I am beginning to make the first preparations for my and Kathie’s home-going, which will occur on Thursday morning. I don’t like to pack everything all in a rush; so I am gathering things slowly, sorting them into what I can pack and what I will need for the next few days, etc. Today and tomorrow, there are no trips planned; so Kathie and I have time for relaxing, and I have time for all this home-going strategizing.
Another part of planning for home-going is teaching Kathie how to behave off leash in the room. She, of course, was house-broken when she lived with her puppy raiser. She then spent several months back in the kennels during training. So now she has to learn what my expectations for her are as she comes to live in this new environment. Some dogs have very puppyish habits such as chewing on clothing or shoes, getting items out of the trash can, etc. Practicing freedom in the room gives me a chance to observe the types of behaviors I may need to watch for at home once we begin giving freedom in the house. At home, she will be on leash for a little while again until our routine settles down, and then I will begin giving her off-leash time in one room and progress to larger areas of the house as she continues to display good behavior.
Kathie has done very well with her room freedom. She loves to play with her bone and lounge near me. She is very curious about what is happening around us and outside the room when the door closed. Her curiosity came in handy this evening. I corrected her for whining and then realized it was awfully quiet in the hall. Everyone else had gone to dinner, and she had been trying to tell me that important things were going on and I was missing out.
We only went on one trip today. We went to the pet store. Talk about a great temptation for Kathie! She had to work while I shopped for her goys. She didn’t even get to tell me what she liked or hated. To be fair, I received a letter from her raiser describing her toy preferences and some of her play behaviors; so I made my purchases with this information in mind.
We have six trips left–two each day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, I will also have an exit interview with Jim Kutsch, the school president, and I will visit the vet with Kathie to get a summary of her health records. Time is flying.
We were fed well today. The notable meal was dinner: barbecue ribs and corn on the cob, and grasshopper pie for dessert. I should ask my fellow student to send me one of his dessert descriptions–the whole dining room is raving about his descriptions, and I am not very good at explaining something like what grasshopper pie is. My description boils down to something like, “It’s really yummy!”
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