Help with Former Breeder/Shelter Dog

[Amanda's Mom]

Angel might be misnomer. LOL! She is quite the little dickens! Runs like the wind and jumps like a kangaroo. Happiest when pulling the ears or legs off a toy. She's a very active old girl and lots of fun.

Remy will snuggle in bed even to the point of laying his head on my leg. But when he's under his table he will still bark at me although not as much. My neighbor just loves him but he will not let her touch him. He seems afraid of all women, noises, birds, garbage cans, a falling leaf. Poor guy is afraid of everything. I think his yard and the porch or room he lived in was his whole world and everything else in this big new world is terrifying. But we do seem to make progress in very very small steps.

Pork Chop's eyes are pretty much healed. He seems so happy to be able to see again! Considering how poor his hearing is I'm so thankful we could restore his eyesight!!

How are your babies?? Hope they are all doing great!!

[Joan2517]

I'm so glad Pork Chop can see again! I think sometimes that it is more important than the hearing. Lena seemed to get over being almost deaf more than I did, but as long as she could still see, she seemed fine.

that's funny about Angel. I've got a kangaroo with Sibbie, too, and I think she's also part monkey. She has realized that she can jump up on the furniture now, but has not gotten the fact that she can jump back down! I've got pillows all over the floors by anything that she can jump on. She looks so proud of herself when she's accomplished a new piece of furniture. We found her on the table one day! We have to clean off anything she can get to and she loves chewing up shoes. Do they go through another teething stage at 8 months?? I am constantly running after her to get my flip flops back and they've all got teeth marks now .

But she does love her toys. It's like a zoo in my house when her and Cooper start stealing each others toys and chasing each other through all the rooms. Cooper used to be safe on the furniture, but not anymore...there is no safe place now that she can get to him...

It's amazing to see her fly up, though...with those long horsey legs. Lena was so tiny, and had such little legs, she never could jump up on anything higher than a few inches. I miss her so much. We're coming up to 6 months next week and I still cry every day.

I think Remy will turn out to be a great companion, Claire. Sometimes the most troubled ones really surprise us. If anyone had told me in the beginning that my big guy, Gable would be the wonderful dog he is now, I would've said they were nuts.

[Amanda's Mom]

Angel is definitely a kangaroo and monkey combined. She will climb on tables and has no fear! What really scares me is she will leap long distances and I'm so afraid she will hit something and hurt herself. She wants to tear apart and eat her toys. The two boys just ignore her. Neither of them wants anything to do with toys!

Sounds like Sib is a crazy monkey too!! I think they will chew up until a year or so. Better hide those flip flops! . They are entertaining little creatures aren't they! LOL! Angel has long legs too and she climbs and jumps and dances like a gymnast!

Last night Remy had his head resting on my thigh when we were in bed. He let me love on him and pet him and cuddle him. But in the day time he acts scared to death. I think when he sees me petting Pork Chop and Angel he wants to come over but he is too afraid. Sometimes he barks, other times he sort of swishes back and forth or circles us making funny little " rahr rahr rarh " noises. I don't know what to do to show him I will never hurt him.

Rose never adjusted to being blind. Amanda didn't seem to let it impact her but she was blind when I adopted her. Pork Chop was getting lost and stuck and now that he can see again he's much happier. I was supposed to get his ears flushed out today but had to cancel due to all the rain and flooding down here.

[Amanda's Mom]

It has been three weeks since Remy and I visited a veterinarian/ behaviorist. We spent a couple of hours together during which time she was able to observe my troubled boy. The doctor wound up prescribing trazadone to help with his anxiety and she gave me a couple of exercises to do with him. One is called "Touch" where using a high value treat, I try to get Remy to 'touch' my fingers as I say "Remy Touch".If he does he gets the treat and a "Good Boy!"

Well, all I can say is within a couple of days there was a big improvement and I was shocked to look down and find him standing with the other dogs, tail wagging waiting for me to get some treats out of the cupboard. The exercise (and the medication) has really helped. Remy will now come out in the kitchen when I'm there, he will walk close to me and sometimes even sit near me. He even ran to me as I sat down in my chair, tail wagging and I put out my hand and said "Touch" which he did. All this while small steps is fabulous progress in a very short time. The doctor did say it would be painfully slow but so far there have been more ups than downs. AND best of all, he hardly barks at me anymore. Once in a while but nothing like before!

Of course when I took him to LSU he sat on my lap and stayed close to me. Apparently being there was more traumatic than being near me so I was the 'lesser of the evils'. I am hopeful that perhaps by Christmas he will be much more trusting and comfortable. The plan is to wean him off the mediation eventually.

Oh and one more thing, the other night I heard barking and knew it wasn't Angel or Pork Chop. Remy was in the living room trying to play with a toy and barking at it. He didn't know quite what to do with it but he was trying. He has been watching Angel who is the 'toymeister' and we hope he will learn to enjoy play and having fun. The behaviorist had suggested puzzle toys for Remy and we have some of those as well. Of course once he has the treats out he loses all interest and he is very adept at getting them out. It is so wonderful to see our boy coming out of his shell. His tail wags furiously much of the time, he is exploring the yard (still scared of cats, falling leaves and garbage cans) but he is becoming more comfortable in the back yard and enjoys sniffing and skulking around the bushes.

Remy may never be as comfortable as a dog who was socialized as a puppy but hopefully he will be able to enjoy his life and not live in fear. We can see the dog he can be. And he has all the potential to be a happy, fun, inquisitive little guy if he can move beyond the fear he carries. !!! This is just 'phase one' but we are so happy for him!

[Joan2517]

Claire~ I am so happy to read this...what a relief it must be to you, I knew you could do it though

And how nice for him to be able to calm down and enjoy some of the little things in life!

I may ask my vet for the trazadone for Cooper, since the Elavil isn't doing much. I just received a belly band from my poodle rescue group and am getting him used to wearing it while I am home before I try it with us gone all day.

Good news!

Love,
Joan

[molly muffin]

This is great news. I'm sure his life is so much better and happier with less anxiety in it. Your little buddy now

[Amanda's Mom]

Well Joan we aren't there yet but tremendous improvement. I am hoping by Christmas maybe he will be close to truly trusting me. At least now I feel we will "get there" with patience.
Is Cooper marking? In the past I had good luck with Prozac for marking. Sounds like you have tried some meds already. Trazadone has worked well for
Remy. We just want him to be a happy boy and feel safe and secure. Good luck with the belly band. It's a pain taking it on and off but definitely saves on clean up!