Off to the Vet

Today Nessie visited the Vet for her 12-week DHLPP shot. On the scale she registered 17.2#!! She was very excited to see a Boxer and another dog, but since she may not be fully immunized yet, visiting them was not an option. While we waited for the doctor, Nessie practiced her table manners and position changes - "sit", "down" and "stand". She also allowed Dr. B. to see her teeth, eyes, and ears. I like to put a word to these exams so the poor dog isn't being prodded around without knowing what is going on. I start early to name things that I might do ("nails", "ears", etc) and make sure it's a good experience with a treat! This makes it so much easier to do necessary things like clean their ears, clip or grind their nails, wipe muddy paws and brush their teeth as they grow. Who wants to wrestle with a 75# dog to clip nails!?!

Nessie's first "trick"

Today while waiting for some friends to join us outside for lunch, Nessie learned to wait to take a piece of food placed on her paw. While this may seem difficult, in reality it's not much different from learning to wait politely for their food bowl to be placed on the ground and to be released to eat. It's all about self control.

Today was Nessie's second day at work. She felt comfortable enough to use the "rock toilet" (landscaping rocks outside my office) and even (in a different locale, but still on the rocks) did sit and down. She's asking to go out now pretty regularly. Yay, Nessie!

We worked on holding her down in the kitchen area while I prepared my lunch. Folks watching were very impressed at this little tiny girl holding a down while I danced around her :-)