I am late posting, but I did not forget. She had an extra special day with a ton of treats, chews, toys, and lovins. 
On April 25th 2010, I walked out on my front porch and was greeted by the most cheesy puppy smile. I hadn't lived in this house long so I figured she was just a neighbors dog running loose, because that is what the neighbors here do. It's rural, but not rural enough for me to leave any animal unsupervised loose.
I pet her on the head, told her how pretty she was and how stupid her owner was for leaving her loose and went back inside. I wanted to run and play with her, but I figured it would make her not go back home so I resisted. I kept an eye out for her, to make sure she wasn't in the road but I tried my best to just let her be.
By day two I was starting to get concerned... cheesy puppy had not left my yard once, in fact she had camped out on my porch all night. I sat out a bowl of water and she gulped it down so I refilled it. That night was supposed to be an unusual 40* F, way too cold for a little pup to sleep on my porch so I gave in and let her come in.
Well that is an understatement, I opened the door and tried to coax her in and she planted her feet. I tried everything and she just cowered at the door, it was obvious that she was never allowed inside. I gave up and picked her up, shut the door, and sat her down. She was so scared of being inside that I am surprised that she didn't pee. She refused to walk at all, I had to tote her to the bedroom and I closed the door because it was just too much for her.
She slept in my bed that night and every night since. I asked around, it's very rural (about 8-10 houses for a mile) and everyone knows everyone and no one had ever seen this puppy. A couple of the neighbors told me that it was common for people to dump dogs here and that was how they got their dogs. And it all made sense, someone dumped her and it was probably right in front of my yard because she never left the yard.
So I spent months trying to not get "too" attached, just in case someone drove by and saw her and said "Hey, that is my dog!" After about 6 months it sunk it that she is really MY dog now, where ever she came from did not love her.
She had some serious fear periods, she even saw her shadow (pooping) and was literally afraid of it. Reflections would make her hackles go up and her trying to bolt. We worked through that and now she is a pretty confident dog, now if she gets concerned about something she runs right up to it and smells it, goes "oh that's nothing at all" and walks away.
I am SO proud of her.
Not to mention, today I brought out the jumps again and she did so freaking good. It's been a few months since we did jumps, the last time we did them she wasn't that into it without treats. Today I had no treats and she was running right next to me and went over the jumps great. She did go around a jump 3-4 times and went under one once, but she did WAY better than last time. She was in the 'eff you' stage the last time we did jumps, I am so glad that she *should* be done with that stage now. I will have to get her out in agility one day, it would be a waste not to.
Okay okay. Sappy story is over, PICS!!!
Puppeh pics first!!!
I haz not a home, can I haz yours? (Take note of the tail lol, it's FLUFFY now)
I promise I will be good puppeh. Sort of...
Pic from this Easter:
I will wear stoopid bow and pose by the roses... but I want my treats nao!
Treats woman!
I will dance, just give me the stinking treat!
Moar:
On April 25th 2010, I walked out on my front porch and was greeted by the most cheesy puppy smile. I hadn't lived in this house long so I figured she was just a neighbors dog running loose, because that is what the neighbors here do. It's rural, but not rural enough for me to leave any animal unsupervised loose.
I pet her on the head, told her how pretty she was and how stupid her owner was for leaving her loose and went back inside. I wanted to run and play with her, but I figured it would make her not go back home so I resisted. I kept an eye out for her, to make sure she wasn't in the road but I tried my best to just let her be.
By day two I was starting to get concerned... cheesy puppy had not left my yard once, in fact she had camped out on my porch all night. I sat out a bowl of water and she gulped it down so I refilled it. That night was supposed to be an unusual 40* F, way too cold for a little pup to sleep on my porch so I gave in and let her come in.
Well that is an understatement, I opened the door and tried to coax her in and she planted her feet. I tried everything and she just cowered at the door, it was obvious that she was never allowed inside. I gave up and picked her up, shut the door, and sat her down. She was so scared of being inside that I am surprised that she didn't pee. She refused to walk at all, I had to tote her to the bedroom and I closed the door because it was just too much for her.
She slept in my bed that night and every night since.
I asked around, it's very rural (about 8-10 houses for a mile) and everyone knows everyone and no one had ever seen this puppy. A couple of the neighbors told me that it was common for people to dump dogs here and that was how they got their dogs. And it all made sense, someone dumped her and it was probably right in front of my yard because she never left the yard.So I spent months trying to not get "too" attached, just in case someone drove by and saw her and said "Hey, that is my dog!" After about 6 months it sunk it that she is really MY dog now, where ever she came from did not love her.
She had some serious fear periods, she even saw her shadow (pooping) and was literally afraid of it. Reflections would make her hackles go up and her trying to bolt. We worked through that and now she is a pretty confident dog, now if she gets concerned about something she runs right up to it and smells it, goes "oh that's nothing at all" and walks away.
I am SO proud of her.
Not to mention, today I brought out the jumps again and she did so freaking good. It's been a few months since we did jumps, the last time we did them she wasn't that into it without treats. Today I had no treats and she was running right next to me and went over the jumps great. She did go around a jump 3-4 times and went under one once, but she did WAY better than last time. She was in the 'eff you' stage the last time we did jumps, I am so glad that she *should* be done with that stage now.
I will have to get her out in agility one day, it would be a waste not to.Okay okay. Sappy story is over, PICS!!!
Puppeh pics first!!!
I haz not a home, can I haz yours? (Take note of the tail lol, it's FLUFFY now)
I promise I will be good puppeh. Sort of...
Pic from this Easter:
I will wear stoopid bow and pose by the roses... but I want my treats nao!
Treats woman!
I will dance, just give me the stinking treat!
Moar:
