Monday Maisieness – April 25, 2022 Edition

I hadn’t planned to write about Maisie today – well, I had, but didn’t have anything new to write…until tonight.

As I’ve moved to the davenport from the bedroom to spend my days I seem to wear a different pair of slippers or crocs or whatever each time. Then, for some reason, I leave them out here. 4 pair, which is every shoe or slipper I own! Because picking up/carrying brings an increase in spasms, sometimes for days, this is one of Maisie’s many jobs. But never have I asked her to do such a big job!

Tonight I sat on the bed and asked her for my shoe; she came out to where they were and brought me my purse – not off to a good start – so I wordlessly took it and then asked again for my shoe and this time she brought it back to the bedroom. Not too amazing. Then I told her “the other one” – which she already knows – so she brought its mate. Then I asked for my shoe and she clearly hesitated…but only briefly before she repeated the task with 4 more shoes…or so I thought! I apparently can’t count. (I wanted her to leave my slippers out here.)

Then I found another shoe (!) out here and asked her to take it to the bedroom, which she did though it’s a new command for her. But she knows “take it” (as in “take it to Dad”) and knows “bedroom” (as in “go in the bedroom”), and was easily able to put them together. Once she got in there I called to her to “drop it” and then “leave it” which she did. Then I called her to “come” and she got confused. She’s never been called up on do that, I always end up with the object in my hand! She gets very depressed when she misses a command, it really upsets her. So I went to show her, telling her again the same thing, but with me standing there I could see the light bulb go off; when you live and work with a dog so closely for so long you recognize every glance, look, and cue they give. I have no doubt that if I ask the same of her again, she’ll do it.

Because that’s the kind of great, amazing dog that she is❣️

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