Integrated

I came home from doing the grocery run in town this afternoon to a crate-less kitchen and a missing baby-gate.

The crate and the gate were for the puppy, to restrict  her to safe zones in the house when she can't be supervised by people.  All the "How to Raise the Perfect Dog"  books tell you that you need safe zones for the dog.  And anyone who knows us knows that we are all about doing things the 'right'
way.

However, she doesn't use the crate anymore to sleep in.  She prefers an area rug in whichever room the people are.  If it is nighttime and the people are all upstairs sleeping, she has taken to sleeping on the bottom steps.  I don't have the heart to create her when we are at work.  And she behaves beautifully when we are away; only having chewed one item in the house ever.

The gate has proven useless as she jumps it effortlessly.  We have come home to a puppy gated into the living room rather than the kitchen, where she was left, every time we leave her inside the house.  So, instead of the gate we make sure the upstairs doors are all carefully closed.

But mostly she stays outside when we are away.  She parks herself on the front porch waiting for us.  And her greetings always make coming home welcoming.

It seems the dog has integrated herself fully into the family.