With a heavy heart, I write Lisa's final post. I've been horrible about keeping up with her blog, seeing as it's been 2 years since my last entry. Lisa had been doing well until last year when she started experiencing recurring urinary tract infections. Lisa's vet tried to convince me she was showing signs of Cushing's disease. I didn't want to see it at the time. To me, she didn't exhibit any of the classic signs of Cushings, the constant thirst, potbellied appearance, etc. However, little by little more of those symptoms began to appear. For various reasons, the most prevalent being Lisa's age (at the time 13-14ish), we chose not pursue a full on diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Rather than put her through the stress of that, we chose for palliative and supportive care. And for the last year, she had been doing well.
However, this past summer things took a turn for the worse when Lisa's hind quarters would no longer cooperate with her and they would simply collapse under her. I sat in the yard with her and cried over what she wanted me to do. The sparkle was still in her eyes. She was acting more like a "normal" dog than she'd ever had. I asked her if she wanted to go....her response was to slap me with her paw. Her way of telling me to shut up, she wasn't ready. Back to the vet we went and we came home with a prednisone prescription. This little drug is both a blessing and curse. Within a day, Leesie was up walking around like she was before. Yeah, sure, she'd slip here and there, but it was a marked improvement over the previous days.
So for the past 4 or so months, Lisa had been on steroids she would have good days and not so good days. Overall, she still seemed happy and the sparkle was still there. The last 2 to 3 months have been a different story. During this time, she'd become extremely difficult to manage her bathroom activities. She wasn't incontinent as she would go if she was outside. You just had to manage her very well and be vigilant about what she did when she was outside and when. Once back inside, she would give you no cues that she needed to go back out and accidents would follow. Because of this, her freedom to roam the house was over. Now, she was stuck back in her ex-pen when we couldn't physically watch her. Also, her rear had begun to get weak again. She wouldn't move many times, even when encouraged. That would be a bad day; on the good days, she'd follow you all over the house.
Little by little, her quality of life markers were being scratched off the list. She could no longer roll around on the carpet - something she enjoyed immensely. Her walks in the yard with me had become non-existent. And while she still loved to eat and that desire was still there, one of the side effects of Cushings' is increased appetite, so that couldn't be used as an effective qualifier. Lastly, and the most important one of all, the sparkle in her eye is nearly gone. It gives us brief flashes here and there, but I don't see it like I did. That's when I knew we were getting close.
It took me going away and having someone else care for her to truly open my eyes and let me see that I had been going through the motions because I didn't want to face the decision. Unfortunately, it's a decision that has to be made. Yesterday, I called the vet and made the appointment. At 4:30 this afternoon I'll walk into the office with her in my arms, and make good on my promise.
February 17, 2012
April 5, 2010
Tula Finds Her Forever Family
Prayers are answered; Tula has found her forever family! A woman from my husband's work and her family adopted Tula this evening. It's a bittersweet day for my husband and I. We helped Tula open the next chapter of her life and close her chapter with us. My rescue partner, Kay, was here to give Tula a proper send-off.
Tula greeted her new family like old friends, which they were as she had met them previously. She had no quandaries about going with them when it came time to leave. It was a perfectly choreographed scene. In addition to keeping her Mr. Man company while he works from home, Tula will have two children to keep her busy.
To say that my house feels a little emptier without her around is an understatement of mass proportions. However, I know the joy she'll bring her forever family will be greater than any absence I feel.
Tula greeted her new family like old friends, which they were as she had met them previously. She had no quandaries about going with them when it came time to leave. It was a perfectly choreographed scene. In addition to keeping her Mr. Man company while he works from home, Tula will have two children to keep her busy.
To say that my house feels a little emptier without her around is an understatement of mass proportions. However, I know the joy she'll bring her forever family will be greater than any absence I feel.
March 10, 2010
Time Flies When You're Having Fun!
A quick update on Ms. Tula: She is still looking for her forever home. Seems the right one has not come along just yet. I never give up hope - her family is out there. In the meantime, I'm quite enjoying her company while she's here. She is a sweet soul and as I've come to discover, a bit of clown, too!
Ms. Lisa has made some interesting new progressive leaps in her behavior. Her favorite pastime of scratching has dramatically reduced in recent weeks. Yay!!! In fact, her scratching at her crate pan has completely vanished: she no longer does it in either of her 2 crates. Even, the frequency of her wall scratching episodes has also declined. Now, she will scratch once or twice then, come to me. Of course, if I'm standing right next to her favorite scratching spot before she starts, she just looks up at me and then comes over or follows me as I lead her away.
Her health has been great! She's been doing well and completely recovered from her ordeal in December. I did a bit of trimming around her face to allow her to see better and wow! she was like a new dog. It wasn't like I had never clipped the hair so she could see before, I just did it differently so it would stay out of her face. I guess it made an impact. :-)
Lisa's hearing has been playing cruel tricks on her. When the other dogs bark or a loud noise happens, she gets startled very easily, more so than she has in the past. When this happens, she wants to scatter and get away from the area quickly. Perhaps, her increased awareness of her surroundings has also led to this. I combat the situation by going to her, telling her she's okay and petting her a few times in a calm, purposeful way. I don't console, just steady her and let her know everything is fine. A few times now, she's actually turned to me when she's gotten freaked about a loud noise and that's what I want ultimately. Defer to me and I will let you know what's what. Speaking of increased awareness, she still sits and watches the activity outside her crate. Even if I think she's asleep, she gets the scent of me, my husband, or the other dogs walking past and she wakes up and looks around to see what's going on.
Again, all positive signs that we still are waking up even more parts of her sleepy brain!
Photos are of Lisa & Tula sharing a snack as I was refilling the food bin. They took turns each grabbing a bite! Naughty grrrlz! LOL
January 31, 2010
Tula @ Kamp Kimmy
Tula has been great with Lisa. It's usually an eye-brow raising thing to watch girls interact. In my experiences with dogs, I've had more girl-girl disputes/fights happen than those between the boys. However, Tula has treated Lisa with respect. It's nice to see that. It just adds to list of beautiful qualities Tula has. We've discovered a few things about Tula since she's been here both good and areas for development. She is a neat dog and a real lover. I need to find her a home before she becomes a permanent resident here!! And letting her go will be a bittersweet moment, in which my husband and I will probably cry like little babies. That's the beauty of dog rescue. So let the tears come. I know the joy she will bring that lucky forever family will be incredible.
January 14, 2010
Tula Comes to Kamp Kimmy
Sometimes, I just can't help myself. I'm a glutton for punishment and a magnet for trouble! Ok, I might be exaggerating just a bit. However, it's true that I can't help myself. Tula is now a foster resident at my house. She had been residing, due to space restrictions at my house, at the American Pet Spa in Argyle, TX. Lisa also has been boarded there a few times last year. Ms. Tula had been there since September, but it was time to try her out in a home environment now that she's nearly recovered.
After some discussions with my husband and rearrangement of some furniture, I can squeeze one more crate into my kitchen/family room area. When we bought this house, we were thinking kids, not dogs. Well, we've got dogs and not kids! Time to move, I say! ;-) I digress. In an effort to reduce some financial strain on the rescue resources, we decided it was best for everyone if Tula came home and fostered with us. She's been here at Kamp Kimmy a week and it's been an interesting one, at that!
Prior to her change in addresses, I believed we had a forever family for Ms. Tula. Alas, the family declined; I applaud them and their reasons for declining. After meeting Tula, they realized, "OMG, this is really going to happen," and needed to take a moment and think about it. Instead of just rushing right in emotionally blinded, they did the objective thing and evaluated their life and lifestyle. What they found was that at this time in their life with both husband and wife starting new careers, they couldn't give Tula all the attention she needed. They didn't think it would be fair to her, so instead of taking her, trying to make it work, only to fail miserably and then have to call the rescue group to take the dog back, they opted for the only honorable solution: to gracefully decline. Was it hard for them? You betcha! It's not easy to walk away from a Beardie, especially one as sweet and adorable as Tula! Did they make the right decision? Absolutely, they made the right decision for their family and that is what being a responsible pet owner is about.
Honestly, we could use more families like that. People who were truly honest with themselves and their lifestyles, then perhaps we wouldn't have so many dogs in shelters. Do I think this family is still a good prospective home? Absolutely, and now, even more so, when they're ready. Sure, we can find 101 reasons why the time isn't right to adopt a dog or a cat, but if we were truly honest with ourselves and how we live, at the heart, we know if we're really ready or not.
Kamp Kimmy is a bit different from the boarding kennel. Kamp Kimmy has rules and a schedule and Tula has made the adjustment to living in our home quite well. She's told my Beardie boys, Tedi and Tyler, in not so many words, that she doesn't appreciate their staring and leering looks! Can't say I blame her - it's rude behavior in either human or canine social circles. Lisa ignores her and Tula ignores Lisa, which is perfect for 2 girls. Tula enjoys being petted! She enjoys it so much that if you stop, she'll just rub all over you like a cat! Too funny!
After some discussions with my husband and rearrangement of some furniture, I can squeeze one more crate into my kitchen/family room area. When we bought this house, we were thinking kids, not dogs. Well, we've got dogs and not kids! Time to move, I say! ;-) I digress. In an effort to reduce some financial strain on the rescue resources, we decided it was best for everyone if Tula came home and fostered with us. She's been here at Kamp Kimmy a week and it's been an interesting one, at that!
Prior to her change in addresses, I believed we had a forever family for Ms. Tula. Alas, the family declined; I applaud them and their reasons for declining. After meeting Tula, they realized, "OMG, this is really going to happen," and needed to take a moment and think about it. Instead of just rushing right in emotionally blinded, they did the objective thing and evaluated their life and lifestyle. What they found was that at this time in their life with both husband and wife starting new careers, they couldn't give Tula all the attention she needed. They didn't think it would be fair to her, so instead of taking her, trying to make it work, only to fail miserably and then have to call the rescue group to take the dog back, they opted for the only honorable solution: to gracefully decline. Was it hard for them? You betcha! It's not easy to walk away from a Beardie, especially one as sweet and adorable as Tula! Did they make the right decision? Absolutely, they made the right decision for their family and that is what being a responsible pet owner is about.
Honestly, we could use more families like that. People who were truly honest with themselves and their lifestyles, then perhaps we wouldn't have so many dogs in shelters. Do I think this family is still a good prospective home? Absolutely, and now, even more so, when they're ready. Sure, we can find 101 reasons why the time isn't right to adopt a dog or a cat, but if we were truly honest with ourselves and how we live, at the heart, we know if we're really ready or not.
Kamp Kimmy is a bit different from the boarding kennel. Kamp Kimmy has rules and a schedule and Tula has made the adjustment to living in our home quite well. She's told my Beardie boys, Tedi and Tyler, in not so many words, that she doesn't appreciate their staring and leering looks! Can't say I blame her - it's rude behavior in either human or canine social circles. Lisa ignores her and Tula ignores Lisa, which is perfect for 2 girls. Tula enjoys being petted! She enjoys it so much that if you stop, she'll just rub all over you like a cat! Too funny!
December 23, 2009
Meet Tula
Ok, you've heard me talk a little about her. Well, here she is, Ms. Thang herself, Tula. Tula was picked up in September by Dallas Animal Control officers. She was in horrible shape. This sweet, precious girl was running the streets of Dallas for who knows how long, but obviously given her condition -- a while! Tula was microchipped and when DAS officers contacted the registered owner, they got the owner's mother instead. The mother explained to the officers that her daughter was in a mental facility and she was not going to take the dog on behalf of her daughter. The sentiment was that the mother had no idea how long the daughter was going to be in the facility. How sad for both Tula, the mother and the daughter. Lucky for Tula that Beardie Rescue was able to pull her from the shelter. The animal control officer told us that if we didn't, she would have been put down given how bad her health was - "No one will adopt a dog that looks like that." Sadly, they are right.
And that's where organizations like Beardie Rescue and others come in, we take those hard luck cases and turn 'em around!
After 3+ months of medication, medicated baths, good nutrition, skin and hair supplements, Tula looks fabulous! Now, her outsides are beginning to match her insides. And what a beautiful soul she has, too!
Heard from the Vet
A quick update on Lisa's biopsy results. As we suspected, the growth was something nasty. However, the whole thing is a bit of good news - bad news sort of deals. Let's do the bad news first, since I like to end this on a positive note!
Bad news - yes, the growth was cancerous. For me, this news was not a surprise. All of my research on the internet led me to believe the growth was a perianal adenocarncinoma. While this type of cancer is more often seen in neutered males than older, recently spayed females, it can and obviously still does occur.
Now for the good news! The vet was able to remove the entire growth. The report showed that while there were cancerous cells present, the numbers were small. I'm waiting for a copy of the report to see the results in black and white. The gist of it is that the tumor is being treated as a benign tumor and not a malignant one. Yay! So, now we'll watch and see if anything returns or if she has any other issues related to this. While the waiting and watching can make one nervous, I prefer it much more to the other option. :-)
If you'd like to learn more about this or other cancer types, click here.
Bad news - yes, the growth was cancerous. For me, this news was not a surprise. All of my research on the internet led me to believe the growth was a perianal adenocarncinoma. While this type of cancer is more often seen in neutered males than older, recently spayed females, it can and obviously still does occur.
Now for the good news! The vet was able to remove the entire growth. The report showed that while there were cancerous cells present, the numbers were small. I'm waiting for a copy of the report to see the results in black and white. The gist of it is that the tumor is being treated as a benign tumor and not a malignant one. Yay! So, now we'll watch and see if anything returns or if she has any other issues related to this. While the waiting and watching can make one nervous, I prefer it much more to the other option. :-)
If you'd like to learn more about this or other cancer types, click here.
December 22, 2009
Lisa's Vet Procedure
Over the last few months, I had been keeping tabs on a lump on Lisa's backside. Not to go into gross detail of the exact location of this anomaly, let's just say it's with in 1 1/2 inches of an area frequently used for bowel evacuation and leave it at that. ;-) We all know that as dogs age, they get bumps and skin tags here and there. We can choose to have them removed or watch them and act on them at later time.
In Lisa's case, she has a few that the vet and I discussed already, but this one kinda surprised me. Beardies tend to need a good butt-check and subsequent butt-wash now and again because of debris and feces being caught in the hair back there - not any fault of the dog or their digestive system, just nature of living with a long haired dog. It was at this time that I found this lump. It didn't seem to bother her when I touched, so I decided to do a little research online and keep an eye on it.
As the months progressed, the lump didn't really change much. However, the area around it did. In the last few weeks, Lisa had begun biting at her rear and as a result, she ulcerated the skin around one of her anal sacs. This prompted further investigation into lump. The vet and I agreed it was best to have the lump removed. So last week, Lisa went in and had the procedure. While she was out, we also had a full abdomen x-ray done and her teeth were cleaned up. I figure rather than have her put under anesthesia again, better to make good use of it while she was out.
I, of course, was a nervous wreck and resorted to the nearest shopping mall for some holiday retail therapy to take my mind off matters. ;-) It almost worked...almost. I knew she was incapable hands - that wasn't my worry. My concern was over her in post-op. If you remember, it was in her post-op recovery hours from her last procedure that she bloated. It was comforting to know that if she did bloat again, it wouldn't be AS bad as it was since her stomach had been tacked; she wouldn't torsion again. But, still I would prefer to avoid the entire scenario altogether. Since the bloating incident did not happen on this vet's watch, I was very thorough in making sure they understood she was a high risk dog and all necessary precautions were taken. Additionally, I took some additional steps of my own and brought a shirt I had worn to have in her cage with her, so when she'd wake up, she'd smell something familiar. That, plus us having been at the office the week before and Lisa getting a good dose of love from the staff set us up for a good outcome.
And that's exactly what we had! Thank the Lord! Lisa came through her procedure again with flying colors. She was quiet and never fussed and never showed any bit of anxiety. When I picked her up, she acted tired, but was ready to go with me wherever I wanted to go. When I got her back to the house and The Boys got to "debrief" her, I fed her a little canned I-D with some chicken broth on it and she gobbled it up. My Lisa was indeed back!
It's been almost a week and she's healing up nicely. Haven't heard back from the vet on the results of the biopsy yet, but the x-ray only showed a little arthritis in her back, so that was good news. This week we get to celebrate Lisa's first Christmas as a free dog! I can't wait to celebrate it with her and the New Year!
Completely Unrelated Notes:
Apologies for not being able to keep up regular status reports on Lisa. Another rescue has been taking great amounts of my time. I'll post some info about her remarkable story when I can.
I'm attempting to get more pictures up of Lisa and enhance her site a bit. If I get the time, I'll actually design her something of her own! My main goal, however, was to get the information out there to be able to help others. Design has to come second to that! :-)
In Lisa's case, she has a few that the vet and I discussed already, but this one kinda surprised me. Beardies tend to need a good butt-check and subsequent butt-wash now and again because of debris and feces being caught in the hair back there - not any fault of the dog or their digestive system, just nature of living with a long haired dog. It was at this time that I found this lump. It didn't seem to bother her when I touched, so I decided to do a little research online and keep an eye on it.
As the months progressed, the lump didn't really change much. However, the area around it did. In the last few weeks, Lisa had begun biting at her rear and as a result, she ulcerated the skin around one of her anal sacs. This prompted further investigation into lump. The vet and I agreed it was best to have the lump removed. So last week, Lisa went in and had the procedure. While she was out, we also had a full abdomen x-ray done and her teeth were cleaned up. I figure rather than have her put under anesthesia again, better to make good use of it while she was out.
I, of course, was a nervous wreck and resorted to the nearest shopping mall for some holiday retail therapy to take my mind off matters. ;-) It almost worked...almost. I knew she was incapable hands - that wasn't my worry. My concern was over her in post-op. If you remember, it was in her post-op recovery hours from her last procedure that she bloated. It was comforting to know that if she did bloat again, it wouldn't be AS bad as it was since her stomach had been tacked; she wouldn't torsion again. But, still I would prefer to avoid the entire scenario altogether. Since the bloating incident did not happen on this vet's watch, I was very thorough in making sure they understood she was a high risk dog and all necessary precautions were taken. Additionally, I took some additional steps of my own and brought a shirt I had worn to have in her cage with her, so when she'd wake up, she'd smell something familiar. That, plus us having been at the office the week before and Lisa getting a good dose of love from the staff set us up for a good outcome.
And that's exactly what we had! Thank the Lord! Lisa came through her procedure again with flying colors. She was quiet and never fussed and never showed any bit of anxiety. When I picked her up, she acted tired, but was ready to go with me wherever I wanted to go. When I got her back to the house and The Boys got to "debrief" her, I fed her a little canned I-D with some chicken broth on it and she gobbled it up. My Lisa was indeed back!
It's been almost a week and she's healing up nicely. Haven't heard back from the vet on the results of the biopsy yet, but the x-ray only showed a little arthritis in her back, so that was good news. This week we get to celebrate Lisa's first Christmas as a free dog! I can't wait to celebrate it with her and the New Year!
Completely Unrelated Notes:
Apologies for not being able to keep up regular status reports on Lisa. Another rescue has been taking great amounts of my time. I'll post some info about her remarkable story when I can.
I'm attempting to get more pictures up of Lisa and enhance her site a bit. If I get the time, I'll actually design her something of her own! My main goal, however, was to get the information out there to be able to help others. Design has to come second to that! :-)
December 6, 2009
The Changes Keep Coming
Lisa still continues to improve daily. It's still amazes me how far she's come in 8 months! Her daily improvements come in the form of simply doing something she didn't do the day before. It takes a vigilant eye and attention to detail to notice them because they are subtle. However, the changes keep coming!
Recently, Lisa has become extremely aware of her surroundings. In earlier months, she would mostly sleep through any activities going on around her; not anymore! She can be found repeatedly lifting her head or sitting up to see what the commotion is. It's great! She even has begun to respond to my homecomings, of which she was previously unaware.
Unfortunately, she still wishes to take to my walls and scratch likes there's no tomorrow. She also still does this in her crate, too. I've had to step up the correction on the wall scratching because the message is not getting through - no matter how much I try to redirect, she just goes right back to it again the moment I turn away. It's certain that she is using this as an attention-getter, because she'll scratch once or twice and then look around to see if anyone is going to interrupt her. And the moment you do, she comes practically running over to you. I realize it's how she's trying to alleviate her boredom, but with her lack of understanding of toys, there's not much to redirect her towards. This scenario sets up an interesting dilemma between reinforcing the scratching behavior and actually correcting it.
Lately, I've been introducing Lisa to the couch and bed. She's not comfortable on either, mainly because they're squishy and unstable. She also has no fear of heights and will and did unknowingly take a header off my near 3ft high bed. Luckily, only her pride was hurt. Still after that, she hasn't learned and has attempted to do it again. On the upside, after some coaxing she did lay down on the couch with me for about 30 minutes. I think she quite enjoyed herself, too. I've been able to get her to do this a few times now. Hopefully, it will sink in that cuddling is good thing. She already loves to be petted, but the cuddling part is completely foreign to her.
Also, I'm happy to report that her sits are improving. She does them regularly and sometimes without me even asking! We've begun adding a down into the mix and that has taken a little work, but seems to be catching on ever so slowly.
Lisa got the first cut down of her hair. I nearly cried as I took the clippers to her. Her coat is coming in so beautifully; lush and getting long! However, her hair mats so quickly that keeping her in a full coat is not an option, nor can she stand the weekly time it takes groom a full coated dog. Keeping her in puppy cut will make everyone happy!
Recently, Lisa has become extremely aware of her surroundings. In earlier months, she would mostly sleep through any activities going on around her; not anymore! She can be found repeatedly lifting her head or sitting up to see what the commotion is. It's great! She even has begun to respond to my homecomings, of which she was previously unaware.
Unfortunately, she still wishes to take to my walls and scratch likes there's no tomorrow. She also still does this in her crate, too. I've had to step up the correction on the wall scratching because the message is not getting through - no matter how much I try to redirect, she just goes right back to it again the moment I turn away. It's certain that she is using this as an attention-getter, because she'll scratch once or twice and then look around to see if anyone is going to interrupt her. And the moment you do, she comes practically running over to you. I realize it's how she's trying to alleviate her boredom, but with her lack of understanding of toys, there's not much to redirect her towards. This scenario sets up an interesting dilemma between reinforcing the scratching behavior and actually correcting it.
Lately, I've been introducing Lisa to the couch and bed. She's not comfortable on either, mainly because they're squishy and unstable. She also has no fear of heights and will and did unknowingly take a header off my near 3ft high bed. Luckily, only her pride was hurt. Still after that, she hasn't learned and has attempted to do it again. On the upside, after some coaxing she did lay down on the couch with me for about 30 minutes. I think she quite enjoyed herself, too. I've been able to get her to do this a few times now. Hopefully, it will sink in that cuddling is good thing. She already loves to be petted, but the cuddling part is completely foreign to her.
Also, I'm happy to report that her sits are improving. She does them regularly and sometimes without me even asking! We've begun adding a down into the mix and that has taken a little work, but seems to be catching on ever so slowly.
Lisa got the first cut down of her hair. I nearly cried as I took the clippers to her. Her coat is coming in so beautifully; lush and getting long! However, her hair mats so quickly that keeping her in a full coat is not an option, nor can she stand the weekly time it takes groom a full coated dog. Keeping her in puppy cut will make everyone happy!
October 8, 2009
Waking Sleeping Beauty
As Lisa has been here at the Bearded Collie Club of America National Specialty, I swear there have been new changes to her personality. It's as if we are waking up Sleeping Beauty. To be more accurate, it seems in the last few weeks there have been changes to her in general. She's more alert and in tune with her surroundings.
Since she's been at the Specialty, it seems even more of those sleepy brain cells have been waking up. Lisa's alertness has increased as well as her interactions with those around her. She even so much as ran around with me yesterday. And not her normal puppy run with front legs flailing around, this was an honest one-foot-in-front-of-the-other run.
As we walk her around the hotel and show activities, people will stop us and ask questions about her. My husband and I continue to spread her precious story. Lisa, of course, stops and says, "you can pet me." :-)
Since she's been at the Specialty, it seems even more of those sleepy brain cells have been waking up. Lisa's alertness has increased as well as her interactions with those around her. She even so much as ran around with me yesterday. And not her normal puppy run with front legs flailing around, this was an honest one-foot-in-front-of-the-other run.
As we walk her around the hotel and show activities, people will stop us and ask questions about her. My husband and I continue to spread her precious story. Lisa, of course, stops and says, "you can pet me." :-)
October 6, 2009
Lisa's Big Adventure
In an effort to help get the word out about Lisa and also to help further work on her rehabilitation, I decided to bring Lisa to the Bearded Collie Club National Specialty this year. Lisa is entered in the annual Rescue Parade where she will represent the Red Hat Society Ladies by wearing her red hat. I had some apprehensions at first at how she would do during the 18 hour trip, but I would soon discover my fears were unfounded. Lisa handled the journey like a pro and as if, she had been doing this her whole life. Amazing!
We arrived, checked into the host hotel and set up camp in our hotel room for the week. Lisa has adapted to all of it without skipping a beat. She's taken to all the people and dogs like a duck to water. Lisa got a good dose of lovin' on by some folks and ate up every bit of it. I don't think her smile could have gotten any bigger. As I shared her story with people, it seemed to make them want to pet her that much more!
We arrived, checked into the host hotel and set up camp in our hotel room for the week. Lisa has adapted to all of it without skipping a beat. She's taken to all the people and dogs like a duck to water. Lisa got a good dose of lovin' on by some folks and ate up every bit of it. I don't think her smile could have gotten any bigger. As I shared her story with people, it seemed to make them want to pet her that much more!
October 1, 2009
When It's Not Their Fault
Knowing what is normal for your dog is essential to understanding when something just isn't right about them. It could be a change in their normal routine to a full blown behavioral issue. With Lisa, I've come to expect certain things from her. Like, she does not urinate in her crate. Strange? Absolutely! For a puppy mill dog, this is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome with crate training.
Dogs are inherently born with the necessity to keep their "house" clean. Meaning - you don't poop where you eat! Given the opportunity, dogs will choose to do their business away from sleeping and eating areas. There are exceptions, but this is a general rule and one that can be observed from as early as 5-6 weeks old. Puppies at that age will choose to go away from where they eat and sleep - they make not always make it, but you can see them make an effort. However, when dogs are kept confined such as they are in most mill situations, they can't keep their areas clean and basically learn to live with the filth.
Lisa, however, seems to prefer to not soil her crate. The only times she has are when she had diarrhea, which I fault no dog for that! Poor things, I know how I feel when my tummy doesn't feel good. Well, one morning I woke up to find Lisa had peed in her crate.
At first, while it was strange that she did go, I didn't think anything of it until she went outside. She squatted, took a few steps, squatted again, took a few more steps, squatted again. Uh-oh! Lisa has a urinary tract infection, I'm afraid. Thinking she'd emptied everything out, I brought her back in and cleaned up the crate. Well, she didn't. It wasn't a lot where she did go, but one area definitely was tinged with blood. This proof was all I needed to confirm my suspicions and a phone call to the vet was made.
Later that day, Dr. Cortiaus confirmed my findings. Lisa did have a UTI. She was prescribed Clavamox and sent home. I've also since started her on cranberry supplements to help, too. She's tolerated the antibiotics well and the infection appears to have cleared up. We'll need the vet to give us the final nod on that.
Lisa's act of going in her crate highlighted that she had a medical problem and not a behavioral one. It was my first clue that something wasn't right with her that day; second and third clues would soon follow. However, had I not paid attention to those early warning signs, Lisa's infection and subsequent behavior because of it would have gotten worse. It pays to pay attention to your dog.
Reminds me of a story I read once about an Obedience lady who was working with her Utility dog on retrieving the dumbbell. The dog had done this countless times before, but for some reason has started refusing to retrieve the dumbbell. It baffled the woman, she didn't understand why. Don't remember exactly what the circumstances were that lead her to discover the real reason for the dog's refusal, but it was his teeth. He had a cracked tooth and the metal of the dumbbell caused him so much pain that he could not pick up the object and retrieve it. Once the tooth was fixed, he was back to his old self. Sometimes, changes in behavior may have a medical basis. Since dogs cannot voice their discomfort, it's up to us to interpret for them.
Dogs are inherently born with the necessity to keep their "house" clean. Meaning - you don't poop where you eat! Given the opportunity, dogs will choose to do their business away from sleeping and eating areas. There are exceptions, but this is a general rule and one that can be observed from as early as 5-6 weeks old. Puppies at that age will choose to go away from where they eat and sleep - they make not always make it, but you can see them make an effort. However, when dogs are kept confined such as they are in most mill situations, they can't keep their areas clean and basically learn to live with the filth.
Lisa, however, seems to prefer to not soil her crate. The only times she has are when she had diarrhea, which I fault no dog for that! Poor things, I know how I feel when my tummy doesn't feel good. Well, one morning I woke up to find Lisa had peed in her crate.
At first, while it was strange that she did go, I didn't think anything of it until she went outside. She squatted, took a few steps, squatted again, took a few more steps, squatted again. Uh-oh! Lisa has a urinary tract infection, I'm afraid. Thinking she'd emptied everything out, I brought her back in and cleaned up the crate. Well, she didn't. It wasn't a lot where she did go, but one area definitely was tinged with blood. This proof was all I needed to confirm my suspicions and a phone call to the vet was made.
Later that day, Dr. Cortiaus confirmed my findings. Lisa did have a UTI. She was prescribed Clavamox and sent home. I've also since started her on cranberry supplements to help, too. She's tolerated the antibiotics well and the infection appears to have cleared up. We'll need the vet to give us the final nod on that.
Lisa's act of going in her crate highlighted that she had a medical problem and not a behavioral one. It was my first clue that something wasn't right with her that day; second and third clues would soon follow. However, had I not paid attention to those early warning signs, Lisa's infection and subsequent behavior because of it would have gotten worse. It pays to pay attention to your dog.
Reminds me of a story I read once about an Obedience lady who was working with her Utility dog on retrieving the dumbbell. The dog had done this countless times before, but for some reason has started refusing to retrieve the dumbbell. It baffled the woman, she didn't understand why. Don't remember exactly what the circumstances were that lead her to discover the real reason for the dog's refusal, but it was his teeth. He had a cracked tooth and the metal of the dumbbell caused him so much pain that he could not pick up the object and retrieve it. Once the tooth was fixed, he was back to his old self. Sometimes, changes in behavior may have a medical basis. Since dogs cannot voice their discomfort, it's up to us to interpret for them.
September 15, 2009
Exciting Progress
Lisa has come so far in a short amount of months. In my last post, her milestones were documented. Recently, some new consistent behaviors have started to emerge and it's really exciting. Lisa has begun to ask to go out. She has her own way and it takes vigilance in recognizing "her signals", but she is definitely making an attempt at asking to go out. Yay!!! She can't be entirely trusted 100%, but this is a tremendous step in the right direction.
Another consistent behavior Lisa has begun to do more often is sitting on command. Previously, she would do this once in a while. Now, it seems she has gotten the hang of sitting when asked. To help reinforce this command, I've been using treats. This exercise has helped with bridging another concept - the command+action=reward concept. It's exciting to see the a-ha moment!
Another consistent behavior Lisa has begun to do more often is sitting on command. Previously, she would do this once in a while. Now, it seems she has gotten the hang of sitting when asked. To help reinforce this command, I've been using treats. This exercise has helped with bridging another concept - the command+action=reward concept. It's exciting to see the a-ha moment!
August 31, 2009
Lisa Milestones
When I sit back and think of the progress Lisa has made while she's been fostering with me, I am still in awe of how far she's come in such a short amount of time. With mill dogs, I believe in celebrating the small victories. Here's a list so far of Lisa's.
- She freezes less and readily will go with me most places.
- Walks ahead of me through doorways.
- Not falling down nearly as much and can steady herself.
- Faithfully goes to the grass to do her business instead of just going on the concrete.
- She scratches at the walls less often.
- She investigates new things and new ways to get around furniture.
- Uses her mouth like a puppy does to explore the world around her.
- Looks up at you and makes eye contact.
- She goes into her crate on command, doubly fast if you are holding her dinner dish.
- Will sit, not so much on command, but with a little tap on her back she will.
- Actually sits on her own more often as opposed to standing or lying down.
August 1, 2009
Tackling the Challenge, Pt 3
Covering the last three bullets, constructive mental stimulation, deprogramming 11 years of experiences, and how to enjoy life as a dog, shows how we need to take Lisa into a different direction mentally. Pulling her away from her past and bringing her more into the present is the goal. Like the first six sets of challenges, these are not easy, either, but the rewards are astounding. Here is where we see Lisa truly blossom.
Awakening her sleepy brain is something that is essential to long term success. Her life until now has been boring - practically the same thing day after day. For working dogs and most dogs in general, the lack of adequate mental stimulation has been linked to destructive and anti-social behaviors. Can you imagine how dull life must been confined to a pen or cage? The only interactions you ever get is from the dogs on either side of you, that you may or may not even see. Then add, the routine breedings, cycle after cycle. Doesn't sound like fun to me? This life is the life puppy mill dogs live; human interaction is minimal and usually unpleasant.
To tackle the challenge of awakening Lisa's sleepy brain, it was helpful to look back at puppy experiences and use those as launching point for helping Lisa. Exposing her to different sounds, different surface textures, different smells and even different tastes reach different areas of her atrophied brain and encourage new synapse creation. For sounds, the television is useful as is CDs, like "dog show" noise as it has a variety of sounds. Exposing Lisa to different tastes was a fun one. For this, giving her different types of foods to sample helped to accomplish not only different tastes, but smells and textures, too. The food samples were small and always something she could easily digest even with the few teeth she has. Some food examples that were given included oranges, freeze dried fruits, fresh strawberries, beef jerky, chicken, steak, marshmellows, ice cubes, and others. These were not given all at once, but intermittently over a week or two. I used essential oils to help with smells, in addition to just being creative. Textures, just like with puppies, getting Lisa used to walking on different types of surfaces, concrete, grass, tile, carpet and wood flooring.
Deprogramming 11 years of experiences, I wish I could say is easy. It would be nice to sprinkle a little something in her food to make her unlearn all her behaviors from the past. We already know rescue dogs like to forget the past and do their best to put it behind them. Situations put them back into instances where they are forced to "remember". Unfortunately and fortunately, time, patience, and consistency are the only things that will truly help Lisa forget her past. In the months she has been fostering with us, we have seen an slow, but steady improvement. One example, Lisa will walk through a door ahead of me. When she first came here she wouldn't do that and now she does. She has unlearned a past experience and learned that its safe and "okay" to go ahead when told to do so. That, to me, is progress.
Enjoying life as a dog is the only challenge that Lisa will have to truly discover for herself. This life skill is where a dog discovers who they really are as a dog - their own dog, so to speak. Up until now, Lisa's life had been dictated. Yes, she did exist and was still her "own dog", but that's all, she EXISTED. She had no joy, no fun, nothing to celebrate, and nothing to make those gorgeous brown eyes sparkle. Once you've seen that celebration of life in a dog, you can easily recognize it in dogs who don't have it. For example, look at the eyes of a dog who has their prized ball in their mouth; there's enough sparkle in those eyes to power the sun! Or a dog who is rolling on the floor with feet pointing in all directions just enjoying a moment of pure bliss. Lisa and dogs like her don't know what that's like. They have been robbed of those joyous moments.
Happily, I get to report that Lisa is slowly discovering who she is as a dog. Each day spent with her reveals more and more of her personality. As she continues to feel more secure in her environment, she's opening up. One of her favorite activities is roll on the floor. At first, she'd do it where no one was watching her, as if she was embarrassed. She didn't know I was watching her. When she was done, she'd look around to see if anyone saw what she was doing. As time has past, she has lost her inhibition and now will free roll on the floor wherever and whenever she wants. The look on her face is that of pure joy. Brings tears to my eyes to see it.
Awakening her sleepy brain is something that is essential to long term success. Her life until now has been boring - practically the same thing day after day. For working dogs and most dogs in general, the lack of adequate mental stimulation has been linked to destructive and anti-social behaviors. Can you imagine how dull life must been confined to a pen or cage? The only interactions you ever get is from the dogs on either side of you, that you may or may not even see. Then add, the routine breedings, cycle after cycle. Doesn't sound like fun to me? This life is the life puppy mill dogs live; human interaction is minimal and usually unpleasant.
To tackle the challenge of awakening Lisa's sleepy brain, it was helpful to look back at puppy experiences and use those as launching point for helping Lisa. Exposing her to different sounds, different surface textures, different smells and even different tastes reach different areas of her atrophied brain and encourage new synapse creation. For sounds, the television is useful as is CDs, like "dog show" noise as it has a variety of sounds. Exposing Lisa to different tastes was a fun one. For this, giving her different types of foods to sample helped to accomplish not only different tastes, but smells and textures, too. The food samples were small and always something she could easily digest even with the few teeth she has. Some food examples that were given included oranges, freeze dried fruits, fresh strawberries, beef jerky, chicken, steak, marshmellows, ice cubes, and others. These were not given all at once, but intermittently over a week or two. I used essential oils to help with smells, in addition to just being creative. Textures, just like with puppies, getting Lisa used to walking on different types of surfaces, concrete, grass, tile, carpet and wood flooring.
Deprogramming 11 years of experiences, I wish I could say is easy. It would be nice to sprinkle a little something in her food to make her unlearn all her behaviors from the past. We already know rescue dogs like to forget the past and do their best to put it behind them. Situations put them back into instances where they are forced to "remember". Unfortunately and fortunately, time, patience, and consistency are the only things that will truly help Lisa forget her past. In the months she has been fostering with us, we have seen an slow, but steady improvement. One example, Lisa will walk through a door ahead of me. When she first came here she wouldn't do that and now she does. She has unlearned a past experience and learned that its safe and "okay" to go ahead when told to do so. That, to me, is progress.
Enjoying life as a dog is the only challenge that Lisa will have to truly discover for herself. This life skill is where a dog discovers who they really are as a dog - their own dog, so to speak. Up until now, Lisa's life had been dictated. Yes, she did exist and was still her "own dog", but that's all, she EXISTED. She had no joy, no fun, nothing to celebrate, and nothing to make those gorgeous brown eyes sparkle. Once you've seen that celebration of life in a dog, you can easily recognize it in dogs who don't have it. For example, look at the eyes of a dog who has their prized ball in their mouth; there's enough sparkle in those eyes to power the sun! Or a dog who is rolling on the floor with feet pointing in all directions just enjoying a moment of pure bliss. Lisa and dogs like her don't know what that's like. They have been robbed of those joyous moments.
Happily, I get to report that Lisa is slowly discovering who she is as a dog. Each day spent with her reveals more and more of her personality. As she continues to feel more secure in her environment, she's opening up. One of her favorite activities is roll on the floor. At first, she'd do it where no one was watching her, as if she was embarrassed. She didn't know I was watching her. When she was done, she'd look around to see if anyone saw what she was doing. As time has past, she has lost her inhibition and now will free roll on the floor wherever and whenever she wants. The look on her face is that of pure joy. Brings tears to my eyes to see it.
June 15, 2009
Tackling the Challenge, Pt 2
Continuing onto the next three bullets, these are primarily all training issues: potty training or housebreaking, dealing with expectations, and redefining the command + action = something good equation.
Starting with potty training, this area is one Lisa has trouble with. I have to openly admit that I had a lapse in my reasoning and began to trust her too much. Subsequently, I got stung by that false assumption. Following the puppy methodology of potty training, we started out doing really well. Then, I let the team down. I falsely believed she was getting the hang of this and tested her too soon. Now, we're back on track and happily, we've not had a true Lisa accident in the house in over 7 days (as of June 15). Yay! I say a true Lisa accident because she had a case of the dire rears and those cannot be counted against the team's overall performance. Poop, especially those of the dire nature, happens. Thankfully and knock on wood, Lisa doesn't have any incontinence issues, although she has done some submissive tinkling here and there. I feel like we should have an OSHA sign up that says how many days we've gone without an accident. Did I mention it was important to celebrate the small victories? It is very important!
As far as the expectations go, Lisa doesn't understand that she is expected to behave in a certain manner when indoors. For this reason, I'm glad she's here with me instead of boarding at a kennel. It would be impossible to teach this anywhere else, but in a home environment. It's probably worth mentioning that Lisa only in the past week has actually started responding to her name. A name wasn't even a concept she even knew existed. I didn't choose her name, the SPCA did in attempt to make her more marketable. To be honest, I don't even call her Lisa; I call her Lise (pronounced like lease for a new lease on life), but for consistency sake, we'll stick with Lisa.
In my house, Lisa does have my dogs to watch, but I've found that she hasn't been paying them any attention when it comes to picking up cues. Yet, one more developmental area she's been deprived in. We all know that a dog can teach another dog something faster than we humans ever could. Still, she doesn't have this basic tool in her toolbelt. That leaves it up to us to teach her not to scratch the walls, not go in the house, when its okay to relax and lie down, etc. Let me be clear, these are not the same expectations we place on children. I don't expect my dogs to be perfect little gentlemen, they're not going to be, because they're dogs. Dogs will do what dogs will do, which includes bark, jump, sniff, chew, eat, drool, lick and a myriad of other verbs all associated with dog behavior. Still, there are certain expectations placed on a dog when they become a part of household. Lisa needs to understand that with the blessing of a new life does come a little bit of responsibility. ;-)
Lastly, redefining the Command + Action = Something Good equation is one that will take the longest to acheive. It will take time and consistency to show Lisa that good things do come from humans. It doesn't always have to be bad. We already have a solid bridge to build upon since she doesn't have a fear of people. She readily walks up to anyone she sees and waits for them to pet her. If you stop, she not so gently reminds you with her paw that you've seemed to have stopped and she didn't give you leave yet. We are so lucky that both mill girls, Penny and Lisa, didn't have a fear of people. While Lisa uses people for affection, Penny, in the beginning, didn't see a need to fraternize with people. Still, one more way mill dogs are psychologically traumatized and handicapped by their experiences. Truthfully, in that environment, you can't blame them for anything; they are a true product of their environment. In the few days she had fostered with me, I already saw a change in her opinion.
While we have this bridge with Lisa, she does have a bit of an alter ego, too, Lady Freeze. Lady Freeze shows up whenever Lisa is concerned, stressed, unsure, or unwilling. This freezing stance is another mill dog defense mechanism. Another of her quirks, she would not go through the door ahead of me. She waits until I go first, then if she feels comfortable which could be 15 or more seconds later, she'll go. While I do my best to accommodate her, I can't leave the back door open and simply wait for her to make up her mind (goes back to the expectations). When the dogs go out, ALL the dogs go out and we go out together. Same for coming back inside - we do it together. Having the option of remaining inside while everyone else is out, is not available, nor is it up for discussion. Areas like this is where you have to be gentle and reassuring, but also firm and insistent. The rules are the rules and again, this still tracks back to teaching expectations. There is a fine balance between empathizing with the dog and where he or she has come from and providing the leadership and guidance all rescue dogs need. It can be dangerous to give the dog, too much leeway because you feel sorry for them. Dogs are after all the consummate opportunists and will capitalize on any situation they can. Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. It's not wrong for them to be this way, it's a survival instinct. However, guardians of these dogs, we have to be careful not to give away the farm.
In redefining her definition of the equation, I use myself as an her example. I'm teaching her a heel of sorts, by patting the side of my leg, I do this each time I start walking away and I want her to follow. Additionally, I'm careful to do this at her eye level. Mill dogs generally don't look up at people although Lisa again with the help of the "Watch Me" command is making more and more eye contact. When she does follow me and gets close enough for me to touch her, she'll get her reward, praise followed by a minute of pets and affection. Of course, every time I pat my leg, the boys coming running over and try to do a heel, too. We have quite the circus going on at my house!
Starting with potty training, this area is one Lisa has trouble with. I have to openly admit that I had a lapse in my reasoning and began to trust her too much. Subsequently, I got stung by that false assumption. Following the puppy methodology of potty training, we started out doing really well. Then, I let the team down. I falsely believed she was getting the hang of this and tested her too soon. Now, we're back on track and happily, we've not had a true Lisa accident in the house in over 7 days (as of June 15). Yay! I say a true Lisa accident because she had a case of the dire rears and those cannot be counted against the team's overall performance. Poop, especially those of the dire nature, happens. Thankfully and knock on wood, Lisa doesn't have any incontinence issues, although she has done some submissive tinkling here and there. I feel like we should have an OSHA sign up that says how many days we've gone without an accident. Did I mention it was important to celebrate the small victories? It is very important!
As far as the expectations go, Lisa doesn't understand that she is expected to behave in a certain manner when indoors. For this reason, I'm glad she's here with me instead of boarding at a kennel. It would be impossible to teach this anywhere else, but in a home environment. It's probably worth mentioning that Lisa only in the past week has actually started responding to her name. A name wasn't even a concept she even knew existed. I didn't choose her name, the SPCA did in attempt to make her more marketable. To be honest, I don't even call her Lisa; I call her Lise (pronounced like lease for a new lease on life), but for consistency sake, we'll stick with Lisa.
In my house, Lisa does have my dogs to watch, but I've found that she hasn't been paying them any attention when it comes to picking up cues. Yet, one more developmental area she's been deprived in. We all know that a dog can teach another dog something faster than we humans ever could. Still, she doesn't have this basic tool in her toolbelt. That leaves it up to us to teach her not to scratch the walls, not go in the house, when its okay to relax and lie down, etc. Let me be clear, these are not the same expectations we place on children. I don't expect my dogs to be perfect little gentlemen, they're not going to be, because they're dogs. Dogs will do what dogs will do, which includes bark, jump, sniff, chew, eat, drool, lick and a myriad of other verbs all associated with dog behavior. Still, there are certain expectations placed on a dog when they become a part of household. Lisa needs to understand that with the blessing of a new life does come a little bit of responsibility. ;-)
Lastly, redefining the Command + Action = Something Good equation is one that will take the longest to acheive. It will take time and consistency to show Lisa that good things do come from humans. It doesn't always have to be bad. We already have a solid bridge to build upon since she doesn't have a fear of people. She readily walks up to anyone she sees and waits for them to pet her. If you stop, she not so gently reminds you with her paw that you've seemed to have stopped and she didn't give you leave yet. We are so lucky that both mill girls, Penny and Lisa, didn't have a fear of people. While Lisa uses people for affection, Penny, in the beginning, didn't see a need to fraternize with people. Still, one more way mill dogs are psychologically traumatized and handicapped by their experiences. Truthfully, in that environment, you can't blame them for anything; they are a true product of their environment. In the few days she had fostered with me, I already saw a change in her opinion.
While we have this bridge with Lisa, she does have a bit of an alter ego, too, Lady Freeze. Lady Freeze shows up whenever Lisa is concerned, stressed, unsure, or unwilling. This freezing stance is another mill dog defense mechanism. Another of her quirks, she would not go through the door ahead of me. She waits until I go first, then if she feels comfortable which could be 15 or more seconds later, she'll go. While I do my best to accommodate her, I can't leave the back door open and simply wait for her to make up her mind (goes back to the expectations). When the dogs go out, ALL the dogs go out and we go out together. Same for coming back inside - we do it together. Having the option of remaining inside while everyone else is out, is not available, nor is it up for discussion. Areas like this is where you have to be gentle and reassuring, but also firm and insistent. The rules are the rules and again, this still tracks back to teaching expectations. There is a fine balance between empathizing with the dog and where he or she has come from and providing the leadership and guidance all rescue dogs need. It can be dangerous to give the dog, too much leeway because you feel sorry for them. Dogs are after all the consummate opportunists and will capitalize on any situation they can. Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. It's not wrong for them to be this way, it's a survival instinct. However, guardians of these dogs, we have to be careful not to give away the farm.
In redefining her definition of the equation, I use myself as an her example. I'm teaching her a heel of sorts, by patting the side of my leg, I do this each time I start walking away and I want her to follow. Additionally, I'm careful to do this at her eye level. Mill dogs generally don't look up at people although Lisa again with the help of the "Watch Me" command is making more and more eye contact. When she does follow me and gets close enough for me to touch her, she'll get her reward, praise followed by a minute of pets and affection. Of course, every time I pat my leg, the boys coming running over and try to do a heel, too. We have quite the circus going on at my house!
Tackling the Challenge
In the last post, I described the framework of Lisa's training challenge. In this post, I'll talk about the plan for tackling it. To summarize her challenges;
Starting with the first three physical bullets. There's not much to be done about Lisa being an older dog other than make sure she's as healthy as she can be. Second, her hearing and vision impairments present challenges in training. For a hearing impaired dog, you can't always give verbal corrections, especially when a dog doesn't even know what a correction is or why it is being given. Lisa is a prime example of this. She has a penchant for scratching at my walls. I don't understand the behavior, but she will just walk over to a few choice walls in the house and start scratching away. She will also do this same behavior in her crate and on the floor, too. This behavior is unacceptable in a household environment, so corrections and redirection must be given. Just like with a puppy, you have to physically instruct them first, while providing a verbal cue, i.e. No scratching. Catching the behavior before it starts is even more imperative; I think you gain more ground by catching them a half second before they start. It surprises the dog every time, "How'd they know I was gonna do that?" "Hey Buddy, you're not the only one who observe and take notes around here!" :-)
Conversely, hollering from across the room, "No scratching!" isn't going get very far with a deaf or partially deaf dog. Sadly, shining a light doesn't do much to alert a dog whose vision is impaired. Lisa can see, she just can't see that well, She tends to lose track of people and sometimes where she is. It takes her a second or two to reorient herself. For awhile, I wasn't sure if she could hear at all, guess she's was just practicing that Beardie "You talking to me?" discriminating hearing. Creativity is the key to overcoming both of these obstacles.
Lastly, her mobility and coordination are areas that have been under rehabilitation since she came under my care. Our walks up and down my sloped yard, plus a trip up and down the stairs, intermixed with very short neighborhood walks to build stamina have all worked wonders. Lisa is stronger. She has short spurts of puppy-like running. Her front legs flail up in an almost pouncing sort of way when she runs. It's so cute. To help with coordination, Calvaletti poles seemed like a good idea. After all, it's what we use to train both horses and puppies to learn foot placement. Some balance exercises were also thrown into the mix as were agility exercises. Agility exercises consisted of her trying to keep up with me as I trotted or walked just a foot or two ahead of her. I would snake a few times through the yard around obstacles and such. Her job was to follow me. These I've kept to a minimum as building strength was the first priority. Once the strength has built up enough, then I can focus more on building better coordination and stamina.
- Senior dog
- Hearing & Vision Impaired
- Mobility and Coordination Need Improvement
- Has No Concept of Expectations
- Not Potty Trained
- Doesn't Understand Command + Action = Something Good
- Needs Constructive Mental Stimulation
- Deprogramming 11 Years of Experiences
- How to Just Enjoy Life as a Dog
Starting with the first three physical bullets. There's not much to be done about Lisa being an older dog other than make sure she's as healthy as she can be. Second, her hearing and vision impairments present challenges in training. For a hearing impaired dog, you can't always give verbal corrections, especially when a dog doesn't even know what a correction is or why it is being given. Lisa is a prime example of this. She has a penchant for scratching at my walls. I don't understand the behavior, but she will just walk over to a few choice walls in the house and start scratching away. She will also do this same behavior in her crate and on the floor, too. This behavior is unacceptable in a household environment, so corrections and redirection must be given. Just like with a puppy, you have to physically instruct them first, while providing a verbal cue, i.e. No scratching. Catching the behavior before it starts is even more imperative; I think you gain more ground by catching them a half second before they start. It surprises the dog every time, "How'd they know I was gonna do that?" "Hey Buddy, you're not the only one who observe and take notes around here!" :-)
Conversely, hollering from across the room, "No scratching!" isn't going get very far with a deaf or partially deaf dog. Sadly, shining a light doesn't do much to alert a dog whose vision is impaired. Lisa can see, she just can't see that well, She tends to lose track of people and sometimes where she is. It takes her a second or two to reorient herself. For awhile, I wasn't sure if she could hear at all, guess she's was just practicing that Beardie "You talking to me?" discriminating hearing. Creativity is the key to overcoming both of these obstacles.
Lastly, her mobility and coordination are areas that have been under rehabilitation since she came under my care. Our walks up and down my sloped yard, plus a trip up and down the stairs, intermixed with very short neighborhood walks to build stamina have all worked wonders. Lisa is stronger. She has short spurts of puppy-like running. Her front legs flail up in an almost pouncing sort of way when she runs. It's so cute. To help with coordination, Calvaletti poles seemed like a good idea. After all, it's what we use to train both horses and puppies to learn foot placement. Some balance exercises were also thrown into the mix as were agility exercises. Agility exercises consisted of her trying to keep up with me as I trotted or walked just a foot or two ahead of her. I would snake a few times through the yard around obstacles and such. Her job was to follow me. These I've kept to a minimum as building strength was the first priority. Once the strength has built up enough, then I can focus more on building better coordination and stamina.
The Training Challenge
Training Lisa has taken on a life of its own. Her hearing and eye sight add new elements to an already challenging situation and test my skills as a foster mom. In earlier posts, I mentioned that Lisa and Penny were adult "puppies". In many ways, they are and in equally many ways, they're not. Puppies tend to learn the 'action equals result' equation quickly, not so with Lisa. To look at this through her eyes, Lisa only knows this equation equals bad for her. My husband and I, along with other people Lisa has met, are working hard to change her definition of this equation and show her a different kind of result.
Often when I go to pet her, she'll squeeze her eyes tight and wince. My Tedi used to do the same thing when he came here a year ago. I tell Lisa the same thing I did Tedi, "Sweetie, we don't hit here." It also reminds me to start petting her under the chin or on the sides of the body FIRST. Eventually, they learn that motions towards the top of the head aren't going to be painful. It's a reflex; in addition to being hit, Lisa was grabbed by the scruff to be pulled from her cage. This method is common handling practice for mill owners when moving the dogs around to different pens. When "directing" Lisa, I've been careful to use very light pressure on her collar to encourage her to move in the direction I need her to go.
Since Lisa does not understand the concept of receiving a treat as a reward for a desired behavior, I've had to be more creative in this area. Lisa loves to be petted, so instead of using treats as a reward, we're using praise combined with a good lovin' on. Using affection as a reward instead of a treat is no different than using a toy on a dog that's toy-focused. Eventually, I'll be able to bridge the treats in, but for now this works. I'm careful to not push her too hard or expect too much from her. Mill dogs are almost feral in a way and operate somewhat on instinct. Lisa has survived by being stronger and more adaptable. She's gotten this far in life with the skills she has. Now, we have to take those skills, whatever they happen to be, cultivate them and expand upon them. Additionally, we need to deprogram her. Deprogramming 11 years of behavior and bad experiences won't happen overnight. It will take time, patience, understanding, and above all love.
Often when I go to pet her, she'll squeeze her eyes tight and wince. My Tedi used to do the same thing when he came here a year ago. I tell Lisa the same thing I did Tedi, "Sweetie, we don't hit here." It also reminds me to start petting her under the chin or on the sides of the body FIRST. Eventually, they learn that motions towards the top of the head aren't going to be painful. It's a reflex; in addition to being hit, Lisa was grabbed by the scruff to be pulled from her cage. This method is common handling practice for mill owners when moving the dogs around to different pens. When "directing" Lisa, I've been careful to use very light pressure on her collar to encourage her to move in the direction I need her to go.
Since Lisa does not understand the concept of receiving a treat as a reward for a desired behavior, I've had to be more creative in this area. Lisa loves to be petted, so instead of using treats as a reward, we're using praise combined with a good lovin' on. Using affection as a reward instead of a treat is no different than using a toy on a dog that's toy-focused. Eventually, I'll be able to bridge the treats in, but for now this works. I'm careful to not push her too hard or expect too much from her. Mill dogs are almost feral in a way and operate somewhat on instinct. Lisa has survived by being stronger and more adaptable. She's gotten this far in life with the skills she has. Now, we have to take those skills, whatever they happen to be, cultivate them and expand upon them. Additionally, we need to deprogram her. Deprogramming 11 years of behavior and bad experiences won't happen overnight. It will take time, patience, understanding, and above all love.
A Journey of a Thousand Miles
As Lao-Tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step," so is my journey with Lisa. Her growth continues to impress me. Each day, I'm tickled when she doesn't do something she used to do before or does something entirely new. One of her cutest behaviors is rolling. She will pick a spot either on the tile floor or the carpet, flop down and roll on her back. She'll spend anywhere between 10-15 or more seconds kicking her feet up in the air and do what I call "giggling" all the while. It is absolutely the greatest thing I've seen her do, but don't let her catch you watching or she'll stop. If she sees me watching her, she'll flip back over and get this look on her face as if to say, "ignore what you saw, you didn't see me do that." I love seeing her act like a dog and enjoy something so puritanical as rolling on her back.
Lisa has become quite expressive with her face. I've noticed her scowling when I get her to do either something she's not sure about or something she outright doesn't want to do (i.e. go outside because it's hot out there). Her scowling look consists of her furrowing her eyebrows. Of course, I've seen the stressed look more than I'd care to. That wide eyed look with a mouth stretched in an almost fake smile-like pant is hard to see on a full coated dog, but on a shaved down one those signals ring out. She does wag her tail when she feels like it. The ears perk up once in blue moon; they mostly hang down or go back depending upon the situation. I try not to put her in stressful situations, but through the course of the day she's bound to run into them. Continual assurance, lots of love, and understanding are what will get us over those rough patches.
Lisa has become quite expressive with her face. I've noticed her scowling when I get her to do either something she's not sure about or something she outright doesn't want to do (i.e. go outside because it's hot out there). Her scowling look consists of her furrowing her eyebrows. Of course, I've seen the stressed look more than I'd care to. That wide eyed look with a mouth stretched in an almost fake smile-like pant is hard to see on a full coated dog, but on a shaved down one those signals ring out. She does wag her tail when she feels like it. The ears perk up once in blue moon; they mostly hang down or go back depending upon the situation. I try not to put her in stressful situations, but through the course of the day she's bound to run into them. Continual assurance, lots of love, and understanding are what will get us over those rough patches.
Rehabilitating Lisa
Rehabilitating Lisa has been and is a rewarding challenge. She continues to amaze me. Her personality grows a bit more each day as she discovers who she is for the first time in her life. It's wondrous to see.
In preparing to do serious rehabilitation work, I looked online for some help. The site I mentioned in an earlier post, A New Start On Life (ANSOL), has helped give me a foundation to build upon when working with Lisa. On the outside, Lisa seems well adjusted. She doesn't hide, run, or pee submissively. However, that is on the outside and to the casual observer. Lisa has a big problem: she doesn't know what she doesn't know. When working with Penny, the first mill dog, I referred to her as a 6 year old puppy. In actuality, it's much worse. Penny, Lisa and mill dogs like them are "special needs" dogs. Not only are Penny and Lisa physically weak, they're developmentally weak. Their brains have never been exercised and like muscles in the body, if you don't use it, you lose it. In their case, they never had to begin with which makes matters that much worse. It just compounds the challenge that we've already begun.
Lisa's physical condition has returned to what it was before the surgery. She's gained some weight, about a pound or two and she looks better overall. She doesn't look drawn like before. Her rib cage is still distended, but at least when you run your hands over her there's a little something between the skin and bones. My physical therapy exercises are beginning to pay off. Lisa's gaining strength in her limbs. Her muscles felt like jelly before, now they're starting to feel a little firmer. I rotate around what exercises we actually do. Sometimes, its reps up and down this slight incline in the yard. Other times, it might be a leisurely stroll down my driveway. Now that the stitches are out, I've added stair work which also meant training a completely new concept. This feat was accomplished with the trail of treats strategically placed on the treads. Teaching her to go up was easy - to go down, not so much. Although, if you actually watch a dog go down a set of stairs like those in most houses, it's really a controlled fall down them. All of this we're taking very slowly.
In preparing to do serious rehabilitation work, I looked online for some help. The site I mentioned in an earlier post, A New Start On Life (ANSOL), has helped give me a foundation to build upon when working with Lisa. On the outside, Lisa seems well adjusted. She doesn't hide, run, or pee submissively. However, that is on the outside and to the casual observer. Lisa has a big problem: she doesn't know what she doesn't know. When working with Penny, the first mill dog, I referred to her as a 6 year old puppy. In actuality, it's much worse. Penny, Lisa and mill dogs like them are "special needs" dogs. Not only are Penny and Lisa physically weak, they're developmentally weak. Their brains have never been exercised and like muscles in the body, if you don't use it, you lose it. In their case, they never had to begin with which makes matters that much worse. It just compounds the challenge that we've already begun.
Lisa's physical condition has returned to what it was before the surgery. She's gained some weight, about a pound or two and she looks better overall. She doesn't look drawn like before. Her rib cage is still distended, but at least when you run your hands over her there's a little something between the skin and bones. My physical therapy exercises are beginning to pay off. Lisa's gaining strength in her limbs. Her muscles felt like jelly before, now they're starting to feel a little firmer. I rotate around what exercises we actually do. Sometimes, its reps up and down this slight incline in the yard. Other times, it might be a leisurely stroll down my driveway. Now that the stitches are out, I've added stair work which also meant training a completely new concept. This feat was accomplished with the trail of treats strategically placed on the treads. Teaching her to go up was easy - to go down, not so much. Although, if you actually watch a dog go down a set of stairs like those in most houses, it's really a controlled fall down them. All of this we're taking very slowly.
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