#DID YALL SEE THE WAY THIS LITTLE CLICKER MOVED ABOUT!!!!!

[random-fandoms-stuff]

I got crave and now catching up on tlou and

What

The

Ever

Loving

Heck!!

Is this??!?!?!

[writingkeepsmewhole]

The Outside

Here is the third part of The Cowboy and the girl. Yall have no idea how hard it is to find a gif for this. Dear people who makes gifs please make some for Joel. Please. Thank you. Sorry for the crappy ending I don’t know how to end these yet... Let me know what yall think of this. Alright on to the story.

Escaping from the quarantine zone Trish learns the true reason why they are smuggling Ellie her agreeing with Tess to take her all the way. (This is a longer on.)

Joel Miller x OC Trish

Warnings: Language, violence, that’s it I think.

Taglist Ask if you wanna be added: @amandamaesweetheart @jodiereedus22

Part 1   Part 2

After I was sure Joel was okay. His forearm wrapped up we started back down the basement we were in. Us easily walking threw the exposed pipes it dropping down in the sewer.

“This is a bad Idea.” I say following behind Joel Tess and Ellie behind me.

“What is?”

“Sewers.”

“Do you see any other way to go?” Joel asks looking at me over his shoulder.

I hold my hands up in surrender as we reach the end.

He huffs pushing the grate open letting us be truly out of the zone. No soldiers in sight.

When we walk thru Ellie sitting on an old log.

“Alright their gone.” Joel says looking around.

“Look- what was the plan?” Tess asks crouching down next to Ellie I turn to face them wanted to know my own self.

“Marlene… She said that the fireflies have their own little quarantine zone with doctors there still trying to find a cure.”

“Yeah we heard that before, huh Tess?” Joel says scowling.

“Joel…” I say wanting to hear what she has to say only earning a huff from him.

“And that..” Ellie says sighing.

“Whatever happened to me is the key to finding the vaccine.”

“Oh. Jesus.”

“It’s what she said.”

“Oh I’m sure she did.”

“Hey, fuck you man!” Ellie says standing up.

“I didn’t ask for this.”

“Me neither.” Joel says walking over to Tess.

“What the fuck are we doing here?”

“What if it’s true?” I ask making everyone look at me.

“I can’t, you can’t believe-” He says sighing.

“What if she’s right Joel?” Tess says.

“I mean we've come this far why not just finish this?”

Grabbing her shoulder he pulls her closer to me.

“Do I need to remind you both what is out there?”

“A few things come to mind.” I say him clenching his jaw.

Looking at him Tess turns to look at Ellie.

“I get it.” She says walking past us Ellie following her.

It didn’t take much to figure out she was talking about Joel losing his daughter and him not wanting to be around Ellie because of it.

He stands there as they walk off, I standing next to him. Bumping his shoulder with my own he looks down at me. Him a good head taller than me.

“Come on let's go save the world.”

He makes a pssf noise and rolls his eyes but I do catch the corner of his mouth slightly lift up before he walks away from me.

Smiling I follow after him holding the straps of my backpack a little more excited then I was only a moment ago.

“Come on it’s this way.” Tess says pointing up at the sign reading east 90. Telling us that the airport was that way.

With the bridge being collapsed we would have to take the long way but that wasn’t anything new. Any place not in a zone was forgotten.

I followed Joel as we walked threw the abandoned city.

“Holy moley I guess this is what these buildings look like up close.” Ellie says making me smile.

“Pretty tall huh?” I ask falling back to walk with her.

“There so damn tall!” She says looking around in amazement.

Laughing I nod my head. Hearing a faint groan my hand falls to my hip my pistol sitting there.

“What was that?” She asks me.

“Tess you hear that?” Joel calls Tess in front of him.

“Yeah. It sounded pretty far away though.” She says walking up a collapsed chunk of road.

“Are we safe?” Ellie asks me.

“Yeah we should be for now.” I say smiling at her.

“Come on.” Joel says picking up his pace us following him.

We don’t get far coming up to a huge sinkhole. The city falling in on itself.

“Damn. That’s quite a drop.” I say looking down into it.

“Well, there's the capitol building.” Joel says pointing off into the distant the only thing visible is the golden roof.

“Yeah. We need to find a way around this mess.” Tess says sighing.

“This was the downtown area?” Ellie asks looking over the drop.

“It was…” Tess says.

“Now it’s just a giant wasteland like every other city.” I say walking towards a building with its side ripped off.

“Come on this way.” I say climbing up into the count yard.

“Let’s go thru here.” Joel says walking into The Old Stone Building.

“Whatever you say.”

“Comin’.” Tess calls following us.

I open the first door I come to it full of empty shelving. 

“Ooo snacks.” I say seeing an old candy bar laying on the table next to the door.

“You really gonna eat that?” Joel asks looking around the room finding some tape and scissors.

“You really gonna take old crusty tape?” I ask putting the candy bar in my bag.

“It might help us later.”

“So will my snacks.” I say sticking my tongue out at him and leaving the room.

“Joel.” I call seeing the dead soldier on the ground.

He was torn apart laying a pool of blood his guts pulled out and his throat slashed.

“He’s been ripped apart.” Tess says coming up behind me.

“Yeah…” Joel says sighing.

“It’s still-” I say poking the corpse with my foot the arm moving as I do it.

“Fresh.”

“Is that bad?” Ellie asks I nod.

“Can be, lets not stick around to find out.”

“Lets go this way.” Joel says going to walk up the steps.

I nod following him, him taking two at a time with his long legs.

“Another one, shit.” Tess says another body laying on the wall.

“Well this has to be a great sign.” I say crouching down. This one was less mangled so I didn’t feel grossed out digging into his pockets.

“What are you doing?” Ellie asks disgust in her voice.

“I am searching for supplies.” I say my fingers wrapping around bullets.

“Merry christmas.” I say holding them up to Joel.

He snorts but takes them from me.

“Don’t you feel I don’t know bad?”

“Why?” I ask checking the pockets on his pants.

“This is how you survive kid.” Tess says as I stand up bandages in hand.

“You’ll get used to it.” I say putting them away.

“Come enough chater.” Joel says walking up the next set of stairs.

I follow him only for him to stop at the top.

“God damn it. Clicker.” He says making me take the last few steps a dead clicker laying on the door.

“Eww.” I say the fungus growing out of its head and up the door.

“What’s wrong with its face?” Ellie asks stopping next to me as Joel pulls the body out of the way. The sound of it breaking away filling the air. It similar to dried dirt or rock breaking up. A brittle sound.

“That’s what years of infection will do to ya.” Tess says sighing.

“So what? Are they…blind?” Ellie says moving to take a closer look.

“Pretty much. They see using sound.” I say running my fingers threw my hair it still wet from the rain.

“Like bats?”

“Exactly.” I say winking at her.

“If you hear one clicking you gotta hide.” Tess says Joel trying to bust the door in.

It held closed by the fungus growing on it.

“That’s how they spot you.” She says just as he gets the door open.

“You did it.” I say walking past him and into the next room.

It not really a room half of it was broken off and missing. I freeze when a low groan is heard the floor seeming to shift under my feet.

“Whole building feels like it’s about to fall apart.” Joel says but doesn't stop.

“I’m gonna be mad if I die from a cave in.” I say following him as we crouch under a fallen self the ceiling laying on top of it.

“You have a way you want to go out instead?” Tess asks behind me.

“I’m working on it.” I say vaulting over a desk blocking the path.

Us in an old office the building groaning again.

“Totally cool. Everything is totally cool.” Ellie says taking a breath.

“Relax it would be a quick death.” I say

“That so didn’t help.”

“Give me a hand with this.” Joel says trying to get another door open.

I walk over to him and put my shoulder into the door us slamming into it making it open. Joel stumbling forward a bit after it dose.

“Joel!” Tess yells making my head snap to him as a clicker tackles him into the ground.

I gasp watching his wrestle with it, Tess quickly kicking it off and shooting it in the head.

I help Joel up him breathing hard my heart pounding.

“Thanks…” He says nodding at Tess.

“You alright?” Ellie asks standing in the doorway behind us.

“It’s nothin’.” He says looking at me my hand still on his arm.

“You sure?” I ask my body shaking with the adrenaline pumping through it.

“Yeah…” He says squeezing my hand and pulling away from me.

“Let’s search for supilise.” Tess says walking into the room across the hall. It an old break room going from the vending machine and fridge.

“Shit. That was intense!” Ellie says making me nod.

“Yeah you said it.” I say knowing Joel must be feeling more freaked out then us.

I look over at him checking the cabidents. As if he could fill my gaze he turns to face me. I smile at him and go to the vending machine.

“What are you doing?” Ellie asks walking up to me as I pick up a brick off the ground.

“Tip you would be surprised how many people don’t check these.” I say smashing the lock.

I open the door finding a few cans still sitting there.

“Who wants 20 year old drinks?” I ask picking one up.

“Those are probably syrup by now.” Tess says.

“Let's find out.” I crack the top and smile as liquid pours out when I tilt the can.

“I give you very flat pop.” I say taking a drink only to spit it back out.

“Never mind. It’s bad… Very bad.”

Tess and Ellie laugh as I throw the can to the side.

“I might die from that.” I say coughing from the bad taste.

“Here.” Joel says handing me a bottle of water.

“I found a few in the cabinet.”

“Well thank you.” I say taking it from him and taking a sip.

It a little plasticy but it was water.

“What about in here?” Ellie says pointing at a closed door.

Walking over to it I try it only to find it locked. Pulling the knife from my boot I jam it into the wood between the lock and twist it. The old wood giving a crack as it splits letting the door swing open.

“Tada.” I say Joel walking into it.

“Your welcome.” I say him touching the back of his head.

“You okay?”

“Fine.”

“You took a good knock on the head back there. Your not gonna pass out are you?”

“Trish, I’m fine.” He says clenching his jaw.

“Okay.” I say holding my hands up in surrender.

I help him look threw the room finding a few things. It was mostly office supplies but we did get a few rags and a bottle of booze hidden away.

“What are we gonna do with that?” Tess ask as I pick it up.

“It’ll clean a wound or help start a fire. I can also chuck it at your head if I need to.” I say waving her away her rolling her eyes.

It was no secret me and her wasn’t buddys. I acted too irresponsible for her and didn’t agree with her as much as Joel seemed to. Her and Joel have a different relationship then me and him. It making me wonder if she felt like she had to fight to be the strong independent woman. I never seen myself that way. I knew I had no one to live for so I wasn’t afraid of death until recently.

“You comin’?” Joel asks pulling me from my thoughts as he stands at the bottom of a ledge. The steps fallen down.

“Yeah sorry.” I say walking up to him and placing my food in his hand.

Grabbing the ledge I pull myself up as he practically throws me up on it.

“Alright cowboy your turn.” I say holding my arm down to him.

Tess and Ellie already up here with me.

He jumps up grabbing my forearm. I use my other hand grabbing his wrist and helping him pull himself up.

“Okay?” I ask when I get him to the top.

“Alright..” He says nodding.

I didn’t get to say anything else a high pitch growl going from the hallway.

“Clickers?” Ellie asks looking at us fear in her eyes.

“Oh shit. Go, go, go.” Joel says herding us into the nest room.

Us four crouching down behind the counter. I stay still and hold my breath as the infected clicks grow louder it right over our heads.

I watch Tess pick up a glass bottle and throw it into the corner of the room it shattering. With a screech the clicker runs towards the noise.

I follow her as we slowly crawl to the other side of the room, Joel chucking a brick to get the clicker to move to where we just was.

“That’s our way out.” Tess whispers making me almost have a heart attack at her talking at all.

I look at her, her pointing. Following the tip of her finger it aimed at the scaffolding at the end of the room.

I nod following her lead as I jump up onto it and over the other side. I let out a sigh of relief knowing that the clicker can’t get to us anyone.

“We got another one.” I say looking at the dead soldier slumped on the window.

“I’ll check him.” Joel says walking over to him.

“Ellie you okay?” Tess asks.

“Other then shiting my pants… I’m fine.” She says taking a breath.

“Yeah clickers suck.” I say Joel moving to the guardrail of the steps.

He easily vaults over it making me wonder what he is doing.

“Give me a second.” He says as if he could read my thoughts.

I look down at him watch him pull a filing cabinet out of the way.

“Who? Why?” I ask wanting to know why someone blocked the steps.

“There ya go ladies.” He says looking up at us.

“Come one.” Tess says jumping over the railing as well.

I follow her lead only to realize that we are trapped.

“The stairwells blocked.” Ellie says pointing at the cave in blocking our path.

“Nope.” I say look out the broken window seeing catwalks hanging there.

Walking over to it I climb over the side it swinging with my weight and the rain.

“Ahh this is crazy.” Tess says watching me.

“Just don’t look down.” I say winking as I slowly walk across it.

I listen to my own advice not wanting to know how high I was or how far I would fall if the twenty year old catwalk decided to break.

“Wha- Are you serious?” I hear Ellie asks as I slowly start to climb to the next one.

It below me making my stomach jump into my chest as I drop to it. I hold extremely still as it creaks and groans under my wight.

“Don’t fall… Don’t fall.” I sing to myself walking across it feeling Tess drop behind me.

“Don’t look down… Just don’t look down.” Ellie says when Joel makes the catwalk shift from landing on it.

“Your okay.” I say climbing onto the building threw another broken window.

“Alright…” Ellie says as I help her in then Tess.

“Oh boy…” Joel says climbing in and landing next to me.

“That another one of your ideas.” He says looking at me.

“We got a way through.” I say shrugging and smiling as I head down the steps the ones going up no longer there.

“Check this out.” Tess says guestering to the soldier on the ground. This one's face blown off. A bite on it’s shoulder.

“Ooo a gift for me.” I say picking up the gun I make a face when I realize it’s a revolver.

“More like for you.” I say holding it out to Joel.

“That’s a gun for a cowboy if Ive ever seen one.”

He rolls his eyes and takes it from me checking it over. Tess and Ellie walking into the next room.

“There a problem with revolvers?”

“You have to load them more often. I get nervous when I think I might run out of ammo.” I say shrugging.

Sighing he puts the gun in the waste of his jeans.

“Come on.” He mumbles going the way Tess went.

I follow him hearing voices.

“Runners.” Tess whispers.

“I’ll go check it out. You two stay with the girl.”

“I’ll go with you.” I say looking at him.

“No.”

“Yes. I can handle a few runners.”

“Fine. Try not to get yourself killed.” He says walking to the edge of the hall and dropping down into the next floor it a large room.

I crouch down and stay close to him pressing myself into a wall.

“I got two on the right and three on the left.” He says looking around the corner.

“Make the four on the left. Clicker.” I whisper pointing to it stumbling around.

“I got it.” He nods and starts to go left.

Rolling my eyes I go right slowly and quietly taking out the few runners I come across.

“Alright.. Come on down.” Joel calls out of breath from basing a runners head in.

“I’m impressed. Stealth isn’t normally your thing.” I say walking up to him.

“Pssh.” He says rolling his eyes and waking to the end of the room.

“Let’s just get out of here.” He says climbing up on the ledge leading to a doorway.

“Of course.” I say jumping up and taking his offered hand.

“That was fast.” Ellie says taking my hand.

“Thanks.” I say pulling her up doing the same with Tess.

“You two make quite a team.” She says bumping into my shoulder as she walks past.

Biting my tongue I walk up to the door it blocked by a very large filing cabinet.

Joel walks over to it and grabs it pulling it back with a groan since the title of the building was making the cabinet pull away from him.

“Alright Tess go.” He says groaning.

I quickly move over to him and help him hold it from sliding back in front of the door.

“That should so it.” Tess says her and Ellie pushing a copying machine in the doorway.

“Alright.” Joel says us both letting go it quickly sliding into the door. The machine keeping it from closing.

I climb over it into the next room taking a breath.

“See, we’re doing alright.” Tess says turning on her flashlight it now dark.

“Uh-huh.” Joel says doing the same.

“Could be worse.” I say tying my light to my backpack strap so I don’t have to hold it.

“How could this be worse?” Ellie asks me.

“We could be stumbling threw the dark.” I say smiling and walking to the bar in the room.

I give it a quick scan finding nothing but it was worth a shot.

We leave the room only to stop at the very long drop off.

“See we could have fallen into that without light.” I say looking down into the fallen rubble.

“Well down we go.” Tess says guestering to the ramp leading down from a chunk of wall.

“Let’s get to it.” Joel says slowly making his way down it.

“Watch your back.” He says dropping down and crawling under the thing we were just walking on.

We keep heading down carefully walking not knowing when the floor could collapse under us.

“You know I was thinking... when we get back we can take it easy for a while.” Tess says after a while of silence.

“You want to take it easy?” I ask looking at her my eyebrow cocked.

“Trish is right, don’t sound like you.” Joel says us stopping when we reach a body of water.

“Hey your the one always going on about laying low.” She says shimming threw the whole in the wall.

“And you always brush me off.” He says following her.

“Well I won’t this time.” She says shrugging.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” I say knowing Tess is always thinking about the next job.

That not a bad thing just I didn’t see the point and working myself to death. Even more so now that death was always breathing down your neck.

I walk behind Tess and Joel as we weave threw the fallen building hoping one of them knows where we are going because I was so turned around I didn’t know where I was. I felt like I was walking thru a maze.

It ending when we drop down into and old abandoned subway station.

“Joel over here.” Tess says shining her light down on a body.

“Dead firefly?” I ask looking at the mark on his sleeve.

“Yep..” Joel says glancing at me then bending down to pick up the bottle on the ground.

“These guys aren't doing good in or out of the city.” He says holding up a molotov.

“Now that I didn’t expect.” I say him nodding.

“Lets hope there is someone alive to meet us at the drop off.” He says walking over to me and tucking the bottle in the net on the side of my backpack.

“Don’t let me blow up.”

“Don’t sweat it.” He says walking towards the steps another body.

I watch him pick up a map and look it over.

“They are from the quarantine zone.”

“I guess there not the guys to pay us.” I say Tess turning to face me.

“Pay us? Who said anything about you getting paid?”

“Don’t you two start.” Joel says walking away from us.

“None of us might not get paid. Come on.” He says crouching under a fallen callom.

He stops clicking noises explaining why.

“Over there. See em.” He says pointing at it.

“Shit.” Tess says quickly going to the knocked over vending machine.

“We’re almost out.” She says picking over it.

I sit crouched beside Joel, him kind out in the open but clickers were blind.

“Okay, Joel you take the lead. I’ll watch the rear.” She whispers looking at him.

“Got it.” He says nodding.

“Ellie, you stay right on his heels.” I say her nodding.

“Okay.”

“You stay sharp.” Tess says looking at me.

“You got it boss.” I say putting Ellie between me and Joel as we start sneaking thru the very dark subway station.

When we reach a dead end I look around for a way out seeing a latter on the ledge over us.

“Up there.” I whisper pointing to it.

“Alright, come on.” Joel says bracing himself.

I stand on his hand him holding me while I lower the later into Tess and Ellie’s hands. Climbing up it it opens up into a very far drop down.

“Here.” Joel says dropping down onto a semi truck. Tess and Ellie follow after him I peering over the side to see him holding his arms up.

Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach I let myself drop into his arms, him easily catching me.

“You good?” He asks looking at me his hands on my waist.

“Good.” I nod moving to jump down to the ground.

“Holy shit!” Ellie says letting out a breath.

“We actually made it.”

“Everyone okay?” Joel asks walking up the crumble street the sky gray from the sun start to rise.

“Yes.” Tess says ahead of him.

“Let's move.” She says climbing up on the road.

“You guys are pretty good at this stuff.” Ellie says making me smile at her.

“Thanks.”

“It’s called luck and it is gonna run out.” Joel says us walking into an alleyway.

“Ignore him he's always broody.” I say her smiling.

“Which way we going Tess?” He asks Tess standing still.

“Uhh..” She says looking around her.

“Capital building is this way.” She says pointing farther down the alley.

“How does she know?” Ellie asks me.

“She knows the city pretty well. We used to smuggle stuff all the time you get a good idea of it in your head.” I say us climbing on top of a semi and and dropping down on the other side.

“There here.” Tess says pointing at the garage door.

Joel grabs the chain and starts pulling on it us standing there. I tense up hearing a scream.

“Shh.” I say touching his shoulder.

“What? I don’t hear anything.” He says looking at me.

“Double time.” Tess says looking down the way we came.

“Oh. There coming.” Ellie says moving closer to me.

“I know.” Joel growls out the sounds of infected coming closer.

“Okay that's good.” I say going under the half open door and holding it open.

“Come on Joel.” I say him quickly coming under as well just as a group of runners reach us.

“Drop it!” He yells when he is in a woman trying to grab Joel’s leg.

I let go the door slamming into the ground. I back away from it them banging and screaming on the other side.

It only takes a moment for them to calm down letting me take a breath.

“Eh… You got something on your shoe.” Ellie says making me look at my feet then at the others when mine is fine. I watch Joel kick the arm and hand off it shoe.

“Gross.” I say wrinkling up my face.

“Your telling me.” Ellie says looking at me.

“Okay how do we get out of this place?” Joel asks making me realize we are trapped in a mechanic shop.

“Let's find out.”

[thestalkerdog]

I got Questa back in July, she's about 1 year old and 3/4 Anatolian and 1/4 Great Pyr. We already have an almost 10 year old Great Pyr/Lab so are familiar with LGD's and knew we wanted a dog that was already a (relatively) proven LGD, had very little prey drive, and of course was used to living outside. Questa fit the bill well, she had been living out with a herd of goats and guarding them the first year of her life, she had exposure to poultry and little prey drive as well. Her previous owner had to sell off her herd of goats for financial reasons and I was told Questa became depressed and lost a lot of weight. Unfortunately when I got her home, she hyperfocused on me and has been religiously stalking me since.

I started out having her sleep inside at night in my room, she would always lay by my bed, but towards the end of that time it’s like she couldn’t press herself close enough to the bed frame. I tried to contain her a ways away from me when outside and give her a really nice juicy bone to chew on, unless I’m in her field of vision and within 20 feet though she won’t even acknowledge it. And of course if that’s within our other dogs area, he’ll just steal it while she’s obsessing on being able to see me. I do have fencing set up to keep her in a designated area, but she wouldn’t be able to follow me back up to the house and at this point I’m afraid she would go right through it in order to follow me so that’s shelved for now.

If she were following me around in the house I would understand that (boredom), but she loves scents and I know she would enjoy exploring the property (and has before), she just has to follow me around instead. I don't give her treats when I'm working and she's not terribly food motivated anyways, I don't pet her or pay her attention, there's no obvious reinforcement for her following me around (I move a lot of heavy stuff and handle horses, I did not want to encourage her to hang out in a potentially dangerous spot just so she could get pets). For the first week she actually walked so close my heels would often hit the bottom of her chin, especially when going up stairs. I realize she is still a young puppy, and she was removed from her litter at 5 weeks (lord knows why), so her socialization is a bit weird. She 'spooks' at things, she was terrified the first time she saw a candle and dropped her body half way to the ground with tail tucked when she first encountered a watermelon, so obviously she's a bit weird and inexperienced (I’m used to more bold dogs).

She does occasionally wander off and do her own thing, more often than not though she wants to be within 10 feet of me, preferably only a couple feet away. When I am working on things outside and she lays down but I then need to move a few more feet away, she will get up each and every time to follow me, despite the fact that if she waited a couple more seconds she wouldn't have needed to get up at all. It's very much a compulsion and she will often plop herself down directly behind a horse (despite the fact she had been lightly kicked by one for being rude) or otherwise lay down/stand very close to them (she's been bitten by one as well) and I'm genuinely baffled as to why she doesn't seem to learn from her experiences. (How could you let that happen :O ?!?! she already had experience with horses when she came to me, I kept a close eye on her, but I assumed she knew how to behave around them, yet she does these things, and continues to do them (she really likes to sniff, the laying down thing I’ve got no idea about), i know puppies are puppies but come on, that’s just.. a bit stupid. Obviously I don’t let her hang out with me with I’m doing things with the horses anymore). I thought I had made it plenty clear to her it was her following me that was the issue, I’ve stopped her numerous times right before she’s able to hop up and follow me and had her stay put. Although considering she doesn’t seem to learn from her horse experiences and it took 2 months to get a solid sit and stay (with clear cues and a high value food reward), I suppose I shouldn’t expect her to catch on that quickly. She’s not an idiot, and it’s not like she’s so excited she can’t contain herself, she’s very casual about doing most anything, it’s more like she’s out there in lala land somewhere, and just generally comes across as a bit dim sometimes. I’m used to dogs tuning me out, she just doesn’t seem to Get It sometimes, at least with the working with humans part, though I think a lot of that is just her being completely oblivious as to how these things work in the first place and how she she should think things through.

I should be more specific about this; when she's in the house, she doesn't care where I am, she'll just hang out on the floor by my bed and wait for me. When I'm in the house and she's outside, she likes to keep an eye on me, but does not cry or exhibit any signs of stress other than following me from door to door to window sometimes, and we have a wrap around deck which makes it pretty easy for her to do that (her favorite corner is by my room and bathroom). When outside, she wants to be able to see me at all times unless she's the one who wanders away. I'm used to the 'falling all over themselves' type of SA, not her conditional kind. And she's very happy, she's not pleased when I have to go do things and the deck blocks her view, but other than that she's not tense or shut down or sad or any kind of bothered the rest of the time. She's a pretty calm dog for a puppy, but she bounces around, has yet to figure out toys god bless her, does have fun playing with our other dog at least. I genuinely think a lot of it is her legitimately thinking that I am her job now, which is why I wanted to ask LGD people. She's not stressed so much as very confused when I tell her to stay put and go to do something nearby, she's gotten good at staying outside of the hay shed and laying down somewhere in the paddock while waiting for me to stuff hay bags, she gets it, she at least in part thinks it's her job though and I move around so much there just are not clear enough boundaries for it to be precise enough for her it seems?

I’ve thought through how to clicker train her to move away from me and marking and rewarding every time she steps away to go do something else, I keep getting stuck on concerns that she’ll become even more fond and focused on me though. She only finds food so enticing, she finds following me around more reinforcing than anything and that’s why I’m kinda terrified of shooting myself in the foot and having her go ’Kate AND food?! I’m never moving more than x number of feet away from you ever again’.

In terms of mat training I still have the same concerns in regards to food though, and I genuinely want her to roam the property, not be stuck in one place. Maybe I could only put her back on the mat when she gets closer to me rather than moving away and doing something else? So she has to lay there essentially doing nothing (except occasional reinforcement when I happen to spot her looking away) unless she wants to go and wander. That would take a heck of a lot of time to even get a solid stationing behavior from her though considering how driven she is to follow. And again, why would she go to a mat for a treat when she can be beside me. I have had some progress lengthening the distance she allows, it’s only been about 6 feet or so in two months, so I’m not sure I would get any results that would be useful day to day for some time. I dunno, hoping I’ll be able to find some clicker people who have dealt with this kind of situation and LGD’s and had success managing it.

OKAY! That’s it, mostly copy pasted, but yall get the idea. Sorry it’s so long, I just wanted to make sure I included everything to give as clear a picture as possible. Any training advice/tips/ideas would be appreciated! I want to make this work, she really likes it here and has settled in well, we’re just having some trouble with a few things.