Shopping the closet

 

When you don't get the laundry done between personal trainer appointments, you have to improvise.  This morning (Tuesday), I went on a "shop the closet" expedition and ended up with this eclectic outfit.  The shorts are from a Buffalo Run, years past, and the shirt from a Boston Athletic Association 5K, also years past.  I'm amazed at how fast those years do pass.  But the good news is that 1) I still had these items, and 2) They fit again!  Actually, the shirt is so oversized that it would have fit me even at my peak in March, but the shorts, not so much.

Running shorts are really not ideal for my workouts with weights, but both of my usual "bottoms" are currently in the washing machine.

Emberville Tuesday

I had not even attempted to put the harness on for a couple of days, so we had no leash walks since Friday.  I am working at the IYC version of what happens when we choose to use our teeth to communicate with our human.  This morning, something clicked in her puppy brain, and she did not try to bite me, but accepted the cue to stand, and stood there (granted with a treat in her mouth) while I clicked the belly strap on.

Then during the walk, I didn't even have to say "leave it."  She sniffed and walked right by a discarded plastic wrapper.  Magic?

Another element of the formula is her food.  I'm starting to feed her canned food as part of her "chow".  Trying out a couple of different flavors and textures.  When I put this chow down, she gobbles it up and licks the bowl.  As opposed to the kibble, which she will eat, but she's not enthusiastic about.  

Yet another is that we spent time out in the backyard as it started to get light, got her chasing a ball or two, so that she got exercised enough to "take care of business" before I even tried to put the harness on her.

I am not sure exactly which pieces of the incantation of behavior on my part are resulting in this peaceful morning, but I'm grateful. 

I went off to my personal trainer session, the only one this week, since the trainer has a track meet Thursday morning.  When I came home, Ember and I played some training games, and even though it's cooler than Sunday and Monday, it's still pretty doggoned warm out there.  The lawn mowers came after puppy nap #2.  When they finished, I took Ember outside for some exercise in the backyard.  

We had our biting incident of the day, after I attempted to do a solo restrained recall.  We were putting the toys away, she was still on leash, and I bent down to tie my shoe.  She redirected her frustration to my hands, and although I was "better" at following Susan's bite protocol, I had again neglected to take some things into account.  When this puppy is hungry, she gets bite-y!  And it was 3:30 p.m.  She normally gets fed between 3 and 4.  Add to that her extreme dislike of the leash-centric restrained recall.  

I escaped with a single new bandage, and I proceeded to feed her the "evening" meal.  She ate the half can of dog food down to licking the bowl, then also ate a cup and two thirds of kibble after.

When I heated up my own supper around 5 p.m. I set aside a small plate with about half an ounce of ground turkey for her, but Ember lost her rights to it by putting paws up on the counter and stealing a lick of it.  I hated to do it, but she had made a choice.  Then I put her to bed with her peanut butter bone.  This dog is not going to starve because of the missing bite of turkey.

Life continues to be good.  Spark on!