SQUIRREL SIGHTING

I have a very small fenced yard area and upon returning home Chief has been excitedly running the perimeter with nose to the ground.  He can smell a fresh squirrel track but up until today hadn't seen the critter yet.  Timing is everything and we've gone outside for his business and no sooner do we get back inside then the squirrel runs along the fence and up the tree.  This has happened quite a few times where it's waiting until we're gone to show itself.  Chief was excited enough without having seen it and he even watches from inside, checking out the tree branches.  Well, today he finally got outside in time to see the squirrel on the fence.  No barking or anything crazy but he's now on the watch even more.  His pee breaks take alot longer now and it took until noon before he'd stop watching the tree so he could pee (and he'd held it from bedtime, the night before).

He's not a huge fan of the wet grass and he uses the garden wall as his catwalk to get around to find his 'perfect spot' and also to go on squirrel patrol.   Today was a nice day out so he just used his walkway for a better vantage point of the tree.

I swear dogs have a better sit-stay for a squirrel
than they do for just about any other reason

On Saturday it was raining pretty hard so we went to No 3 Rd in Richmond and walked quite a ways along the main route trying to stay under the shelter of the skytrain line.  We weren't very successful at staying dry but we both had our raincoats on.  We had a good walk and Chief is doing really well on leash.  He is unconcerned with people and traffic around him.  Even the loud sound of the skytrain overhead didn't startle him. 

I've had Chief with me for four weeks now and he's starting to pick up more toys and play.  He'll entertain himself with a toy - throwing it in the air and then pouncing on it.  It's pretty cute!

A QUICK UPDATE

Waiting at the door to go for a walk.


If you want a dog to repeat a behavior ....whatever you do, don’t brag about it.   I was just about to write a blog the other night about how good Chief is about leaving dishes with food on the coffee table alone.  He will go within a few inches of something on the table and I haven’t said a word and he air-sniffs but does not grab or lick at anything on the table.  All without a word from me.  I was really impressed with this.  But, when I went to my cousins for dinner last night they put a couple of dishes of snacks on the table – some veggies and dip and a bowl of chips.  He of course sniffed the veggies from a safe distance and then investigated the chips and no sooner had I just told everyone how good he’s been about leaving things alone on the table he made a move on the chips (apparently he prefers junk food to healthy veggies).  He was stopped in time and very easily, but darn it if dogs don’t want to make a liar out of you.  I also had pointed out that whenever I hold a treat in my hand after a couple of seconds he looks down to the ground like it’s dropped and he will watch the ground for a bit.  He looks quite funny the way he does it and seriously, he does this every time I hold a treat, but once I held a treat and told everyone that this is what he does, he kept his eyes on the prize and not one look down.  I think dogs must know when we want them to do something just a little too badly. 

Apparently you can't get the camera out either.  I'm holding a treat in my hand and if nobody was around and if the camera wasn't aimed at him he would be looking at the ground for most of the clip. 

Not sure if you noticed that I mentioned we went to my cousins for dinner with a dog that was having a hard time relaxing with new people and new dogs in smaller spaces.  Well, there were six of us there and my cousin's dog Walker.  Chief did great!  I went in there and at first asked everyone to ignore him unless he went to them for attention which everyone did.  He was growly at first with Walker but after a quick introduction he was good with each person and with Walker.  He went from person to person by his choice and got lots of attention and he played tug o war with Walker.  We let the dogs out into the back yard and Chief and Walker played really well together.  I haven't seen Chief off leash in a larger yard like that and it was amazing to see how much ground he could cover so quickly.  He is fast and agile.  Once back in the house Chief spent some time on the floor with my cousin playing with a stuffie.  That's the thing about Chief...so far I feel that he has always let me know when he's unsure about something so I don't have to wait and wonder if how he might react....he gives you a bunch of clues first and can be redirected.  And, once he gets past the initial introduction if he relaxes, he stays that way.  Basically once his mind is made up that you're okay...then you are okay.  He is a work in progress but we are making some really great strides.  He seems to do really well when I challenge him in a situation that is new to him but predictable to me. 

CHIEF UPDATE



Chief is doing really well.  Back in 2011 when he was having problems in his adoptive home he was getting more and more reactive to people as well as dogs, when he was on leash.  He was also sensitive about being petted on his hind end.  He is now quite comfortable in meeting all people and passing people on our walk. He shows no aggression or reaction.  He is great with the dogs at daycare and was also good with all the dogs up North but on leash he worries when another dog approaches.  If pushed too far, to get too close to new dogs while on leash he reacts with growling.   We have a game plan for that though and his reaction is minimizing.  I walk him in places where I know dogs will be on leash and where there's lots of room so he doesn't feel too confined in having to pass a dog that he might be uncomfortable with.  I feel in time he will learn to get past these worries and be a candidate for off leash fun with other dogs that he doesn't know yet.  As far as his sensitivity to being touched on his tail, back legs, etc he is very accepting and enjoys a good scratch on the back as much as the front.   So all in all, Chief is getting back to the dog he wants to be.  

Last week I got to walk on some new turf.  I went out to Mission and Chief and I went for a walk down by the river.  What a great place for a walk...wide open space alongside the river and all of the dogs we passed by were either on leash or if they were off leash just kept to their own walk.  This was really helpful in having Chief walk with other dogs without them getting too close before he's ready.   We actually were able to pass other dogs on leash within a few feet and he ignored them.

Chief in Mission



By the river and happy for a moment of shade.  What hot
day for October.

 

Memorial Park in Mission

 

Chief chillin in the park while I read a book.  This is his

version of giving me space....he tried to sit on my lap before he

settled on this spot with his head on my leg.

Chief rides really well in the vehicle. He either lays down or sits quietly and watches out the window.  He barked once at a dog outside the vehicle and also once at a motorcycle that came too close to the back bumper while in traffic, but he is easy settled and is learning to trust that he's safe in the truck and doesn't need to protect us from the outside dogs and guys with helmets. 

When I went to curling the other night Chief was completely fine in the back of the truck, waiting until I was done.  Not a peep out of him. He just lays down and waits.  I set him up with lots of warm comfy bedding and put his jacket on him so he'd be extra cozy.   Afterwards I went and got him out of the truck and took him into the curling club briefly to meet a few people.  He goes up to people easily and will sometimes lean in for a good pat. 

Yesterday afternoon I went to MacDonald Beach with Chief.  There were only a few cars in the parking lot and those people were down at the main beach. So, me and Chief walked on the upper beach area and down the back path.  He was on the long leash and he doesn't seem like he would go very far away even if he was off leash.  He comes back when called and walks pretty nicely on short or long leash.

MacDonald Beach...can you tell Chief is not fond
of the sit-stay for his picture

At home, Chief is quiet indoors.  On the first few days of him being here, he started to bark at noises of my neighbours coming home but he was easily corrected and is not so sensitive to noises outside now.  Other than that one time he actually hasn't barked at all indoors.  Chief thinks he is a lap dog and if allowed on the couch he will want to lay at least 10% of himself on top of you.  He'll flop down right on top of you completely if you allow him to but will settle for a chin and a leg resting across your leg.  He loves to be close and is actually a pretty comfortable cuddler.  With his desire to be close, this also means he doesn't have the best sense of giving you space.  He tries to stay equal to you in going out the door and walking around things so I'm teaching him to wait until I've gone through a door first or past something without him squeezing himself past me at the same time.   The stairs are now a game and he stays even or one stair back whether we're going up or down.  If he goes too far ahead I stop and he jumps back into place.  At the end of the stairs he waits for lots of praise and that's enough to motivate him. 



A couple of stairs ahead.  I'm waiting for
him to come back down a few more.



CHIEF'S STORY



Chief was rescued by Turtle Gardens in March 2011. He was described as having a loveable goofy temperament and he fit in well with the other dogs. He was adopted to a family with 2 sons and another TG dog, in the Lower Mainland and after 6 months or so some problems started to arise with Chief that they worked so hard to fix but they couldn't get a handle on it. They contacted Turtle Gardens and after much discussion, a very hard decision was made by the family that the best thing would be for Chief to go back to Turtle Gardens. He went back in December 2011 and has been waiting patiently for a new adoptive home since then.


Chief with his buddy Rico from his previous home.

Chief was returned because he had started growling at people even from great distances away, he had bitten someones arm in front of the family home when he had gotten loose, and the family began to lose confidence in Chief and became fearful of his reaction to people coming into their home and meeting people on the street. They had worked with more than one trainer and had even gone to have him evaluated for aggression. None of these things brought about the change that was needed.  Once you start to see the dog in front of you as an aggressive case it seems to be an image that the dog will fulfill.

I first met Chief at the dog run in April 2011 and I remember him being shy/nervous with ears held back on his head and such a sweet loveable face. When the family started having troubles I went and met with them and even took Chief on a few outtings to see how he could be with some more socializing.  I carried in my head the image of him from the dog run when I first met him, not the image of the dog who was starting to get into trouble and when I took him around to different places I could see he was still a great dog but he just needed to go in a different direction.   Here is what I wrote about him for his Petfinder bio back in 2011: Chief was adopted by a lovely family with another dog. Unfortunately it seems they missed some important signals that Chief was putting out. He was being a teenager and testing boundaries and also was dealing with being insecure. They were not providing him with the boundaries he needed. He was getting good exercise and basic obedience training but he needs more confidence building for his insecure side and firm boundaries and mental challenges for his teenager, cocky side. His 4 legged brother is very happy go-lucky however he alerts to dogs and people, etc with excitement and Chief picked up on this and becomes reactive to other dogs on leash. It appears he felt that nobody was in control of the situation and started to become too focused on people and dogs and would lunge on leash to keep them away. I have spent a few days with him introducing him to new dogs and to new people and he accepts direction quite easily. He greeted everyone I asked him to. He was hesitant but still went forward to accept being petted. When introduced to a few new dogs off leash he does not get aggresive but growls a bit because he is uncertain about dogs sniffing him in return. I believe if given the right home with someone who is dog savvy and a confident leader he will be able to appreciate meeting any new situation with confidence and will become a well rounded boy again. He really is a very loveable dog. He lives with two kids and they love him to bits and when I've spent time with him he is quite submissive and affectionate. He will make a great companion for the right person. He could live in a home with another dog again but would have to have a calm, very well balanced role model.

Chief did very well when he was back at Turtle Gardens.  He got along with the other dogs and started to become more relaxed about people approaching the fence.  I have had him on my list of dogs to foster for quite a while now, but there have always been other dogs that seemed to need fostering more.  Chief was no trouble up North....so he waited. 

When I saw Chief again at the dog run this Saturday I was very happy to see him again. I'd like to say he was excited to see me but he had become so attached to Dave while at Turtle Gardens that he spent his first bit of time at the barn at the end of his leash wanting to go be with Dave. Chief watched very carefully as the van pulled away and once it was out of sight he seemed to remember me.



Here's a picture that Piper took of Chief, at
the barn, right after the van left.

Chief has come back to town as a much more relaxed dog. He was comfortable with everyone at the barn and although he growled a bit at a couple of the dogs he has still come a long way to being more dog social.  He is such an amazingly affectionate dog.  I still see an insecure side of him but that's nothing that some confidence building can't cure.  I am spending my first week with him just relaxing, walking and working on trust.  He has gone to daycare and the first morning was apparently a bit rough.  He had hackles up but by the afternoon he was playing and has been doing better every day.  

When we're walking he doesn't seem to be afraid of very much.  The only two things so far that he's shown a worry about were the Halloween scarecrows in front of Save-On-Foods and the ceiling fans at home.  He barked his head off at the scarecrows so we moved along.  In the first couple of days he seems pretty relaxed but then all of a sudden would notice the ceiling fan and he'd stare at it like he was waiting for it to jump down at him.  I got up on the bed and moved it around and showed him there was no problem and he seems to be fine with it now.  More work with the scarecrows later...we have until the end of the month for him to make friends with them.

On the first night at my place he got up every hour during the night.  He'd get off of his bed, come over to me and stare and wag his tail.  I think he was probably getting up every time I tossed or turned and he must have thought that was the right time to get some attention or he was thinking it might be the signal of time to get up.  The second night was much better, he only woke me up at 3:00 and when I told him to go back to bed he went and laid down again but proceeded to wag his tail which of course was beating up against the wall....tap tap tap tap...'I'm happy you're awake'.   For the last couple of nights he has been lights out all night and no waking me up.  For which I'm very grateful - 'thanks Chief'.  

He is very mellow in the house and just lays down nearby.  As I type this blog he alternates between laying on the floor by my feet or on the couch.

Chief is a very loving dog.  He travels well in the car, is quiet and rarely barks, he thinks he is a lap dog and he actually finds a way to prove to me that he can be on the couch with me as a lap dog and we can both be comfortable still.  He is going to be an awesome and loyal companion for some lucky person.  I look forward to writing more about him in the next while and showing everyone how great he is and how far in the past his history is.  

Today...after work and dog daycare.  Chief is dying for
me to let him in the house, but nope you have to have
your picture taken first...so I'm getting the 'look'.

You got the picture can we go in now?