Praise...Little Praise—all 43 pounds of her—is determined to catch the obnoxious squirrel in our backyard. That squirrel runs along the fence & hops into the live oaks, teasing, teasing, teasing. We’re not sure why Mr. Squirrel magically appeared one week ago, but he is having the time of his life tormenting our youngest Goldens, who in turn consider squirrel watching High Adventure.Old Ace, age 12, relaxes on the back patio, watching the youngsters jump & wrestle & chase. He is more of a neighborhood communicator than a squirrel man. “Woof,” he softly calls, and sometimes someone answers. Praise ignores these communications, not much of a barker.
At mealtime, Praise requires encouragement. While the other four Goldens are enthusiastic eaters, Praise & our ancient Great Dane are another matter. To keep Praise on task, we stand nearby, cheering her on: “Look at you eat, what a good little girl, you are eating your food!” Our inner voice mutters at the silliness, but the cheerleader routine works… Praise cleans her plate.
The other day, Praise meandered by the kitchen island, took a little hop, and tugged on the corner of the open American-Statesman. The newspaper floated to the floor, & admittedly, I grinned at the sight of Praise playing puppy.
At age 11 months, Praise is only just now getting a chance for puppy silliness. She was picked up stray by Animal Control & spent time in San Antonio’s holding facility. She was producing milk, but we don’t know if her puppies were found. Praise was adopted out of the shelter, and briefly, life improved. She slept in bed with the 9-year-old girl & was a housedog for a bit, until her shedding & the family’s allergies sent her back outdoors. In her attempts to leave the backyard & find company, Praise became an escape artist—“runs like an cheetah and jumps like an antelope,” said the GRR volunteer who went to meet her before she came into care! After their girl went AWOL one time too many, Praise’s owners rightly decided she needed an indoor home, and they contacted GRR.
Ever so slowly, Praise is loosening up. She shops in the pantry, pulling plastic grocery bags out of the recycle basket, parading them through the house, crinkling them, shredding them, annihilating them. She naps in the window seat. She walks under the Great Dane, instead of walking around him. She plays tug-of-war with her girlfriend, Caroline.
Praise needs gentle help along her path. She needs positive obedience classes; no choke chains, no pinch collars. With positive reward training, her confidence will increase & that youthful silliness will continue to unfold. She’ll get the hang of walking politely on a leash & coming when called. Praise adores interaction & special treats & affection, and she is friendly with other dogs. Positive classes will be perfect for her & she’ll be the star of the class.
Other details:
*Praise ignored cats at her prior home.
*She is good with older children but would likely slip out the door for younger children.
*Housetraining is progressing well… no overnight accidents… fine when babygated up to 4 hours.
*Trustworthy loose in the house, unless the pantry door is open. She brought me a bag of oatmeal this morning. :-) A few days ago she was spotted toting away an enormous butternut squash for further inspection!
*Requires a 6-foot-high privacy fence, as she would easily clear a shorter barrier chasing Mr. Squirrel.
*Good little car rider.
*Wonderful with other dogs.
*Sweet as they come!