A setback Thursday had the Pevears battling major discouragement
While I was at work, Juneau made a BIG mess of the house. This being
a family blog, I will not get into all the smelly details. I also do
not want to involve the EPA.
I had been walking Juneau 2.5 miles each night, then rising early
each morning and walking her a mile before work. The routine was
catching on. No mess-ups. Until Thursday. Home alone for 2 1/2 hours
out of her crate, Juneau made herself less adorable.
A lingering problem is Juneau has become attached to me. Truly I am
flattered, but this makes it difficult for other family members to
help me out. Juneau sits trembling in her crate and has to be dragged
out. This is not conducive to frequent walks.
Even with me, Juneau must be strategically cornered to get her leash
on. Last night I applied Joshua Chamberlain’s swinging-gate flank
attack from Little Round Top. My energy is waning.
Once outside, Juneau is a totally different animal. She interacts
well with other dogs. She walks well on a leash. Her tail even
occasionally wags. She is also indefatigable.
When my wife Maura left a message on my cell phone Friday afternoon,
I sensed it was about Juneau, and feared it was a dog-or-me
ultimatum. Juneau seems especially terrified of my wife, since she is
the one who mans the vacuum cleaner.
After a half-hour of ignoring the message, I finally summoned the
courage to listen.
“Juneau and I just went five miles running,” my wife excitedly said.
“She did great!”
Looks like Juneau remains a keeper.
Good dog, Juneau.
Next is the decision whether to cut back on cable and buy pet health
insurance. Expert advice is welcome.
January 23, 2009
You made some good points there. I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog.
texas unicare insurance health
Ah, pet insurance. We went ahead and bought it for our rescue, Camber, a Corgi. ASPCA has some really good rates. Here's the catch: Like all insurance companies, they deal with "reasonable costs". Example. Camber's spay at our vet cost nearly $500. ASPCA claimed that a "reasonable cost" for a spay in our area fell into the vicinity of $260. My reimbursement: $80, after all fees.
Pet insurance is great because it will help with the financial costs; however, you'll need to check with them first before having a procedure.
Juneau is a sweetie. Our dog, Cam, came from a neglected situation. She was housetrained, but didn't know how to walk on a leash. She has only barked a handful of times. She's shy around people she doesn't know and doesn't like other dogs (or my boyfriend. well, she likes him--she just LOVES me), she's my little shadow, stares at me in a stalker-like way when in the car (really, it's creepy). But, when she snuggles up in the bed or runs circles around you in the yard, it's the best feeling in the world. Enjoy your Juneau and good luck with the blog.
Is Juneau motivated by food? You could try giving her a small treat when you get the leash out or when someone else pets her, etc. so she associates all those things with something good. Little bits of soft treats work well so you're not overfeeding her. When my dog was younger and I was training her I'd just keep a bunch of treats in my pocket so I was always ready to give her one immediately for any good behavior. One important note on that though - be sure to take out leftover treats or you will find your pockets chewed off. I lost several pairs of jeans and a few jackets to that mistake!
Dave,
I had very much the same issues as you did with a dog with a brain injury I fostered last summer. I contacted a great animal behaviorist in the area and he was able to work a bit with the dog before his fostering days were over. I'm sure this dog is on his way to being a good citizen!
Juneau doesn't know how to be a dog and needs to learn what's OK and what's not; Juneau needs to be socialized.
This is a matter for the pros, I think, since Juneau came from less-than-ideal conditions. The behaviorist I mentioned will give you a free consultation and even work with Juneau a bit the first time. The fees are quite reasonable for what you get and you can stop when you feel progress has been made. I can put you in touch if you're interested.
If you can find Good Health insurance for Pets Let me know too! Good Luck! That is one Adorable dog!