Boring Stuff About a Dog---Not Your Dog

Where was my brain when I agreed to take in this dog? I am sure I am losing weight as I rarely can sit for any length of time.  Always checking on where she is and what she is up to.  I do kennel her 3 hours in the middle of the day as I really need some downtime...or a nap!  When I leave the kennel door open, she goes in on her own sometimes to nap.  We have always had puppies and that seems so much easier?  (The red plaid blanket and bed were given to us by the shelter.  I have two sleeping cushions above the kennel to rotate when washing stuff.  She never plays with the expensive dogs' toys we bought!)

Yes, she is growing on me, but she is exhausting in terms of making sure we get her to pee outside. She is on steroids and thus drinking lots of water and having to pee lots.  She manages to go 90% outside, but it is that 10% that means rugs have to be cleaned and deodorized.  I have read her a few times and realize she just HAS to pee and does not hurry to the front door but squats nearby. We are trying the bell method, and rolling up the throw rugs.

She is basically pretty manageable. We can let her out without her leash in the early cold morning and she will pee and then come trotting back. Usually, I go with her out of habit. 

After meals, she will pace the house looking for kibble and knows everywhere that I have it stored in containers for behavior modification...such as the laundry room where we have a dog shower.  She has gotten two baths and not been too upset by them; I think she likes the warm water.  Due to her skin itching, we are trying a non itch shampoo for dogs. Thus far she has not tried to take stuff off of the counters, but I am sure if we were gone she would be into everything in no time.  She gets fed before our dinner and does not beg when we sit down to eat, although she does stand or sit nearby.

She is very loving and insists on sleeping with her head on my lap in the early afternoon. The rest of the time she sleeps on the covered sofa or in her kennel. 

Hubby has trained her to heel when walking most of the time.  She does not feel a need to eat every stick or dead frog along the walk!  She will come back and sit, but mostly for kibble.  Although we try to alternate with lots of loving and no kibble.  She does not bark when the neighborhood German shepherds do their morning barking.  I have heard her bay only once, so that is not an issue.

She learned the sit command in a few days but not the stay command if there is food coming up.  She did a soft snap at me once when I was trying to get her up in the evening to go to her kennel.  I had not touched her but was moving in toward her.  She was scolded severely (no hitting - just me in an angry voice) and I am guessing she was used to being on her own when sleeping or people had been mean to her after waking?  She clearly was feeling bad about it.  She also barked at hubby when he came to the sofa and bent to hold my head in his hands and kiss me and then try to do the similar to her.  

All other times she has been very gentle and obedient.  I will ask when we return her to the kennel if this might mean she would not be safe around a small child...although they probably cannot get me a definitive answer.

I have read mixed reviews on personality changes in a female dog after spaying and that is what they will do before we can officially adopt her.