First Days Together

Hi everyone! 

Well, I guess it's time for me to start in and tell you about my new life together with Bracha.  We have been together for almost two weeks now, and it's been exciting and challenging.  When Rafi and Natanel, my trainers, first took me out of the kennels almost two weeks ago and let me into Bracha's room, I was awfully skittish.  I did greet Bracha, who was obviously happy to see me, but I kept running to the door and whining for Natanel who was outside in the hallway.  Looking back on that day, I'm not surprised that I was so confused, but I now know beyond a doubt that I belong to Bracha and that she loves me and cares for me a lot.  I'm not just talking about the fact that she's the one who feeds me and brushes me.  She is mighty strict, but I do get a lot of rewards for good behavior, so I know she wants to help me get used to things.
We started out walking simple routes, going around the block in straight lines in suburban neighborhoods.  Ha, I can handle a lot more than tnat now!  We've made our way through Rehovot and Rishon, down crowded streets and across junctions with heavy traffic.  We score high every time.  At the beginning I pulled hard on the harness and took off like a bat out of hell, but Bracha firmly slowed me down and now we are walking at a pace that suits both of us.  Sometimes Bracha puts a halti harness on me.  It looks menacing, but actually it's much gehtler than yanking on the leash.  It doesn't hurt and Bracha can lead me with the halti on my head without us fighting over who is going to decide how fast we walk.  Yesterday we did a country walk and I did get a little wild at all those open spaces, and Bracha has hinted that if I want to haul her down the road in Ben Ami at a fiast pace she will have to put the halti on me again. 
Don't get me wrong though.  Bracha is very happy with me.  We did very well in clicker training class, and I quickly caught on that if I find a chair and put my nose on it, Bracha makes that clicking noise and gives me a treat.  And you know there is nothing like food to get me to do anything!  So Bracha took me into her room and explained to me using the clicker that the chair in her room was also something she wanted me to show her, and then we did the same thing with the benches outside in the pecan grove.  So now when Bracha says "Kisay!" I know I can lead her to a chair or a bench.  ONly thing is, whenever I see a bench I lead her to it for good measure!  After all, I never know when a treat might be in store!
So there are only a few days in the course left and then we go home.  On Wednesday I will introduce Bracha to Tali, my puppy raiser.  There is a lovely painting in the hallway here that Tali painted of me standing in my blue puppy coat.  I am so proud that my picture is hanging up for everyone to see!  And then we go home!  I can't wait to see my toys and bed, my new home and to meet Nuala, Bracha's other dog!  But now it's time to concentrate and get back to work. 
I'll be writing here often, and letting you know how we are doing.  Once in a while we go into the pecan grove and sit on the bench and Bracha cries a bit and tells me all about Suki.  But all in all, I know that she feels very comforted now that she had me.