Day 15... On the day of rest.

Yesterday, Saturday, marked the end of Eddie's second week out here. We had an uneventful day taking to time reflect and giving thanks for hot water made possible by our friend Chris who took time from his busy schedule to re-fill and deliver the propane tanks on Friday. Living like a dog is fine but I do draw the line at dispensing with some modern human conveniences like hot water. I put Eddie on the leash and walked out with Niko to the road and removed his collar. We had a walk joined on the road by Tilla everyone enjoying the light snowfall. Eddie apparently has difficulty seeing in flat over cast light. I think he mainly sees contrasts between light and dark, so without the dark shadows of direct sunlight he has difficulty and must go slowly to avoid running into things. Tilla has begun to recognize this and approaches Eddie with more deference than other dogs.

Friday night after our late evening walk he followed Niko up onto the deck with me following to close the gate and came right inside and up into the loft. I think he likes some of "creature comforts" afforded by the modern human habitat. He is beginning to expect things to happen according to a routine. I had not fed him a bone for two days, and I think his super respectful behavior toward me was a result of that lack of bones. He had been getting up and would almost casually leave whenever I came into the loft or out on the deck. I now think he was showing respect trying to re-establish my good will so that a nice bone would be forthcoming. After I gave them a bone yesterday evening for dinner (lots of meat on bones) he seemed to relax a bit as if concern about my dispostion toward him had been somewhat resolved.

The one or two inches of snow covered his old tracks in and out of the underdeck-den. So despite circling the house a few times as before none of the tracks led under the deck. On another general note he has begun to lift his a leg to pee. I think he only does that when another dog of lower status is around... like Tilla for instance. Lower status because she is a guest and a bit smaller. He only lifts his leg part way with his foot about six inches or less off the ground. Perhaps the height of the leg lift signals the position in the pack. When he and Niko are alone he pees with both legs planted equally on the ground.

As dawn broek this morning I heard a quiet low growl, and saw Eddie scamper off the Bed, as Niko remained. Later Niko got up and lay down at the top of the stairs whereupon Eddie settled into Nikos warm spot on the bed. He is still resting peacefully there after getting up a few times as I came and went during themorning the morning fire/coffee ritual. He would get up and start to head down the stairs but would turn around and come back after I offered some words of re-assurance. I'm pretty sure he is trying to be super respectful not insult the terrrible noisy but beneovelent human ogre with whom he has taken up residence.

Niko has clearly accepted Eddie by giving up the good bed on the deck and letting have a spot on his bed. Eddie is now behaving toward me the way he behave toward niko early on. Having gained Niko's acceptance he in now working on me the next higher, I like to think thehighest, member of the pack. On a general note yesterday I came out onto the deck to find Eddie sleeping the Bean bag chair and Niko sitting on the gate threshold where Eddie had been hanging out. Eddie got up and started to leave but came back and settled in again when I turned my back and then went back inside. This morning and yesterday morning He began trembling as I stood looking at him shortly after we got up. I have seen him do that before in similar contexts always in teh morning. I think it physical manifestation of the turmoil going on his brain about best to be polite to me while not understanding really how to, given my irrational human nature and really Odd behavior (from his point of view). I'm mostly rational and normal as far as humans go although I'm sure many of my human friends would dispute that.

So beginning the third week I have pretty much returned to my routine of sitting in front of the computer manipulating meaningless symbols to acquire more meaningless rectangular bits of green paper taht buys the dog food. We are now at a point where time and patience will allow Eddie to solidify the foundation laid thus far and further develop his understanding and familiarity with his new human Ogre and his strange and noisy habitat. I have seen Eddie looking to, actually listening to, Niko for guidance when I do something new and noisy. I have been gradually relaxing and making less effort to minimize the noise, banging, and clunking of daily life, while trying to introduce new and different phenomenon to Eddie. I'm hoping this will avoid neural entrainment and allow Eddie to develop an open and resilient mental construct of his new circumstances. simply stated allow him to avoid getting stuck in pathological mental ruts. It should be fairly easy given that he seems to a nominally Democratic outlook.