Day 300 - Challenge Accepted

challenging

Busy day today...getting to know Robin and trying to celebrate Anna's birthday as best we can whilst having to focus attentively on the dog all day.

Given that he has one or two reported issues, we're paying close attention in order to nip any issues in the bud.

The main problems in his past have been poo-eating (his own), challenging his owner, and stealing and/or guarding food...

As far as poo-eating goes, he's paid it no attention at all...he's nosed at poo once or twice when we were out walking him, but immediately left it alone when being told to "leave it"...

He has challenged in a minor way once or twice - pulling on his lead a bit to see if he can get away with it...but when I've said "no", he's accepted that without any problem - he's just testing boundaries, which seems fairly reasonable to me. 

After a long walk down the lane, we took him into town and had a good wander round...he was absolutely fine, walking nicely on the lead and checking himself whenever there was tension on the lead. 

To give him a tough test in the food stakes, we sat at a pavement cafe and had sausage sandwiches.  He was very interested in the food, but again, when told no, he accepted it and just lay down, drooling.

It was a busy street, lots of passers-by, lots of traffic, kids, dogs, push-chairs, all sorts...but he just lay there passively, watching the world go by (with one eye on the sausages, natch!).

It's a funny situation...despite the fact that he's better behaved than Jazz and Bluez on every front, he's a big dog and we don't know him that well...so we're all learning to trust each other, and trying not to focus on the potential problems...it's fair to say that he still hasn't put a foot wrong. 

He is taking a lot of management - but it's all related to the cats!

Maisie has kept well out of the way upstairs since he arrived, obviously not ready to face him yet.

Loz is a little more of a problem - she wants to confront him face on and have it out with him...he's been quite happy to ignore her, but since she seems to feel the need to show him who's boss, he's got more interested, and a little concerned about her. 

So all of the management is about keeping the cats and dog apart, or at least, making sure that we pay close attention and maintain close control when they are in the same vicinity.

Anyway, all good so far, we just need to stick with the program whilst the new routines bed in...for all of us!

:-)