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!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
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!!
Monday, March 7, 2011
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
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
Friday, February 25, 2011
Alex
Rules are made to be broken, right?? Ha! Last week I pulled 3 border collies from Montgomery Co animal shelter for ABC rescue--Gypsy, Alex, and Rant. I took them all to Dr. Martin's office to be vetted and then boarded. No foster homes were currently available including my own. My rule is one foster dog at a time and Buck is my one foster dog. Wellllll, I went back to Dr. Martin's this week on a completely unrelated errand and ended up taking Alex home with me!! When I pulled him from the shelter, I knew he was a shy, scared boy. He wasn't coming around at the vet's office even though the staff there were giving him the best of care. He needed to be with people and other dogs--he needed socialization. I've never been very good at saying "no" so Alex is now Foster Dog #2 at my house--totally against the rules!!!
Alex is making progress in tiny baby steps. He's becoming slightly less glued to his crate. He will come out when called now even though he acts like something awful is about to happen to him all the time. His tail stays tucked between his legs. I can't wait for the day when he wags his tail!! Stay tuned for more updates on this sweet, sweet boy.
Alex is making progress in tiny baby steps. He's becoming slightly less glued to his crate. He will come out when called now even though he acts like something awful is about to happen to him all the time. His tail stays tucked between his legs. I can't wait for the day when he wags his tail!! Stay tuned for more updates on this sweet, sweet boy.
Foster "Failures"
There are two dogs that are missing from my foster dogs video--Oz and Gabriel. Both of these precious boys came into my life as foster dogs just like all the others.
My friend, Janice, found Oz at the shelter and called me to come meet him. He was a terrified mess of a dog--afraid of his own shadow. He was afraid of walking on a leash so I carried him out of the shelter and home we went. For the first several days I had to carry him outside for potty breaks because he would flatten himself to the floor like a pancake in fear of the leash. Eventually he lost his fear of leash walking, but going for walks was still a challenge as he was afraid of bikes, blades, scooters, anything on wheels. I will never forget the walk when Oz pulled me off the sidewalk into a huge thorn bush because a child rode by on a bike!! As time went on, Oz gained confidence. When the time came to put him up for adoption, I couldn't imagine saying goodbye to him. Oz became my first "foster failure." He still has his moments and when stressed will turn into a pancake with prick ears. But I'm so proud of how far he has come. He is now my agility boy!! We have been attending classes for over a year now and he loves it!! Check out this video of an agility demonstration at a local rescue event.
I continued to foster dogs after adopting Oz. I went to the shelter one day to check out a call I had gotten about a bc puppy at the shelter. When I walked up to the puppy's kennel, he was sitting there looking miserable and holding one of his front paws up as if injured. I couldn't say no to that sweet face behind the cage door. I took him to the vet and discovered that his leg wasn't injured, but for some reason had atrophied and just needed some muscle development. It didn't take long to find out what a sweet, calm boy he was. I named him Gabriel because he was such an angel-dog. I spent lots of time taking Gabriel on short walk to build up strength in his leg. It was spring time and there were often puddles in the street from rain or sprinklers in neighbors' yards. Gabriel's favorite thing was to splash through those puddles to cool off his feet on those walks. The time came all too soon for Gabe to be adopted. I was nervous about letting him go. I took him to an adoption event and he met a family that fell in love with him. I liked the family alot and we were making plans for them to adopt Gabe when they discovered that their son had pet allergies. With much sadness, they backed out of the adoption. That was all it took for me to make a decision--Gabriel wasn't going anywhere. He became my second foster failure. Gabe is aborder collie mix. His black and white coloring is about the only thing border collie about him. He enjoys sniffing and observing at the dog park while the other border collies run around like mad herding or fetching. His ears are too small for his head and he's on the stout side! But when I look at him, I still see that puppy at the shelter with the hurt leg. He will always be my angel-dog.
My friend, Janice, found Oz at the shelter and called me to come meet him. He was a terrified mess of a dog--afraid of his own shadow. He was afraid of walking on a leash so I carried him out of the shelter and home we went. For the first several days I had to carry him outside for potty breaks because he would flatten himself to the floor like a pancake in fear of the leash. Eventually he lost his fear of leash walking, but going for walks was still a challenge as he was afraid of bikes, blades, scooters, anything on wheels. I will never forget the walk when Oz pulled me off the sidewalk into a huge thorn bush because a child rode by on a bike!! As time went on, Oz gained confidence. When the time came to put him up for adoption, I couldn't imagine saying goodbye to him. Oz became my first "foster failure." He still has his moments and when stressed will turn into a pancake with prick ears. But I'm so proud of how far he has come. He is now my agility boy!! We have been attending classes for over a year now and he loves it!! Check out this video of an agility demonstration at a local rescue event.
I continued to foster dogs after adopting Oz. I went to the shelter one day to check out a call I had gotten about a bc puppy at the shelter. When I walked up to the puppy's kennel, he was sitting there looking miserable and holding one of his front paws up as if injured. I couldn't say no to that sweet face behind the cage door. I took him to the vet and discovered that his leg wasn't injured, but for some reason had atrophied and just needed some muscle development. It didn't take long to find out what a sweet, calm boy he was. I named him Gabriel because he was such an angel-dog. I spent lots of time taking Gabriel on short walk to build up strength in his leg. It was spring time and there were often puddles in the street from rain or sprinklers in neighbors' yards. Gabriel's favorite thing was to splash through those puddles to cool off his feet on those walks. The time came all too soon for Gabe to be adopted. I was nervous about letting him go. I took him to an adoption event and he met a family that fell in love with him. I liked the family alot and we were making plans for them to adopt Gabe when they discovered that their son had pet allergies. With much sadness, they backed out of the adoption. That was all it took for me to make a decision--Gabriel wasn't going anywhere. He became my second foster failure. Gabe is aborder collie mix. His black and white coloring is about the only thing border collie about him. He enjoys sniffing and observing at the dog park while the other border collies run around like mad herding or fetching. His ears are too small for his head and he's on the stout side! But when I look at him, I still see that puppy at the shelter with the hurt leg. He will always be my angel-dog.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Dogs That Came Before
In my introduction post, you met Zoe and Ziggy--my first dog and my first foster dog, respectively.
Introduction
The purpose of this blog is the share, recount, whine, rejoice, document, and brag about the events and stories that occur in my work with animal rescue. I got started in this venture almost 6 years ago when I adopted my very first dog. Her name is Zoe and she is a border collie mix. She is the most amazing dog I have ever known. She's almost human in her intelligence!! She now lives with my ex in NYC. But she remains the dog of my heart. Here she is posing in my rocking chair at the library where I work.
Zoe was adopted through The Woodlands Dog Park Club. I met some wonderful people from TWDPC, including Janice, the lady who suckered me into fostering my first border collie. I remember the night well. Janice and I were both in attendance at a farewell dinner for a friend. We started talking border collies and Janice whipped out her phone and showed me a picture of a bc at the shelter. She then turned her wide eyes to me and asked if I would like to foster him. I had no idea what in the world I was getting into, but long story short, I met Janice at the vet's office the next day and went home with my first foster dog, Ziggy.
And there you have it. Before Zoe, I lived my life as a card carrying member of the cats only fan club. And to be sure, I love my 4 kitties! But with a wag of her tail and lick of her tongue, Zoe opened my eyes to the world of the border collie and I haven't looked back.
As you read this blog, I hope you will come to know some terrific dogs and at least have an appreciation for the joys and heartaches of an animal foster parent.
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