Rescue Journal

Give a dog a bone.....

Deb  ·  Jul. 13, 2008

Sir Tucker Bootstraps has decided that he likes it here. :)

I tried him with a knuckle bone yesterday, something interesting to do while the warm afternoon hours passed by. This was a third attempt to introduce Tuck to chewing a bone, something as natural as breathing for most canines, but a totally foreign concept to him.

Yesterday he *got* it and was in doggy heaven. Way to go Tucker!

Our boy is 15, a bit deaf, a little farsighted, maybe, but still as sharp as a tack. He managed to silently remove a metal food bowl from the top of the dryer, without anyone noticing, and without spilling a morsel of food.

Tucker has fallen in love with Piper, too. She's a little hussy.....she's got her "come on, big boy" tail action happening with every male she meets, and the bigger they come, the harder they fall. Tuck spent a long time grooming her from head to tail yesterday, and Piper, of course, soaked up the attention. She got a little tired of the brain lavage after a while, though. There's only so much room in a Pug's ear for a Lab's tongue.

We're very happy that Tuck has settled in so perfectly, and so quickly. Sienna loves him, Piper, too. Everyone else is cool with him, except MacKenzie, who, of course, wants him dead. He has bonded, and is exceptionally eager to please. I think he's even beginning to grin every now and then. That's a gift.

Now on to helping our boy understand that our hands, our broom and our mop are never going to hurt him. Tucker is terribly head shy. He loves, loves, loves having his velvety ears rubbed and he enjoys being stroked , but he scrunches his eyes closed and ducks whenever a hand comes near his face, so we have to come from below.

That will change. Someday Tucker will realize that absolutely no harm will come to him here.

Comments

Heidi

Thanks for the Tucker update, I love reading about his progress. Yeah Tucker. Hope all is well with Rosie.

Rae

Fred and Barney arrived here with their names and I didn't change them, it's not that I am a huge Flintstones fan, although I did grow up with the cartoon. I wanted something simple and pure and I thought Rosie Killoran sounds beautiful. She looks like a Rosie! Hopefully all is well and tomorrow doesn't uncover anything unfixable!

Deb

Well Rosie, your life may have been hell before, but you've landed in the Doggie Promised Land! :)

Sorry I made the assumption that Rosie was a foster (as if a foster/permanent would be treated differently in your family, Rae). I'm so glad she found such a safe place to land.

Hopefully none of Rosie's medical issues are serious, and she's younger, rather than older, so she gets to spend her golden years with a stellar family. God knows it sounds as if she's earned the right to some happiness and love.

I'm surprised Rosie's name isn't "Betty" or "Wilma", given you've already loved a "Barney" and a "Fred", and still do, I'm sure.

Please let us know how it goes with the Vet. Fingers, toes and paws crossed here.

Rae

Rosie came from the SPCA Shelter here in Salmon Arm and I guess would be considered unadoptable because of her age and health. I'm responsible for her now and I'm hoping to intigrate her into my herd of seniors.I have made an appointment and we are off to the vet tomorrow. I'm hoping he's going to tell me she's healthy enough to spay as she does have some other health symptoms that really concern me. Huge belly, drinking lots, and panting(that could be the weather) Something weird with her eyes to, only dog i've ever seen that squints!!! I'm assuming the blood is from being in heat, I guess worse case senario she could have an infection as well. We'll find out tomorrow!

Deb

No, the fact that she's in heat definitely would not help. Is the rescue for which you are fostering planning to get her altered relatively soon. God, a senior Golden in heat, poor girl.

Deb

I wish I could help you, Rae, I really do. MacKenzie is a volatile dog, and she is not trusted. Unless she is with one of us, meaning close enough to touch her, or outside, she is in my office. I cut the office door in half, removing the top, so that Mac can see and hear everything, but she can't jump out. It is an imperfect solution, she spends more time alone than I like, but there are few options: muzzling, which I detest, letting the other nine dogs fend for themselves, which, of course, is not an option, or having her euthanized, which, again, is not an option.

It took Kirby, Sienna and Kiefer a little while to warm up to Humper.....I mean Tucker. :) Tuck's social skills were lacking, and they grew weary of him pretty quickly. Really it was just a matter of keeping Tucker safe by gently correcting his behaviour, rewarding all of his successes, therefore making his presence less annoying to the other dogs. The other dogs got tons of praise and rewards for good behaviour, so there was impetus for them to "be nice". Plus, Tucker needed to learn a few of the basics, like "come", and "sit", and his rewards were food. When Tuck got a reward, everyone else got a treat, too. No point on picking on the new kid if he's a treat magnet, right?

One thing to remember: when you are giving your dogs treats, start with the dog who has the most seniority and work your way down to the newest dog. Pack hierarchy is everything!

Rae

I am so glad he's fit right in with your crew. How do you manage when one of your group doesn't like the new one? I'm just introducing a wonderful senior Golden Retriever to my group and and Pedro seems to have issues with her. The biggest problem right now is she isn't spayed and seems to be in heat. We are taking it slow and only introducing her to a couple of the dogs at a time. Any hints would be greatly appreciated!!!!!