Piacere, Miele!

Well, we came home with the newest member of our family on Thursday after work.  I sat in the backseat with her on the way home while my husband drove.  She was very scared.  I don't think we realized how shy she was when we got her.  She was either the lowest in her pack, or just not socialized very well with humans.  The Vlcak/Husky encounter went very well.  I took Miele to a field next to our house, and my husband got Scotti and met us there.  After Scotti growled and barked at her, obviously because his mom was walking another dog, they seemed to like each other, with Scotti clearly establishing his dominance.  She does alright with other dogs, but she either hasn't had much human contact, or she had a bad experience with one.  Unfortunately, she is already 4 months old, which is the age when most of her socialization should be done already (or so I've read). 

But we've been working on it!  When we first brought her home, all she wanted to do was hide in her kennel.  In Italy and in our house, they call it a "gabbia," which is much more fun to say.  Plus, we all know Scotti loves his Gabbia wine! 

So she huddled in the corner of her gabbia all morning, until a few hours passed of me lying down beside her and talking to her in between laundry and house cleaning.  She wouldn't eat any treats, poor thing, until I remembered what a certain young lady I know who happens to be a German Shepherd LOVES...cheese!!  This is Bella, by the way.  She is the GSD that Scotti grew up with.

I know that too much cheese can cause puppy back-up, so I only took a few tiny pieces.  She was already starting to warm up to me at that point, but when I offered her the cheese, she stood up immediately, wagged her little coda (tail) and gobbled it up!  From then on, she sat with her paws out of the gabbia in a much more relaxed position.

Since then, we've been taking her on walks (or sporadic dartings, in her case) to the neighbor's house every night.  They have a golden retriever and an adorable little boxer/shepherd.  Mia seems to do okay with other dogs after they meet, but people are so scary!  She warms up to certain people, but she still sits by mom or dad when we're in a new place.  My mother-in-law came by to visit, and she ended up behind the toilet in the guest bathroom.  Mia, not mom.  I should've taken a picture, but that was not her proudest moment.  It's definitely a process, but she's already improved a lot.  She's been following Scotti around the house and going outside to do her lady business.  She's never gone in the house, except for when she got the pee scared out of her a few times.  Other than that, I'm so proud of her!!!

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Here is the recipe, as promised, for Peanut Butter Boccancini (treats)!
*Always make sure your dog does not have allergies to any of the ingredients, and give treats in moderation!

Makes 3-4 dozen, depending on size of treat.

3 cups whole wheat flour (can substitute half oat flour and brown rice flour for wheat allergies)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 Tbs honey
1 egg
2/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until a dough is formed.  You can use a portion immediately and freeze the rest in plastic wrap or a plastic bag for later to ensure the treats don't go stale.  Roll out the dough to the desired thickness (1/4-1/2 inch) and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes.  I used a dog-shaped one from World Market and the lid of an espresso cup for round ones, since I'm so Italian.  Place on an ungreased or foil-lined, non-stick cookie sheet.  These don't rise, so you can place them as close together as you want.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness.  Make sure to store these in an air-tight container.  Tell your dog I said "Your welcome."