More observations,

I was at a clients the other day and the owner is a lifelong dog owner. She has an older yellow lab and I mentioned I just got Beau. We talked about food (she buys raw meats like salmon, chicken, liver and vegetables.) and health. I told her about his shyness and she asked if he was abused. She asked what happens if I raise my hand to him. I didn't know because i never did that gesture. That day I got home and Beau did his usual greeting, timid but tail waging. I was carrying a rolled up 2008 calendar I just got and remembered about raising my hand. I lifted the calendar up and he immediately cowered down, tucked his tail a turned away. He turned to look back at me as he skulked away and that look in his eyes made me so sad. Beau had been abused, or at least disciplined harshly. I dropped the calendar and called him over. I will never test him like that again.

I thought Beau was a slow learner. My last dog (HER dog I guess. (But that's another story.)) was a quick learner. He was very attentive and would seem to know exactly what I wanted. Trying not to compare them I felt Beau wasn't as smart and slower to pick up on things. Now I feel it's not that he is slow at all - he has an agenda. His survival instincts must be running all the time. And trying to understand me while keeping one eye over his shoulder is like me trying to learn algebra on an empty stomach. (I can add and subtract - gimme a break.)

Tonight he surprised the heck outta me. Every time he comes in the house I towel him off of loose debris and I wipe his feet of dirt and mud. After I clean two legs on one side I've been teaching him to turn so I can do the other two. He's been very reluctant to turn. Tonight he just turned! Not just turned, he turn away from the door. I can see turning towards the door (Hey, I wanna get in!), but away? Way cool dude. He probably knows I'm typing this and after the praise he got doing it he won't do it again for 2 weeks.