1. Shows no aggression whatsoever, to man nor beast (although I wouldn't leave her alone with a squirrel)!
3. If she could tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas it would be a squirrel of her own.
4. Walks really well on the leash, if she's pulling you can be sure there is a squirrel somewhere that she has spotted, or a dog she wants to meet.
5. Plays well with others, at the moment she's in quarantine with kennel cough but before we found out about that she was happily meeting and greeting every dog and person we met. And if a male dog tries to get fresh (she is in heat) she primly sits down and eliminates the opportunity.
6. Takes food from your hand like she was handling baby mice, she is soooo gentle, you feel no teeth at all and she has no food aggression.
7. Comfortable and well behaved on car rides, just goes to sleep in the back seat.
8. She's not obvious about her affection but she is always nearby, sitting by your feet, laying down outside the bathroom door if you're inside, she is usually close by or watching. And the last 2 days I have found her head suspiciously within petting/scrunching distance and I've gotten a few unsolicited kisses ;)
STRATEGY
My dog training skills are pretty paltry, I've read some, seen the dog whisperer, listened to people with well trained dogs. Lulu was decently trained, she would sit and come and stay (for a little while anyway), she knew a few gimmicky tricks, dancing, rubbing her face with her front paws like a mouse, she liked to ham it up! The difference between Lulu and Edwina is that she was equally motivated by approval and food, clapping or treats either was a good enough reason to do what was requested! I haven't figured out what Edwina wants yet... she likes food but I haven't found anything that she's crazy about, she likes me but doesn't worship me...? So at the moment I'm a little stumped on how to motivate her.
This is what I'm focusing on now...
1. Lots of sitting, she knows this one so we're milking it! she has to sit for food, before we will open a door, and when she's getting the leash put on, and she sits if she is annoying the cat too much. I'm not a believer in overly dominating a dog but I would like to be her "pack leader", she should understand her food comes from me and that she's not in charge.
2. Trying to keep her calm around the cat, she REALLY REALLY wants to play with the cat, and when I say play I mean play, not kill and eat the cat. She barks, she whines, she bounces, she gets up in her face and pushes her around with her nose. Thinking if we can teach her to be gentler the cat will let her get closer and tolerate her better. Right now the cat is hopping from desktop to table top to couch top, she's not afraid just avoiding the harassment. Luckily Josie is sticking up for herself and not hiding and Edwina has been swatted/hissed at and is slowly learning some manners.
3. Preventing separation anxiety! She's becoming fond of me and wants to be close by, and gets upset if she locked in the other room (which I do sometimes to give Josie a break and the birds a chance to fly around, as well as when I'm not home). She does whine and bark a little if she's excluded but I'm trying to do it regularly so she becomes ok with it. The last thing anyone wants is a dog who is upset/whining/barking all day. I had success with Lulu by ignoring her for a few minutes when I came home, and not making a fuss of her before leaving, my comings and goings were not a big deal to her. Hoping that will work with Edie too.
That's all I've got so far, I've got to say that Edwina is pretty good already, she's really calm in the house, easy to walk and doesn't start any trouble with other dogs, also appears to be housebroken (lots of accidents the first 2 days but nothing since!). She's a pleasure to have her around and I hope if you're looking to adopt you would consider meeting her!
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