LEARNING CURVE BALL

My title comes from the 'Before and After' category on Wheel of Fortune.  The first part is for me and the second part is for Percy.   Most dogs present some sort of challenge for me and Percy's challenge has been trying to find what will help settle him.  I think I have it mastered.   When he first came through my door last Monday there were no toys around.  I then opened the toy drawer and found his passion.  My first mistake was playing with toys in the house. 

It was a novelty for me to have dog that fetches so well, so we played for a bit in the hallway and no amount of throwing and fetching was the 'right' amount.  I quickly started to realize he is a little toy crazy.  He was unsettled while he watched the favorite toy on top of the cabinet.  So the next night we went for a walk, came home and he wined a bit for the toys but settled in okay.   Every change in setting though was hard for him to settle.  If I moved to the computer he would wine for a bit, making dinner he would wine a bit...and so on.   So the next day I put all of the toys out and tried to make him settle, with them being just part of the regular household decor.  No go...that actually made it worse.

On Saturday I set out to tire him out on a good walk by the River.  We walked for quite a long time, met lots of dogs and people, which Percy is great with all of them.

YEAH, YEAH, THE RIVER'S PRETTY BUT IT AIN'T NO KONG

But, when we got home it was the same story...where's my toys.  He couldn't wait to get back in the door to check out where they all were.  This morning, he slept in with me until 9:30 (kudos for that!) and when I took him to the yard for his first morning pee, he was more anxious to go back inside to get something to fetch.  I stayed in the yard with him for a good 5 minutes while he scavenged up a leaf and promptly dropped it at my feet several times trying to make me play fetch with him.  He made me laugh with his resourcefulness.  Finally, he peed and we went inside to have breakfast.

I put my thinking cap on and decided to put all of the toys away and no more games in the house AT ALL.  We went for a good walk early in the day and then later in the afternoon, armed with a lawn chair, a good book, tea for me and Kong for Percy we went to the school field.  I got to read and Percy got freedom with an 80' limit (which he really never even went to the end of) and every time he brought that Kong back I threw it back out for him and he would take it and lay down for a while and eventually ask for it to be thrown again.

Several chapters later I started making him come and sit at my feet, I'd cover his eyes and throw the Kong and make him search for it.  He really enjoyed that.  I had finally pooped him out and he came to lay in the shade of the chair.  He slept on the ride home and has slept most of the evening away and most importantly NO WINING for toys!! 


...AND A NIGHT CAP OF PEANUT BUTTER IN THE KONG WHILE I TYPE A BLOG

His other terrier quality that I have been working on has been that he doesn't like being controlled.  The first time I noticed this, he was sitting in front of the closed door that I was about to open and I tried to manoeuver between him and the door with my foot to prompt him to move away.  He freaked out at my foot.  So, now when I need him to move out of a corner I either move him forward with his collar or move towards him at the door and put my body at the door and my foot towards him and hold my ground and he eventually moves away.  He doesn't mind me moving him back with my foot when we're at the door waiting to head outside.  He has learned that he gives the door good clearance going in or out and waits for me to go through first.  He has also gotten a little growly a couple of times when I dried his feet and when I adjusted him on my lap.  He is learning very quickly that this doesn't make me back down and he has become more accepting quite quickly.  When he first showed me his growly side I couldn't figure out if it was fear, prior abuse or stubborness.   I have now decided it is just plain terrier stubborness.  I suspect he has had the desired affect with people in the past when using his growl.  It does nothing with me...I guess I'm stubborn too!   So the gentle..."I'll out-wait you" approach is working really well with him.

So, now that I think I have him figured out...it should be smoother sailing until his adoption.   One of his best qualities is that he is a really good cuddler.  He sleeps on the bed and doesn't budge all night.  Other than one incident of peeing on the dog bed in my place on the first day, he hasn't once had an accident after that.  I suspect he peed on the dog bed because it smells like other dogs, not because he couldn't hold it.   He travels so well in the truck.  He lays on his bed and is well behaved.  When we stop and the door opens he waits on his bed until he is invited out.  He greets all dogs and people really well and puts up zero fuss when he sees another dog in the distance.  He waits until they come to him...no pulling on the leash to get to them and no barking.  He is quiet indoors and outdoors.  I've only heard him bark a handful of times and didn't even bark when someone came and knocked at the door.   He knows how to sit and wait for dinner and takes treats very gently.  He is smart and is responsive with the right motivation.  He is very entertaining, and like Yvette has said of other dogs in the past...can make you frustrated and laugh at the same time.   He is a little gem with a big personality.  

p.s. I wanted to note that I had just brushed Percy prior to the picture of him in the dog bed.  You can brush him and he looks beautiful and two shakes later he looks like you never touched him with a brush.  I guess he is going for the wind-swept look.