20 April
This morning we went to the beach. On the way there Salma lay down in the caravan when the road was straight but sat up when there were bends.
She ran and explored and sniffed but she was always attentive to us and came back every so often to check on us and to round us up. She did not go into the water! She had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed her walk. Mimi was also more animated and pro-active with her company.
In the afternoon she lay in the shade under the hórreo.
I did a short TTouch session:
- Abalone all along her sides
- Ear slides
- Leg circles
- Tail circles & pulls.
She is very loose around the base of the tail and her joints are loose.
21 April 2021
This morning we did a practice with the weave poles although not set up at the distance for agility. The idea was to see whether Salma would follow me through and follow the zigzag course. She did.
I also set up the Nina Ottoson toy and put some small pieces of cheese in the compartments, but only the top two layers. She figured out that she could access the cheese by rotating the elements although for the moment, after the top layer, it was more of a hit and miss attempt rather than a strategy. However, she has got the idea so we can work on that as a source of mental stimulation.
Today we also put on her harness and did a tour of the
garden in homing pigeon. This gave her the opportunity to move as she pleased within the parameters of the sliding rope.
Another breakthrough today was with the marrow bone. The other day when I offered it to her she simply did not have a clue what to do with a bone, so this morning I decided to loosen the marrow with a screwdriver and hold it so that she could get the idea that there was something appetising inside the bone. She loved the marrow and spent some time licking the rest of the marrow out.
I have discovered that for treats she likes cheese and black olives!
23 April 2021
It is now a week since Salma arrived. We decided to take her on what is for us an emblematic walk through the Montemayor Beach Grove to the Xiblu Falls. During the trip there she behaved as she did the other day, lying on straight roads and sitting up when there were bends. We stopped on the way for breakfast and to give her a break from the vehicle. There we discovered another tasty and highly valued treat – Spanish omelette. On the homeward journey she lay down all the way.
I am certain that this was a totally new environment for her and probably the longest walk she has ever done. Unlike the other day on the beach, a familiar environment for her, where she was happy to run out for 20m+, today on the outward leg she ran ahead keeping a distance of 3-5m. On the return journey she ventured further afield up to 10m but always keeping a close eye on what everyone was doing and returning from time to time to round everyone up.
The mental stimulus at every level was great. The terrain was uneven, sandy in some places, stony in others and rock
y as we desc
ended to the foot of the waterfall. She had no problem stepping on any surface and was not concerned as Sasha always was about where he would place his feet which were very sensitive. Once again she did not go into the water at the river and, unlike our other beardies, did not head straight for any puddles or muddy places. She preferred to seek out the driest route.
There were plenty of smells to investigate, scat of many different animals, a piece of a wild boar to investigate and bear tracks which proved very exciting for her and Mimi. They also encountered two “centaurs”, but neither batted an eyelid
Back home, after being groomed and fed, she found a quiet spot to rest. All in all a pretty nice adventure.
24 April 2021
Today we had another short wander through the weave poles, and then she had her first little tour wearing her harness and lead with two points of contact. I think she did very well for her first attempt. She walked nicely and stopped when the upward signal was given.
