Uh.... Tina???

Last night was a very sad night. I was trying to show Macy which part of the sofa was hers. She seemed afraid to get up so I got a cookie and tossed it on the sofa and popped into the kitchen to turn off the light. She was getting up to the cookie as I reappeared and I plopped on the sofa. She looked up in sheer horror, cried and ran across to the dining room.

I assumed she thought she was in trouble. So I got her to the foot of the sofa and tried to coax her up. That didn't work. So I tried to lift her up. She cried, rolled over looking up at me in fear! Then got up and ran out the back door! It dawned on me that someone had beat the crap out of her for getting on a sofa!

Suddenly her strange behavior of sitting behind a chair where I can't see her made sense! She has no idea that her new mom has been highly trained in the art of sofa cuddles. Heck, I buy sofas explicitly for dog use!

So we had cuddle lesson #1 last night. I put her on a leash, got some cookies and made her sit next to me on her bed. I petted and praise and fed for about two minutes. I undid the leash and let her make her own choice. She went behind the chair.

Cuddle lesson #2, this morning. Repeated the above. Undid the leash. She got up, drank water and chose to stay in the dining area about five feet away. Progress. I stayed put. Shortly, she got up and came within touching distance on the other side of her bed and allowed me to pet her. More progress.

Knowing she's been mistreated (as if all those adoptions weren't mistreatment!), changes the game. I'm so aware of how much calmer I need to be and so much more patience is required. My heart aches for her.

I'm still trying to get her to learn her name. This morning after a walk, I brought her in and tried the basics (which she ignores off leash). On leash with cookies up for grabs, she ran through sit, down, paw and stay like a champ!

But it dawned on me at at age THREE, she HAS to have name from somewhere that means something to her! I came home from work and did some research. I found out she was originally from Orange County (Poor baby! Moved from the beachy cool weather to the super hot valley! No wonder I feel like she wants me to take her home when she sits in the car!).

I found her old pet i.d. number from there and called them and begged for her original name. It's TINA!

I called her Tina. She lifted her head in recognition, but since then nothing! No response! So now, I'm debating....do I call her Tina or Meena or Macy?

And what about training? I'm terrified of over-correcting her! (I've trained rotts, nothing this tiny ever!). And she needs to be rattlesnake trained before the creek... will an electric shock collar send her over the edge??

Advice needed and appreciated! And prayers and good thoughts for our road ahead...