Sophie literally has no tail so she wiggles her butt but she does talk and, believe it or not, we had a conversation yesterday. I talked to her, she answered. She also slept with me last night, not so cute because (1) she's a very active dreamer and (2) she takes up A LOT of room.
She now opens the door to my office on her own. She barks when she wants to come in the house if I'm not with her. She has not had a bathroom accident. She wanders the property at will, barks @ the next door neighbor's dog and air sniffs.
She & Stella are on the same schedule & this morning they went out together -- in the dark -- did their thing in privacy, wandered on a smelling expedition & came running home when called. It's funny watching them run together. Sophie lopes, Stella scrambles on her cute, stubby legs.
Yesterday, Sunday, I took Stella on some morning errands to give her some special time with me while leaving Sophie with Carol to bond & get used to my NOT being around ALL the time. Sophie and Carol went for a run.... well, Carol ran while Sophie trotted alongside.
You've got to understand that the Soph has legs that go on forever. In a different life she might have been a Radio City Rockette or a pantyhose model. Instead she's a dog with looooong legs. To give you an idea take a look at these historic photos of the early Bouviers
Then look @ Burton here. Smart.... and what an athlete he was !! And so different from the current crop of American Bouviers.
Anyway, after my errands & Carol's run, we met at a local coffee shop. The shop has tables outside where people walk by, cars drive by, i.e. there's lots of action. Stella is used to this so I had her lie down & told Sophie to down next to her & I watched Sophie's reaction as people walked by & cars moved in & out of parking spots, not 5 yards from her nose.
She looked on with interest but no real reaction. As it happened some friends came by to chat so I stood up to talk to them while maintaining Sophie in the down position. (Stella I don't worry about as she stays until released.) No problem. At one point there were 5-6 people gathered in a knot, towering over her. Again no problem (Truman might have been growling quietly in similar circumstances). After about an hour of this, we went home where Sophie played outside on her own before choosing to go into the house.
In the afternoon I suggested that Carol & I follow our oft routine of going to the movies. We said bye-bye to both girls & left them with the run of the house. By the time we returned home 3+ hours later, it was pitch black.
As Carol approached the house, we heard barking -- not from one, but from two Bouvs. One in the dining room looking watching through the french doors, the other in the kitchen looking through the little glass panes. Stella exited first, then Sophie.
I was waiting at the end of the driveway & made my presence known with a "Hi girls!". Stella trotted down to my location but Sophie charged, full tilt in my direction. If she had hit me, I would have been flattened by her 110-120#. OMG, what a greeting!! Wiggle butt, talking, jumping around. I had to make room for Stella's greeting as Sphie surrounded me. <whew>
This is a very smart girl, this Sophie. She is very communicative. She will offer a paw if she wants to be scratched. She sits & looks directly in my eyes if she wants attention. She is learning to sit to wait for dinner. With a slight correction She now allows me to exit a door first. She comes when she is called but not yet 100%. She offers kisses in trade for a butt scratch. She was fairly patient when I started to thin out her undercoat although she is a bit sensitive about her upper legs. Well, what girl isn't sensitive about her thighs?
After dinner we comb her non-existent beard (to get her used to it) as we comb Stella's luxurious beard nightly. Then I brush Sophie's teeth w/o a problem, thanks to her foster parents. Finally it's time to rest but she is always attentive to sounds & movement around the house.
In the afternoon I suggested that Carol & I follow our oft routine of going to the movies. We said bye-bye to both girls & left them with the run of the house. By the time we returned home 3+ hours later, it was pitch black.
As Carol approached the house, we heard barking -- not from one, but from two Bouvs. One in the dining room looking watching through the french doors, the other in the kitchen looking through the little glass panes. Stella exited first, then Sophie.
I was waiting at the end of the driveway & made my presence known with a "Hi girls!". Stella trotted down to my location but Sophie charged, full tilt in my direction. If she had hit me, I would have been flattened by her 110-120#. OMG, what a greeting!! Wiggle butt, talking, jumping around. I had to make room for Stella's greeting as Sphie surrounded me. <whew>
This is a very smart girl, this Sophie. She is very communicative. She will offer a paw if she wants to be scratched. She sits & looks directly in my eyes if she wants attention. She is learning to sit to wait for dinner. With a slight correction She now allows me to exit a door first. She comes when she is called but not yet 100%. She offers kisses in trade for a butt scratch. She was fairly patient when I started to thin out her undercoat although she is a bit sensitive about her upper legs. Well, what girl isn't sensitive about her thighs?
After dinner we comb her non-existent beard (to get her used to it) as we comb Stella's luxurious beard nightly. Then I brush Sophie's teeth w/o a problem, thanks to her foster parents. Finally it's time to rest but she is always attentive to sounds & movement around the house.
However, when she finally falls fully asleep, she sleeps like the dead. And getting up is a chore. It's like waking a teenager to go to school. Let's just say she's a slooow riser. My hope is that -- should we have an intruder -- s/he will not come in middle of Sophie's REM sleep because there will be no more Sophie/Stella diaries.
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