A final update on Abby

Abby has found her forever home.   She is now living with a woman and her daughter in the Lower Mainland and will get great walks in the dog park and may even become a new jogging buddy.  When I called them on Sunday to see how it was all going I got a very positive report that all was well.   Good luck in your new home pretty girl!

Abby discovers the comfort of the couch.

I'm in my third week with Abby and no coaxing would get her on the couch.   She wants to be on the floor and one time I brought her up onto the couch and she looked so uncomfortable that she got down right away.   However, this last week my apartment has been a chilly 15 degrees....brrrr.    This doesn't seem to phase Abby, I've even tried to cover her a bit with a blanket when she's on her bed and she's really not interested in me trying to make her any warmer 'thank you very much'.  

The strange thing is that last night I fell asleep on the couch with a couple of blankets on and in the middle of the night she crawled up in front of me and curled up for a good long while.   I sometimes get bad nightmares, and I have been known to sleep walk and talk so to be honest I'm not sure if maybe she was bothered by my restless sleep and felt the need to curl up with me as a comfort or if she finally just decided that the couch looked comfortable afterall.   Dogs are so sensitive to our mental and physical health that I personally think it's because she thought I needed her.   Either way, it sure was easier to sleep when she was nearby and warming me up.   Dogs are so cool!!

Abby works on her Aikiou

I gave Abby the Aikiou dish and she's worked it out pretty well but still has some trouble with the center spinning portion.  She sometimes ends up with the whole thing upside down when she can't get that last few pieces out of the middle.   Dog pepperoni from Tisol was the incentive on this one.  

You can lead a dog to water....

A few nights ago I called Yvette and asked for some advice.   Abby knows how to walk really well on a leash but every few walks she gets really stubborn about being on the look-out for little critters rather than pay attention to the walk.  I have tried 3 different collars that I have and several different techniques to get her attention.  I was getting somewhat frustrated.

Yvette always has good suggestions, however as I was talking to her and telling her all the things I’ve tried already a light-bulb went on in my head that perhaps my expectations were too high.   Some training just isn’t going to sink in on the first few tries or even the first few weeks.   Dogs can’t always give you instant results.   They might learn to sit or shake a paw quickly but asking them to ignore their prey drive is a tough one.  So, out the door we went and I was determined to have the patience of dog rescuer with 30 pups (any ideas who I’m referring to?).   Every time Abby got ahead of me I stopped.  She would get to the end of the leash and she would take her time looking around ….I’m sure she was thinking how nice it was of me to stop so she could get a good look at everything.  Once she realized I was waiting she would hop back into place alongside me.  I still would not move forward until she was exactly beside me and she looked up to make eye contact.   Only then, did we move forward again.   We did this our whole walk.   She figured it out quickly that we wouldn’t move until she looked at me but I could see her almost resist the urge to look at me too quickly, almost like she didn’t want me to win the battle.   She would look almost everywhere but at me.  I out-waited her and what should have been a 15 minute walk took just over an hour.   Probably very mentally tiring for her.  

So… last night we went for a walk and man was she ever good on the leash.  I also took the clicker and some treats with me and for the first time I had enough of her attention to do clicker training outside on a walk.   So….patience has definitely been the key with this smart dog. 

Pics from Playful Paws Dog Daycare

Ariana, who works at the dog daycare sent me a couple of pics of Abby from her days at daycare.   She is doing really well there. 

A full week for me 'n' Abby

This last week with Abby has been a good and interesting one.   She has, at times, really tested my patience as her prey drive takes over her attention.   She can be so focused on a pigeon that she is difficult to walk until the bird is out of sight but then we have had some completely awesome training sessions and some great walks where she is really focused on me and we have alot of fun walking, playing and training etc.    

Abby went to her first couple of days at dog daycare on Monday and Tuesday of this week and I'm told she played really well with a couple of other dogs.   She was part of a chasing game and wasn't bothered too much by the other dogs but when it came to sniff-and-be-sniffed she seems to be misinformed the only she is allowed to do the sniffing.  On walks she will sniff and be sniffed but at dog daycare she was more overwhelmed at times and was a bit snarky about it.   I'm told she does not go on the attack but does put out a warning.   With a walk after daycare, we come home and she eats and then curls up on her bed and sleeps.  Our evening walks have been the most productive and she heels at my side like a pro.   We sure get alot of looks and comments from people.  A well behaved dog, especially such a pretty one, gets the attention every time.

With all the fall leaves blowing around, at times she's gotten very excited thinking she sees a small critter running down the road....she hops on her hind legs to get a better vantage point and then finally realizes its just a leaf.  

On Wednesday we were invited by Kensington Foundation to go to Tisol's in Vancouver.   They were filming a commercial to drum up food for the pet food bank.   We got to Tisol's and different groups had brought their animals as they weren't just looking for dogs to be in the commercial.  So, I dared to take a prey-driven dog into a pet store with ferrets, kittens, large and small birds, rabbits and a large turtle.   Abby let everyone know that the 'husky is here'.   She was quite vocal but the funny (or not so funny) thing about it all was that she was whining about a stuffed sheep that she saw in the middle of the store.   She was in such a state about it and walking away didn't calm her so finally we went right up to it and I tucked it under my arm.   She really really wanted it....and I'm sure it wasn't to cuddle up to it.   She finally lost interest in the toy and then she actually was able to see the turtle that was walking around and the ferret running free.   She advanced us to first spot in the commercial so we could out of the store the quickest ; ).  It was like taking a kid to a candy store.   We came out with her moment of fame and a very generous donation of dog food which will be sent up to Turtle Gardens.   They will hopefully send me a copy of the commercial and maybe I'll be able to share it on-line....but watch for Abby on TV in the meantime. 


Abby at the 'shoot'

 After we left Tisol I went to Granville Island and went through the center courtyard off the market, where all the birds congregate to snatch up some scraps from everyone's lunches.   Our first pass through the birds was a bit out of control but our second pass through was much better and we even got to sit on a bench a soak up some sun.   Abby had birds coming literally within a few feet of her and she was stretched out on her side, relaxed.   She was such a good girl!

 

On Thursday a friend phoned me from the Bosley's in Richmond.   There were a few wristbands left to get an autograph from Cesar and to be entered into the draw for $250 at Bosley's.   I was close by so went down there.   I got my wristband and we went for a walk on the dyke.   We got back in time to be ushered in past Cesar in groups of 25 people at a time.   It was a very rushed process.   I know some people are fans of his and some aren't and I'm sure there's lots I may not know about the good and the bad people might have to say about him but it was still a rush to see him drive up, standing out of the sunroof of the SUV and the crowd cheering for him.  He really doesn't look any different to me than he does on TV.  I told him Abby was a fostered rescue dog and he said something nice about that, the picture was taken and then the next person came up behind me.  I've heard people say his live show was very good.  As always, me and Abby were a walking poster for TG (yes, she had a yellow TG bandana on, of course).  It was quite crowded at times and lots of dogs.  Abby got her back hairs up at times if dogs came in too close or too excited to greet her but on the flip side when we stopped anywhere for longer than a few minutes she laid down and wasn't fussed about getting going.    Some people's dogs were straining against their leashes trying to get involved in all the excitement and Abby was such a gem as she just laid down by my feet.   

 

Thursday night was off to curling and Abby slept in the back of the truck.  Not a peep out of her.   She has done really well with the brief times that I've left her so far.  Anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours.   

So, things on the agenda for the coming week are lots of good walks and continued clicker training and more dog meet and greet time on the street and at daycare.  I really wouldn't say she isn't dog social because she does get along (and we know she certainly got along with lots of dogs up at TG) but she just needs to tolerate the initial approach better.  

"What an exhausting week"

Abby is my new foster.

Abby - 2 year old, approx 50 lb, spayed female 

When I first picked Abby up I was stunned at what a pretty dog she is.   The pictures as good as they may be just don't do her justice.   She is dainty, very very soft, agile and really smart.   She is a failed adoption only due to her prey drive.   The home she was in needed her to be more docile around sheep, chickens, etc and she just wanted too badly to get after them.   She was perfect in every other way though and I can tell they have done some good training with her.   

She has taken a couple of days to respond to me on a walk.   At first she would listen and walk nicely on the leash but she was distracted on the walk and was on the look out for other animals.   After our first few walks though she knows what I want from her, she has bonded with me a bit more and she is now paying more attention to me and is not pulling at the leash so much.   She is a quick learner and I have started her with some clicker training.   She is now making alot more eye contact and I think this might help her keep her attention on the walk once we get the clicker outdoors (we're just doing clicker conditioning to start).   This is my first time with the clicker training and I have to say its very cool.   Such a quick response feels so rewarding.

She is friendly with other dogs when we meet them although her back hairs stand up if the dog approaches too quickly and too exited.  I imagine it is overwhelming for her so she gets nervous/scared.   She is so friendly with people and is happy to be petted by anyone who stops to meet her.   People stopping to look at her is a regular occurrence because of her good looks.   People are constantly in awe of her and I've even had someone yell across the street about how pretty she is.   

She rides quietly in the truck and is very quiet and mellow indoors.  When we hang around home she lays down and sleeps.  She is playful if prompted and she likes alot of the toys and will play with something on her own for a bit.   Some toys have become off limit though because she gets too excited about tearing them apart.   She will fetch an item a few times but then keeps the toy to herself.   

She is housebroken and will hold her bladder quite a long time.   On our first day together she asked for the door... she will put out a couple of 'husky' type whines to get your attention to make sure you know she needs out.

Abby is very affectionate and loves a good belly rub.  If you come up to her while she's laying down you get shown her belly really quickly.  It's hard to not want to pet her because she has such a beautiful coat.   

Anyone would be lucky to adopt this sweet dog...I'm just trying to figure out what her perfect home would be.   She does have so much potential for activity and I think she would make a great agility, rally-o, flyball kind of dog or even possibly someone who is dancing with dogs (I forget if there is a term for that?).   

(I'm using a borrowed picture because I'm charging the battery in my camera....more pictures to come)

Double Yahoo!!

Looks like I will have a dog again by Saturday.   Hopefully we will have some rain-free evenings...good for dog walking.   I will post a picture and reveal which dog I have after he/she comes to me.

The second yahoo is for Turtle Gardens making it into the #2 spot in the Pepsi Challenge.  Keep voting so they can stay there!

http://www.refresheverything.ca/turtlegardens