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| How to Stop a Dog from Chasing Cats (in the house) |
| 05.29.04 (4:43 am) [edit] |
Lynne has taken in her uncle's dog. Cookie has apparently, not been around cats. Cookie would like to play with that furry thing that smells so very interesting. Unfortunately, the cats keep trying to avoid her so a chase scene ensues shortly thereafter.
So - this is what I would do.....
I would teach Cookie sit stay and down stays. I would reward the heck of it when she gets it right. All of this would happen in a cat free room, of course. Then I would work on "leave it" using some sort of biscuit or toy that Cookie finds relatively easy to resist. I would put Cookie in a "stay" and put the low reaction thing (my dogs are not at all keen on dog biscuits so that is what I would use to start with). When she sniffs at it, you give the "leave it" command. When she is successful at leaving the low key item, you begin to up the ante. I escalated the puds to treats like hot dogs, and liver chunks. I also put them closer and closer to the dog, starting at a point where the dog needs to stretch to get access to a point where I have liver chunks resting between their paws. When they can successfully "leave it" for a couple of minutes, I give them great big treats along with a release word like "okay" so that they know that they are free to move. Now you take the leave it on the fly. Put down their breakfast and when they head for it, say "leave it". Make them wait 30 seconds. Then say OKAY! Praise like a crazed woman when they get it right.
Now - put a collar and lead on Cookie (several weeks have gone by. Walk through a room where a cat is located. When she heads for kitty, use the leave it command. If she does leave it, you better be prepared to Jackpot like crazy.
Now - all of this is fine and dandy when you are there to control it. However, when you are at work, she needs to be kept away from the kitties to prevent learning that it is only dangerous to chase kitty when you are in the room. Get it? In her mind, it is like anything else, if she is reprimanded for something - she probably associates the reprimand with your presence. She has not actually "learned' not to chase cats. She has just learned not to chase a cat when you are watching, or to not chase cats in the bedroom, or to not chase that particular cat. In order to have it successfully sink into a dog's brain- you have to have lots of repetitions of the desired behavior and as few of the bad behaviors as possible.
Does any of this make sense? Hope it helps.
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| Another Rescue Kid Coming My Way |
| 05.28.04 (10:55 am) [edit] |
Last night, at the DTCSP (dtcsp.org) I was approached and informed that 3 standard poodle pups will be put down if we don't intervene. So it seems that I will be getting another baby until I can find a home for him/her.
Can you imagine? This so called "breeder" is tired of dealing with them, so just put them to sleep. THREE five month old puppies.
My job will be to access the damages. I will hazard a guess that these puppies have not been housetrained, nor socialized. Boy are they in for a surprise! Camp Susan is THE place to be if you are a puppy in need of social skills.
Then, once puppy gets some manners and I get my fix of puppy breath, I will find a home with a fence and smart owners willing to read a copy of Culture Clash.
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| NO SMOKIN' |
| 05.26.04 (12:45 pm) [edit] |
| NOTE: z | | No smoking around SusanofPudlin. Thankyou for your co-operation. |
From Go-Quiz.com
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| Buddy, Lacy, Colin, and Other Updates |
| 05.26.04 (12:29 pm) [edit] |
1. Buddy is doing well in his new digs. He gets to go for car rides to the DAV and run around while his mom cleans up the place. He goes with her to play Bingo. He is having a ball. She has had a small incident with a bone and has seen the side of Buddy that surprised us all. But she loves him, and says I cannot have him back.
2. Lacy is doing very well in her continuing obedience training. I have held her back to repeat the last 4 weeks of Agility. With Buddy taking up a lot of my time, and my attention being directed to other things (shopping, pedicures, etc....) I have not spent the time with her that would have solidified her graduation. This is fine. I would much rather wait to move on until I feel that the dog has a solid foundation in what we are working on. It makes it much easier to plod along than to have to go back to the beginning to fix problems. She has reservations about the teeter and I have not yet made or bought weave poles. So that is where we are there.
3. Colin is going to be graduated up to Lacy's Novice class and Lacy moves up to Open. Then when Lacy moves to Agility 1 in 4 weeks, Colin will begin Intro to Agility. He will be a bit ahead of the game, with having the Budja board and the chute to work on.
4. I am hugely more relaxed and significant amounts of stress have been eliminated with the bill paying party. I went to the dentist and had that work done. I get my new splint sometime in the next couple of weeks. I don't like to sleep without a splint anymore. It is too worrysome. The chip in my front tooth is gone. That was the one that I did ripping a price tag off a pair of bargain underwear. Oh the savings! I got the 30K service done on my car and the brakes checked and fixed.
5. I got real flea medicine for the dogs. I had been buying it at the pet food store and I think I was getting counterfeit stuff. It just was not keeping the fleas off. They tried to tell me that it was due to the frequent wash schedule. I don't think so, since it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
6. A long weekend is coming up and boss is out of the office for the rest of the week. Yeah! I can get stuff done. I simply adore boss, but he gets these moods going on..... some days I wonder if I have EVER done anything that made him happy.
7. I am grooving on my new vacuum. I know - what kind of whack job must I be to groove on a vacuum. But with hardwood floors and 3 big dogs.....
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| Taking The Girls Out to Dinner..... |
| 05.23.04 (6:01 pm) [edit] |
Carol and I went to dinner last night... I wore a simple little dress...... suffice it to say that Carol and I were not the only Girls present.
It was fun to watch the reaction from the male persuasion. Drooling was noted in three.
On a more important note- Carol pointed out, and I think she may be right, that if I were to shift my office to the guest room and vice versa that it would be a more logical layout.
I would have done just that this weekend but for having the 30K maintainance done on my car. All is well with the Poodle Transport Cruiser. Now. 600 dollars later.
At the end of the day: car in repair. I am bathed and buttered. Dogs are good. Leftover Duck L'Orange makes good dog treats. Buddy is in his new tentative home. I got real busy figuring out what was causing the problem with my bed frame. That required disassembling and reassembling. I now feel reasonably secure that we will not fall to the ground.... and I have beautiful new white striped sheets awaiting me.
All in all - not what I thought the weekend would look like. However, that said, my overall life has in no sense resembeled what I had in mind. Perhaps that is best.
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| Buddy Has a New Home |
| 05.22.04 (8:20 am) [edit] |
Remember Buddy, the silver miniature poodle that I was foster parenting? I mentioned him to the clerk at the store where I buy dog food. A couple of days later, she called and said that she had a lady who wanted Buddy.
I met with her this morning. She was very excited. Buddy seemed to like her. She lives alone, recently lost a daughter (age 46) and is terribly lonely. She has a fenced in yard. She is 68 and works a couple of hours a day helping clean up at the DAV. So she can take him there with her.
I went to her house, with a signed contract and Buddy. I checked it out and turned him over to her under the strict orders that if she runs into any problems, changes her mind, whatever, - Buddy comes back here. She signed the contract.
Buddy has a new home.
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| Pedicures and Dinner at Gratzzi |
| 05.16.04 (3:11 pm) [edit] |
Pedicures for 2 at 9 am. Such luxury. Such a huge improvement in my feet. I took sister to Aacardi for side by side pedis. Followed by hot pastrami sandwiches and retail therapy. I found a pair of cutie little strappy sandals on sale for 25% off and then another 25% off due to my AAA membership. I also scored a black and white polka dot top.
There is a place in St. Petersburg. It is called Baywalk. It has 5 or 6 restaurants and a number of very nice shops. Ann Taylor, White House - Black Market, and The Art of Being to name a few. The restaurants run the gamut from Dan Marinos to Johnny Rockets.
We had dinner at Gratzzi. Fine Italian food for sisters birthday dinner. We chose to sit outside on the upper balcony which overlooked the central courtyard. There was salsa music playing and couples dancing to the beat. The breeze was perfect. The people were pretty. Except that woman with the double processed Big Bird Yellow hair in the CFMPs that were something Carrie from SITC would have rejected out of hand as totally whorish. But I digress.
I ordered a nice bottle of wine. A chiraz from Australia. Dinner for sister was a steak (later she claimed that it was the best she had ever had) served with steamed veggies and a side of pasta. Dinner for me was a wonderful chicken dish whose name escapes me except for the Pollo part. The rest was artichokes, chicken (of course) and roasted red peppers in a demi glace. Served with fettucini alfredo.
Since it was her bday, they brought her Tirimisu. She said it too, was the best she had ever had.
So here we are, enjoying this wonderful repaste' when the gentle rain began.... and grew..... and before I knew what was happening, my demi glace' was getting diluted and I was getting soaked as the rain came in sideways. Our waiter picked up our entire table and brought it into the center of the patio.
When we prepared to leave, I had my bag in a plastic bag to protect it from the elements. It is a good thing. We got soaked getting back to the car. We had parked in a garage. Upon returning (in the pouring rain by that time) , and found that the whole garage was in water a foot deep. Both of us freshly pedicured girls had to walk barefoot into the garage..... where two soft drink vending machines powered by electricity stood in 6 inches of water....
When we got home, I did some repair work on the tootsies and watched some tv before heading in. All in all, I do believe I made a nice birthday celebration for her.
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| Cherish is the word I use to describe-- |
| 05.13.04 (8:07 pm) [edit] |
No- 1- Boss - who sent me the most special email. -
No 2- Sissy - sOOOO looking to make this the bday to end all bdays.
To my darling: not with me in the present sense-
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| Party till you run out of stamps or money. |
| 05.12.04 (8:14 pm) [edit] |
Tonight I had a bill paying party. As many of you know, I have been involved in a lawsuit for the past 4 years. On Tuesday, I was reimbursed my expenses (out of pocket).
Things have been very very bad on the financial front for a long time here at Camp Susan.
Today, I paid off the balance of 6 credit cards. I paid utilities, I paid taxes on car tags. I renewed my AAA membership. I renewed my subscription to AKC Gazette for 2 more years (that is 14 in dog years).
I have had huge problems with economics. Finally, I am able to pay my bills. I ran out of stamps before I ran out of money.
I am looking at a huge bill for dental work next Wednesday. Because of who I am and how I got here, I grind my teeth. I can bifurcate a crown in 5 days. So I must wear a device to save me from me. The last time I was fitted with such a device was several years ago (probably 6 or 7) and my mouth shape has changed. So Wednesday I go in to be fitted with a new night guard. That with the bonding on the front tooth that I chipped will cost me another grand.
I cannot sleep without a nightguard anymore. There was a night recently when I tried to go to bed without it. I awakened after a short time - feeling like something was missing.... it was. .....
But all in all. - it has been a good day. I got to have a bill paying party. Until I ran out of stamps. I emptied the wastebasket with a sense of accomplishment.
Maybe this seems silly. I want to be able to pay my bills, on time. I don't think that is asking too much.
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| UPDATE: Camp Susan, I feel Pretty, and Miniature Poodles with a Mohawk |
| 05.12.04 (9:16 am) [edit] |
I thought I would bring you an update on Buddy's progress in learning how to get along in a civilized world. He has developed a new respect for me. I keep my squirt bottle filled with diluted vinegar at the ready any time there is food present and he is most mild mannered.
I will "fade" the vinegar to a squirt gun and then try to fade that to even smaller. I want him to be unable to tell whether a person has the ability to spray from their hands so that he believes that at any growl, he could once again smell like a salad (or worse).
Also, since I don't know where he might end up, he is restricted from furniture hopping. He is doing very well on the crate training. Such a changed guy! He still whines to get out, but has figured out that as long as he is whining, the door never opens. I wait and wait until he shuts up so that he won't associate his behavior with the crate door opening. In other words, I let the baby cry it out.
Last night, I went shopping. I bought some new work outfits. I feel pretty. I like my shoes. It is amazing what a new outfit can do to one's self esteem.
After shopping (very quickly due to the pups being unattended) I went home, did some things, and went out to dinner with my dear friend Claudia. I wore a new pink floral chiffony summer dress with a cardigan and strappy sandals. It is simply amazing how strappy sandals can make me feel almost human again.
The waiter was very attentive - almost too much. But it did give me an opportunity to talk to someone totally out of my usual realm. I sat at that table so filled with appreciation that I could afford to do so, that I had a good friend to do it with, and that I could be reasonably sure that I would not get into a car that would explode upon starting.
When boss was on vacation (long weekend) I figured out some heavy duty processes involving integrating software and scanners and the like. Boss is happy. I got a post it note that says - GREAT job! I appreciate the effort - keep it up!
Pay period ends Friday..... might be bonus time.
I feel kind of bad for not wanting to think about those who are dying in Iraq and those recently separated from their heads..... but I cannot deal with it at this point in time. And no matter how much we think about it, talk about it, write about it, we are unable to effect any change in what is going on.
And that, gentle reader, is where I am at.
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| 16 years of memories of connected moments of love |
| 05.09.04 (4:33 pm) [edit] |
Today is a very lonely day. Yesterday was a very lonely day. I predict that tomorrow will be very lonely.
The dogs can do only so much. Today my daughter and grandchildren came over to spend time with me in the pool. It was great seeing them. They left after a time and I am lonely again.
Painfully lonely. Palpably lonely. I have so many wonderful things going on in my life. But that I had someone to share them with. To have known such a great love and lost it to death..... I sometimes feel that I should be satisfied with that knowledge of what it feels like to be that comfortable with someone, for so long. I have 16 years of memories of wonderful interactions, conversations, moments of sheer bliss, and the silly things that people do when they are as much in love as we were. From the serious to the sublime, like when each time that he saw me washing dishes at the sink, he would come up behind me. Cupping my breasts he would whisper in my ear: "I am your very own Playtex Living Bra". I swear.
This business of getting real damn busy living or real damn busy dying is too much to bear at times. I rage at the machine that is the medical industry that cavalierly let him die.
Last Tuesday, I signed a settlement agreement for the surgeon to avoid trial. This week, I will likely collect my portion (after lawyers fees and other fees). It is an amount that will give me some level of financial security. Not so much that I would feel comfortable quitting my job. But I will be able to pay my bills.
But I would give back every dime for one more kiss.
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| The No Growl Strategy |
| 05.09.04 (8:32 am) [edit] |
Buddy will growl, snarl, and bite given the opportunity if there is food present. Food can mean many different things to a dog like Buddy. It can be actual food or a used Kleenex. Same thing to him, it is all food.
This morning I fed him in his crate so that I have control over the situation. This is management. When I put him in his crate, he spilled some of his food. A few pieces of kibble went outside the crate bars. I knew what would happen if I tried to pick them up. Even though they were outside his crate, his little dog mind would not "get" the spatial relationship to the bars of the crate. So I got my squirtgun (loaded with vinegar and water) at the ready. I got paper towels and a plastic bag into which to put the bits of kibble. I wanted plenty of opportunity to shape his snarling nastiness behavior. I got three. He immediately went into his screaming hablaaaas when I approached the food. Zap with squirt gun and a firm NO GROWL. Got his attention. I approached another bit. Same response. Zap with squirt gun and firm NO GROWL. Third time, I approached, handful of paper towel, big production. Success!!!! He calmly and carefully watched me. Then I took the stuff downstairs and came back to let him out. I let him leave the room, but watch as I picked up his dish. Normally this would turn him on again and he would freak. But this time, with dish in one hand, squirt bottle in the other, he opted to behave.
A little later, I took him outside with my clicker and hot dogs. I have to say, he is going to be tough. I am working to teach him sit stays, down stays and Leave it. I have to get him to be able to leave something that could potentially be harmful, like a chicken bone.
After a week of Buddy, I have come to a couple of conclusions. He is probably the product of backyard breeders or a puppy mill. He was poorly socialized as a puppy, and he was probably living in a household with an elderly couple or woman.
I would really like to find his original home. He is a very sweet and loving boy and I would bet that they are just heartbroken at losing him.
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| Quality Dog Time Prevents Biting, Snarling, and Solves Housebreaking Issues |
| 05.06.04 (2:04 pm) [edit] |
It has come to my attention that I have been talking about Buddy a lot.
I want to be sure that I explain that each of my dogs gets one on one time with me. I also want everyone to be VERY clear on my training philosophy.
When I began training in obedience, some 10 or so years ago, the current method for teaching the dumbell was the ear pinch. The ear pinch is where you take the loop of a choke chain and press it into the delicate flesh in a dogs ear, until in pain, it opens its mouth. At which point you cram the dumbell in and hold its mouth closed around this wooden object. Probably you have the dogs tongue mashed between his teeth at the same time.
I retired a brilliant obedience dog from the ring rather than do the ear pinch. I was awarded the title for the worst ear pinch that year at a function. I am very proud of that worst ear pinch award, for it proves that I was on the right track by refusing to participate in animal abuse for the sake of a ribbon or trophy.
I have until recently, thought I knew what I was doing. I have learned a lot recently that has turned my thinking about choke collars and prong collars on its ear.
And I keep hearing this voice in my head - it is the recurring theme in all my classes... "you're not here to feed the dog, you are here to bait the dog". To which I reply, bullshit. I won't work for the promise of a paycheck. I want the real McCoy - and so do my dogs. I am not going to give them McTreats. They get good stuff. I am asking them to learn new behaviors in a room filled with other dogs that they would rather be interacting with, in a language that they struggle to comprehend. And you want me to promise them a treat and instead offer up a tiny shred of something? Which would you take the garbage out for, a Cadbury chocolate bar or a Hersheys chocolate chip? Furthermore, when they do a fabulous job of some action that I have requested??? They get a jackpot. That is right. Jackpot..... a bunch of chunks of cheese and chicken livers and steak and hot dogs. While doing these things, is it fair for me to be yanking on their necks? I don't believe that I would be very interested in figuring out how to climb an A frame if someone was cutting off my ability to breathe freely.
So in a Martingale ( a simple collar that has no tags, and won't choke) I spend time with my dogs.
On Monday night, Lacy and I do agility training. It is fun for both of us.
On Tuesday Lacy and I do Novice (heading for her CDX).
On Wednesday, Colin and I do Advanced Basic (heading for his CD).
At home, we do individual heeling in the front yard. We do the chute in the back yard. We do sit stays and down stays in the living room.
Chuck gets to participate in some of this.
Buddy is working on "get on the couch, get off the couch". This is to be repeated a zillion times until I feel that I can safely get him to move his body if I need to. Guys like Buddy covet objects AND locations. If Buddy is in the middle of the dining room table eating chicken bones, I need him to get off the table when I ask.
My point is this: I have a lot of dogs and they are important to me. As I am sure yours are to you. So, I ask you... for the sake of your dog, to spend 10 minutes of quality time every other day to reinforce important commands like "down". Use lots of good treats. Have fun. Try teaching them something new once in a while. A dog worth owning is a dog worth training. And a well trained dog will prevent the heartaches of the Buddys of the world.
Now - Thursday night is MY night to do yoga. And I am off my soap box.
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| Repair, Manage, or Execute - The Rejected Dogs of Cell Dogs |
| 05.05.04 (1:35 pm) [edit] |
That is the bottom line for some of the dogs on Cell Dogs, and also for Buddy - my current rescue guy. Either someone figures out how to retrain a poorly socialized terrified fear biter or they get executed. Not euthanized, for it is not humane. They get murdered. They get murdered because someone screwed them up.
For dogs that cannot be reconditioned, the only hope is to manage the situation to prevent further injuries. Currently, I am managing Buddy. By this, I mean that his meals are served near his crate with a gate between us. I put additional food in his plate from beyond bars. I have him leave the area before I pick up his empty plate. All to keep him from freaking out thinking that I am taking his food. An act that would throw him into fight or flight mode. Not a pleasant place for any of us to be.
See, people get these cute little puppies. They have a vision that they will grow up to be Rin Tin Tin or Lassie. Guess what! Dogs most often have the ability to be very Lassie like. But, they have to be treated right and taught how to be Lassie like.
So people fail. They anthromorphise the dogs. They think that the dog peed on the carpet out of spite. Nope. The dog peed on the carpet because it has learned that if you are not there, it is safe to pee. Then, when you find the pee spot 6 hours later, the dog gets yelled at, at best. Except that the dog was chowing down when you realized it, and began yelling. So now dog thinks that eating pisses you off. And we wonder why we create neurotic, biting, growling messes that chew everything in sight.
We, as a society have come to share our homes with dogs. With that comes the responsibility of learning how to relate to them. Dogs do not generalize. Dogs do not have agendas. They don't feel guilt when they get caught doing something. They just feel fear. When we humans fail our charges, they get rejected. They get sent away because they are "bad". But they are not bad. They are just dogs. Dogs with the powerful ability to bite, who don't WANT to bite, end up in situations like the Cell dogs and Buddy. Think about it. The next time you are really pissed off, scared, threatened (perceived or real) - what are you going to do? Hire a lawyer? I wish dogs could. Write a letter to the editor? I wish dogs could. Sit down and calmly explain why you are so upset? But that dogs could.
If you want your dog to learn something, you must be clear and consistent. You also have to realize that "sit" doesn't mean the same thing to the dog at the dog park as it does in the living room if you have only practiced sit in the living room.
If your dog makes a mistake, think about it. Really think about how you were undoubtedly instrumental in teaching them to do exactly what they did. Because you did, you know.....
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| Buddy is a Little Timebomb |
| 05.03.04 (8:50 am) [edit] |
Buddy hoards objects. If he thinks that a kleenex is valuable, he will take it. If you try to take it from him, he goes into fight or flight mode. Mostly fight. It is, after all, what dogs do.
My job is to very carefully and very gradually teach him that if he releases the thing that he covets, that he gets something better. I have a plan. I will show him that someone going to his food bowl is more than likely adding something to it. But I will be really slow about it.
He is very lucky to have found me. He is very lucky that I have recently read Culture Clash.
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| Yankee Candle Tarts, Pier One Candlescapes and a Clean House |
| 05.01.04 (5:33 pm) [edit] |
I cleaned my house today. Well, most of it. I got in the bathroom with the sandblaster (ok, not really, just nekkid with lots of bleach and scrub brushes.) Now THAT ought to generate some interesting Google searches.
It looks nice. It smells great due to my newest addiction: Yankee Candle Tarts. Specifically, Chardonnay. There is little I like better (assuming that I am not at a dog show) on a Saturday night, than to have a clean house, clean dogs, and candles burning in every room.
If only I could work part time...... wistful.....
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| Update on The Bud |
| 05.01.04 (5:23 pm) [edit] |
When he was delivered to me, he was terrified. He was a growling whirling dirvish of fear.
Currently, He is quietly resting in his little bed (crate) 3 feet from me. Colin is 4 feet away. Understand, this guy is petrified - of lizards, leaves rustling, noises, other dogs, me.
My plan is to gradually desensitize him to these things while I gain his trust through positive reinforcement ( which is already working) and firm, yet noncombative instruction. He is a smart boy. He will figure it out soon enough.
That Colin is resting close by, and to my amazement, (I did not realize she was there) Lacy was under the desk, and he remains resting well..... gives me hope.
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| Buddy's Story |
| 05.01.04 (3:51 pm) [edit] |
Buddy is not talking, which is a shame because I would LOVE to know how he came to be where he is.
He is a silver miniature poodle. Clearly well bred, and well groomed. He was found in a parking lot in Tifton Georgia with a fresh bandana tied around his neck. Did he escape from a car where the folks were travelling? Did he slip away from a boarding facility? I doubt we will ever know.
What we do know is that he is very fearful. He is a sweet little guy when he is not stressed. But look out if he thinks he is in trouble.
So, I will slowly introduce stuff to him. Desensitize him by degrees. Positive reinforcement when he is caught doing something good. Firm, fair correction on the bad stuff.
He does ok on lead, and knows sit and down. He lets me pick him up and I have rolled him onto his back to get him to believe that I am the Alpha dog. I am going to keep a lead on him most of the time until I feel that he is safe around the other dogs.
I just heard him bark for the first time. Interesting.
He is really cute. I am going to take him to my vet just in case they didn't think to check for a microchip. Wouldn't that be something if he was and we could reunite him with his original family?????
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