Micro-baby steps

Having a very shy dog is a whole new experience for me, but apparently it's not at all uncommon. I recently joined a Yahoo group called Shy-K9's. I get emails daily from members sharing stories about the trials and triumphs of having a shy dog. Today, I learned a new term--micro-baby steps and I'm happy to report that my foster dog, Alex, has taken some of those micro-baby steps.

Several days ago, my boyfriend, Galen, and I decided it was time to try giving Alex a bath. He hadn't had one since he came home from the shelter. His white fur had more of an ivory hue. We knew this might be a traumatic experience for Alex, as he shrinks from all human contact. So we made extra efforts to be calm and soft spoken from the start. We filled the bathtub with warm water and then led him to the bathroom. Galen gently placed him in the tub and basically sat in the tub with him while we bathed him. I am happy to report that he didn't freak out at all. He was slightly stressed, but he allowed us to thoroughly wash him and even let us rinse him off with the shower head. When we were done, he climbed out of the bathtub on his own and let us towel him off. He was so soft after his bath that we wanted to pet him more and more. He still doesn't seem to enjoy being touched, although he allows it.

Another micro-baby step Alex as taken involves tail wagging. The first couple of weeks we had him, his tail stayed tucked between his legs. Lately he has started standing up in his kennel and wagging his tail when we come in the house after being away. As we approach the kennel to let him out, his tail goes back down, but we are thrilled to see even a little bit of a wag!!

Lastly, Alex is becoming somewhat comfortable leaving his kennel and coming into the bedroom. We can call his name at the bedroom door and he run straight to the dog bed. He definitely knows his name and is learning to come when called if he feels it's safe-or if there is a yummy treat involved. This past week, we decided to stop feeding him in his kennel since he's so glued to it. At breakfast and dinner, we call him into the living room and feed him there. Our goal is for him to begin to feel more comfortable away from the safety of the kennel.

Like I said, these are micro-baby steps. But as I'm learning more and more, we owners of shy dogs must celebrate each of those steps as no matter how small, they are getting the dog closer to normalcy and socialization.

Way to go, Alex!! You rock!

Alex: Part 2

Alex had his first heart worm treatment this week. He saw Dr. Martin Tuesday and Wednesday for his back to back shots. In another month, he'll go back for his last shot and month after that, he will be heartworm free and able to resume normal activity. During his treatment he must stay calm and quiet so as not to put any strain on his heart and lungs while the heartworms are passing through those organs and dissolving in his body. This is certainly not a challenge with Alex. I was hoping to have major progress to report on my second post about Alex, but truthfully, I don't. Alex is still glued to his kennel and is not bonding with me or my boyfriend at all. He does whatever is asked of him--leash walking, taking meds, potty breaks outside, etc. But his tail almost never wags. He keeps his head ducked and constantly behaves as if we're about to beat him. It breaks my heart!! We give him yummy treats as often as possible. We pet him and talk to him all the time. I've even leashed him to me to so that he goes where I go, hoping he will see that hanging out with me isn't so bad. My boyfriend has sat with him on the floor a few times and petted and brushed him so gently. Any other dog I've ever know would be in heaven with that kind of attention. Alex endures it but can't wait to be allowed back to his kennel. I'm not sure what else to do to gain his trust. Does he just need time to heal from whatever happened to him in his past? Will he be able to move on and trust again? My plan at this time is continue to shower him with love and attention. Maybe a little bit of internet research on dealing with a shy and fearful dog will shed some light on Alex's situation. Any advice from my readers is much appreciated!!! Alex's story has just begun and I'm looking forward to the happily ever after!!

Buck's Story

Buck, aka Buckaroo, was an owner surrender at the shelter a few months ago. I got the infamous call from Penny to go check him out. She told me he was a tri color and I expected a nice looking dog. But when I got to the shelter, my breath was taken away by his stunning good looks. He was wagging his tail and looked so happy to see me from behind the cage of his kennel. I took him for a short evaluation walk, then called Penny and let her know he was coming home with me. We were able to get some history on him from his former owners. He came from a breeder in Dallas and would be 2 years old in April. He liked to chase cows and play ball. They turned him in because he had nipped at a neighbor and were afraid of any legal issues that might come up because of it. We knew he was just being a border collie--those herding instincts run deep!

After getting home that day, it took Buck less than hour to steal my heart. He didn't leave my side. When I went to the sink to wash dishes, Buck went with me. When I went into the garage to get something out of the car, Buck went with me. When I put the laundry in the dryer, Buck was there to supervise. When I watched TV, Buck was at my feet. If I ever got annoyed with his constant attention, I would remind myself that his other family had taken him to the shelter and walked away. I wanted him to know that I would never leave him like that so I let him be my shadow.

Did I mention that he liked playing ball?? Wow!! His face would light up when I got the ball out. We spent many an afternoon playing ball together in the front yard or at the dog park. A toy or a Frisbee wouldn't do. The ball was his favorite toy.

After he was posted for adoption a couple of families were interested in adopting him. I talked to both of them, and while they were good people, I knew they weren't the forever family Buck needed. So I continued to wait for the right home for him. During that time, Buck's appetite changed. He no longer ate as enthusiastically as before. So my boyfriend and I set out on a mission to find food that he would eat. He was excited about canned food for a few days and we breathed a sigh of relief. But eventually even that didn't interest him. I could tell he was losing weight fast. But I still hoped that his appetite would pick back up soon.

This past weekend Buck's condition seemed to get worse. Last night, we made chicken and rice for him hoping he would eat. He did and we were so relieved. I was still worried so I made an appointment to have him checked out today. I was supposed to take him in at 3, but I called around noon to see if I could come in earlier. Something wasn't right. After taking blood, Dr. Martin discovered that Buck had an incurable congenital liver condition. We then had to make the heart wrenching decision--we had to let Buck go. I held him and kissed him as he died today. He felt my love til the end.

So long, sweet Buckaroo. I know there's and bottomless basket of balls for you in heaven. I hope I will play with you again one day. xoxo