How, pray tell, do you work on it? We play "get in the car" games. I bring her Tearrible toy, or "Shortie" the fur-tug, and of course treats, opening both car doors to make a tunnel, I crawl through the tunnel, and eventually she gets in, I clip her to the seat belt, and off we go. I have plans to do some games where we don't go, just get in, get treats, get out, go play something she really likes, etc.
Overcoming a dog's anxiety about certain things takes time and patience. Since she has that history of upset tummy in the car, we're kind of late to the game in this particular area. Many dogs LOVE going on car rides, knowing there are good things on the other end.
I read something, don't remember which dog training resource it came from, but it was explaining the differences between male and female dogs. Turns out the laying in the threshold thing that Ember does? Is what a lot of female dogs do. According to this particular source, they are protecting the den, keeping watch. And yes, that fits what she does. She wants the door open so she can see out and watch the cat or passing traffic, or whatever!
I see in the news that the postal service will not be accepting parcels from China. Guess a couple of toys I had on order will be late arriving. If I ever get them at all. Yes, I was drawn in by the ads for the calming duck, and ended up also ordering a bear. Both are supposed to be "indestructible" for super chewers. But if you are waiting for all the circus to impact you personally, here's my first one.
{insert blogger's block that lasted two days here}
Sigh. Meanwhile, across town... the kids have their foster child for at least two more weeks while the court kicked the can down the road, due to system access being down. The judge wanted to check precedent for one lawyer's argument.
Anyway, it's prolonging the drama, but at least they have two more weeks of the little guy being with them. And no one knows what happens beyond that. But the wheels are turning. And DIL is busily helping FC plan out the valentines for his classmates and his teacher!
Ember had day care on Tuesday and Thursday. On Friday we did a little leash practice in our own yard, and she wanted to pull me places I did not want to go. So more work needed on that front. We did not leave our own yard except to try to pull me into the neighbor's yard where the cat likes to hide.
We went on to play car games and she got her weekly pup cup.
While Ember was puppy napping, I went out and got my Covid booster. I had escaped catching it from my son and my daughter in law, and this was about how long the PA said to wait to consider myself clear for the next shot. I am now finally caught up on vaccinations, based on what the doctor told me to get a year ago.
When I got home, I called my older sister for her birthday, and we caught up. I am continually startled by how quickly children grow up. Her grands in Utah will both be in high school next year!
There are more "follow up" / "maintenance" health care things in the weeks ahead. Next week, Ember will have day care three days in a row, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday because I have a dental appointment on Wednesday. The following week it will be Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with her in day care, to accommodate my bone density scan and mammogram on Friday. Hopefully, at that point, this particular collection of scurrying about will be over.
Hope y'all are staying well, and warm (or cool, as your side of the planet dictates). Keep on choosing to live your own life... and Spark on to health!
I enjoyed your blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased the FC is comfortable in your kid's home. That's the goal, to give him a steady place and lots of loving! Even though you all might take a heart hit, be proud you are helping him grow up loved.
Enjoy all your medical stuff. It reminded me I've a script for the scan, too, as well as bloodwork. I spend so much effort caring for my man, I've neglected myself.
Unhappy news on our front. Winnie has a large growth on one leg to be removed and biopsied. The vet said will not have enough tissue to cover the 2-3 inch swath, so it will be open for quite some time while it heals. There is much suspicion in the vets' eyes and quite a bit of bracing on DD1's side. I had a discussion with my kid about site-injectable chemo and radiation; it'll be up to her family. The care alone is a huge load. Keeping a long-legged, chewing dog away from this wound is going to be a nightmare. Sigh.
Oh, so sad about Winnie's issue. Hope all turns out OK, but I understand the "bracing" on your DD1's part.
DeleteAnd don't ... you ... dare... neglect taking care of YOU! All these people you take care of care about YOU, too!
Must be that we tend to think of health appointments in the winter months. Us too, think we just find the nice weather too nice to deal with sitting in waiting rooms - LOL. Great to catch up and have a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteFunny how that works out... I used to have my annual stuff in the summer time, I think my annual physical used to be in August? Anyway, it crept forward, bit by bit, and now it's starting to slop over from January into February.
DeleteToday (Saturday) I'm feeling the side effects of that Covid shot. The muscle ache - headache - a bit of snotty nose congestion - and a slightly elevated temperature that doesn't reach fever range. About to lay down for a 20 minute nap before Ember gets up from puppy nap #1.
Hope you have a fine weekend... I need to get over to your blog to read up!
April is the month here for all the medical stuff. USUALLY, Mother Nature is finished with all the nasty snow and ice, so it's not necessary to fight all of that. Going for all the tests is bad enough, without having to worry about the condition of the roads. If the weather people are correct, I'll have to reschedule my haircut appointment. Two rounds of snow. Ugh!! DGD is here for the weekend. I see hours of Monopoly in my future.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and good wishes for DS, DIL, and FC. It's sad that those in charge refuse to listen to the children. They are painfully honest and paint a true portrait of what goes on in their young lives.
Happy weekend. 🤗💖
I'm smiling thinking about you and your DGD playing monopoly! Awesome. My brother and I used to do that, even playing it "solitaire" style where we experimented with strategies, assigning different ones to the various tokens and seeing which strategy was likely to be most successful. Yes, MOBYCARP and I shared a geeky streak! We came by it naturally, though, as our mom was that way, too. Dad was far more practical. I remember him quitting the family monopoly game when he got hit with the street repairs and assessments Chance card. He muttered something about the game getting to be too much like real life!
DeleteI agree about children being painfully honest, but they are also pretty careful about what they say when they fear reprisals from adults who SHOULD be looking out for their welfare! Some things children should NOT have to know about, and unfortunately some of them know all too much!
ReplyDeleteHOPE that the work with Ember allays her fears/distress about getting in the car and riding in the car.
Sorry that the system being down impacted foster child’s stay w/your DS and DIL. But at least the judge is being thorough. That is vital. And good luck to all.
Happy birthday to your sister!
Good luck w/the medicalizing! The first couple months of the year are busy w/that here, too.
Hope that the Covid shot side effects are quick and gone!
Hugs and blessings
Barb
1cd
It's now Saturday 5 p.m. and the side effects seem to have come and gone. Yay! The judge's delay in the proceedings actually working in my son and DIL's favor... they got to keep their little guy for at least two more weeks. We'll see what happens beyond that. Birth dad is back to supervised visits (supervised by DHHS), starting with tomorrow as the first such visit since the "emergency" re-removal.
DeleteHugs and blessings back to you and yours! May the medicalizing on your end have harmonious results!
PHOENIX1949
DeleteHmm, blog disappeared that I entered a few hours ago.
Condensed version: I enjoyed the Emberville Gazette. . . . had appointment Thursday with eye doc. Currently using OTC reading glasses and plan to check with my long-time optician about using previous frames for progressive bifocals. . . .86F here yesterday -- cold snap predicted for next week.
Susan
Susan, I got your previous comment. It landed on my first blog entry, not on this one. I responded to it there... I have no idea why it attached to that entry and not to this one, but here's what I said in reply: "Congrats on making it through the second cataract surgery, to that follow up appointment! Gee! 86 does sound like a heat wave... we had our high in the morning here as it dropped from about 39 around midnight to an afternoon around freezing.
DeleteEmber was a dream this morning, and a bit of a pistol this afternoon. Welcome to the "teen" years, uh, months!"
BTW, we are also due for a cold snap next week, mid-week!
Brrr! Too cold for Miss Ember to guard the den with the door open.
ReplyDeleteGlad your vax symptoms are done.
I agree, but at least by afternoon we got some nice sunshine, so it didn't seem as cold! Sometimes she's so precious! Three times today when it was time to go in the crate, she went in, I didn't have to prompt her or lure her, she knew it was time!
Delete