Doggie breakthrough!

Bowie is a gentle little dog, who is scared of cars and traffic. So dog walks were limited to our little dead-end street. We were trying to figure out how to get her to get beyond her fears either with lots of treats, or from lots of little trips towards the busy end of the street, one step at a time if need be. Hopefully culminating in Bowie enjoying walks to the park, downtown, and on trails.

Now Bowie *loves* people and other dogs, and Sunday, our friend Jacquie and her dog Mixx were the catalysts to a doggie breakthrough. Meredith met up with them and used the lure of doggy-comraderie to get Bowie out onto Sebastopol Road and down the railroad tracks with no problems!

If you like This American Life..

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/

TAL featured one of their stories this last week, so I googled them up and started listening to episodes. It's very good, with a greater focus on science and psychology than TAL does. I highly recommend checking it out. You can listen from their website, or subscribe to their podcast, or download mp3s.

Bowie: toys

Day 3: She's really perking up now, she romping around the yard and chasing flies with abandon. Or quietly hanging out under the patio table while we garden. Today we had several firsts: first introduction of new people on a walk, first toy-action, and first sit behavior. She's very good with strangers, and kids. And as soon as I finally convinced her to mouth one of her toys, she dragged it off under the bed (her den for now) and came out and started chewing on the rawhide bone! Very exciting, as she kept trying to use shoes for chewing (but never succeeding). Her ears are perked most of the time, and her submissive behavior is gradually diminishing. Huge improvements in just 3 days!