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Stella loving her first spring! Also peep her after spay surgery gown it was so adorable!! If she didn’t hate wearing clothes i’d still use it to be honest and yes she did chew through her leash 😂 IMG_5285.MOV

I appreciate having your input because I'm going on instinct, what I've learned, logic, and winging it. :) I've been putting Esther in her crate with her Kong for about an hour each afternoon to give Gertie, and myself, a rest as well as to get her used to the idea that the crate is a place of relaxation and yummy tidings. An hour is an arbitrary time I came up with based loosely on how long it takes to finish the Kong. I do adjust the water based on how much they play and how hot it is. Today it was 65º so it was an easy water day. Yesterday it was 89º so she got quite a bit more. I also factor in how much *I'm* drinking because humidity, or lack of, can affect thirst and need. I'm thinking by the end of this weekend she'll have a good idea of where to go and we can be more willy nilly with water. The last two days the accidents have been by the door on the puppy pads so I think she's catching on. It's also only been pee so it's nice she has good bowel control - I feel like I won the lottery in that regard! I have an appointment for her free vet visual Monday - no one had an appointment available within the 5-day time frame the shelter wanted. I've been journaling the water / potty / sleep information so I'll be a font of information for him. :) They do tend to swap quite a bit except for chase - Gertie is simply too fast to be chased. She's used to Momo speed not chubby, clumsy puppy legs. They did a beautiful game of chase tonight and it was so much fun to watch. From my human perspective, I need a Lot of recharging time after human interaction. I'd rather hang out with the dogs! For that reason I like the play contest test idea. I may be projecting my own introversion onto their play, and I'm protective of Gertie, so I shall give this test a try. Gertie has Gobs of patience and so can be difficult to read. This test may be a powerful tool in my arsenal in ensuring peace!

Keep your eye open around that sale day after Thanksgiving. We picked up the Furbo for about half price and the pet model Roomba. Both are So nice to have with dogs in the house. The Roomba is set to run every Mon / Wed / Fri. Can't wait to have a single story so it can hit all the rooms. The low tech Swiffer sweeper does the job upstairs most days, but once per month the Roomba takes a spin. Amazing how much I miss with sweeping!

Thank you so much! I’ll look through all of your suggestions and links. Roxy is on a leash all the time. She is a strong pitbull and even though she’s not people reactive, we don’t want her running out, especially since she’s dog reactive. We get sales people or neighbors at our door unexpectedly so we keep her on a leash. I usually step outside to talk to someone. That also helps Ryder calm down. He’s half pitbull, half German shepherd so a big guy! I have been considering muzzle training him with a large muzzle, plenty of pant space, because I’m not sure I can get him out of the car safely at the vet etc. I estimate he’s about 75 lbs. I don’t think he’d bite a person but he has bitten a small dog on our property so I don’t feel safe having him in public. Right now as he’s transitioning to raw. He eats 1 cup cooked turkey, 2 cups cooked vegetables, 1/2 cup bone broth, 1/3 cup ground turkey necks (Halshan is the brand), 1 tsp kelp, 1 opened capsule ashwagandha, 1 digestive enzymes tablet, 1 tsp fish oil +E (and probably something I’ve forgotten) twice a day. A snack midday of 1 cup blueberries and about 1/2 cup cooked veggies. I will increase the raw every couple of days and decrease the cooked and veggies keeping a little veggies for now. I’m working with a nutritionist. Once he’s on all raw meat I add an egg, ginger & zinc. Roxy is almost completely transitioned from kibble to Spot Farm dehydrated raw with a urinary supplement from Mercola (just finished antibiotics for a UTI). My 20 year old son has been looking for a place to move with Roxy. I didn’t think he’d do a cooked or raw diet so I opted for dehydrated. She absolutely loves it, pushing the kibble away and eating it last. Thanks again, I’ll try to prioritize your suggestions and see what I can do! Vicki