Sorry, time for another Bela Behavior Boost

J

Jaynie

Forums Enthusiast
OK, so Bela has been less active this week (due to my nasty fall down the stairs on Monday) and has basically been chilling on the bed with me except for potty breaks.

Now, she has decided that she doesn't want to eat or poop but once a day. And she's turning her nose up at dried liver treats!

What gives? (I think I know the answer is that she's not very active, but I could be mistaken.)

Still no barks, no under-breath "woofs", not one little sound out of her. And she still won't jump up on the bed - she just stands there and waits for me to do it for her. (Yes, I've tried frustrating her by leaving her on the floor, but she just paces until my nerves are frazzled.) I know she can jump a baby gate when she wants to when nobody's looking.
 
Yes, all the signs are there. Your Sheltie has contracted -- are you sitting down? -- Diva-itis.

No known cure.
 
I'm not sure of the temperature around you, but Shelties are generally a lot less active in the middle of the summer when it's hot. Also, both of my girls have been princesses, to some extent. And Buffy naps all the time. I'd say she sleeps 16 hours a day. (I am so envious.) She is especially lazy in the morning and the middle of the day, although she perks right up with a walk. In the evening she likes to run around like a crazy dog. It makes us laugh, especially when she runs away from her tail.
 
Chris said:
Yes, all the signs are there. Your Sheltie has contracted -- are you sitting down? -- Diva-itis.

No known cure.
Click to expand...

That is EXACTLY what I was afraid of!!! LOL

Both our schedules have been very off this week due to me being on bedrest. She has run of the bedroom (with its extra window a/c unit to supplement the central) with the door closed to keep in cooler air. Her crate, water, and food are all there. When I go downstairs to the kitchen, I have to put her on leash and hook her up to a rack on the kitchen wall to make her stay downstairs with me. Let loose, she makes a break for the stairs and dives in her crate. I know it's got something to do with her being a brood bitch in a puppy mill - she's just WAY too fond of her crate.

I worked this afternoon trying to get her to jump on the bed. I got some really tasty yum-yums that she isn't really supposed to have, but loves (crusts off my ham & cheese sandwich lunch). Then I lay down without putting her on the bed. I called her name and showed her the yummy bite I had for her. She paced back and forth slowly at first looking rather perturbed. I showed her again and pretended to eat the bite myself. The pacing around the bed became a little more urgent. You could just tell she really wanted to jump on the bed and get that tasty no-no.

Then, I put the luscious morsel at a visible place on the edge of the bed, right in front of her face. Her little Sheltie brain was working overtime - she started going in circles trying to figure out how to get that tasty bite. Finally, she very very delicately put one dainty foot on the box spring, then raised the other foot to the top of the bed. Then she shot me the most piteious look - "Can I have it NOW?" I gave it to her, since she worked out this step all by herself, and I plan on working tomorrow with getting her more interested in getting a treat that she'll have to get further and further onto the bed to get.

Oh, and when I finally told her she was a good girl and put her on the bed, she actually WAGGED HER TAIL! I spent the rest of the evening feeling very, very blesses!
 
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