X-Pen

 I finally set it up, as a test run.

It's like pitching a tent.  I have set it up in a part of the back yard, on the part that is NOT new sod.  It took me a bit, but I was able to set it up by myself.

I expect I won't go out to Sunday morning's lake gather. It's a 27-minute drive, per Google, for this weekend's planned spot.  Ember might actually be able to handle that, if she's not too full, and is tired enough to just chill out. 

However, at this point, I would want to take the X-Pen along as a place for her to be while the people are doing their thing.  It's new.  She hasn't even tried it out yet.  I haven't even taken it down and measured it for if it would fit in the hatch of the car.  I think we have a few more steps of prep work before taking this tool to a park!

I have left the X-pen in the backyard overnight and plan to introduce Ember to it after our morning walk.  The grass will be wet, it will be cool, etc.

On Saturday, I did the "ice on the deck" thing again after I'd set up the X-pen.  Have to have a way to keep Ember interested and cool enough to focus on the task at hand (pee and poo).  After that was taken care of Ember was content to nap on the cool tile floor for a while.

The peanut butter flavored "teething ring" treat was not in favor for about a week.  Saturday she was OK with it.  How frequently a treat is offered is part of its value.  Which is why things like "tripe", "chicken livers", "venison", etc. become the highest valued rewards in training treats.

Currently, the favored lure for willingly / joyfully entering her crate is whipped cream.  I just squirt about a tablespoon onto her Kong or Pupsickle, that's filled with its regular stuff, put it in the back of the crate, and in she goes!

Whew! Ember demanded a 4th walk Saturday, telling me, effectively, she did not care how hot it was outside, she needed to get out, already!  We walked at 6 a.m., 9:09 a.m., 1:51 p.m., and 5:01 p.m.  I have to be careful to keep these short, because whether she thinks ahead to the availability of fresh, clean water or not, her Mommy does!

The memory card for the camera had arrived by the time we headed out for that 5:01 p.m. walk, so there was a game of "search" the treats on the front porch while mommy saved it from Ember's curiosity!  After the walk, and after Ember went into her "mommy's suppertime" crate time, Mommy looked up the installation instructions for the memory card for that camera, and went downstairs to complete that task!  Yay!  I now have access (should I ever need it) to recordings from both front and back cameras.

Other Saturday Ember activities:  

• grooming the cat until the cat would not take it anymore!
• Playing fetch in the house with mommy
• Turning up our nose at the food puzzle games
• Accepting kibble fed by hand by her mommy, as though she was a little puppy.  Sometimes I think she just wants the comfort of still being "the baby".
• And of course, puppy naps.  They are so important to healthy growth.

Life is Good.  Spark on!