Day 8 since the spay

 

A new toy to refresh other toys!  This is a "hole-ee roller" style shaped like a bottle.  It came with a clear plastic bottle inside it, and the suggestion to turn it into a puzzle by putting treats or other toys inside.

I took one of Ember's oldest toys and stuffed it into the outer bottle, partially.  She was so happy to play with it, and soon freed him from his captive state.

Then while she was doing something else, I snuck the relatively new (since last Tuesday) ferret into the bottle, for her to start the game anew.

As I was about to get Ember up from puppy nap #1, I got a text from kid sis Alicia, who was in the neighborhood.  Since we'd missed our normal Wednesday visit, she wondered if I'd be free for her to stop by.  Of course!  Ember would be ecstatic to see her (and I would, too).  

Ember was a little bit more excited than I would like.  She kept the paws on the ground, at first, but Alicia was wearing flowing sleeves, and that's a big attraction to my puppy's teeth.  Alicia was good about dodging, but at one point in the back yard where Ember was playing with a garbage can (and teething on it), Ember decided Alicia was an appropriate chew thing!  Alicia let Ember know this was not acceptable!

Sigh.  We then took Ember on a leash walk (it was time anyway).  She did fairly well.  At least she didn't stop to gnaw on branches like she did on the 6:30 a.m. walk.  Only had to stop for a pulling action a couple of times.  We practiced my mechanics of treat delivery as we went. That's a precursor to training the reward zone, which hopefully will reduce her pulling in the long run.

Alicia's visit changed the order in which Ember has her training.  Normally I would do a round of "It'sYerChoice" when she first came out of the crate, and this waited until after Alicia headed out.  Bananas first round.  Cheese second round.  She did very well.  But the really impressive win for IYC came at the end of the day, between puppy nap #2 and mommy's supper prep time that she goes in the crate until "last call".  I was prepping her bedtime treat, which has whipped cream as the final element, and a big drop of the stuff fell to the floor... right in front of Ember.

She did NOT lap it up.  Whipped cream is her favorite treat.  I mean she happily follows it into the crate (yes, I know that's luring, and I'm supposed to be transitioning away from using lures).  And she licks it off my fingers if I offer them to her.  But she did not go for that drop of cream until I told her she could "get it"!

Life is Good!  Spark on!