How to leave Tikva alone while I go to the macolet - I will not try this for longer periods when she will have to go in her crate but perfect for just going across the road. Little On always obeyed the order "on the couch" and stayed there while I unclipped her, leaving the clip end of her tether under a gap in the door [she was an escape artist and I had to be able to grab her and clip her onto her tether as I opened the door]. With Pereg, who I could not let loose in the place or left on her tether in case she had a seizure, I fixed a lightweight long-ish chain leash leash to the thingy that her tether clips on, and clipped her onto the leash instead of her tether. It gave her more than enough room to walk around without bashing into anything or hurting herself. Tikva was a bit different as she is still a bit of a velcro pup and I used to have to put her in her crate even for the short time while I went across the road to the macolet. Something I prefer not to do except in an emergency as her crate is for the night and sleeping. Problem solved now as she is quite happy to be clipped onto the chain leash as Pereg was. It just takes three teeny-weeny biscuits and she comes to be unclipped from her tether and clipped onto the leash. In fact as soon as she sees me get ready to go out she is on the doormat waiting for the change-over, And she sits and waits, knowing she will get these tiny biscuits, while I go out and start to close the door - one, two, three - and I can close the door and she happily waits without so much as an eep until I get back. Tikki is not, and never will be a perfectly trained pup, but she has a wonderful recall and obeys "sit". Also if I think she has been zonking indoors for too long because it is so hot outside, if I tell her to go out and make a peepee, she does. Funny little puppy!
I think Tikva is becoming a very bright girl, and it is great that she is so good for those short periods. I wish I could say the same for my Velcro Beag, who starts to bark when she has finished the lamb's ear, or whatever delicacy I leave with her.
It is a pity that there are no puppy training classes around as I am sure Tikva would learn so much. But she is happy and does the things that are necessary - recall and now this leaving even though the leash is long enough for her to get outside the door before I manage to close it. Pereg always did that and I had to gently encourage her to go back in by blocking her with a foot, and she would cry until I was half way up the ramp and then stop, and then start barking when she heard me drive down the ramp. Tikki waits until I have driven in once I am back whereas Pereg would shoot out as soon as the door was open, frequently blocking my way in.
