Post by Lannie on Aug 7, 2011 13:08:01 GMT -5
Well, today is day three for our new Jasper-boy, and I think we made HUGE progress even from yesterday.
As soon as I woke up this morning, I let the house dogs out to potty, then I took my coffee and went out to sit on the "Love Seat" outside the corral. It's a big cement block and Rich and I will sit there in the evenings and love on the dogs and cats, so we call it the Love Seat. When I came out the door, it should be noted, Jasper did NOT bark at me. YAY! He got up and watched me, but he didn't bark.
So I walked out and sat down on the Love Seat and called Kiara, who came over and started nuzzling my chin while I scratched and petted her and basically made much of her. I want Jasper to know that there are GOOD things to be had from the humans. He was still in the corral, but near the fence, and watching intently. Then he started whining, just little tiny ones, but I could tell he really WANTED to come over, but was just too scared. I just kept waiting, and loving on Kiara. Finally, Jasper got brave enough to go around through the Poochie Portal and come to the corner of the corral fence, which is about 20 feet from where I was sitting. I said in my brightest, happiest voice, "Well, HI, Jasper! How's my big boy?" and his ears twitched forward. Then I patted my leg and called him by name a few times, each time he recognized it and twitched his ears, but he only managed one step. Then his nerve broke and he went back around into the corral. It was a good session though.
If you recall from the other thread, he didn't get most of his breakfast yesterday, between the horse, the chickens, and Kiara so he was definitely hungry today. When Rich and I went out a few hours later to feed them, I set his bowl down just outside the Poochie Portal and then we went to the Love Seat to feed Kiara. It took him a couple minutes, but soon Jasper went through and started wolfing down his food. It probably only took him 30 seconds to down 2 pounds of meat! LOL! Kiara wasn't even half done, but then she might not have been very hungry, having had TWO breakfasts yesterday.
Meanwhile, Jasper stood by the corner fencepost again and watched us. Kiara finally had enough and wandered off, so I took the last of her meat and started tossing pieces to Jasper one by one. The first one was close to him, then I threw them shorter and shorter until he was about 10 feet away. If I hadn't run out of meat, I might have gotten him to come even closer, but that was HUGE! He stood there waiting with an expectant look on his face, until I finally held my hands up, palms out, and said, "Sorry, all gone," and then he turned and went back into the corral to re-join Kiara.
I think in another day or two I might actually be able to TOUCH him again! It's a good thing I cleaned his dirty ears the first night before I let him off the leash! I should have clipped his rear dewclaws then, too, but I thought on top of all the other traumatic experiences, it might be too much. I didn't have any idea it would take so long to get close to him again, but we're getting there, bit by bit!
~Lannie
As soon as I woke up this morning, I let the house dogs out to potty, then I took my coffee and went out to sit on the "Love Seat" outside the corral. It's a big cement block and Rich and I will sit there in the evenings and love on the dogs and cats, so we call it the Love Seat. When I came out the door, it should be noted, Jasper did NOT bark at me. YAY! He got up and watched me, but he didn't bark.
So I walked out and sat down on the Love Seat and called Kiara, who came over and started nuzzling my chin while I scratched and petted her and basically made much of her. I want Jasper to know that there are GOOD things to be had from the humans. He was still in the corral, but near the fence, and watching intently. Then he started whining, just little tiny ones, but I could tell he really WANTED to come over, but was just too scared. I just kept waiting, and loving on Kiara. Finally, Jasper got brave enough to go around through the Poochie Portal and come to the corner of the corral fence, which is about 20 feet from where I was sitting. I said in my brightest, happiest voice, "Well, HI, Jasper! How's my big boy?" and his ears twitched forward. Then I patted my leg and called him by name a few times, each time he recognized it and twitched his ears, but he only managed one step. Then his nerve broke and he went back around into the corral. It was a good session though.
If you recall from the other thread, he didn't get most of his breakfast yesterday, between the horse, the chickens, and Kiara so he was definitely hungry today. When Rich and I went out a few hours later to feed them, I set his bowl down just outside the Poochie Portal and then we went to the Love Seat to feed Kiara. It took him a couple minutes, but soon Jasper went through and started wolfing down his food. It probably only took him 30 seconds to down 2 pounds of meat! LOL! Kiara wasn't even half done, but then she might not have been very hungry, having had TWO breakfasts yesterday.
Meanwhile, Jasper stood by the corner fencepost again and watched us. Kiara finally had enough and wandered off, so I took the last of her meat and started tossing pieces to Jasper one by one. The first one was close to him, then I threw them shorter and shorter until he was about 10 feet away. If I hadn't run out of meat, I might have gotten him to come even closer, but that was HUGE! He stood there waiting with an expectant look on his face, until I finally held my hands up, palms out, and said, "Sorry, all gone," and then he turned and went back into the corral to re-join Kiara.
I think in another day or two I might actually be able to TOUCH him again! It's a good thing I cleaned his dirty ears the first night before I let him off the leash! I should have clipped his rear dewclaws then, too, but I thought on top of all the other traumatic experiences, it might be too much. I didn't have any idea it would take so long to get close to him again, but we're getting there, bit by bit!
~Lannie