If you’ve been following Chai’s diary entries, you’ll know that my original plan was to document everything until I adopted her out and then, once I decided to keep her, until she hit 1 year of age. Well … that turned out to be WAY too much video editing! So I went to weekly digests for a while … and we will finish up the year with three monthly digests: October, November and December.
Today: the October highlights … October Chailights?
+ We finished Chai’s distraction recall training plan!
+ Chai got introduced to the off-leash city life by walking the sidewalks with a long line dragging (my reward for sticking with the distraction recall game – that’s what was in the treasure chest!)
+ I intensified working on real-life leave it by upping my reward value to liver. We’ve also racheted up stop-at-curbs practice and have been generalizing “leave it” to stepping off the sidewalk: less tricks, more life skills!
+ We kept working on tricks too (but I’ve allowed myself to video less because I was getting some serious editing fatigue). See the tricks-specific posts for our October progress:
+ Our weekly one-or-two-days off paid off: I got sick and was too exhausted to provide the usual entertainment – and Chai handled things like a pro, not bouncing off the walls but being a most excellent snuggle-me-better companion throughout a week of little physical and mental stimulation!
+ I’ve kept up our weekly husbandry practice: brushing (“Brush!”), baths (anytime my dear girl found something stinky to roll in), “Scissors!” (clipping fur around her toes, ears and butt) and “Claws!” (pedicures). She’s doing well but occasionally has a week where she feels sensitive about her front toe nails. Back toes are usually very easy.
+ We’re building a new habit of getting out of the city at least every second weekend. Daniel and his whippety-fast pup Dina have been excellent adventure companions and shown us some great new hiking spots.
+ Chai is approaching a year of age, and her adult personality is starting to show: the morning dog friends she used to play with lots are less of a draw for her now. She is more interested in either running to check for snacks under the trash cans and steal other dogs’ toys to trade me for food. She’d mostly rather play or work with me than play with other dogs. It has been lovely to observe this development of her personality while always being able to give her the opportunity to socially satiate!
She knows all the dogs in the video above (Doodle puppy Pipa, the big mix Pablo, Doberman Samantha, Bernese Mountain Dog Django, the white dog in the pink harness, the black whippety mix, the herdy mix). Like me, they and their people are morning regulars at the park. I’ve been making sure we get there when they are there as well so Chai could see her friends – but she is becoming less and less playful every week. Her best friends are Daniel’s 3-year old mix Dina and Alan’s same-age Border Collie Kiba. Just like most adult humans, Chai is becoming socially selective! The video above is one of the last times she showed interest in playing with Samantha, the Doberman.
+ I’ve kept up “home alone” practice, having Chai stay home alone by herself for at least 15 minutes when Game gets solo walks several times a week and together with Game for at least an hour at least once a week.
Game on a long solo walk! She says it’s nice to be an only dog sometimes!
I’ve foreshadowed another art scavenger hunt a while back, but haven’t gotten enough responses yet to be motivated to start a second round. That said, I have ideas! The more of you reach out to me after playing the first one, the more likely it is that there will be a second round sometime. My motivation runs on engagement! (Link to the post containing the first clue.)