It’s been a busy week! Thursday - Thanksgiving - we woke up to find snow on the ground, and still falling. When I opened the door to take Zoe out for her morning pee, she stopped right at the threshold mid-run, startled into a complete stop. It caught her so off-guard. She walked around very gingerly, not quite sure what this was or if she should trust it. She adapted very quickly, considering her personality.

So today she has decided she really likes this snow stuff. So much, in fact, that she asked me to go out four times in a row this afternoon. Soon as we’d get back in and I’d sit down, she’d be back at my side whining. I kept thinking she had to go potty still so I’d take her just in case. She made a token pee and then spent the rest of her time having fun. Brat.

She spends her time snuffling into the snow, sticking her nose into it and snorting. I’m starting to think she might be a good tracking dog, because she really loves to use her nose and follow scents - something that Oreo did rarely, and very badly when she did. Zoe also seems to like doing her run-in-mad-circles thing even more in the snow. She just seems so happy out there. Meanwhile my boot leaks and my hands were freezing.

In other news, we haven’t had any accidents in the house in days. Close to a week. I’ve even been leaving the office door open and letting the dogs have the run of the living room. She comes to me when she has to go. Yay Zoe! I’m so proud of her. I still make sure I take her out ASAP - no need to give her the chance to consider alternatives - but just the fact that she’s coming over to me and whining insistently is a huge thing. We still can’t leave the door to the bedroom or bathroom open, but that’s not because of potty accidents - they just keep finding things to chew in those two rooms. Bathroom especially, it’s off-limits. The bedroom is okay as long as one of us is in there. Although, this evening Zeeke fell asleep in the office and when I got up I realized Zoe wasn’t in there with us like I thought. I found the bedroom door open, and got worried. But where did I find her? Asleep on the floor beside the bed. Apparently it’s a comfortable nap spot. Whew!

Den’s mom dropped by yesterday, and Zeeke went nuts. He seriously loves her, and just falls all over himself to greet her. But it’s to such an extreme. It’s like he goes into overdrive - he can’t pay attention to anything at all, he can’t sit still, and he actually worked himself up into such a frenzy that he had to go to the bathroom really bad. After Den took him out he was a little calmer, but Den still had to restrain him until he calmed down. Den’s mom is the only person he reacts like that to beside Den himself, and really is the only visitor who is not intimidated by Zeeke (and therefore is the only person willing or able to help us train him).

Oh, and that whole time, Zoe was warily pacing back and forth behind me and the chair. She sniffed mother-in-law’s hand, but then scooted back out of range and resumed her pacing. When Zeeke was nearby she really wanted to get in on the attention Zeeke was getting, but it didn’t quite overcome her nervousness. However, when mother-in-law sat down on the couch beside Den, Zoe suddenly was able to go up to her and even jump up beside her to get petted. Something to file away for the future; apparently people sitting down aren’t as intimidating as standing up. And after that, well, then Zoe was her climbing-all-over-people silly self.