It's a Christmas Miracle!

Since we moved to our new apartment in February of 2010, Winnie Cooper has never, not once, used the back yard area to relieve herself, even though we chose this apartment because it has a fenced in yard. Winnie insists on a long walk full of squirrel chases and tree sniffing before she will even consider going pee, and then generally likes to be at least a quarter of a mile from the place she pees before she will go poop. Not to mention that the art of pooping also involves an intricate dance of twist and turns, sniffs and earth scratching to find juuuusssst the right spot.

For a month or so this summer, she decided she didn't like to go outside at all and it was a monumental task to even get her harness on and get her to go for a walk. Once on her walk, she took her own sweet time getting her business done, but would turn and run back toward home as soon as her mission was completed.

Well, Christmas has come early this year! Tonight, Winnie Cooper went pee in the back yard. Like a real dog! 

For months I have been patiently going out in the backyard while Sharona does her business, trying to cajole Winnie into at least walking on the grass and enjoying a little off leash freedom. Winnie would just stay on the back porch, not fooled in the least. But then a few weeks ago she ventured out into the yard as though she had been running out there her whole life, but turned and hightailed it back to the porch as soon as she realized what she had done. Then, slowly but surely she has continued to go out into the yard- and then run back after just a few moments of investigation.

But tonight, the magic finally happened! I opened the back door, Winnie ran out alongside her big sister (who is an expert backyard user) and as she walked around she squatted and PEED. She got a heaping plateful of "GOOD GIRL WINNIE!" so I am hoping (fingers and toes crossed) that she will put two and two together and start using the backyard like a proper dog.

Next Step?!