Walking at Dusk
In regards to crate training, a tired puppy is a quiet puppy. Kira, who we've been fostering for the past two weeks, has come a LONG way in her crate training. She no longer has accidents in her crate (she stopped doing this around Day 3), doesn't bark incessantly in her crate anymore (but she still whines a bit), and at night, she sleeps quietly in the crate as long as Cabana stays in the same room. Kira now wakes up around 5:30am, which I appreciate much more than 4:30am. I'm working on lengthening that to a decent 6:00am, which is when I usually wake up anyway.
In order to help Kira sleep longer, I've found that an evening walk is crucial. Tonight, we went to the REAL dog park, because our usual mixed-use park was too full of soccer and softball teams. I think this is my favorite picture of Cabana and Kira together--it came out so crisp.
I think you can see from the photos that Kira has caught up to Cabana in height, although not girth (I still think Cabana is a just a tiny bit chubby).
Kira has gained a lot of confidence. She no longer has to be 2" away from Cabana all the time. But she looks around often to see where Cabana is and what she's doing.
We don't go to this dog park very often because the grass is so dry and people are not good about picking up after their dogs. But tonight, with the sun setting, it was beautiful.
In fact, we were the last ones to leave the park. Can you just make out the dogs, in front of the bush? I hope Kira is ready for a good night's sleep. I sure am!
I am sure she will zonk right out
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com
Oooh!!! Dagan is super jealous!! We haven't been in a couple weeks. Did you meet Doug the Humper?? He and his St Bernard friend generally hang out up on the hill by the chairs. As it gets cooler during the day and Dag can go to work again, we will get back to the dog park more.
Hope you all sleep well tonight. It is so cool to see the progress Kira has made in this time.
What patience you have. Kira is getting more confident every day.
Mango Momma
Cabana is not fat!! It is so cute seeing them together though. The are quite a gorgeous duo.
We also find that a combo of physical exercise, training, and a good chewing activity before bed makes for a well-behaved and sleepy foster :)
My main goal in life is tiring out Tommy and Louise. The only problem is I usually end up exhausted too. So, I can relate. I bet you're sleeping soundly now that you've found Kira's perfect home.