Actually, while I am disappointed in the delay of spring, I am not totally disheartened by it. We have had drought here so much that all I can think is "maybe we will have enough extra moisture to help carry us over the dry spells to come." While I know it is cool and damp now, in a few months we will be cursing the heat and drieness, then it will be the wind, rain and cold, and finally the snow, cold and gloom of winter. I can not think of a place I would rather live than here in the North American continent. We have so many different climatic zones, and different species of plants and animals it is almost astounding.

I believe dogs have an instinct to keep their immediate area clean. Dogs that are kept for too long in enclosed areas may develop a habit of eating their poop, absurdly enough, to clean it up! When you see her eating the poop and scream, she may be linking your behaviour with the poop and not the eating. So the next time she poops, she figures I better get rid of this right away, or my human will be unhappy. You catch the dog and scream, and thus the cycle begins again. Puppy mill dogs may have learned to eat poop from their mother, who ate THEIR poop to keep their area cleaner. It might have a mineral deficiency and need different food (these dogs will usually also eat other non-food items like dirt or carpet fibers). The dog that pooped might be passing a lot of unabsorbed contents of their own food that makes the feces smell attractive to your dog. She may think she is simply eating dog food somebody left out for her. When you come screaming, she thinks "that woman wants this tasty food, I better eat it right quick before she gets it!". Sometimes dogs that do this are bored. My brothers dog will play hockey with frozen poops so my brother will chase her around the yard in the winter (when the birds are all gone and the squirrels are sleeping, she has nobody to play with). The dog starts to play, owner sees it and freaks out, trying to take it away. Dog is in his joy, being chased and having a fun game. Whatever the cause, there is a common theme here. We may not have caused the problem in the first place, but our reaction to it makes them do the exact opposite of what we intended. My grandparent's shi had the same issue. Impossible to housebreak, poop eater. They were going to have to give it up, as they were "snow birds" and couldn't see asking somebody to take on this kind of dog, even for a short visit. Since I work from home I offered to take the dog and see what I could do. Based on that, this is my suggestion: On the training end, literally taking the dog out every 20 minutes. If it did anything, instant incredible praise (your neighbours should think the dog just unearthed a golden nugget for you) and instant treat. If there are any messes in the house, they are quickly and quietly cleaned while ignoring the dog completely. Do not look at the dog, do not scold, nothing. And no attention at all for at least 5 minutes. In the house keep the dog leashed to you at all times. If it tries to wander away it probably has to go outside. After eating and drinking, after playing, upon waking from even a nap. Watch for the dog looking around, sniffing, walking in a sort of figure eight pattern. All signs the dog has to go. Every day with no accidents in the house, increase the time interval a bit (like, to every 30 minutes). Don't forget, go out with the dog and the second it squats, it is the BEST DOG YOU HAVE EVER MET. Dancing, singing it's praises, and don't forget that treat. Ignore any accidents, and go back down to 20 minutes. As for the poop eating. Ignore it until she is doing better with the training (going OUTSIDE instead of inside). No kisses, then ;). Keep the yard as clean of poop as possible, clean all accidents as quickly but as quietly and low key as possible (you don't want the dog to think it is a race for food). Crate the dog only when you are going out, and go out for as few hours as possible. Send a fruit basket to the neighbours. The second you come home, CARRY the dog outside. When it does it's business, be fricken JUBILANT and don't forget that treat. The crate is not to be used for punishment or time out, or for when you are tired of watching the dog. The crate is for when you go out, and for over night. The dog goes into the crate when you go to bed, and is taken out immediately when you get up (outside, pee/poop, happy dance and treat, leash and back in). Their dog wasn't ready to go the whole night yet, so twice a night I got up. If there was no accident in the crate, brought the dog out. If there was I cleaned up the mess and brought the dog out. No lights, no talking (except for jubilation if it peed or pooped outside). I gradually phased to once a night, then she could go eight hours. Now she can go from about 10pm to almost noon, I am told LOL. Send the neighbour a nice floral bouquet. If you want you can add to the above, the second the dog squats to pee outside you say "go pee". The second it squats to poop, say "go poop". Using that technique I can take my dog out, snap my fingers and point to the lawn and say "go pee" or "go poop" and she will. Pretty handy when you have to leave for a long drive, before going the vet, and so on She wasn't a poop eater, but pugs can be notoriously hard to house train and that method worked for her. If your dog is not excited over treats (and many shi's aren't) perhaps you know of a toy that she LOVES to play with, and trade a few moments of playing instead of a food treat. If you can't take that kind of time (by the way, it took three months and she still occassionally samples - but is fully housebroken) and it is causing disharmony in the family, please don't feel bad about giving the dog up. You did what you could, and gave it a good home as long as you could. If a trip outside yields nothing, quickly and quietly bring the dog inside. No talking, no scolding, no praise either.

Take a deep breath and keep karma on your side in your dealings. My last double transaction were my acquaintances buying my neighbors' home with a VA loan and the neighbors downsizing to a condo with cash from the sale - to close on the same day. Appraisals, garage sales, flood insurance, extra VA paperwork, inspections - setbacks at every single turn for a 25-day closing - it was the most stressful, hand-wringing, tears & anguish sale I've ever had to endure (long story). But I worked my butt off and it all worked out - I can safely say that I earned every penny. Keep packing & cleaning - be positive that it will all work out. (And make sure they will take a cashier's check - all the title companies here will only take wire transfers due to the fraud now - and they take longer - that was the reason for two days of the frantic driving all over town to various credit unions and clearing just in time.)

Well ... I've just had another damn haircut! Went back to the guy who cut it last week when I was attempting the messy bob, but found it took too long to get it right before work in the mornings so I was just blowing it out straight, and it was a bit too long to lay right. I'm now shorter on the sides and in back, and very pleased with how simple it is to style this baby into a swinging little bob. I'm done with the changes for now. Only took a month of multiple stylists and entirely too much money to arrive at a style I'm loving. (Eeek. Entirely too much obsession over hair here!)