The first few months....

Meg and Bear, the goofy 10-year-old lab mix, got along great right from the start. Anni, the cat, was quick to show Meg who's boss.

Meg was a bit nervous those first few weeks, but she soon began to find out where she fit in. We had a great time getting to know each other. She was a bit shy at first, especially towards Dad. She's a fairly soft dog and would try to hide if anyone spoke too loudly (whether it was directed at her or not).

I quickly learned how little Meg knew...the extent of her training seemed to be 'sit', 'come' and 'leave it' (the latter two she had just learned while staying with Eileen at Ravensgate). She loved toys, but wasn't sure how to include people in her games.

After she had a few days to settle in, we began Meg's education, starting with 'down', 'tug', 'drop it', and 'shake', and we continued to work on 'come' and 'leave it'.

Her first walk revealed that she was a bit dog reactive. Dogs at the park, vet, or store were fine. While on a walk however, she would she bark and jump and spin in circles at the sight of another dog. She quickly learned where all the dogs in the neighborhood lived. She would react to houses where dogs lived even if the dog was not present at the time we walked by.

After she had about 6 weeks to settle in, Meg and I enrolled in an obedience class at Northern Tails Dog Training with Lisa Lucas. Meg did great! She loved going to class and having a job to do. We worked on sit, down, leave it, heel, stay, and manners. We also got some tips and ideas on how to handle her reaction to other dogs on walks.

During this time, Meg also learned two of the greatest games ever invented...fetch and Frisbee!