Sunday, November 30, 2014

Slow As Christmas

It's Thanksgiving weekend and I have some time off to be at home with the dogs.  Soon the semester will be out and I'll be home a lot more; I'm really looking forward to it.  I had anticipated this time off to be full of dog walks, exercising, house cleaning and general upkeep.  What I didn't include was howling wind, a lot of rain, me catching a cold.  It's a cloudy overcast day with intermittent rain, the perfect kind of day for reading books and napping. 

Ryker and Chance seem to get along.  Occasionally Ryker is extra sketchy with extra pacing and extra cowering and  a great deal of darting around.  When he is like this I think Chance finds Ryker an irritant.  I find it exhausting watching Ryker pace and dart; he is completely unable to settle and I feel helpless about how to get him back to a better mental state.  At theses times I have seen Chance show Ryker a snarly lip exposing one fang all the way to a snarky snarl.  It has happened twice.  It must be a dog body language thing as I don't see it coming with the exception of Ryker pacing endlessly.  Afterward Ryker retreats and the pacing stops. 

Chance is an exceptionally wise dog.  I've seen him snarl a warning at rogue puppies that were completely out of control of themselves and after many warnings alpha roll those pups who ignore him and continued to use his as a chew toy yet he never put a tooth mark on them.  I've seen him charged by unfriendly, dog aggressive, mastiff type dogs and never alter his calm, cool demeanor, which warded off the dog's attack.  I've yet to figure out what is triggering Chance to warn Ryker; perhaps it is as simple as the highly neurotic behavior.

Still, Chance chooses to nap near Ryker and there are times they do chase each other around the yard (when they don't think I'm looking) and Ryker's tail is up and there is a bit of a wag to it.  When Chance barks, Ryker is there investigating right along with him.  I've yet to teach Ryker anything besides "leave it".  He is so people shy it is difficult to train him.  Most of the time he will take food or treats from my hand and he circles me multiple times if he wants me to get on the floor, stop him from circling and pet him.  He is still is erratic on the midnight potty training.  It may have to do with Bruce getting up at 4am to be at work.  I'll have to investigate that pattern.  Whether Ryker knows it or not he has found his home and only Ryker can decide all that might become for him. 


Monday, November 24, 2014

The Patter of Paws

Just having walked in the door, I was sitting down momentarily at the computer catching up on what was happening in the word.  It was a nicer day and I opened the patio door to let some fresh air in and two dogs out. 

Quite content reading the news, out of my direct vision I could see a blurr of bodies of fur running around the back yard.  The patter of paws, it's a soothing sound to me.  I stopped in my tracks.  The sound of dogs playing?  For a moment I thought of Elle, I hadn't heard this noise since she died.  Wait, Elle is gone and Ryker doesn't play.  Yet, it was indeed Ryker and Chance playing chase.  Chance tired out and just barked at Ryker as he ran by him.  Ryker had gone wild running race tracks all over the back yard. 

I couldn't happier. 

Friday, November 21, 2014

Hugging

Ryker has been living with us three weeks.  Just when I begin to wonder how far along  he really was going to progress he goes and shows me that he is doing better than I give him credit.  I have wondered if he would ever feel safe outside the area of his dog bed.  He clings to that bed as if it is the only thing holding him together.  This week I caught him laying in other rooms. 

Herding him outside and inside has become such a breeze.  He still has the occasional potty accident, always at night.  I figure he might be his most relaxed at night when all the scary people are asleep.  Ryker has decided that eating food in a bowl is not such a bad idea and he has expressed a real preference for having his dry food lightly coated in canned pumpkin.  In fact, if I don't stir the pumpkin into the dry food, he will eat the all of the pumpkin, ignore the dry food, and wait until I realized he needs more pumpkin in order to consume the dry stuff.    

Tonight we had our first training session.   I was standing in the kitchen and Ryker kept walking through sometimes stopping and watching me.  If I looked at him he would run away.  So I grabbed a box of treats and sat in the kitchen floor intentionally not looking at him.  He came up to me and stopped.  It was the first time I had been able to pet him while he was standing up.

He sat down, Chance came in and we all had a training session.  Chance would "shake" for a treat, Ryker would follow the treat to my eyes and make eye contact or "look" for a treat.  Chance would lay "down", treat, Ryker would "look", treat.   Chance would "shake", Ryker let me touch his paw for "shake".  Ryker seems to inherently know "leave it".  He's one smart dog. 

Both dogs are now snoring on the kitchen floor.  I tip toed into the kitchen and Ryker stood up. I had anticipated him bolting; for the first time he did not.  He stood up, let me approach him and give him a giant hug with lots of fur scratching. Silly me forgetting that he is healing on the inside and I won't always see the progress on the outside.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Reeling Ryker In

There is an old trick used when reeling in a substantial sized fish so that you don't break off your line.  It's called playing the fish.  When the fish takes off like a bullet you give it line and let it run.  When the fish swims towards you, you take up all of the slack as fast as possible.  This fish eventually tires making it easier to get to shore without snapping off your line.  This last week with Ryker (his new name) is much akin to playing a fish.

 It may be that I do an amazing imitation of a herding dog and have Ryker heading in and out the patio door with the greatest of ease, although I suspect Ryker is pretty observant and maybe catching on to the pattern.   Having somewhat established a routine is easing our communication.  I pretty much can figure out that when we get up in the morning he is going to need to go out and potty.  He has pretty much figured out that after I have a cup of coffee I am going to feed him.   Then it's back outside to go potty.  If you open the sliding door and herd him the right direction, he now heads that direction and strolls through the patio door.   It works for herding him back inside as well.

Gone are the days of cornering him (which requires two people), and leading  him where you need him to go.  I won't miss those days although I do have flashbacks when I try to gather him up to put the leash on him.  The trick is to catch him lying down, slowly approach without words or eye contact and pet him nicely behind the ears.  Then you go for the collar.  being a smart dog he has already learned the sound of the leash coming off the coat rack so you cannot touch the coat rack.  You cannot put on your coat or your sunglasses either or he goes into alert.  There is no catching him when he switches to alert. 

Tonight Bruce, Chance and I were in the kitchen talking after dinner  (Chance was not talking yet he was doing the arf arf arf thing).  Ryker peered around the corner.  We were all smart enough to ignore him.  No eye contact, nothing.  We just kept talking.  After several attempts he settled right in the kitchen floor.  We all joined him on the floor and broke out the dog treats.  It was a good family moment. 

Whether Ryker realizes it or not, we are playing him like a fish.  He darts away and we let him have all the distance he wants.  When he comes in close, we take up the slack with treats and ear scratches.  Back and forth we go, day after day all the time unaware that he is slowly tiring.  He doesn't bolt as often or as far and we are reeling him in.



Saturday, November 8, 2014

Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

Wednesday brought some nice weather and huge amounts of success with Rhett.  I was sitting outside sipping coffee and the two dogs were outside with me.  Rhett was running around the back yard and for the very first time I saw a white tip on his tail; his tail wasn't completely tucked.  Chance serenaded with the bark of happiness.  Both offered play bow to each other yet before they could really play Chance tripped on the long line attached to Rhett which ended the play.  Rhett had even played a little with a stuffed bear we have.



I have been considering what to name Rhett.  As more of his personality comes I keep changing his name.  Then Thursday came along.  No longer does Rhett cower on his bed when I approach with a leash, he now bolts off the bed and darts around the house. "Bolt" or "Dart"  have now become name options.  He bolts into the the house, he darts past me like lighting.  I took his harness and the long line off of him after it tripped up Chance but now I've got a sketchy dog to chase around and catch.  I am beginning to feel like a herding dog rounding up livestock and am impressed by my own creativity.  Did you know a open refrigerator door can act as a dog block?  Ever used a step ladder to block off access to the maze of options a sketchy dog might try to run? 


Yesterday I was a bit discouraged.  Rhett has done a lot of pacing and very little settling.  I think the less he shuts completely down the more the nervousness appears.  Eventually I believe it too will run its course.  There has been no more play bow.  The two dogs basically ignore each other completely. The poor guy still hates the leash with a passion; it's obvious punishment in his mind.  I do remember Elle hating it as well.  I keep telling myself that it has only been a week.  One week to undo 4 years. 

For now Rhett has set up camp in the living room on one of the dog beds.  Chance and I sometimes visit Rhett on the dog bed.  He doesn't cower, likes to be pet and doesn't bolt away.  At this moment I'm working on gathering the stamina for a round up so I can take both dogs on a walk.


 

Monday, November 3, 2014

24 Hours



It was this little squeaky sound that I was hearing from the kitchen last night that I couldn't place.  Suddenly, I knew what it was, Rhett's little squeaker toy.  This is my first real clue that he is probably in the right place for him.

Rhett set up camp in the kitchen floor so I moved a dog bed in there for him and covered it with the blanket his Foster Family had sent.  I can guess the approximate size of the pen in which he was kept as when he is nervous he circles the same distance and the same direction.  During this morning's walk I learned he only circles when we stop walking.  Solution (to keep from becoming wrapped up by the leash like a mummy), keep on walking.

Rhett comes from a hoarding situation in Texas where 150 dogs were seized.  They were underfed, overcrowded, never socialized with people and many had health issues.  He is learning to live with people inside a house and this is a huge adjustment for him.

When I let him into the back yard I attach a long lead to him.  I haven't taught him to come when called yet (it's only been a day) and I do realize he may never be able to bring himself to "come" to people.  The back up plan is to get him to stop, or stay, or sit, something which negates me chasing him all around the back yard just to bring him inside.

When I arrived home today, (I had kept Rhett inside and Chance outside), the inside of house was fine (lucky for me). I attached a long lead and out we went.  This afternoon I swear he almost smiled.  He trotted around the back yard, back and forth, back and forth coming closer and closer to me with each passing yet speeding up at the same time he was getting closer; it almost appeared as if it was a kind of game to him.  It's getting colder earlier now so I came in leaving the back door open and went into the back of the house.  Much to my shock, as I returned to the kitchen, Rhett was there having entered the house without me shooing him inside.

Baby steps.  Small, tiny, precious baby steps.  He just squeaked his toy again. 

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Pre-Adoption Butterflies

It's a blustery day. November 1st and the weather has just turned.  Tonight Bruce, Chance and I will be staying in Tonopah, NV on our way to Beatty, NV where a volunteer  committed to dog rescue, Loretta, having driven two days in a row, will meet us with the newest member of the family.  Recently  I've been looking for another member since I lost Elle in January.  She was so young and her death was sudden.  Losing Elle was shattering.

I was inspired by one the graduate students  who had two rescue Shelties.  She encouraged me to contact the local Collie Rescue Representative.  DeAnne was informative and knowledgeable.  She encouraged me to send my application into Southwest Collie Rescue which covers Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Texas.  There had been a recent hoarding situation in Tomball, Texas and this organization was to care for and place 11 collies.

It seems odd to have to go so far to find a collie and remain dedicated to rescue.  Collies are as rare as hen's teeth in this part of the US and for the life of me I have no idea why.  They are the most amazing dogs yet seem to be in greater numbers on the East Coast and the South.  The California Collie Rescue organizations refuse to adopt to Nevada (not a clue on this one) citing there must be a home check.  DeAnne performed the home check for Southwest Collie Rescue without issue.


rhett
Rhett's picture on the Southwest Collie Rescue Website.
In summary, I have been granted the privilege of having Rhett come to live with me.  Cindy, Rhett's foster Mom, is an amazing woman.  She lives in Arizona and has been introducing Rhett to the world of people.  She has five dogs in her home currently, Rhett made number six which is a lot of dog.   Rhett is dog socialized but not people socialized.  He just hasn't had much contact with people so he is shy.  He had never been in a house, was undernourished and had worms.  My understanding is that most of the Tomball Collies were not in great shape.  Cindy has Rhett learning to trust people.  He may have a ways to go, yet she laid the foundation of trust.

Tomorrow Loretta, having driven from Las Vegas, not quite to Phoenix, then back and housing Rhett at her home overnight, will drive from Las Vegas to Beatty to deliver Rhett.  Many people have given a great deal to make this happen for which I am grateful.