IT'S BEEN TEN DAYS SINCE MY LAST BLOG

I've been busy in the last week or so and haven't taken the time to blog and haven't had my camera handy for any new pictures either.   Chief has had little or no applications but we met with a really nice couple the other day and they are interested in meeting up again to learn more about him.  The timing of Chief's adoption is a very difficult thing.  Adopt him too soon and put him at risk of sliding back into old behaviors, but also don't want to hold him back from his future home if they can continue the work with him.  Thankfully it's a decision both me and Yvette can discuss together...it's not on my shoulders alone. 

One of the hotspots for Chief was the walkway from the parking lot at daycare to the building. It's a very narrow pathway and we run into people and dogs in space with no place to duck out and even though Chief can go through the door and be completely fine with all the dogs inside, the excitement of daycare itself (he gets excited to go in and to come home) and the meeting on leash can cause Chief to react. If left to his own devices he would lunge and bark and possibly bite.  But after this long of fostering him I know most of his weaknesses and can plan ahead and prevent reaction.  So when I walk the pathway with him I hold his collar rather than his leash.  This means I'm not switching from holding the leash to his collar...which could alert him to my anticipation of a problem, just by making that change.  So we go in and out assuming we will run into someone.  A week ago I put a muzzle on him for the brief walk to and from daycare, but this week I haven't bothered with it as he is getting used to just briskly walking past everyone and he sometimes puts out a tiny bit of a worried whine but for the most part is becoming less and less reactive to it.  Knowing that I have a plan in place gives me the confidence to handle him with good energy and working through these challenges flows into his behavior elsewhere.   Chief is more relaxed now in so many more situations that used to be a problem.  He has dealt with a few visitors at my place including my niece and my sister.  My niece is in Grade 9 and she came to stay overnight as she was going to work with me for the 'take your Grade 9 to work' day.  She loved Chief...he cuddled up with her on the couch and he followed her around...if she went upstairs so did he and then back down again.  He seemed quite excited about having an extra person in the home.  My niece told me that I should keep him.  

He is a very rewarding foster so far.   Now that I know most of what triggers a reaction from him we've had little to no reaction to anything in over a week now, which feels like we're in the home stretch.  He is ready for his home in so many ways.  Does he need just a bit longer with me to build a stronger base for someone else to work with him?  Chief will help me decide that in the next while as I put him through some more carefully planned challenges.

I promise to take my camera with me in the next couple of days and post something new soon. 

p.s. Is anyone else finding that the squirrel population has multiplied recently?  Chief is on high alert for any squirrel intruders in my little yard, as the traffic has been quite high and he knows those tracks are pretty fresh.