Off to the field - Minnesota style.
Doc Holliday has been here in MN for a few weeks now and is settling in, learning new skills and showing just what a loving boy he is. We call him Holliday most of the time, but sometimes when writing about him, it's DH.
When Holiday arrived it was his first experience living indoors, except for his few days at his stopover foster. Now he lives in a house with other dogs (all males) and cats. The first 10 days or so he wore a belly band so he couldn't 'mark' in the house. He was crazy about the cats, wanted to chase, corner, nudge, lick and pace looking for them. He would not come out of his cage for my husband at all, not even to go outside or to eat. The first couple days he decided sleeping up in the bedroom with the other dogs was good. Then he did a turnabout and chose his crate. Running and playing with toys or balls was an unknown per se. The word 'treat' and the actual food piece was not of interest.Jump ahead a couple of weeks. I decided I wanted to see how he would do in a house with no cats. After his vet apointment it was off to visit a friend with 2 males. I saw a different boy at this house. He raced around the yard and tried to engage one of the dogs in play. Whew, what a relief to know he could be 'normal' in a house without cats :). During this time, Holliday decided that he did not want to wear his belly band any more. After that, he had 2 accidents, both on a hall wall and hard floor. That's it. While DH is a bit of a pacer when in the house, I can tell when he's getting 'antsy' to go out and go potty. All one has to do is ask and he is ready. We have praised with words and pats, but not used food.
Looking for cats.
As for the cats, Coulter comes out and will lie on the couch, a kitchen chair or me, and DH comes to sniff and check him out. If Coulter hangs out on a chair or the couch for long periods, Doc will stand very still, creep up so slowly and since Coulter won't run from him, DH just lays down and stares - it's quite funny, actually.
Holliday and Coulter the cat.
We go out as much as time and weather allow, and we play ball and take walks in the field. Lake, the lab from next door, comes out to play and he and DH have become friends. DH will play bow, trying to engage Lake in play.
Play bow!
What a joy to watch this sweet boy run and jump and stalk the birds, sniff in the field and even take a tennis ball in his mouth.
You called?
We are now working on calling him over, getting him to sit and say 'give' and gently take the ball from his mouth. It is still a work in progress as when he comes over his first inclination is to lay down and show his belly:( Sitting is not a natural thing to him and so I practice that when coming in from outdoors or getting a treat.
I like my crate.
Doc Holliday is crate trained.....all I do is say 'kennel up' and in he goes. We have the kennel door open all the time when we are home as this is a place he seems to feel safe in. When it's time to eat, he will run and sit in his kennel til I put his food out in his feeding station. Then he will come out and eat, most times. Sometimes he can be a bit shy and so we feed him in his crate. He has never messed in his kennel, and he knows when I crate him he will get a treat before I leave for work.
This last week end we took the 3 dogs (our resident GR, a foster GR and DH) to PetCo for a food/treat run. He was PERFECT. He walked beside me with just a leash on a flat collar. No barking, lunging, trying to take stuff off the shelves (no names please) and was all around great. It shows me he can go into a public enviroment and has no issues that we have seen. Perhaps having his 2 foster brothers helped, but he did it.
DH sleeps on the bed 99% of the time. If the gate is down and he has a clear path he runs up the steps and jumps on the bed. I know, I know....so we are working on wait and ok before he gets on the bed. The strides he has made is just amazing to me knowing he spend his entire life in an outdoor kennel. He is a joy to foster and is such a sweet boy. He is still a little snarky when you try to reach for his collar, but getting better. I just gently put my hand on his collar and tell him off (the bed) and even if he gets a little mouthy, he comes, and he never bites. He is learning so much and so quickly.
Human beds are cool.
This boy is too fast for my poor old camera and so the pictures don't do him justice. He is handsome, lithe, lightfooted, a wonderful pointer (forgot to mention that huh) and all around handsome boy. If you would like to meet Doc Holliday, please let me know. I know he would be happy to be in his furever home for the Holidays.
Wanna play?
Run time.
Pure Joy!
Jake has the ball.
May I have the ball?
I think I'll just take the ball...
I HAVE THE BALL!!!!
