Luke and Xena

We were woken twice last night by crying Xena - but then after her 2am waking she settled and would have slept quite late I think, except she is woken up by Gavin having breakfast and leaving for work at 6.30am. After taking her out for a wee he put her back in her crate and she slept until 8.15am so I actually could have a leisurely shower this morning while she was still asleep.

A friend who got a puppy a couple of months ago phoned me and we chatted tactics and training...on her advice I am going to use the crate more during the day and start closing the door during the day too. So I did this today, when she falls asleep elsewhere, I carry her to the crate and she settles really well falling asleep again instantly, so progress is being made. The breeder also contacted me to see how things were going and also had good advice. 

Thomas left this morning to go to Spain for the week, he is joining a friend and his family there. I am pleased he is doing this as it takes his mind off the A level results D-Day which is next Thursday, the day after he gets back. More sleepless nights  .....

I fetched Luke from the airport at lunchtime, as he had spent a few days in Barcelona with his university friends after having had a lovely holiday in Scotland with Meriel and her family. That's the end of his holidays now, and he enters the big working world at the beginning of September.

I took Xena with me to the airport and this was her fourth outing in the car - the previous three times she had howled for most of the journey, but today she sat chewing her bone treat and then fell asleep, I never heard a sound out of her - yay, progress! Luke was very excited to see her - he said she is much smaller in reality than her images, somehow the camera makes her look bigger. In this image she is chewing a feather she found in the garden.

When we got home Luke and Xena had a really good play in the garden, running all over the lawn and she was keeping up with him, ears flying backwards, it was too sweet to see. She is now sleeping in her crate and peace reigns in the house!