Amber: Day 5, Part 2

Amber had a very full afternoon and evening. She had two car rides, and her very first visit to one of our local pet stores. She squirmed around quite a bit on the drive there, but she was calm and quiet on the way home. Inside the store, she was immediately bombarded with a ton of new sights, sounds, and scents. She was nervous, but her inherent curiosity took over and she started smelling everything she could get her nose to. She even met a couple of the staff – calmly, politely, and without trying to jump on them, as Wheatens are prone to do.

Later in the evening, Amber’s family came to visit with her and see how her training is progressing. They were surprised and very happy with how far she’s come in such a short time. They understand and accept that she still has a long way to go, but they’re very happy with the progress she’s made so far and they’re looking forward to having her home with them soon.

Day 5 was also a surprise for us. For the first time since she arrived, Violet initiated play with her. The two played for almost 15 minutes; they took turns chasing each other through the house, playing hide and seek, and playing catch-me – a game Violet made up. She hops up on a chair, lays on her side, and then stretches out one of her legs as if beckoning Amber to “catch” her. Amber drops to the ground in front of Violet in a kind of play bow, and the two play-swat at each other. Of course, because Amber does have a high prey drive, her and Violet’s play time is strictly supervised.

As we move into Day 6, Amber is still restricted around the house. She is slowly earning off-leash time, but until she stops trying to use my dining room carpet as a potty spot [she does this even after she’s pottied outside], her freedom is restricted to whatever area of the house I go to. On the upside, though, she has graduated from a 4-foot lead to a 6-foot lead when she’s indoors, and she’s now almost exclusively on the 10-foot long line when she’s outside in the back yard.

On the whole, Amber has come a very long way from where she was when she arrived. She is curious, playful, loving, and smart; she’s adventurous, stubborn, tenacious, and strong-willed. She is many things rolled into one little ball of fur and I know her forever family is going to enjoy many happy years with her.

Have a great day, everyone, and remember to stay calm and lead on.