A Day of Firsts...

Well, it's been quite a day.  

Got up at 7.15am to sit with Lola till D checked on Alan.  When D heard how congested I sounded he sent me back to bed where I slept fitfully till 10am. Felt a little brighter once I was showered but definitely going to see the doc on Monday.

We had a load of plans for the day but time just disappeared so we prioritised and of course all prioritised tasks led to Lola.  And so a series of firsts began.

1.  First time in our car.  
Anytime we've taken Lola out in the car we've used Alan's car as we can fit her crate into the wheelchair space but now the time had come to try her in our car.  You may remember that we recently changed our car to an Audi A5 coupe, which isn't exactly the most dog accessible car but we didn't know Lola would be coming into our lives when we bought it.

We bought a cover for the back seat that hook over the back headrests and the front headrests.  We also have a special attachment that clips her collar/harness to the seat belt, which gives her enough freedom to lie down or sit up but she can't jump onto the floor or through the seats.   She was a bit nervous about getting in so with the help of lots of treats and David lifting her in, we were sorted.  

We went for a 20 minute drive and although she was a bit restless at first, she soon settled and seemed to enjoy being able to lie down or sit up and look out the window as desired.

2.  First time getting out of our the car on her own.  
At the end of our short drive, we drove to the park and tried to encourage Lola to get out the backseat onto the floor of the car and out the door by herself (she's getting heavy and having a two door car makes it very awkward to lift her on and off the back seat.) Again, with the help of some treats, she managed very well.

2.  First walk in the park.
She was kept on lead as there's a busy road nearby but apart from that, we can't trust her to come back yet.   She really enjoyed it!  Lots of new sights and sounds and smells.  She had lots of fun and despite the newness of it all, even managed a little lead training.  Well done David!  

3.  First outdoor meeting with a strange dog (a lovely old black lab)  Lola sat beautifully and watched as the dog approached.  Her owner complimented Lola on being a calm puppy.  David warned her it wouldn't last, as she was just being cautious in her new environment.  The lab owner explained that her dog is 13 years old and sadly can no longer be bothered with exuberant young puppies.  David kept Lola calm till they had moved away then she was on her merry way bounding and sniffing and sniffing and bouncing.  

4.  First time getting back into our car on her own.  She was much more confident this time round, helped by the fact a heavy rain shower was chucking itself down.  Thank goodness the seat cover is waterproof.

5.  First time jumping onto the sofa by herself!  
Alan came through to sit with us a while this evening and Lola was very excited.  She took a runner and jumped up onto the footstool and from there onto the sofa!  It happened in the blink of an eye!  As we looked at her with open mouths, she got herself and her bunny rabbit settled into the corner of the sofa!  Extra photo is David encouraging her off!  Whilst in the long run we don't mind her being on the sofa, it has to be at our invitation and with the throw on.  Another thing to add to the ever growing training list.

So there you have it, lots of firsts.  It felt great to get out and about without worrying about Lola getting out the car.  Another trip to the park tomorrow and possibly B&Q for paint samples.