Zena and I went on a little visit tonight

I decided to take Zena up to the Care Home to see mum tonight after a short walk. Well, I was very, very impressed with her impeccable behaviour, and in fact, I felt like I had an adult, well behaved gsd alongside me throughout the whole visit and we stayed there for an hour!!! When we arrived, she sat nicely so that I could fill in the visitor's book, then she laid down when told. Then along came a very nice man who was doing some work there, who had shepherds himself, so she got a big fuss off him, she didn't bark at him (she barks at some men!) and he said he couldn't believe she was only 23 weeks old the way she behaved, I was very impressed with her.

Then we went up in the lift to see mum, (she didn't panic, first time in a small lift!) out we got, across the landing and into mum's room, and there she flung herself at mum sitting on the sofa, licking her to death and made mum laugh (she hadn't forgotten her!)! I gave her a bowl of water, tied her up to a drawer handle in the kitchenette bit (silly me ) coz the next minute she had followed me over to the window with the draw clanging behind her!!! It didn't scare her luckily, but it scared us! We said our goodbyes to mum, and I took her downstairs and knocked on the door of the staff room.

In we went to meet the 3 lovely ladies sitting in their chairs, and Zena immediately got up on the sofa inbetween 2 of them and laid down as if she owned the place, and calmly went to sleep with her head on one of the girl's laps!!!! I stayed and chatted for half and hour, and then I told her we're going home to see daddy and although her face lit up, she decided she wanted to stay with the nice lady on her left and proceeded to put her paws on her shoulder and lick her face, so they said I could leave her there with them, but I decided otherwise!

Oh she was such a little star, she didn't show me up one little bit, and quite honestly, I think that "quiet" week we have had last week due to her front leg lameness (which has gone now!) has turned her into the young lady I wanted, she's all grown up now and I love it, even though this is her Kevin stage in theory, something has paid off, don't quite know what, but she's all matured instead of that crazy, nutty loon I have had for the past however many weeks (feels like a lifetime!!!! ) Bless her heart, I knew I could do it with this one!

Might be a different story next week though when we start training again on Tuesday night at the BIG club, OMG, is she gonna show me up Who cares, it's only a training club!!!!

sounds like she's doing fab and is turning into a dog to be proud of x

Shes such a little superstar! Still pleased with her then?

Fantastic Sounds like she would be a good PAT dog

Awwww your wee girlie is nearly 6 months . She sounds and looks as though she is coming on really well - hey, thats not fair by the way, you can't get away with not having a 'kevin' stage .

Thanks Kicks, I'm hoping, really, really hoping!

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!!! Mind you, I am the world's worst "nagger" of puppies but it always seems to pay off, just didn't expect it this quickly quite honestly, and that was our very first visit to a big place like that apart from our training nights.

Thanks Jesterjenn, I thought that myself, I might persue that road later on!

Oh I have had the Kevin stage, trust me, I could have murdered her quite a few times already now!!!! Just lucky that it MIGHT not have lasted as long as usual! I hope I don't have to eat my words here Linda!!!! Dave said it's coz she hasn't been there before, but I like to think differently, it's because she actually KNOWS what I want out of her.

The funny thing is, I've tended to go on more walks to try and calm her down up until the start of that lameness, and it's almost as if the more you gave her, the more it wound her up, and having had to be quiet and calm for the past week, this is what I've ended up with. All very strange, and she's not ill, coz she's trotting around playing with her toys now, her tail's awagging and she's pestering daddy. I don't know what I've done to get this, unless it's the mere fact that she comes from such good working lines that she's managed to work out my constant nagging, and knows that it stops when she's doing right? Dunno! I do like it though

That is great Helena, I knew, just knew she would behave herself. Your mum has settled in so quickly and the staff sound amazing. It's all too wonderful, but you and your mum deserve it after all the trauma.
Bless you both
Elaine xxxx

Thanks for everything Elainexxx It was heartwarming for me to see mum's face light up when Zena leaped on her like that coz she was worried she had forgotten her! Never in a million years, I'm sure Zena knows she is my mum don't you, somehow??!!!

Hi,

It's great that finally all the work you've done with Zena is showing now in her good behaviour.

So - when do you wanna swap for Yiannis? He's ina permanent Kevin stage! And now he's eaten the pipework to the washing machine, that murder may come sooner than expected!!

well done.

Laura xx

I think Zena sent her Kevin stage over to my 2 instead, she sounds a proper young lady now, you lucky devil, hows about a swop