Happy Halloween from Adler

Adler decided to dress up for Halloween this year. We didn't want to torture her by making her actually put on a whole outfit so we figured a ghost was the easiest costume.

She didn't love putting on her costume, but she actually stayed still so we could snap a few pictures of her. Too bad Tom didn't make her eye holes big enough so she can barely see, and too bad I accidentally deleted all the pictures we took of her the first time we put on her costume! So needless to say we had to torture her again so we could get some snap shots.

Next year we'll have a kid to dress up so we don't have to torture our poor dog!

Adler's Fort is Gone

Lately Adler's been spending a lot of time in her "fort." That is the space between the wall and the bed in our second bedroom.

Tom says she'll disappear for hours in there even though he's at home during the day. Well, last night the fort had to come down as we prepare our second bedroom to become a baby's room.

I hope Adler doesn't hold a grudge! I guess she'll just have to find a new place to sleep during the day.

Leaving Adler

It's hard to do. It's like she instinctively knows when my big suitcase comes up from our storage room downstairs that I'm leaving her. And try shutting the door on those big brown, sad eyes. It's just hard to do.

My most recent trip had me traveling to Las Vegas for work for almost an entire week (hence my lack of regular posts). And although Tom's great about sending me pictures of Adler when I am away, I still miss her. Tom and I do talk about Adler's antics each day, and last Sunday I got an earful.

Tom was playing golf with his brother in Long Grove. Per usual, he brought Adler with him so she could enjoy the green grass of the suburbs. However, while Tom and his brother were away playing golf, the front door of their house suddenly blew open by the wind (I guess this happens when the door isn't properly locked) and it became a free for all for potential burglars and for Adler. So picture this....Tom gets home from golf with his brother, the front door is wide open. Their first thoughts turn to someone breaking into the house and Adler. They view Adler's toys on the front lawn and step hesitantly into the entryway. Adler, fast asleep on the second floor somewhere, comes bounding downstairs to greet them. After a quick check of the rest of the house they deduce that the wind was the culprit, but Adler had been outside since her toys were lying on the front lawn. She just decided to go back in and wait til Tom and his brother arrived back home. Good thing too...I think there are coyotes in Long Grove and Adler is afraid of her own shadow!

Round Three of Training

Adler has entered her third series of training classes. According to Call of the Wild this class works more off-leash training and distance control.

What we've found now that we've attended three classes already is that Adler's biggest problem is her inability to sit still. Regardless of what we tell her, she constantly wants to get up and greet others or wants to go investigate something happening somewhere else.

Since class last Wednesday, Tom and I have been working on the distractions while making her sit and stay in one place. She's doing better. In fact, tonight my friend Lisa came over and she did pretty well at the sit and stay and for the first time did not get so excited that she bowled her over. Maybe this training is working!