Guarding the Dog

Clare and Ilan have a new dog.  It’s a nice dog: a border collie, just three months old. She arrived via a friend who, it seems, is allergic to dogs.  She has a lot of energy and working out in advance what she will do next is like anticipating what a child will do - a child with sharp teeth who gets very excited and jumps on everything and ... has very sharp teeth. Very sharp teeth. She likes to chew things: feet, clothing, straps, electrical cords, furniture, toys, books, toes, skirting boards . I think it is a sign of affection. 

Lael distracted

She  prefers to sit on soft cushions on the lounge instead of in her nice soft padded bed. This is discouraged, not always successfully. When she is in the house, someone has to be there all the time to prevent her from damaging anything. A silent dog is a source of anxiety.

Although she is a puppy, on her hind legs she is as tall as Joshie and almost as big as Isaac. Joshie is quite frightened of her. If she is in, he has to be carried across the room, although now he will walk, with trepidation, if someone holds his hand.

 The children all need to be trained how to freeze and unlock her steely grip from their clothing.  We have quite a few torn items of clothing and the number is growing. I noticed she was chewing the bottoms of the coats hanging on the coat rack and went to get a doggy-appropriate soft toy to distract her.  She took advantage of my 5 second absence to climb on the sofa and chew the corner of my MacBook  screen. 

Lael attacks soft toy.

 She is asleep in her bed now, at my feet.  She hasn't moved for about 20 minutes. Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. But she can’t fool me. I am staying here on the lounge, alert and ready to protect

Let sleeping dogs lie.