The very good and the worrisome

There is more and more playing going on in our house. R seems to adore having a sister to play with. I offer him opportunities to take a break from her but he always seeks her out again.

Shyla's training around our house and on the trails is going beautifully. She's so sharp...

She's already learned to target objects with her front paws AND stay in place until I release her. In this photo, her paws are on a rock at the top of Hug Hill.

Even when she gets distracted by a scent or a sound in the forest, she notes it, as in the photo below, but continues to do whatever I ask of her.

She's continuing to learn from her brother. I love this profile of the two.

R is still faster than her on recalls but Shyla is faster off the mark now.

She comes all the way to me!

There is a caveat. I took Shyla to town yesterday while I did some errands (including getting R's blood drawn to check on his recent health scare). I took her out of the car at a park where there were hikers, bikers, cars, children - all the normal city park stuff. Shyla had a meltdown, terrified of the whole scene. A young boy, maybe 10 years old, came over and asked if he could pet her. As he asked in a soft polite voice, she cowered to the ground and then lost control of her bladder. After I requested that he give Shyla space (i.e., I politely told him to "get lost"), Shyla became an immoveable object until she'd had time to process everything. That's terror - pure and simple. She must not have had much experience with everyday life in a town before yesterday. And, I'm sure that she's still off-balance from her recent move to our house, and that probably contributed.

So, I learned that Shyla needs a lot of socialization and work to learn to live in the "normal" world of bustling towns. I already contacted my favorite trainer, and we'll be seeing her on Saturday. This awesome trainer helped us through K's fears, although K's fears were tiny compared to what I saw in Shyla yesterday. But, I think that she'll be able to teach me how to help Shyla. 

I have to admit that I had a minor meltdown after Shyla's meltdown. I'm still fragile after losing K. So, seeing my new furry friend terrified by everyday life sent me to tears. After the tears for Shyla, there were tears for K (and I am not a person who cries very often). But, with kind words from a very good friend who regularly rescues dogs and from our trainer, I'm feeling hopeful that I can help Shyla to learn to live happily in our bustling world.

Last, but certainly not least, R's condition still worries me, although he generally seems to be feeling a bit better. His blood sample that was drawn yesterday had to go to a "board certified pathologist" because the condition of his red blood cells and lymphocytes was alarming one week ago. I hope that I get good news soon. The best case scenario is that his blood is improving, suggesting that an exposure to a toxin caused the problems (rather than cancer or other scary diseases).

I hope to have that good news tomorrow. I am sitting here waiting for the phone to ring with the results...