Little Red Riding . . . Sheets?

[Erie under the covers on my bed with the sheet draped over her head like a hood and the blanket covering her back. She's looking at the camera.]

When Erie sleeps on my bed she usually sleeps under the covers, even when it's 95*. I don't know what she's thinking. Tonight she managed to get herself so wrapped up in them that it was hard for her to get out. When she finally freed her head, this is what she looked like as she looked up at me. Silly little red dog.

Tutorial: How to Get a Puppy off Your Bed

Step 1: You are moving. What can you get rid of so it doesn't have to be brought along?

Step 2: Oh! I know! Remember how you ordered that big, really cool, expensive bed for the dogs and you somehow ended up with two of them and had to put one in the garage because they just take up so much stinkin' space? Maybe you could get rid of that? You could even sell it and then you would have less stuff to move and more money. Good deal!

Step 3: Wait. Erie might like. Wonder if she'll be able to use it.

Step 4: Better let Erie try it. It might take you a few weeks to remember to let her.

Step 5: Get the bed out of the huge box it's being stored in in the garage. Set it up in the living room and grab some dog cookies.

Step 6: Show the cookies to Erie. Lift up the top of the cave bed and throw it in for Erie to get.

Step 7: Realize that you'll have to do a better job tossing in the cookie because all Erie had to do was stick her head in, not climb to the back.

Step 8: Throw a few more cookies in till Erie realizes how she's supposed to use the bed.

Step 9: Leave bed in the living room the rest of the day. Stare dazedly at your dog on said bed who is being much better behaved than normal as she doesn't want to vacate her position.

Step 10: Bedtime. Place bed in little, tiny, no-room-for-it-space in bedroom because you feel bad taking it from the Vizsla puppy.

Step 11: Go to bed. The puppy will not attempt to get on your bed again. Why bother? You have a hard, flat bed. She has a soft, cushy cave.

[Erie in her cave. She's not very deep in it, but the top part is over her back and part of her head. Her pink crate door is in the frame next to her and she is looking directly at the camera.]

[Zoomed in shot of the previous photo. Erie is more prominent.]

Be sure to try it out at home and let me know how it works for you!

Just Keep Swimming . . .

Erie has had several opportunities now to go swimming. And well, she's never done very well. Until this week!

[Erie just behind Rosie in the pool. Rosie has a ball in her mouth.]

A few weeks ago, we finally got her to go in to the pool of her own free will and choice by having her follow her brother, Charlie, but she didn't swim too much. She did a lot of standing on the top step and then jumping right back out and very, very minimal swimming.

[Erie mid-turn. Rosie turned faster than her and took her by surprise. She kinda reminds me of an otter.]

She played with Rosie this week and it took a little patience and some encouragement but she ended up following Rosie in the pool. And eventually she was playing in the pool. And then she was getting in even when Rosie didn't.

[Rosie in front again, still with the toy. They are right by the side of the pool and Erie is just stepping up onto the underwater ledge.]

She wasn't to keen on using the stairs either to get in or out. She dove in from the side, meaning she was fully immersed every time she got in. She also climbed out from the side ledge, quite a feat for a not-yet-very-large puppy. That probably contributed to her total exhaustion that night and the next day.

[Erie still swimming behind Rosie. She is just not as fast.]

Seriously, total exhaustion. The next day was the first time in the five months I've had Erie that I've had all three dogs loose in the house all day with nary a tie down, drag line, or baby gate insight. She was calm and collected and left the other dogs alone. I'm in love with exhausted Erie!

[Erie finally got the toy before Rosie. I threw it for Erie while Rosie was distracted.]

[Erie standing in the yard behind the pool, with a ball at her feet, just daring Rosie to come take it.]