By adoption, I literally mean taking her from another family into my home.
It's been 1 month 4 days since she first set foot into my place - and this post is written purely to track her progress, as she's settles into my family.
Just exactly how bad is her condition - ahh this is going to be one really long post.
The initial first 2 weeks, she whines and bark whenever I head out.
I started to realize the severity whenever I head out on Clubbing nights, it's usually like 11.30pm/12am when I leave home, and she'll whine and progress to bark even if Mom and the brother is at home.
Mom the light sleeper gets frustrated - and I'll come home to see this weird scenario of a chair in awkward position, her sleep pen shifts, a cane is nearby and I'll be like "uh oh" to myself.
Of course the complaints would come in the next day, when the mother wakes up.
There was also the tell tale sign of a scratched up main door,
Chewed up heel.
She tore the balcony decorative tiles up.
Broke out from her fenced up area - I swear she's an escape artist in her previous life.
coz Her escaping IQ is damn baffling awesome.
She'll pee + poop all over the place
Shadows me ALOT
and the list goes on...
I thought to myself that the doggie just needed some practise, and so I arranged some practise session of myself of "fake" leaving home like 50 times in 3 hours.
It was a total horror story can?
She whine, bark, howl and goes into some blasting routine.
From afar - it sounded like Someone at home was whipping her non stop with a leather leash, burning her with a iron hot tong and other crazy torture device.
I'm surprised that the SPCA hasn't showed up yet.
Yet the only thing I did, was to leave her alone at home.
I deviced this little creep in plan - to creep in by the back door just to observe through the glass panel of the kitchen door...and it was terrible!
She was so fixated about me going out that she did not even realize that I was actually hanging out at the kitchen.
She kept staring. barking, going nuts towards the direction of my main door.
Okays.
We fast forward things alittle.
It's been about 2 weeks since I've gotten a little help and advise on dealing with her right.
Simple things that I do on a daily basis - that I really ought not to do, helps to calm her down.
I try to spend as much time possible, to work on the concepts I've learnt and she seems to be improving a little.
Of course, i'm also learning to be a better "pack leader" through my daily actions (those who follow the dog whisperer program would be very familiar with the term)
Apparently, I cannot carry her when standing up. At best I can give her a bear hug when i'm seated on the floor.
The idea is not to "baby" the dog too much
I have to ignore her first thing when Im home.
Setting foot through the door.
No matter how much she pounce and do her kangaroo stuff, I have to ignore her until she stops kangaroo-ing while nudging her away.
Waking up too.
Emerging from my bedroom, I do similar stuff - which is to be nonchalant and potter around the house, then noticing her very nonchalantly - even though the purpose of me setting foot out of my room was to like feed her?
FML #ActressAward
Wake up still need to do so much things.
#TooMuchEffortRight.
Dashing out of the main door has since decreased.
Her kangaroo pouncing to greet me/us when we get home has decreased too.
She's more cooperative with her meal time affair - learnt some cooperative discipline actually without me giving commands to sit, stay and go. We do that solely through body language. (Reminds me of the fundamental concepts of Salsa dancing - haha)
Learnt that Kitchen boundaries and mommy's room is strictly out of bounds - otherwise she'll get it bad from mommy.
She's improved on her leash walking - goodbye rope burns.
#SaveMyPoorOverworkedHands
Tugging is minimal after making some adjustment to the way I hold the leash.
I have also upgraded her walking equipment.
She still follows me like a shadow, but she seems comfortable enough to run off to do her own stuff, or check on the others at home, before coming back to me.
Her "home alone" barking/whining/howling is still inccessant - but i've made effort to make recordings everytime she's alone at home - and review them when I reach home.
She's still barking until someone comes home - but I noticed that she'll take longer breaks in between her next bark routine.
I'll very much like to visualise that between those long breaks of silence, she's just really chewing toys, taking a drink, running around, nap alittle, before she wakes up and bark,howl,whine out of habit.
That's my only comforting thought, after finding out that my dog cries until I/ bro/mom get(s) home.
#heartpain #truestory
Her toileting is still TERRIBLE.
For an 8, going 9 months old puppy, she's a complete bladder, bowel failure.
Admittedly, Trixie has alot more in terms of settling in our household, but she's improving in her own little way.
It's going to be a looooooooong way more to go, but we'll eventually manage - albeit my very poorthing hands - from too much wiping and moping to do.
Weehhh...
Just alittle more effort contribute by everyone in the family, and I'm sure she'll improve day by day.
At the end of the day, she's still very endearing in her own little way..
Like this silly expression she gives me, after she's done with her food.
She stands next to her food bowl, gives me sad puppy eyes - Hoping to get seconds.
Nope. Whatever it is, I stick to 2 feedings a day and sometimes a wedge of apple in between meal times just to freshen up her breath, or a dog treat because its the weekend and she deserves something special~
Feeding apples to dog is ok.
Just remove the seed+core - it' where the poisonous cyanide seeds lies in.
This picture was taken after I gave her an ice cube to play with.
I bet it was fun to lick and sniff something so cold.
I bet it was fun to lick and sniff something so cold.
It melted away shortly and I said "no more" to her, despite that look she gave me.
awwww....
I gave her another ice cube to play with about an hour later because she looked so cute.
Haha.
At least I waited for a hour before relenting!
