Meg survives bees and learns remote down

[Meg's mum]

Meg had a "day" yesterday. This was my first week as an unemployed person, I've been working with Meg all week so DH thought it was only fair that he take over most of her exercise on the weekend. She loves working with him, he's relentless. However, DH and I took a break on Saturday to be married humans and sent her out to romp for awhile with the cat. I can't believe it but for the first time we ignored her 'knock' (both paws) at the doors for about 10 mintues while we were otherwise engaged.

 

When I let her in it was clear that she was in extreme stress. After a few moments of observation it struck me that she was behaving the way she did when she had her shots. Immediately I went looking for bees and found at one in her fur at her lower thigh. DH helped me get rid of it. It didn't take long before I was able to figure out that she had been stung three times. Thigh, paw and the back of her ear. No swelling though.

 

We bathed her with cool water to examine her better. She was a very stressed puppy. Benadryl and ice were the only treatments we gave her other than taking her for a long car ride. This is her safest place and it always calms her. By evening she was up for another workout.

 

Instead of letting her return to drop her ball on a 'dime', I asked her to wait with hand and voice'. I simply said 'HUH-uh' or 'No' as I do when she failed and jumped up and down yelling 'yay' when she succeeded. Third time she waited and I told her to 'down' with hand and voice. She did this from about 15'. Fourth time she downed at about 80'. I mixed the command with normal returns, and then hubby worked with her and she downed at 100'.

 

All I can say is that this wonderful response from her made me feel a whooooole lot better about having ignored her for those minutes earlier in the day when she was in real need.

 

Yay for Meg!