Failing Maya

Some days I feel like I'm failing Maya. I take her regularly for training, but then during the week it's difficult to keep up the practice. I come home and there are so many other distractions, dinner, the kids, errands and just generally being tired. Fortunately, Fionna gave her a good walk yesterday, all the way to the high school and environs and back. That's at least three miles, since it's 1.5 miles to school. And I walked her another day, both those times on a leash—not her preference—and I tried to do heeling with her, but she was pretty rambunctious. Eventually she settled down.

She's pretty good when in class, once she calms down! Last week there was a new dog in training, a sweet Rottweiler—with an intact tail!—and it was killing Maya not to be able to visit her. She's called Bella, a very popular name for pups these days, which I'm sure is after the Twilight twit. Another guy has a nervous German shepherd that's also named Bella. She's also sweet but very leery of other people and dogs. She's okay with Maya to a point.

No choice but to redouble effort to work with Maya more. We need to get to the next level, with its heavier obedience, which she needs. In fairness, I see improvements in her behavior. She's much better about staying off the couch these days, at least in the main living room, and in the basement gets down readily when told. She's also getting better about how she greets people and is getting better at going to her space when told, and has lately taken to voluntarily going into her crate to rest. All in all, I guess it's more positive than I was thinking when I started this entry. As I headed it, Failing Maya, she's not failing, but I'm failing her. She's smart and learns readily. On the other hand, she's just a little more than 14 months old. That's like being 10 years old. She like a fifth grader! She's in her prime learning age—and is staying in school!