekend.  I am trying to keep things as close to the normal routine she's used to as possible today.  Because on Monday, the sprinkler guys are coming back.

Life is good.  Spark on!