Learning from Puppy X

"Puppy X" has been with us for a week and 1/2 now. For the most part it, has been rewarding seeing her trust a little more and to see her as a “normal puppy” playing mainly with Rio and even laying down quietly to chew a bone. I wish I had one of those cameras that you put on a helmet to record her progress every step of the way.

Her successes though have not come easy for her or for me! At times I have been so freakin’ frustrated with her barking at the top of her lungs and the banging of her smallish body on the door wanting out of “solitary-puppy-confinement”. I’ll tell you the sound of her crying full throttled had me reaching for earplugs and attesting to the fact that situations like this could very well be implemented as torture.

Not only was I frustrated because there was no way I could keep her contained without her throwing a massive fit, I was also feeling really bad for her. I was thinking of how scary, frustrating, etc. it must be for a young animal that does not have the coping skills or impulse control skills to be kept in isolation so that they do not get into trouble, destroy our precious property, or have accidents inside. How can you explain all these things to the pup? My frustration pushed me to think outside of the box and to try another approach. So I became very observant of what she did when she was just hanging out with Deuce and Rioja and I noticed that she would either:

a. Engage in play - LOTS of play.
b. Lay around chewing one of the many items left around for this purpose.
c. Took every opportunity to go outside AND eliminate - even at the young age of 3/1/2 months!

So the adventure began. I stopped putting her behind the 6ft baby gate that she can climb with no problem (so much for that confinement) and allowed her to hang out with both my dogs even when I was not fully supervising. Now she is happy, stress free and enjoyable.

One for "Puppy X"! She spent the night sleeping next to Rio (BFF) in my bedroom or gravitating towards Rio’s crate in my office and kept Deuce company.

Since that night I have been able to leave her outside the puppy-confinement with my dogs watching over her. I cracked open the back door (still working on the doggie door) so that she can go outside and eliminate.

There you have it. I did what I would never advise anyone to do with a young pup! Yes, I did take some precautions such as unplugging cords of lights she could reach, offering lighting and keeping doors closed to rooms not being used.

"Puppy X" in her frustration has taught me that we must see our pets as individuals and that we must keep our eye on the bigger picture. For this puppy the bigger picture is to decompress enough so that she can begin to enjoy the company of people – now that she has discovered how much fun dogs are!

Every day, with more of a set routine we jointly work on her approaching us and not having to move away when we walk in her direction. Handling her and even walking on a leash - all foreign endeavors for “Puppy X”.

Yesterday afternoon we hit another landmark with "Puppy X" engaging with me (she actually ran towards me!!!!) wanting for me to pull on the tug-toy that I had in my hand.

While her progress is still uncertain, I do feel much better about having taken some non-popular steps to help her feel comfortable and safe. So far, my home has remained spotless with the only damage done to a pair of flip-flops that I removed when I was watching TV. Now, can someone please explain to me why puppies and dogs in general LOVE to chew on flip-flops?????

Whodunnit?

For the past few weeks I have been on watch patrol. Neither one of my dogs used to chew illegal items such as our shoes, but now Rioja has begun to delight in rubber. So far two of my shoes have fallen victim to her mighty strong jaws. As John likes to remind me every time our dogs act like dogs and engage in behaviors that we humans don’t find so fascinating… um, see it from the bright side… this will give you more appreciation for what your clients are going through… Yes, you bet! I have caught myself smiling sheepishly as my own managing plan fails once again leaving my shoes around for Rioja to find and chew.

Not that our house is messy with “stuff” all over the place, but since a few weeks back my house is even tidier. So besides having more understanding for my clients who report another chewed item, I have been busy implementing a plan of action in hopes that Rioja once again finds her own toys attractive and leaves

my shoes alone!

I think that in the last few days, I am making some progress and her taste for rubber appears to have been satisfied. She is eating out of frozen Kongs daily. This provides her with ample opportunity to chew and lick (rubber) and work for her food – there! You mischievous devil!

I also bought her (and Deuce) some hard rubber toys. Her toys are now rotated on a more frequent basis making sure that she always has access to hard toys that she can chew on or yes even destroy! I have made peace with that. And last I am more aware of her whereabouts. As I am busy writing this I realized she is not laying at her afternoon spot- the cozy pillow by the window, which provides her not only with some comfort but a spanking view… so I get up and go to look for her. I find her not too far from her “perch” half –asleep half aware of my camera (which I snatched as I went looking for her) on the sofa… ah, if only I was a dog….

All this new activity from Rioja has gotten me thinking about several things:

1. Our dog’s behavior is never static. It is always adapting to their surroundings and immediate reality.
2. They are not perfect thus we shall accept them with their “weaknesses” and we must take responsibility. (Pick after yourself) when they fail (mistaken MY possessions for theirs – as an example).
3. They need daily mental, social and physical stimulation or they will find it themselves.
4. We love them even though sometimes… we would much rather they get a job of their own to pay for broken items.
5. They make us laugh and keep us on our toes… implementing yet another fun game, getting us up from the chair to entertain.
6. Dogs remind us also that they are not humans thus their needs are different from ours. I can attest to this: I have never wanted to chew on flip-flops!
7. They will learn from their peers…

This last point is worth entertaining a little further. I always dreamed of being a private eye and thanks to my dogs (and my clients) I have the opportunity to investigate for possible cause, circumstantial evidence and

the like when something deviates with what we humans label as “normal” (read desirable) behavior from our dogs.

In regards to Rioja’s chewing of our shoes, I have to take into account that she began to chew on our possessions just after a cutie that we were boarding left our home. She had never before done so.

As a matter of fact all the destruction started when I left a pair of spanky-new sandals in my bathroom when we went out for dinner and while Rioja’s buddy was still with us only to come back to a chewed up strap on one of the sandals.

Is it possible then that dogs can pick up bad-habits (it is alwaaays bad habits) from their playmates? In other words, a case of: I see….now I must try it?

I am interested in the reasons behind her new acquired habit not so much to point fingers as to the culprit but because this incident sheds some light to the hidden life of our dogs - their social interactions with other dogs and to what their motivations might be in engaging in a new behavior. This case is not yet closed as I am still left wondering who whodunnit and a probable cause.