Crate Rest Day 3

Hi Eve,
I would never say that Marshal is high strung, as you were. Perhaps he is not even as high energy as you were, though the jury is still out on that as he continues to grow. But wow, is he a persistent (and consistent) complainer, now that he's had a few days of limited activity! He is loud!! No matter where I am in the house, I can hear him clawing at his crate if he cannot see me. When he CAN see me, he is yowling for freedom. At one point this evening, in order to distract him so I could properly exercise the A dog and the Bean, he had every toy in his crate with him, and he STILL howled when he realized we were going outside without him.

Last night I broke down about 2am and let him out of his crate. He immediately went to one of the round doggy beds and lay down--he didn't even explore the kitchen or look for Paisle. I think he might have been just as exhausted from his complaining, as I was from listening to him! I had to get up and pretend like I was doing something unrelated to him in the kitchen, to give him a chance to CLOSE HIS MOUTH so I could let him out while he was quiet, instead of "in response to his creative noise." Still, I suspect he has me pegged--I think he can feel me cringing as his volume increases. He spent just two hours there on that doggy bed last night before my alarm went off and it was time for his first walk of the day. I don't think he moved a muscle from the time he hit that bed until I made him get up to go outside those 2 hours later.

So, to occupy his overactive mind, we learned some new tricks tonight. M has a habit of laying his head between his feet, so we started calling that "Nice." Paisle, of course, does the same thing, and she picked up on my signals faster than he did...is there anything he can do that she cannot? Even Ansel got into the action, though the Antique Black and White guy simply put his head in my lap and left it there, to be fed as I saw fit. Both Paisle and Marshal now know how to "be nice," or answer the question, "Who's nice?" as well as high five and shake. We are still working on the "Down Low", and "Ten Up." I didn't want to encourage him to sit up on his hind legs (for 10 Up) in case he fell over on his bad leg. We'll see what both dogs remember in the morning.

Currently the Big Boy is chewing his 7" solid beef bone, at my feet. He's on his leash, on the doggy bed, carefully keeping his back and shoulders between his bone and Paisle, who is sharing the bed with him. I am going to have to stuff him back into the Condo very soon, and I dread doing it. Even though I know it is for his own good, I hate hearing him complain. It makes me feel mean, and like I am being a bad parent. I could shove the whole crate into the garage, so I wouldn't be able to hear him so well, but the isolation would probably be worse on his mind than the confinement. Besides it's cold out there.

Alright Eve, wish me luck as we head off to tuck eveyone one in, and shut out the lights. I have to keep saying it out loud, "this is for his own good!" "this is for his own good!" "this is for his own good!"
That appointment at the U cannot come soon enough...let's go swimming!