A puppy in a box!

When Ann first adopted me I travelled almost 300 miles from Derbyshire to Edinburgh and I was ever so good in the car because I was in my crate and couldn't go wandering about. I go in the car pretty much every day because Ann wants me to learn good car manners. Logistically its too difficult to dismantle the crate and take it down 4 flights of stairs and faff around putting the back car seats down every time she takes me out. So for the past three weeks I've been practising going in the boot without a crate.


The first time I went in the boot (without my crate) I behaved impeccably.


The second time I went in the boot (without my crate) we almost didn't go anywhere because I kept trying to jump out before Ann had time to shut the boot door.


The third time I went in the boot (without my crate) Ann had solved the problem by putting me in a box. Ann doesn't really care if I stay in my box or not. Another few weeks and I'm going to be too big for my box.  It's literally just a short term solution so that Ann could shut the boot door without decapitating me while I was trying to escape. Three weeks ago I didn't know the words 'wait' and 'stay' but now that I do; Ann's pretty confident that I don't actually need to be a 'puppy in a box' any more. However she's going to keep using the box until I'm too big for it because apparently I have to perfect my car manners..................................


My car manners include things like:

Lying/sitting down when the car is moving.

Not jumping out of the car until I have been given permission to do so.

Not standing up on my hind legs and looking over the back seat. Etc etc etc


Mmmmmmmmm.............................. it seems like every day there are more and more things for a little puppy like me to learn.


This afternoon I went for a play in Kay's garden and on the way home Ann said, 'Trixie, I'm going to pop into Aldi for a loaf of bread because I want to see how you behave when you're left in the car by yourself. I'll only be 5 mins.'


The only other time Ann has left me alone in the car has been when she has gone to pay for petrol. And when she did that, I stood up on my hind legs and rested my head on the top of the back seats because I wanted to watch what she was doing and where she was going. Apparently that was inappropriate behaviour and not good car manners. I'm always getting told that stuff I'm doing isn't appropriate behaviour. I don't actually know what inappropriate behaviour is????


Today Ann was in Aldi for 9mins. (She knows that, 'cos she timed herself). The loaf of bread morphed in 2 bottles of wine and a few bags of crisps as well. Anyway when she got back to the car I was lying down in my box fast asleep. Yay!


#Onwardsandupwards

PS - This is a photo of me when we reached home.  I was still lying down in my box but I'd woken up and had opened my eyes.