Echo and I had a good day. We did a training walk, first thing today, with Gimli. It went well. After that, most of the day was a combination of "re-connect", and working on "bond". In terms of bond, it was all about getting her to stay with me, without a lead. ... Other than when she needed to sleep, it went very well.
When she needed to sleep, she went to her spot in the living room, or my bed and crashed.
After her early afternoon nap, we played a variation on the game we played the first morning we had together. Unlike the last time we played that game, while her mouth was open most of the time, she did not try to "mouth" me, at all.
Just before Jesus and Amy came home, we had a wonderful game of "chase" in the backyard. She chased me all over the yard, and was a pretty happy puppy.
Once Jesus, and Amy came home, for the first hour or so, it was a different matter. She wouldn't follow commands. She resisted putting on her vest (unlike this morning for the walk, where it went on without a problem). She didn't jump up or "misbehave". On the other hand, she didn't behave, either.
In other words, she didn't do anything overtly wrong, but she wasn't going to take direction either.
Once I left for my commitment this evening, she went to her spot in the living room, and was out like a light. Since then, she has, pretty much (except for a drink of water or two), been there all night. She will, occasionally, rouse for a minute or two, and then, she is down again.
Tomorrow, I plan on doing serious work reinforcing "Sit", "Down", "Up", and "Wait".
I'm beginning to be concerned that she refuses to do things for others that she will do for me.
For instance, Jesus, for the first time, took her on a walk. He took Gimli, also, because she tends to do better with Gimli along. She, still, did the "plant" of the legs, or stopping and sitting to watch things, that she doesn't do with me.
Another example is that, this morning, when it was Gimli, her and I going for the walk, she had no problem with me putting her vest on. Tonight, when it was me putting her vest on her in front of Jesus, and Amy, she was having none of it. She didn't resist, per se. However, unlike the rest of the day, where she had to be near me most of the time, once I picked up the vest this evening, she would just walk off. It was very passive-agressive.
Which brings me to the poem, by Longfellow, referenced in the title of this post. It goes:
There was a little girl,Who had a little curl,Right in the middle of her forehead.When she was good,She was very good indeed,But when she was bad she was horrid.
I haven't found the curl, yet, but I am beginning to think it is there.
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