Many Firsts Including My First Walk Outdoors - Part 2

It has been a while really. Not that I complain. But I would love if mom could come up with more time for me. Hope you all read 'Many Firsts Including My First Walk Outdoors - Part 1'. Now is the time for a few more firsts.

As mentioned in my earlier post, my first outdoor walking was pretty interesting. After a sound sleep with Big B, I had my daily routine to follow. I did not realize then that there would be another 'first'. Wow! That was fun.

Big B took me to their bedroom and sat on dad's chair. He made me sit on the chair as well. That was the first time I got to sit on the chair. I loved it. 

 I think you have the best chair at home dad...

Suddenly the chair started moving. I felt anxious. Big B told me that dad had attached wheels to it just like in mom's chair and asked me to simply enjoy it.

Oh really dad, don't do anything to my bed

It was a week of 'firsts' actually. Everything was interesting. The family still had the bedroom barrier in place. I have grown, I can cross the barrier but I did not. 

Truthfully yours, my family

Hope you recall the photo I had shared in the post 'A Fall, A New Boundary and New Lesson', in which I had expressed my feelings about not being allowed inside the bedroom. 

I hope they realize how disciplined I am

Honesty pays, you know. Seeing me grown but still respecting the barrier, the family decided to lift the barrier to the bedroom and let me in. This was another 'first'.

It really takes time and efforts to make these guys believe

Ever since, there was a great change in my behaviour. I did not want to step out of the bedroom as I feared they may close the door or set the barrier again. 

To be allowed inside a room, which was so far restricted for me increased my sense of belonging. I really love my family. 

I had a look at the mirror. My family always tells me it is my reflection. But I am not sure. 

Do I really look so beautiful? 

Then there was another first. Dad asked me to lie down next to him in that room for a nap. I really couldn't believe what he was saying. I just was hesitantly moving about till mom laid a bedspread for me on the floor next to dad. Oh, they meant it! I laid down next to dad after sniffing and digging the bedspread. Within minutes I started feeling sleepy. But my mind told me mom would be photographing it. Didn't she?

At last, I am really a part of the family guys

And then there was another first - an unique food bowl. 

Doctor had mentioned that the height of the food bowl should be raised keeping with the growth of the pet. So the family was using various techniques to keep increasing the height while looking for some good option. 

It was then I got my new food bowl. It was a gift from mom's friend's family. 

Dad had to first make me get accustomed to it.

You are so supportive dad

In fact, my sister by birth is now a member of my mom's friend's family. Her name is Bow Boww. She has a sister and a brother. They are the ones who gifted me the food bowl.

Hey sis, your Big B is adorable too...

More about our get-together in a future post. 

Thank you so much, mom's friend. I love the food bowl with adjustable stand.

And finally, I loved this 'first'. Actually, this was also the moment I realized I got over my fear for heights. 

Dad, is this called Shoulder Press in workouts?

So, what did mom learn all these days?

Lessons Learnt

As mentioned in a previous post, A Fall, A New Boundary and A New Lesson, boundary training the puppy requires consistency. Assuming you want a part of your house to be restricted for your pet, you need to train her consistently to prevent her from entering the space. Since Chezhi's potty training period was almost over and she started relieving herself most of the times at the right place, the family removed the barrier to let her inside the room. 

Since Chezhi was scared to leave the room because she believed the family may set the barrier again, she tried  a few times to eliminate inside the room and succeeded twice. Once we remove the barrier, we need to still keep an eye on the puppy's activities till she knows for sure the door will not be closed on her anymore and she can leave the room and return as and when she liked...most of the times though. 

If the pet urinates in the part of the house where restriction was recently lifted, you should not allow her inside except when you are around to supervise till she understands that it is not the proper place to eliminate.

Dogs' understanding of mirrors is different from ours. They may not recognize it is their reflection. When your puppy looks at her reflection in the mirror, she may consider it to be another puppy and react based on how she feels towards the mirror puppy. She may show a let's play signal or let out a warning sign. But when she sees that the mirror puppy's reaction is not like a real puppy's reaction, she may get confused and bored. Soon, she will get habituated to her reflection and would just ignore it.

Sleeping with your pet can have great health benefits. Right from reducing stress, relaxing the mind to improving your sleep quality, sharing your sleep place with your pet can do wonders. While your pet generally loves to sleep with you, there may be a change in sleeping preferences in the coming days. However, that does not mean your pet likes you less.

There are two entirely different views on using elevated feeders for dogs. While it is generally recommended to use elevated feeders to reduce risk of bloat, a severe condition, some studies claim that using elevated feeders may cause bloat in pets. Elevated feeders can be of great use to pets to eat and drink without needing to lower their neck causing discomfort. This position also helps with digestion. Elevated feeders are also helpful for dogs with orthopedic conditions, spinal disorders and joint issues. Hence, it is recommended to go for elevated feeders if your pet's doctor recommends it.