One week with Megan

Of course, we're still getting to know each other. That should be the first statement I make.

Megan will now sit pretty much on command as long as she is in the house with the promise of a treat. We haven't tested her outside those boundaries yet. She is almost to that point now with stay as well. She is good at walking on a leash although she still goes into a frenzy as we're putting it on her and immediately afterward. We know this is a situation where using the sit command could come in handy, but we haven't tried it yet.

She will now solicit petting from Pam. As Pam so astutely observed, the breakthrough seemed to come when we had visitors. I think Megan quickly calculated the difference between people just coming into the house and Pam and realized that Pam is part of her pack. She still won't really listen to Pam now and sometimes when she goes to Pam her demeanor is extremely submissive. There is progress, though, and we're encouraged by that.

She and the cat can now be in the same room very briefly with no ruckus. In fact, on one instance they actually touched noses before the cat ran away.

I have discovered that if I stand in the backyard with her, Megan will put on a show of rushing and bounding through snow. If I just let her out she generally will run and do her business (sometimes) and quickly return to the door. So I now stand out in the yard with her every morning and evening at least, regardless of the cold and/or dark. On a related note, she NEVER eliminates on her walks. I'm not even sure she enjoys them much, but I'm hoping she will come to like them.

We went for a ride to the grocery store and for a visit to Pam's sister. It was the first time she had left the house - other than walks - since she came home. She didn't much like the visit, but we think it is good for her socialization.

If we get excited over a televised sporting event, she gets upset. This is the first time we have ever heard her bark or growl. She barked at Pam, she growled at Pam's brother and nephew. She never made any move to bite, just made noised. Eventually, she ended up in my lap while I sat in my favorite chair. I guess I was protecting her.