Adventures with Reese

Our friends, the other McAfee's, are spending fall break in Florida at Disney.  And honestly, I think half the people I know are at Disney this week.  I've seen so many pics on Facebook & Instagram that it makes me wonder if I missed the memo that it was 'go to Disney' week?  

They were planning to board their dog somewhere while they were gone, but Alicia really hated to do that to her since they're going to be gone for an extended amount of time.  She also knows I like animals more than kids & asked if I would mind 'dog sitting' their puppy, Reese.  (Pronounced like REE-SEE - as in the best candy ever - Reese peanut butter cup...) 

I've been around Reese a handful of times.  I would say she 'knows' me & she always plays with me when I'm at their house.  I said, 'sure!  I'll  dog sit!' & Daniel & Nora dropped her off last Friday night.  After a crash course in Reese 101 they were gone & it was just us.  

Me & Reese Cup.  

Alone.  

Wherever I went - she went.  If I was on the couch - she was laying on the floor beside me...

I was all cocky that she would never want to leave because my house is quiet unlike the other McAfee's house where there are three small but very loud children.  But I think the quiet has backfired on me.  She can hear EVERYTHING & growls & barks at nothingness.  It's normally VERY quiet where I live so when there are noises - you can hear them.  It's not like a subdivision where cars go by non stop or there are kids or people in the neighborhood making white noise.  No kids.  No people.  Nothing.  A semi went by one day & she barked her head off.  When I ran the washer & dryer over the weekend she barked when they kicked on.  If she hears a door bell on tv she freaks. (She's a great watch dog.  Luckily I'm not in my 'there's someone outside waiting to kill me' mode or I would freak when she barks...) I'm guessing she can't hear much over those aforementioned loud kids at her house & her senses are in overload...

I asked B-rad if he minded if Reese came to stay with us & of course he didn't.  I also had to make him promise not to want an inside dog after we dog sit.  (Ya'll know how he is...)  B-rad has never met Reese & honestly he's not home that much this time of year so I never dreamed there would be a problem.  

Well - Houston, we had a problem....

B-rad came home that first night (at 11:45 PM) & opened the garage door so Reese barked.  He came stomping up the steps so Reese barked & came into the house so Reese barked.  She would not go near him.  She made it her life's mission to be as far away from him as humanly possible.  I didn't worry about it too much because it was time for her to go to bed & we would worry about that tomorrow.  I put her in her crate & we all went to bed.  

The next morning before B-rad left he tried to talk to her & pet her & she wanted no part of it.  The only time she'd go near him was when I went near him & coaxed her over.  He was home more this weekend than normal because of the rain but she never did warm up to him.

B-rad gets home from work before I do so I asked him to let her out of her crate on Monday so she could potty.  I thought maybe if I wasn't there she would be ok because she didn't have another choice.  UHM, no it was not ok.  He let her out & she freaked.  She growled at him & had an accident on the floor.  Then she went to hide in our bedroom on my side of the bed between the bed & the wall.  B-rad feels really bad that Reese doesn't like him.  He's an animal lover, but he decided that him & Reese are oil & water & he would steer clear of her.   We've tried everything - giving her bones, petting her, getting down on her level but she's still leery of him.  The only thing I can come up with is that it scared her when he came home that night because of all the noise that three loud kids weren't around to cover up.  

On a brighter note, when he came home last night, she didn't growl or bark at him.  (Probably because I say, "No Reese" 9,732 times...)  She was laying beside the bed & I wanted her to go out but she wouldn't come because B-rad was in the house ear shot.  He said, "I know how to get her out" so he crawled over the bed to get near her thinking she would run away.  And the most amazing thing happened - she didn't move.  She continued to sit where she was.  B-rad took that opportunity to pet her & talk to her.  You can see from the look on her face she is less than thrilled, but there was no growling or barking.  She even managed to wag her tail a little.  Progress, people...

On Monday I took Reese for a walk down the road.  You may be thinking, 'why walk down that ginormous hill when you will have to walk back up it?'  Good question.  The field on the right is ours.  We live at the top of that hill so I had 2 choices:  #1-turn right & go down the big ass hill or #2-turn left & go past houses with people & dogs that may try to kill us.   I went with the big ass hill.  

Reese just turned a year old so she has a LOT of energy.  My plan was to wear her out so she slept good that night.  Her dragging me down that hill had me feeling that my plot was working.

And when it was time to turn around & go back up - I was re-thinking my brilliant plan... & so was Reese.  Her poor tongue was hanging out of her mouth.

But finally - we crested the top of the hill & I saw my oasis...

Ok-so when I take care of other peoples 'stuff' (whether it be dogs or kids), I try to always do what the parents do.  If the parents don't allow it - I try not to allow it.  I went over all kinds of stuff w/ Daniel about how to feed her and Alicia & I had been texting too.  I wanted to be sure she'd be ok in her crate for 10 hours a day while I was at work.  She also sleeps in her crate at night.   I started thinking about it & 10 hours a day in a crate is HALF THE DAY...then if she slept in it too that's like another 7-8 hours.  The poor dog would only be out of her crate for only 6-7 hours a day.  I can't do it.  I'm a sucker.  I put her bed beside my bed on the floor & she slept there Monday night.  I wanted to try it to see how she did.  I don't think she moved the whole night.  We got up at 4:30 when B-rad got up & she went out.  She came back in & we both laid back down.

I texted Alicia & told her I left her out & said, "Don't be mad!" & explained the whole thing to her.  I thought she'd be fine with it (& she was)- however, Daniel may want to kill me when this is all over...

Tuesday evening we cleaned out my car.

We played a little & made some videos of her running around the yard to send to her kids.   See how the end of her tail is a blur?  She wags it like crazy!

She really is a sweet dog even though she has issues w/ B-rad.   It took a couple of days, but I finally broke her of chasing the cat whenever he walks around the house.  Sonny is NOT happy about this whole arrangement. He spent the weekend hiding under our bed.  He's happy when B-rad gets home & sticks close to him because I think he's figured out Reese will go nowhere near him.  

She goes out when I tell her but getting her in the crate when I leave for work is a challenge.  I have to tell her several times, 'Reese - crate' & she lowers her head & looks at me.  She knows I'm a sucker - she can sense it.  I'm sure she's hoping I'll crack eventually...