Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Dealing with Seperation

We had made plans to go out for dinner as it is the last night for the in-laws and I had been thinking most of the day what to do about the dog. I had been reading up on line and there were a few helpful suggestions. We've been practising the 'come here' thing for the times when she runs off and it worked quite well yesterday when she got loose at the blow hole. I wanted to tire her out so once we got past the Dulux dog and it's yappy side kick's house I let her off the lead. My main concern is the cars and even though she ran wild like a banshee she generally doesn't go to far away from me. However, the 'come here' didn't work all the time but I'm not sure she could hear me over the wind. Once we got back I spent the next 45 mins preventing her from sleeping. I then kept her distracted while I cleared the hallway as leaving the dog in the kitchen wasn't working. The last time I came back and it was nowhere to be seen. I was rather puzzled and then there it was locked in the pantry surrounded by treats. Luckily most of them her own.

So with all potential chewable things out of the way I got the visitors to go out so there wasn't the 20 min build up we've been having, put some food down for her and we left. 

We had a lovely dinner, a warm fisherman's platter. It had crab claws, muscles, salmon, cod and prawns. I've got to say it was all really good except for the cod. It did redeem itself as I was most put out by the fact they have changed the menu and removed the muscles. I had been planning on having them all week. Unfortunately I got prematurely excited by the change in menu. The boarder has changed to blue and they've removed my favourite dish but the rest is more or less the same.....

At the end of dinner I didn't want to hang around and was anxious to get back to see what destruction I would have to clear up. I got to the door and there was no barking. Then I saw the door to the sewing room, well it's one of the spare rooms but the husband needs a clue, was open. My heart sank. That's where I had stored all the shoes from the front door, including the unworn, new shoes to replace the chewed ones and my new coat among lots of other stuff.


It took a while for it to come to the door and then I walked into the room without even taking my boots off. I couldn't believe what I saw. nothing. everything was in tact. Nothing chewed.

So I don't know if it was letting the dog run around to tire it, not making a fuss, giving the food, putting it in the hall instead of the kitchen or that it got to sleep on the spare bed. Whatever it was it worked. No chewed mats, no broken ceramic bowl, no chewed shoes....nothing. We didn't make a fuss when we got back and so I have a huge sense of relief. It just means I have to replicate it every time I want to leave. But that should be fine cause now I have all the gear. 

Night x 


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