…AND ON TUESDAY, A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR A SAIL

Sail came down on the last dog run almost two weeks ago and she was not the right match for her adoptive family.   She was taken to Emily who had agreed to try fostering Sail to see if she fit in with her ever-growing foster pack.  Well the energy match wasn't quite right and her fosters and Beckett are a happier dynamic without one more dog who maybe wasn’t sure how she was going to fit in and where.   Sail has experienced so much in so little time.  She was spayed recently, travelled down with all the dogs on such a long journey and was shuffled into the barn (awaiting the trip to the Island) where she immediately tried to take over everything.   She had been picked on up North so this behaviour was baffling but was probably bourn from a stressful drive and the absence of those who did the picking.   She showed what seemed like some prey drive with little Spot who was at the dog run and in her adoptive home, we’re told, she approached a small dog inappropriately as well.  

So, off to Emily who said she was playing a bit rough and had guarded the food dish from humans…and this was all on the first day.   Emily said she started to improve after this as she settled in but still was unable to take a chance with Sail and get to the bottom of these new issues as their landlord has a small dog and they just can’t jeopardize a good rental situation, especially one that allows all those foster dogs…for which some TG dogs have enjoyed on their way to good Island homes.  

Sail came over on the Ferry on Tuesday and my plan was to see what she was like by spending a few days with her and then look at flying her back up North.   Well, it only took 1 day for me to phone Yvette and say that I was pretty darn sure that she would be staying with me and not coming back up.  She has more to gain from the one on one time that I’m happy to provide and quite frankly she is awesome!  She is pretty, and affectionate and funny and playful.   She has energy but with help and guidance she can be very relaxed and calm.  

On Wednesday she went to a kennel that has daycare which is not my usual daycare.  I took her to  this particular one because they have the option of kennels with runs and the group daycare atmosphere…so if she was not fitting in well with any other dogs they could give her some space on her own without calling me to say ‘she can’t stay’.  Well they took her in with other dogs and she was fine.  No small dogs around but she played well with everyone and the staff thought she had a very nice personality.   We went for a walk after work to the dog beach and being game night we practically had the place to ourselves.   She enjoyed the walk and went pretty quickly from pulling on the leash to walking like a pro.   She needed regular reminders at first – she would pull and I would stop dead in my tracks.  She is a very smart girl and figured out that she needed a loose leash in order to keep moving forward.   She did however pull at the leash when we passed people. 

"and I'm not even pulling my hardest"

'oh...okay...loose leash, I get it now"

She seems very drawn to people and wants to go meet them.   There was one nice couple walking past and they stopped to say hi and remarked a few times about what a nice sensitive dog Sail is.   The man gave Sail a cookie which she dropped to the ground to chew on it and he bent down to pat her on the head while she was eating it and all was well.  Our 1 ½ hour walk seemed to be enough for her.  She came home after that and slept the evening away and one last cruise around the block for a final pee at the end of the night and she tucked in next to my bed and slept all night. 

The daycare commented today that Sail was playing quite nicely with everyone and she was matching the energy level of the other dogs.   She will go to my usual dog daycare on Monday and we can get going on a normal week.  I like both daycare locations but one is closer and I have a longer relationship with them and I believe they have more dogs there too.

When Sail first came home with me on Tuesday it was with a clean slate, free of everything that I had been told from the last week.   I did however make some alterations to how I usually do things so I would not set Sail up to show me any bad behaviours.   She came through the door to my place and was walked on leash around my home to check everything out.  She was shown the water dish and the dog bed, etc.  Toys were not left out and I have selectively introduced some over the last few days.   She showed much excitement about food being brought out for her dinner and she was not given a scrap until she was calm and sitting or laying down.  I hand fed her for the first day and the next morning and on Wednesday night I used clicker training for each and every handful of her dinner.  She did not lose interest and she caught on to the current task which was complete eye contact, even with the clicker and food held in my hands extended away from me.  She is super smart…a fast learner.   I now sit on the floor and place handfuls into her bowl and she is fine with me petting her and touching her mouth while she eats.   She has been given nothing without earning it and she seems to appreciate the boundaries and is doing well.   I even have a dog bone perched on the edge of my coffee table and she has learned it is off limits.  It has sat there for a day and a half with very few corrections made.  

For those who read that last sentence and thought I was
correcting the dog bone from leaping off the table...I was in
fact correcting the dog from taking it ; )

 I think she is absolutely beautiful and she makes me want to do the best I can to help her find the perfect home.   She just needs someone to understand her, create trust and help her be even more than the good dog she is already. 

WARNING:  The length of this blog is completey indicative of the level of affection I already have for this dog.