I know I keep saying it, but I am completely and totally gaga over Gypsy. I knew what I was hoping to produce by crossing Rave to Keen, but Gypsy has far exceeded my expectations!!! She still has a lot of growing up and maturing to do, but she is everything I wanted and more. She is one funny little dog who oozes attitude with a dash of craziness!
First, she's perpetually happy. She always has a smile on her face. And she's always ready to go and game for anything. She loves to play with the other dogs, but she loves training and playing with me even more. She's beyond brilliant and her the speed at which she learns blows me away. And her retention of the skills is equally impressive. She retrieves like a dream, tugs like a champ, and is finally excited about working for food. I still have a lot to teach her, of course, but the foundation is laying down perfectly and I could not be more excited about our future together. She already thinks agility rocks, and she's barely done any!
On top of that, Gyps gets along so well in our pack. She knows who to play with, who to respect and who to ignore. Smart puppy! It does take the right social skills to navigate a pack as big and diverse as ours.
Gypsy has also become more affectionate the last few weeks. She'll never be a cuddly dog, but she loves to be near me, get pet and will give out a few kisses each day. I've been massaging her regularly and I think she's figured out how good it feels. But she still doesn't have much time to sit still. She's a VERY high energy girl, though I am starting to see signs of an off switch emerging. A few times this week, she just laid down on a dog bed and hung out. Not for long, mind you, but it's a start!!!
She also let me cut her nails last night without so much as a wiggle. YAY! For a while I could see how I could butt heads with this girl, if we didn't have a mutually beneficial relationship based on trust and fun. Her recall was pretty bad 6 weeks ago (don't wanna, don't hafta!!!) because she found other things more rewarding. She resisted nail trimming, brushing or being forced to do anything. Now that we have a great relationship, she's happy to do anything I ask of her, knowing she'll be aptly rewarded---with food, toys, access to outside, etc. I just love how we've already learned to communicate with each other so well and work together. That's not to say she doesn't have her naughty moments but they are becoming less and less.
Most of all, she's filled a space in my heart that was vacant and waiting for her. I feel so lucky to be be on this journey with her, I know she still has lots to teach me.
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