We had a field trip this morning to get some wood so that Hubby can make some blocks to raise the head of the bed to help combat reflux.
We left home early and parked at the bottom end of town, then walked Maya the full length of the High Street. She is getting better in crowds, and there are several shops we can take her into. Today we found a cafe where dogs are welcome though we had coffee on a bench and Maya had her fair share of my bacon roll and Hubby’s sausage pastry roll.
She always attracts attention and smiles from people walking by, several stopping to pet her and reminisce about their past dogs, many of which were shepherds. She is so good with kids and a little girl bought a squeaky toy which Maya could hear but not see. She sat in the queue tilting her head trying to work out where the squeak was coming from as her rugby ball has a squeak of a similar pitch.
One guy stopped to chat as we were having our coffee, and asked if we intended to breed from her. I said the jury was out on that and it would be something we wouldn’t rush into.
She met up with several dogs today, including a two year old French bulldog that wanted to play and wasn’t at all intimidated by her size. They had a mini boxing match and if we’d been in a field and could have let them off, I think they would have played lovely together.
Lunch today was stew, after which I took her for another walk. She was very good for me and we seem to have recovered from the couple of days where she’d ‘forgotten’ how to walk nicely on the lead.
She’s flaked out at my feet at the moment as we’ve had a game in the garden with her gonk. She still won’t give it back, though eventually got the idea that if she did, it would get thrown again, and she loves that.
Photo July 2022.
pensitivity101 
She’s very lucky to have you 😀
We are glad we found her too.
It sounds like you had a lovely day out with Maya, your furry companion. Maya’s adorable personality and her ability to attract attention and smiles from people walking by are truly amazing. It’s great to see how you and your husband are taking Maya out to various places, including cafes, and how both of you are helping Maya socialize better with other dogs and people. It’s also great that you found a cafe where dogs are welcome and Maya got to indulge in some delicious treats. The way you’ve described Maya’s reactions and behavior is really captivating and it helped me understand the unique bond she shares with you. 👍👏👌😊
She is a little gem, well, maybe not so little, but even at 16 months she is still a puppy so learning, discipline and training is all the time. We encourage people, kids too under supervision, to say hello if they show an interest because it is good for her. We often visit a garden centre where we can take her in and the restaurant has a reserved area for dog owners. She is so good and will sit quietly knowing something will come her way, even if other dogs are present or go past. We tell her she can always look, but they don’t all want to play!
Lucky Maya and lucky you! How I miss my beagle boys and enjoy seeing dogs in the neighborhood who were friends of theirs.
When Maggie died, we had lots of puppy fixes on our walks, but it was never the same. We started looking after about three months, but it was another year before we found Maya. She was worth waiting for though.
I’m going to wait until it feels right and hope it’s not too much longer! I think I may be developing a reputation as the neighborhood crazy dog lady, constantly offering to dog-sit….
Hubby said I was shit without a dog which was why we started looking after 3 months. I thought I had been handling it so well, but I hadn’t at all. In February ’22 it was just fortunate I was collecting meds for our friends dog which we looked after when she was in hospital, and I asked if they had a notice board. They did, but the receptionist took my details and said she knew a couple of GSD breeders, and would put my name forward. I had two phone calls that afternoon, one of which was only 35 miles away.
You’ll know when it feels right. I was glad we’d waited and not rushed into getting any dog, not that we wouldn’t have loved it, but I love GSDs and Hubby wanted me to have what I wanted.
A very good day for everyone!!
It sounds like you and Maya had a lovely day out! It’s great to hear that she is getting better in crowds and enjoys meeting new people and dogs. Keep up the good work with her training and socialization, and enjoy many more happy adventures together!
Thanks! She is coming along quite nicely.
Yes, I can see that Maya really does look ‘gonked’ out 🙂
hehe. She loves the one on one.
She’s growing up! Adorable girl! Give her pats from me! I miss my Nitro so much 🙂
Thanks you. I know what you mean. We still miss Maggie.