Pepper Day 2

When I got home last night Pepper was excited to see me. I took her out back again for a "walk" around the yard and tried to make her feel comfortable. I have definitely learned that more than anything she's just a timid little thing. She would rather me go out to the yard with her instead of going out to pee alone. I'm hoping over time she gets more comfortable with her yard and cuts that out. I need to leave her out back for periods of time while I do stuff around the house from time to time. 20 minutes to play alone out back is not going to kill her, right?

Last night after I let escorted her out back we went for a longish walk around the neighborhood. She did fairly well although I wouldn't say she's an expert on a leash. She's likes to tug/drag her walking partner - a 30 lb dog has amazing strength! And for as timid as she is in the home she's fearless of on coming cars. Also, she's seemingly uninterested in sniffing grass and bushes but prefers to walk in the middle of the street instead!

After our walk Pepper and I took a trip in the pick-up truck to get our Christmas stuff from storage. This was an interesting trip. Our truck has a small cab so this would be an opportunity for her to sit in the back on the floor. There is plenty of room but she was hoping she could be a lap dog on the drive instead. Seeing as having a 30lb dog on your lap does not exactly scream driver safety -- I had a problem with that. Tackling this behavior on my own while driving was a challenge but for the last 30 seconds of the drive home she finally laid down peacefully.

Once home she basically went in to fear mode. She spent the majority of the night hiding behind the day bed in the guest room. How she could fit herself back in that teeny tiny space I'll never know! But it made her comfortable and she was obviously really wanting to be there. We tried to coax her out several times but didn't have any luck. The few times we forced her out she went right back in. I'm hoping this is just a sign of being nervous in her new environment and she'll warm up. At 10pm I'm lured her with treats in to her cage where she slept peacefully.

This morning she I maintained the same routine as I set out yesterday and she did well. Yay!