It's been some time now since we started and there seems to be a better routine.

Lexi gobbles up her food and loves chicken more than anything, although she will basically eat anything I give her.

While Noodle eats only a little bit of food and I was really getting worried that she was not getting enough, but I finally had the realization that she only has a small body and does not need that much. She also does not eat more than one meal a day, and will maybe have an extra bite or two only at her second meal time.

Sheila still eats more than is required but I guess I give into that because of her age and her illnesses.

Another thing I have realized is that the girls love to have bones with a little bit of meat, more on a reacreational basis than as part of their meal. So I have started giving them these only as a 'snack' more than anything.

But I will say the girls are more satisfied than before, and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing them stuffed and satisfied.

Woohooo day 2 with no poop accidents in the house. I hope this is going to last! It would seem that Lexi is beginning to catch onto the "Good Girl" theory of things and it's just so exciting. She is coming out of her box more and more each day and I can see the physical changes taking place in her by the day. I cannot believe that it's only been two weeks since she arrived and I am so happy to report that she seems to be really happy here.

Between her and Noodle they both got through their first night of crating with only a couple of whimpers from each of them. This morning at about 6.45 Noodle started barking for me and I eventually got out of bed and let the girls outside immediately, where they all went to the bathroom, so we did not even have an accident in a crate last night.

About an hour after letting them out I was looking for Sheila and the old girl had climbed into Lexi's crate and was fast asleep. I did not get Sheila a crate, since she is an old mill breeders dog who had lived in a cage for about 80% of her life being bred twice a year. So I assumed that she would not be comfortable in one and therefore never even thought of getting her one, but I probably will go out tomorrow and get her one since she was in and out of the two crates today as if she was quite at home, with no issues.

Also this morning NO one wanted to eat. So I just decided that I was not going to worry about this anymore and took all the raw food back. I was very surprised since Lexi eats like a little pig and Sheila cannot wait to rip her meat apart. But this morning there was absolutely no reaction to the meat in their bowls. Even a little coaxing did nothing for them, so eventually I just packed up the food and left them food free until this evening, when they all gobbled away like little happy campers.

I think this raw diet thing is beginning to work well, Sheila seems to be scratching less and less every day. Her eyes are still much clearer and I have not had to use drops for nearly 3 weeks now.

As for Lexi, she is just glowing. Her fur is much softer than it was when she got here and her dry skin on her belly is all a thing of the past. Also she has filled out a little around her back bones. I really think that she was quite malnourished when she first arrived and it's a good thing seeing her little belly swollen after a good meal.

Noodle is still being too fussy over the food, but I realized today that she really prefers the bones with meat and not just the meat. But I have to cut it up in smaller pieces for her to chew on. I guess once the lights goes on and you finally start seeing what the dogs want - things do improve.

Now all I have to get rid of is Lexi's habit of laying under my desk when she lets 'them' go - phew baby the smell is killing me :)

It has now been 15 min since I first put both Noodle and Lexi in their respective crates for the first time EVER!

I have been fighting putting my girls into a crate because I just did not feel right about doing it. The problem however is somewhat larger than my own personal feelings. The two of them play so rough with each other that they are now beginning to hurt each other. And as small as she is Noodle just won't back down and gives as much as she gets.

To top it all I am still struggling a little to get Lexi completely house trained and in a last ditch effort to get the final step in I really need to crate her as much as possible. She's getting better. Beginning to go on command now, but if you have read the earlier posts on her I got her at 11 weeks and I think the fact that she was not house trained may have been one of the reasons her previous owners got rid of her. But if you have ever owned a Golden you will know that they are really very cleaver dogs and so very willing to please that they do train and if you start early it's very easy to get it done.The problem with starting later is that it takes a little longer.

Anyway to make a long story short, I am sitting here contemplating bed time for myself, but I am still wondering if it is going to be a problem. I guess I should add - Not for them, but for me!