Well today is a new day, and Mia is much better today. After an email and a phone call, our trainer talked me off the ledge. Jermaine told us that dogs have good days and bad days just like humans and that it won't happen 2 days in a row and he's right. Daycare said that she played very well today and was a good little doggie.
One item worth mentioning is that I wasn't correcting her right when people came to the door. I was tugging to the side, as I would on a walk if she got distracted. It's highly effective on a walk because it brings her head back to the front so she gets back on track quickly. This correction is different. Instead, you pull up on the leash and as long as its placed properly (very top of her neck) I will actually suppress her barking. It will of course be very uncomfortable for her but it will also give her the chance to figure out why it's happening. We need to practice the doorbell with her, even just the 2 of us can do this. Just as we practice her commands each day (and she's doing so well with those!!), we may need to practice the doorbell too until she realizes that its not a threat.
This will not be the first time that Mia wakes up on the wrong side of the dog bed. It happens, and all we can do is prepare for it and know how to react when it does.
I also spoke with the daycare staff about Mia's incident on Friday when a meanie apparently scratched her face. It took a few days for the owner to get back to me, but she did and she was clear that this is not up to her standards and it shouldn't have happened. She's going to speak to the staff and make sure they are more diligent with actively watching the dogs during play groups. I've been putting Neosporin on the cuts and they are healing... I just wish that it hadn't happened. Scuffles are fine, little scratches are Ok but this was just a whole different level of rude. I hope this doesn't happen again because she's just too pretty to be all scratched up!
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