Woke up this morning to a puppy who slept quietly in her crate all night long... and she was sitting up waiting for me when I walked into the kitchen this morning. I let her sit there while I quickly fed the cats, then out we went for the morning walk. Savannah is getting much better now that she's been up and down the road so many times. With all the smells out there, from both livestock and wildlife, I think it was puppy-nose overload for her.
Now it seems that she knows why we're out there walking... not to search for goats and fox and armadillos, but to find a nice place in the grass to do whatever it is she needs to do at the moment. When I know she's able to tolerate more, I'll start taking her on longer walks, rather than just up and down our road here, which actually is more than enough walking for a five-month-old puppy.
Considering that Savannah had never been on a leash, she adapted very well (and quickly) to that concept. With what I've read about the Pyrenees being masters of escape (it's a game to them) this puppy will not be walking off-leash like we used to do years ago with Gracie. According to the books on the Great Pyrenees, whatever land they see is theirs to explore, and out here in the country, Savannah can literally see for miles and miles... and I don't want her to be playing Marco Polo.
Sweet Pea is still keeping his distance, but he keeps watching Savannah to see what she's up to... and Savannah keeps watching him as well. We now have a mild acceptance of one another here with Sweet Pea and Savannah... but they're both very gentle and laid-back, so I'm hoping for the best once they get used to sharing the house with one another. Cats and dogs can (and do) love and accept each another... it just takes patience and time. We learned that lesson with Gracie... and we had three and sometimes four cats during most of Gracie's years with us.
Savannah still seems to be more hesitant with men than with women... she's taking her time in learning to trust my husband, and now she's doing the same thing with JD's husband. I took her up the road to meet J & J this evening, and J (husband) had a piece of chicken for Savannah... it took this puppy the longest time to accept the treat from him, but when she did, she took it gently... very lady-like, for a puppy of her young age. I don't know what Savannah's experience was with men... we met the mother and the daughter of that family when we got Savannah, and for all I know, maybe there wasn't a man in that household at all.
When my husband went into town today for errands, he came home with two new toys for Savannah.... a blue sock-monkey and a green chicken. This adds to her toy-box... she also has a pink pig and an orange fish. Clearly, Savannah likes the blue monkey the best... I don't know if it's because the monkey is soft and plush (all the others are rubber) or possibly it's because she prefers the color blue. I do believe that animals can recognize colors... our cat (now deceased) AngelBoy loved the color blue and wouldn't bother with anything that wasn't his favorite sky-blue color. (And believe me, I tested him many times with colors, with everything from toys to blankets to litter boxes.) Possibly, Savannah will have the same color preference.
All I know for sure is this... we've had Savannah in our home now for just a few days, and it seems like she's been here forever. She has quickly made herself at home, she's very well-behaved and gentle, and curious enough without being reckless. Happy puppy... happy me.
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