Monday, May 28, 2012

Learning How to Walk

Since she's so little, we still have to carry Maggie up and down the stairs to and from our apartment. She tries really hard to go up, but her little legs just aren't long enough. She gets really scared going down though and won't even try that. When she was playing with my best friend's dogs, she climbed the stairs following them, but only because Mommy & Daddy wouldn't help her out and she wanted to go play. And watching her try to jump up on the bed or the couch is HILARIOUS. We'll help her after a couple good tries to get up, but we don't want her getting used to us helping her do everything - because otherwise when she gets bigger, she won't know that she can actually do it herself.

We've been working with Maggie on getting her used to wearing a leash. We started Friday night with a retractable leash - just so she got the idea that she was connected to us. She was really really REALLY unhappy with it at first, but she got the hang of it pretty quick and just ignored the leash as she pranced about the yard next to our apartment and we followed. The next step was switching the retractable with a regular 6 foot leash. We let her run around with it on and drag it behind her a couple times so she would get used to the bigger one. (She's too little to really get too far from David and I, so we don't have a problem with her running around unleashed right now. And when she gets older, we bought a tie-out to put in the ground so she can still run around the yard.) Once she got used to it being attached, we picked up the leash and just followed her a little bit with it.

Then it came time for walking! Maggie got really scared and started whining when we tried to leave the front yard - most likely because that was really the only outside area that she knew. But David and I kept coaxing her and calling her and finally she got the picture that it was time to move. And as soon as she stepped on the sidewalk, she was like a different dog! She trotted right along next to us almost the whole time with hardly any coaxing at all!!!

We made a friend over in a nearby building that likes to sit outside. Melissa is probably in her 30s and works at the pool (which opens today!). She has a younger son that rides his bike around the neighborhood with his friends from other buildings. Maggie met her the first day she was home, but I didn't think she would remember her. But when we turned the corner and went around the building, Maggie saw her and ran right up and gave her kisses! We were so proud! The kids rode by on their bikes and as soon as they saw Maggie, they jumped off their bikes and wanted to play. I asked them to come up slowly so she doesn't get scared and they were very respectful. When they sat down on the grass, Maggie looked at us for permission and when we told her to go play, she ran right over and tumbled all over the kids with plenty of kisses. The girls picked her up and were in her face wanting kisses, and Maggie did so great! She loved the attention!!

On the way home, she stopped one more time to say hello to an excited elderly couple walking to their apartment.

We were very proud of her for being so friendly and good with the kids! What happened to the timid little girl we brought home last week??? Where did she go? Now we've got a bright, smart, friendly little puppy who wants to say hello to everyone!

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