It was her 2nd day at the barn; she was a little shy and barked uncertainly at me (stranger, stranger!!). I "ignored" her so she watched me as I interacted with the other barn pups, greeting each of them, praising them for good kennel manners and rewarding them with a little kibble and some petting when they showed off their obedience skills. She watched as Beetle and Darla and Booberry each greeted me happily, as they left their kennels for play-time in the yard, and as they returned, tired but still happy.
By the time I finally approached her kennel to meet her, Elfie had decided that MAYBE I wasn't a scary person. She dropped to her belly when I opened her kennel door, but she was willing to greet me, and after a few treats and pets, Elfie decided that Aunty Barn Lady was her newest friend and crawled onto my lap for a cuddle.
After our introduction, Elfie and I explored the yard, played together a while, and then it was time for Elfie to earn her kibble and start the work that would help to make her someone's newest family member. Yup, time for basic obedience lessons. So, to help boost Elfie's confidence, we focused on two commands - look and touch. Here's Elfie at work.
Look....
Touch.....
Look........."OK, and can I please sit on your lap?"
Look............"Sure, and could I have one of those yummy treats you have in your pockets?"
Later in the shift, a suitor came by to visit Darla. Elfie, in her neighboring kennel, was curious to see the visitor and stood on her hind legs to get a better look. And when she got to meet the visitor, Elfie immediately gave her kisses and begged for a belly rub. Yup, Elfie's no flower but I sure saw her blossom.
Way to bloom, Elfie! People aren't so bad!
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