Actually, yesterday had some really good moments. It didn't start too well. I called my friend Roberta, who told me later that she could hear Vindya crying, LiJun shouting, and a note of hysteria when I asked if we could come over. Since she is a kind and wonderful person, she said yes, and we spent several hours at her house. Our girls played together well. Vindya kept running from the basement (where the girls and the TV were) to the living room (where the adults were) in great excitement. We also took a field trip to visit Roberta's good friend from Sri Lanka, who runs a day care and let Vindya look at the babies, which she loved.
Then we ruined it all by leaving. Vindya did NOT want to leave. It took both adults and LiJun to get her buckled into her carseat, and she let herself out three times in two blocks, screaming the whole time. We finally got her wedged in with LiJun's leg on top of her, and then she entertained herself slamming her head into the car door and howling for another 20 minutes or so.
After that, she was fine. We told her we were going to get Lilly, and she cheered "Lilly, yay!" and clapped her hands. She pointed at herself, drew tears running down her cheek, and shook her head, "no, no, no!" And she didn't cry! She licked her hand and clapped when she saw Lilly (because Lilly was licking LiJun's face) and climbed into her carseat to peer over the back at Lilly in her crate. When we got home, she was happy to eat ice cream and point at LiJun and Lilly snuggling on the couch.
Now, Lilly walking on the floor leads to her climbing up me as far as she can go, and Lilly coming over to us, putting her paws up to be petted, or, God forbid, barking, she really doesn't like. But this is nowhere near the hysterical paranoia we saw before. I wonder if it wasn't because both dogs had much larger dogs with them and they scared her?
Bedtime was another nightmare. She fought and screamed for over an hour. This included slamming her head into the wall and bedposts, biting her hands and arms, scratching her chest and face, and poking herself in the eye. (All this despite my best efforts to keep her contained.) But when she fell asleep, she fell asleep. About 1am she came to sleep in my bed, and while she wasn't happy that Lilly got up to see what the fuss was about (because why would she stay with LiJun who slept on the couch specifically to spend the night with her, when she could slip away and sleep on a pillow under my bed), she didn't lose it.
I'm choosing to see all this as progress. Don't argue with me.
Also, more pictures are coming.
Then we ruined it all by leaving. Vindya did NOT want to leave. It took both adults and LiJun to get her buckled into her carseat, and she let herself out three times in two blocks, screaming the whole time. We finally got her wedged in with LiJun's leg on top of her, and then she entertained herself slamming her head into the car door and howling for another 20 minutes or so.
After that, she was fine. We told her we were going to get Lilly, and she cheered "Lilly, yay!" and clapped her hands. She pointed at herself, drew tears running down her cheek, and shook her head, "no, no, no!" And she didn't cry! She licked her hand and clapped when she saw Lilly (because Lilly was licking LiJun's face) and climbed into her carseat to peer over the back at Lilly in her crate. When we got home, she was happy to eat ice cream and point at LiJun and Lilly snuggling on the couch.
Now, Lilly walking on the floor leads to her climbing up me as far as she can go, and Lilly coming over to us, putting her paws up to be petted, or, God forbid, barking, she really doesn't like. But this is nowhere near the hysterical paranoia we saw before. I wonder if it wasn't because both dogs had much larger dogs with them and they scared her?
Bedtime was another nightmare. She fought and screamed for over an hour. This included slamming her head into the wall and bedposts, biting her hands and arms, scratching her chest and face, and poking herself in the eye. (All this despite my best efforts to keep her contained.) But when she fell asleep, she fell asleep. About 1am she came to sleep in my bed, and while she wasn't happy that Lilly got up to see what the fuss was about (because why would she stay with LiJun who slept on the couch specifically to spend the night with her, when she could slip away and sleep on a pillow under my bed), she didn't lose it.
I'm choosing to see all this as progress. Don't argue with me.
Also, more pictures are coming.
no arguments here. It sounds like progress to me! She's figuring it out...such a strange and new environment. I rather think the extended time in India was a good thing, because she had a chance to get to know you before leaving a familiar place. I am constantly cheering for you!
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