Actually I was thinking of training her for therapy work when I first got her, but Eskies shed all the time, no matter how great a diet and supplements, brushing, etc. you give them. Not many people like that, least of all hospitals etc. She is in a way a therapy dog for a lot of the seniors in my apartment complex. They all know what times I walk her and when they see me, they always call for Princess and have a treat ready at their door. It was because of the seniors here that I trained her to sit in front of them and not jump up. Princess was under 2 yrs old when I got her and acted very much like a puppy in a lot of ways. Now she sits and puts out her paw for a shake and gives a little "woof" bark as a hello to them, wagging her tail a mile a minute because she knows they have that treat for her.
I'll tell you a secret, I have been trying to train Gigi for it. She has the drawback that when she sits on your lap, she demands that you pet her. She does this by putting her front leg straight out and paws at you. Once, as gentle as she is, that paw scratched my face, and another time, it knocked my eyeglasses off. So I have been trying to get her over that and learn just to be content sitting a persons lap and not demanding to be constantly petted at the same time. She is getting better at it, but it seems to be deeply rooted in her. While I am on the subject of the pawing like that, Does anyone else's Chi do this? Is it a Chi thing, or something that just Gigi does? It's like she instinctively extends her leg and paw out like that. I tried to turn it into a game of 'high five' so that she would only do it when I ask her, but that backfired and made it worse. So now I am trying the 'Ignore' and only pet her when her paw is down, which seems to be working, but it is a slow process, because she apparently has been doing it for 6+ years. -------Original Message------- From: [email protected] Date: 5/11/2011 3:38:48 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Re: Re-homing is official That's very interesting how Princess used that position only to communicate what she was feeling at that moment be understood and thank goodness, you are you and you got it....Gee, Peggy, couldn't you get her some police work somewhere, or therapy work. Just teasing, but it seems she is so very smart AND and a very beautiful girl. In a message dated 5/11/2011 3:28:44 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Thanks Lynn. I forgot to mention that Princess has never taken that position again. I had even tried to have her sit on my lap and put her paws on my shoulders like she did that day, and she wants no part of it.
