Cat target

Tim got up yesterday and the new dog we're trying out was barking. He woke me up and told me that he's barking at something out in the field and it looks like a coon or a skunk and has a big fluffy tail. Normally I would jump at the chance to exterminate some predator this close to the house but yesterday I just laid there thinking yeah right. For starters the new dog barks at EVERYTHING! The other two weren't barking. Living out in the country this hasn't had a factor in if we will keep him or not, it's just somehting we'll need to train him in. Second thought was that if it was a skunk or coon that the dog barking was going to scare it off. Probably a cat, I decided, laying there. Tim comes back in and grins sheepishly at me, " hunting a Butch we go" he says. I laughed...a cat.

So far the new pup had several great points going for him...
1. Adult - not puppy
2. Rides great in car, gets in willingly and waits for an Ok before getting out
3. Plays fetch with anything. High point for me since I adore watching a dog run full out to retrieve something
4. Even better...runs around kids while fetching instead of running them over (downfall that my old pup has)
5. Smart and eager to please, seems to want to do what's right
6. Very loving, thinks he's velcro for your lap or leg.
7. not sure how he is with cattle but he's smart enough to avoid the goats.

Negative points:
1. Both times I've had him out of the yard he has gone after birds, first time a goose, (thankfully the goose I don't care much for, wacked him with the empty plastic garbage can I was carrying to make him let go) second time one of my chickens and I managed to yell no at him before he got a bite. This was one of the high points on one of the first dogs we tried to adopt and what sent her back to the pound. This dog however I really feel a connection with and would like to believe that since he's willing to stop when I yell no at him that I might be able to correct it or at the very least chicken proof the yard and have a happy medium.
2. Supposedly is only "partially" housebroken. Another big point. I've watched him mark everything under the sun outside and have been cleaning my house up so there are less marking temptations inside. We are going to try bringing him inside and seeing how he does. This one is a big issue because I do want a companion animal. If he can only be in the yard or kennel we should probably take him back since with the girls this young I spend a fair amount of time indoors (esp. in the winter) and he would be alone far too much.

A combination of both negatives just isn't good for us. If he wasn't housebroke but was good with birds then I could work on housebreaking later or even not housebreak him and spend a fair amount of time with him outside while I do my chores and farm cleanup everyday. Conversely being stuck in the yard limits my time with him outside so he really needs to be able to come inside to be with us.

On other pages: I completed Day 2 of the challenge with 12 glasses of water and an hour workout on the wii fit. This consisted of about 10 min yoga, 6 min strength training (I wussed out), about 15 min of balance games, and a half hour cardio workout. The cardio workout involved a little hula hoop, some step areobics, and me gasping my way "I can do it, I can do it, I can do it" little engine that could style through ten minutes of freestyle-Jogging.

Today's tasks:
8 glasses of water
Start pancreas flush (morning for 5 days)
afternoon nap
Watch food intake
No exercise (This is the day of REST after all)