One Year and Squirrels

Last week was the one year anniversary of Harlow's adoption day. She had puppy parasites and her name was Pinky, and I recall referring to her as "Little Girl"for weeks before coming up with an new name. Looking at her now, it really doesn't seem like a whole year ago that she joined me, challenging me and often winning, day to day being a puppy.

I remember being exhausted! I look at her now and while she is still desperately needy for attention much of the time, and still behaves rambunctiously too, she is a far better behaved girl than she was.
Last week I had dinner with Mom and Dad and I brought Harlow along. She was harassing Mom during dinner and finally I barked "Harlow, go lie down!".  She turned and went straight to her little mat and lay there. I was impressed!

Recently, Harlow has discovered the fabulousness that is squirrel chasing. Why she's never really noticed them til now I don't know. Perhaps there are just more of them out now that fall is coming and the rodents are out looking for nuts to collect?

One time, Harlow spotted a squirrel at the top of our fence in the back corner, and now, every time I let her out, she leaves the house  v e r y  s l o w l y  on the chance that a squirrel will be perched there and she can get a running start at it. The first time I really saw her go bonkers was last week.
I let her out and she ran full speed at the six foot high stockade fence, jumped, and got so high that her front armpits caught on the top of the fence. She didn't get stuck or anything but I was sure she injured herself.  And she had. She is covered now with abrasions and sores and I don't truly know the source of all of them, but clearly this knew fence-slamming habit is a contributor.

This behavior is concerning to me though, so I decided to nip it immediately. I put the correction collar on her and the very next time she ran full speed at that gate, I gave her a zap. She let out a yelp and bounced off the gate. I don't think I've ever used the zap button on that collar before, maybe once (there's a vibrate mode which is usually effective in distracting her from whatever obnoxious behavior she's participating in at the moment).

The interesting thing is that she has caught on to not only the fact that the collar is what makes her uncomfortable and as such, she behaves when it's on and goes nuts when it's not, but she's also realized that I control the collar. I know this because if I'm watching her and she has the collar on, she'll stay away from the fence. She'll run right up to it and stop short of jumping on it (and has created a lovely trough of dirt through that section of the yard).

She has somehow realized that if I'm not watching her, she won't get zapped. I know this because I've heard her, from inside the house, throw herself at that back fence!

The other day when I let her out a squirrel was there, practically waiting for her. And man did that squirrel have a good time with her. It ran the length of the fence back and forth while Harlow wigged out following it, crashing through pots, plowing over and disrupting sections of the quasi-rock wall I have running the length of the fence, and steam rolling over my hostas. If fall wasn't upon us with it's cold plant killing ways, I would care. Unfortunately when H gets like that, there's nothing you can do to snap her out of it. My voice is white noise to her squirrel focus.

I know she wouldn't know what to do with the thing if she ever actually caught it!

Just the other day!

Harlow last year on adoption day! So little!