BOYCOTT BENEFUL DOG FOOD!

Sometimes there's nothing interesting happening in Fio's life. Other times, she's overflowing with topics.  Right now, she's caught in a biblical flood.  The situation reached its zenith yesterday afternoon when Fio drove (yes, her car is working now) to PetsMart and discovered that Beneful has reprocessed and repackaged its dry dog food, which means that Healthy Fiesta is no longer available,

Fio hit the roof, and let everyone in the store know why.  Healthy Fiesta is the only brand that left Sonia Dog free of the of the pungent odors mastiffs usually exude, and Fiorella does not look forward to being gassed out of the house.

Decked Again

Fiorella's left arm is currently decorated with three Hello Kitty band-aids.  The "Hello Kitty" is because it makes her laugh. The band-aids are because Sonia Dog whomped her down again, this time on the gravel driveway.

Fiorella has been training Sonia to sit and stay as cars pass on the road, but deer, dogs, and pedestrians are another matter.  The PetsMart dog trainer is working with Sonia about dogs and people, but Fiorella doubts if Doggie will ever become blase' about deer.

Exposure and Exercise

Sonia loves the sound of velcro ripping because, more often than not, it means Mommy is putting on her walking shoes to take Doggie up to the road so they can pick up the mail.  Fiorella's done this almost every day since she and Husband started taking Sonia to a PetsMart behavior class, and the results are in.  Sonia stares at passing vehicles now, but doesn't lunge at them and break the leash. And last week, although children still frighten her, she actually sniffed in an interested way at a few adults.  So Fiorella decided to up the ante and hitch her up for a morning walk too, around all 190 linear yards of the driveway. 

Worked like a charm, with an added benefit.  Not only is Sonia more relaxed on the leash, but she flops on the floor when she gets home and is asleep in two minutes, which lets Fiorella have some  quality writing time uninterrupted by Doggie's usual demands to entertain her.

Sonia, the Huntress

Fio assumes the private behavior class in which Sonia Dog is enrolled has been effective because she no longer breaks away from Mommy and takes off down the road to chase passing automobiles.  Instead, she stands stock still and stares fiercely at them.

Deer, though, are another matter.  Yesterday, while Mommy was walking Sonia on the driveway, Doggie spotted two does, one as great with young a she might go.  Sonia froze and stared at them like she does at cars, but when one of them twitched, she whipped the leash out of Mommy's hand and raced after them.

The deer bounded away, of course, and Sonia, her ears flopping, came galloping down the driveway when Mommy called, so no harm done except for the leash burn on Mommy's finger.

The fallow doe might drop her fawn on our acreage, but Fio doesn't think Sonia would bother it unless it leapt up and away.  Given a little action, Sonia would bring down Bambi.

Three More Sonia Snippets

Our Sonia is a multi-tasker.  Her specialty is keeping track of Mommy by lying on Mommy's feet at the same time she (Sonia, not Mommy) is tearing a rawhide bone to shreds. 
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Husband and Fio have been taking Puppy to PetsMart every Sunday for a private class in confidence training.  Apparently her aggression with other dogs and strangers is defensive.  She's protecting herself and us from possible attack by anyone.  Even little children and chihuahuas.
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A couple of weeks ago, Sonia swiped a cyan laser printer cartridge and chewed it senseless, dyeing not only her muzzle and maw, and also her legs, feet, and behind.  Yes, our blue-blood belle had a bright blue butt.