03.07.10
Shrubs to remove (center). Note new facia over the porch in preperation for new gutters.
Fun with Shrubs & Stella
Finally, a great day for being outside!
Calin decided he’d like to open the front yard up and remove some of the bushes. I volunteered to transplant them along the lot line in the back and create more privacy with the neighbors on the pool side.
Of course, Stella wanted to help. Her job for the day was learning to be alone for a few minutes at a time, being quiet, and chewing as many sticks as possible. Stella did very well at all of these.
Stella busy making kindling
Stella is a good age for training. Puppies have all their learning abilities by 10 weeks— so when you hear someone comment that their dog’s undesirable behaviors are because of the ‘puppy’ in them, well, they don’t know dogs. The challenge with young puppies is that their personalities are fragile; training must be slow and patient, or you’ll end up with a dog that’s young and very well behaved, but won’t ever look you in the eye. A dog Stella’s age (about a year) has a firm personality, so as long as you keep it fun, you can stuff ‘em with as much training as their little pea brains can handle.
Stella has been here 4 days. She’s getting the basics like: ‘stay off’, her door manners, ‘don’t bite’, and staying in her inside kennel with the door open (a prelude to car training and other skills). The most important thing for Stella right now is getting over abandonment. She needs to know that if she’s left alone that we will be back shortly and not to worry.
Transplanted shrubs. When I finished, they looked like they'd always been there.
I tied Stella on a long lead where she can move around, but can only see part of the work I’m doing. While Stella watched, I dug the bushes out, loaded them in a wheel barrow, and wheeled them down the hill and out of sight. As I placed the shrubs in their new locations way in the back, Stella had to wait and wonder.
The first couple trips, Stella barked and was quite worried. But by the last bush, she just laid in the grass and slept while I was gone. So just by working and coming and going, I was able to help Stella gain trust and confidence. Gradually, her time alone will be extended until she can be left at home without suffer anxiety.
Front yard without shrubs
The shrubs came up easily from the damp soil. The ground isn’t hard, so putting them back down was a breeze as well. The heart attack portion of the project was pushing the dirt from the transplant holes back up the hill to fill in the holes left in front! The ground is still wet and soft, which is good for transplanting, but hard on old farts pushing wheel barrows.
The important thing on the transplants was to get them done while the shrubs are still dormant. And they certainly won’t be that way much longer. Both Calin and I think the front looks better without the shrubs in the middle. Plus, the yard will be a lot faster to mow.
