Sonia cum Laude

Sonia took two big steps forward on our morning walk around the driveway today.  And both of them were sitting.

Fiorella has been working with Doggie for a couple of months in regard to people, other dogs, and cars.  Sonia has always been welcoming of people who visit, and she got along well with Son's pug, whom she grew up with, but cars were another matter.  In fact, she broke leash and ran after them, whether because they were metal monstrosities invading her territory or she wanted to ride in them, we didn't know.  What we did know was that it was dangerous and we didn't want her to end up as just another dead dog on a country road.  

Fiorella's training tactic was bribery--treats.  Whenever she heard a car approaching, even while Sonia was a fair distance from the the road, she instructed Doggie to sit, immediately rewarded her, and kept stuffing treat down her till the sound  passed.  The closer Sonia got to the road, the harder it was to distract her, but Fio kept going and today was the big break-through--she got Sonia to stay seated while a car sped past her on the road! And to top it off, later, when Sonia heard the sound of a vehicle passing on the road while Fio had her halfway down the driveway, she looked up at Mommy expectantly and sat down on her own.

Then she burped.

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.

Stray Thoughts and Observations

Despite the imaginative conjectures of yesteryear, cars all look pretty much the same. There are only so many ways one can design a metal carapace.
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No, you can't get STDs from using public bathrooms, but if you're having sex with strangers there, you can.
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Popular literature: men write books about dominance while women write books about relationships.
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God gave us laughter because what else do we have?
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I've often thought I wanted to die, but I have a feeling that when the time comes, I won't wanna go.
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There's more to life than sex, but it's good on the side.
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No one has the right to remain dangerous or insane.
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One of the greatest joys of life is waking up slowly, not having to leap out of bed at the first brazen trill of an alarm clock.