boxofdelights

Morning used to be get up, let the dogs out, start the coffee, let the dogs in, give them breakfast, let them out again, drink coffee and start thinking about the day. But Dutch hurt her foot and is not allowed to race around, so now the morning starts get up, take the cone off, put the leash on, walk the dog around the back yard until she pees.

When I got Dutch, she would not relieve herself on leash. She knew that peeing in the house was Bad, but apparently peeing near a person was Worse. She spent a long time alternately in the crate and leashed to me, and eventually she learned that peeing outside is Good, even when there is a person on the other end of the leash.

But apparently being on leash AND in the back yard is a completely different, confusing new situation, and peeing in this new situation might very well be Bad. So we walk around and around, while I chirp "Go pee!" and she tries to rush back into the house whenever we get near the steps.

Sometimes she'll squat and immediately stand up again, without peeing, so I think she knows what we're there for. She just can't bring herself to risk it.

Dogs' brains. Gotta love em.