Journal Entry: September 5th, 2012

September 5, 2012

• ·         0145 – woke up agitated.  (I was concerned that she had not pooped in some time)  Went out and did both.  (Every poop, since the first, has been more solid. The odor has not diminished.)
• ·         0415 – would sleep 30 – 45 minutes, then get up for 5 – 10 minutes, from the 0145 bullet, until about 0415 when she settled in
• ·         0855 – woke up, peed, ate and pooped (in that order).  Amy went with us while I showered.  Her agitation was much less than yesterday.  Went out after this, Gimli followed.  He was very low keyed.  Just followed her around, and, really, attempted no interaction.  She attempted to play with him.  He did the “I don’t want to play” thing.  Not the aggressive one, the other one.  He just tried to get out of her reach, or hunker down.  She bit him twice, playfully, twice in a way that drew a “BIPE!” from Gimli.  He didn’t growl, or lift his lip, or anything.  He just let her know that she had hurt him.
• ·         1120 – very active until this time, then crashed until noon.
• ·         1200 – woke up, peed and attempted a “sunshine break” in the backyard.  Gimli broke that up.  It wasn’t bad, but I decided everyone needed a “time out”, after that.  This time Gimli was trying to assert himself in the pecking order.  It wasn’t bad or hurtful.  It was just more than needed to go on.
• ·         1320 – went down for a nap
• ·         1425 – woken by people coming in and out of the house.  Had lunch. Amy fed her.
• ·         1530 – went back to sleep
• ·         1615 – woken again by traffic in the house.  Changed out toys, per Jean’s advice.  Putting up the rawhide bone seemed to diminish Gimli’s negative interest in Echo, and her toys.
• ·         1900 – Napped hard
• ·         1935 – woke up, peed, ate, and pooped
• ·         2235 – Crashed hard
• ·         0005 – woken up by foster son coming home.  Played in floor with Amy, I, and Gimli.
• ·         0045 – woken up, again, went out and peed. No longer looks for a treat for a “pee” hurry.  Just accepts the praise and goes on.

General News

• ·         On the first night, we put together something similar to Jean’s X-pen. Shortly before Echo and I went to sleep.  Echo and I have been sleeping in the pen, in the living room for the last 2 nights.  The plan is for us to move to the bedroom the night of the 6^th.
• ·         The X-pen has been used extensively, generally, with her and I in it, for the last two days. 
• ·         Tonight, as things began to settle down, we attempted to have Echo at our feet, and Gimli on the couch with us.  The results have been mixed, but the progress was good.
• ·         Echo likes to lie in the sunshine, given a chance, especially in the grass.  I’m trying to give her that time, each day.
• ·         Given the great number of changes that Echo has gone through, for almost, a week now, I think settling things down, and creating as much “routine” should, probably be one of my goals.
• ·         She’s getting a lot of work on “Drop” and “Off”.  “Drop” is working fairly often.  “off” depends on the level of determination she is feeling at the moment.
• ·         We are running into, several times a day, times where she is “over-stimulated”.   You know, that young child moment where the kid is exhausted, but is too tired/excited to sleep.  Trying to identify these moments earlier, and deal with them better.
• ·         We tried “chase”, again, today.  She followed me consistently.  … She ran past me, and, then, back to me, but it was chase.  She seemed to like it.
• ·         A close family friend visited today.  After a short time of observation, she noted, with no prompting from Amy or I, how much Echo focuses on me, and is upset, if I am out of her sight.

Concern of the Day

                She HATES the leash. 

She doesn’t mind her area being limited, as long as she is not allowed to be bored.  She PREFERS to be close to me. Generally, within my range of touch.  She will stay close to me, given a choice of her own.  … She HATES the physical leash.

For instance, sometimes, while in the X-pen, I will drape the leash over one of the rods that hold it in place. If nothing else gets her attention, she will find the leash, and attack it.

When I mentioned her playing in the floor, earlier tonight, it was in a narrow corridor between our couch and our coffee table.  She enjoyed me doing the “name/treat” thing, to keep her in the area.  She acquiesced, easily, to me using my leg to block her.  She would engage Amy at the end of that corridor, happily. … If she saw the leash, she would attempt to chew it, whether it was on her, or not.

When it is on her, she doesn’t mind it as much, when it’s taut, but let it dangle at all, and she hates it. … Let her see it, when it’s off of her, like in the X-pen, and she will try to chew it, and destroy it.

She has a drive to be near “her people”, and constantly have them in sight.  The nearer, the better.  Echo HATES being on a leash.