Last weekend, my parents and I loaded up all three dogs into their beautiful, brand new Toyota Sienna van. It is FULLY loaded and has more toys on it than the space shuttle which, for my dad, means driving comes second to pushing buttons, playing with the rear camera and taking orders from the female voice on the GPS which my mom and I find quite gratifying! The purpose of the mini space shuttle was to give Samson and Jakester plenty of room for the long road trips my parents want to take in retirement and they are certainly travelling in luxury now from their separate rear air conditioning to the DVD player. My dad said he will get dog movies, 101 Dalmations, Turner and Hooch, the musical Cats etc. for the dogs on long rides. Dear god. Now, fellow readers, you know why I ended up the way I did when it comes to animals!
From the pound to paradise.But getting back on track, we loaded up the dogs and took them out to a park in Fall City early last Saturday morning. The park borders the river and we thought they would love to explore new grounds. In addition, we thought it would be fun to take them over to Whidbey Island in a couple weeks so this was a test run to make sure PB would get in the car and get along ok with my dad there. I underestimated him as he had no qualms at all.
I realized as the polar bear hopped in the car with Samson and Jake, my dad, my mom and I, just how far he has come from his fear of car rides, his initial reticence about Jake and of course, his relentless fear of men to being able to jump in without a second thought. The dogs had a great time and despite a kids' baseball game, noise and other people in the park, PB did really well with no freezing. He even waded into the river which is unusual for him.
Um, this water isn't as warm as you said it would be.
But I'm willing to suck it up so you can take one decent photo.
Watching the baseball game. His ears are forward, a sure sign he isn't that stressed but he's still a little wary.
Samson making a beeline for the water, Jake making a bee line for the rabbits.
A Newfoundland's idea of heaven.
Could you put a movie in mom?Another small land mark for us this week was my having to put the doggie door back into my slider as a result of the kittens being here now. They are indoor only due to Dexter's disease but I wanted to give PB unlimited access to the outdoors whenever I am home. The doggie door is high enough off the ground that the kittens can't get out so it works well. We really struggled with that door last winter. Despite having Hudson to show him how it's done and despite my best attempts at clicker training him to use it, he was terrified of the feel of the door sliding across his back. He never did use it freely and I usually had to hold it at least partially open to get him through it which sort of defeats the purpose!
So imagine my surprise when, with but a few days of clicker training, he will freely go in and out now without my having to touch the door. I have taught him the commands "inside" and "outside" as well. In fact, once again my underestimation of him was how poor Dexter ended up pinned under a paw a couple days ago. PB was watching Dexter's antics from outside through the door and I didn't think he would take the initiative to come through without my being there as he still hasn't figured out he can go in and out without me standing there.
But he evidently overcame his hesitation with Dexter as a lure! He came through the door like a missile and poor Dexter had to run for his life! The doggie door has shown me that not only has he overcome his fear of things enough to learn much faster but I am also becoming far more natural in my ability to train and to know intuitively what steps I need to train to lead up to the ultimate goal. This has been really rewarding for both of us and I am constantly amazed at how much PB can learn and overcome. I love him more each day for his willingness to try and to want to please me.
Today I took him to the kennel to meet the owner and become familiar with it, get treats etc. but not be left there on his first exposure. The owner, Kathy, is fantastic. The kennel is on her home farm of 5 acres with chickens, donkeys, horses, cats, dogs etc. Just the rural setting alone put PB at ease.
Kathy has 20 years of experience rescuing mastiffs and giant schnauzers. She knows dog behavior inside and out, a relief for me not to have to educate someone about not looking PB in the eye, not holding their hand over his head etc. She was also very educated about all the LGD breeds.
I expressed concern about his stress if they have male employees and the fact that he might feel backed into a corner in a run where he can't escape. Kathy does not hire men she said, because of the difficult dogs she handles and she feels no matter how gentle the men, the dogs pick up on testosterone and it tends to amplify their behavior so there are only women working at the kennel. In short, a perfect situation for him should my parents be unable to care for him in an emergency.
He did fantastically well, far better than I thought. He went into the lobby, met the dogs and cats, took treats from Kathy, his tail was up, he was interested in what was going on, ears forward and he even lay down for me which he doesn't do unless he feels very secure. We brought him in and out a few times and called it good, not wanting to push him too far.
I will take him back to spend the night this Thursday as Samson and Jake will be boarding this week with my parents out of town and I thought that would be a good next step for him to be there for only one night and in a run next to dogs he knows. It will kill me to drop him off as I know how stressful it will be for him but I know in the long run, it's necessary and better for him. He needs to know I will always come back and get him.
These things, so minor to most dog owners, are for us, worthy of medals. Unless you are M, L or D, all of whom cared for PB while he was in foster care and who truly know what he has been through (and what they went through!) and just how much he has adapted to the world, it is hard to explain the significance of these small break throughs. I do know that I miss Hudson every day and I think about him all the time but my relationship with PB is so different and so much more bonded in a way because we have had to learn each other so well. After 10 months, I can't imagine my life without him.
That said, the little rascally kittens are on their way to the vet tomorrow for their initial exams and last set of shots. They are a great antidote to PB for me because they are so normal. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to have animals that aren't afraid, are well socialized and well adjusted and love to play. They are so open, in contrast to PB's great reserve that it's good for me to have them as a break in some ways, from PB and all his issues. My great hope is that some of their outlook on life will rub off on him. If they ever sit still long enough, I'll get some more photos up!
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