My Newest Love

I have a new dog to wrangle.  Her name is Maisy and she is a yellow lab.  Adding new dogs to the pack can be interesting.  Maisy has been with me three days now, and I am looking forward to seeing how it goes today. 

It always amazes me how quickly new dogs acclimate to the pack, and how well the pack educates a new member.  That first trip to the off leash area can be a little stressful.  Both on the dog, and on me.  My major concerns are always, of course, socialization and recall.  In other words, am I going to see appropriate doggie behavior with the other dogs - in my truck, and at the park?  Is the newbie going to stay with me, and come to me when it is time to leave? 

For the dogs, it is stressful because they are meeting more than one dog at a time, they are unfamiliar with riding in the truck, and they really don't know where they are going.  Once we get to the park, they generally do well, mostly due to the fact they are stressed so they stay close to the only thing they know (me) the first trip or two.  Roamers don't generally manifest until they are comfortable with the routine.  Hopefully by that time they have learned my whistle, and follow the pack when I call for them.  And yes, it is always my whistle.  Can you just imagine trying to give a good "Maisy Come" call to each of  5 or 6 dogs at a time...We'd never get anywhere.

At one time I had a wonderful female in my pack, Ginger.  She was an older Golden Retriever who had raised several litters.  She took it upon herself, to "educate" each new dog as they joined our group.  She really made my job easy, and I miss her dear soul.  Fortunately, since the passing of Ginger, I have had pretty good luck with new dogs. 

Maisy has been great for the most part.  But we are working on the "into the truck" part.  It seems she has no idea she can jump...and she shies for no apparent reason, even just walking along at the park.  She is a bit nervous in general.  So we have been working on this, and I had great success with her on Monday.  Nothing like lots of reassurance outside of the truck before I even open the door, and "doggie crack" placed into the bed of the truck as a bribe.  Returning from the park Monday she even got her front paws up onto the bed.   I am looking forward to seeing how it goes this morning.

So I say Maisy is a bit nervous...but there is one place that just doesn't apply.  Once we hit the lake shore she looses her mind.  Maisy loves to swim, and to "retrieve".  Unfortunately, Maisy, like many labs, has ADD.  She wants to get ALL of the balls, sticks, rocks and other toys as they go into the water, leaving the prior item wherever she happens to be when she spots the latest.   So, typically, you throw a ball for her, she swims out to it, picks it up, sees another item, leaves the ball, goes for that one...and proceeds to swim around chasing everything and returning nothing for several minutes at a time.  Fortunately for Maisy, she gets to go with her friend Ollie today, and he follows the same philosophy...I expect to have a fine time watching them in the sunshine!