Post by Lannie on Sept 18, 2012 12:42:47 GMT -5
I FINALLY GOT JASPER'S COLLAR BACK ON HIM!!!!!!
I can't tell you how frustrating this has been! He's such a sweet guy, and he comes right up to me for pets and treats, and even tries to play with me frequently, but if he even SMELLS a collar in the vicinity, he vanishes like a puff of smoke.
But this morning there was gunfire all around us, at a distance. I guess it's grouse hunting season... Anyway, the dogs were both pretty spooked and they were sticking really close to me, even following me into the cow barn. Bandit was NOT amused, but they skittered out of her way. Being the opportunist that I am, I thought maybe I could shut them in the hay room and go get a collar and put it on Jasper, so I called them through the barn, shut the divider door, then shut the big outside door with all of us inside. I sat down on a bale of hay and petted them both, then got up and left, shutting them in. WOOOHOOOOOO!
I hustled back to the house and got his collar, and the poor thing was so scared when I came back, he just let me put it on him! I also got a chance to check his coyote wound, and found a pretty nasty, crust scab there, but now that he's got a "handle" and I can catch him, I can work on that, AND clip his dewclaws, which have grown around in a circle like a ram's horns.
It's been ELEVEN MONTHS since he slipped out of that collar, and I've been trying ever since to get it back on him. I can't believe it was so easy.
Aside from that, I was also deeply touched that when he was afraid, he came to ME, instead of running and hiding somewhere. Wow! Maybe he trusts me a bit more than I thought.
~Lannie
I can't tell you how frustrating this has been! He's such a sweet guy, and he comes right up to me for pets and treats, and even tries to play with me frequently, but if he even SMELLS a collar in the vicinity, he vanishes like a puff of smoke.
But this morning there was gunfire all around us, at a distance. I guess it's grouse hunting season... Anyway, the dogs were both pretty spooked and they were sticking really close to me, even following me into the cow barn. Bandit was NOT amused, but they skittered out of her way. Being the opportunist that I am, I thought maybe I could shut them in the hay room and go get a collar and put it on Jasper, so I called them through the barn, shut the divider door, then shut the big outside door with all of us inside. I sat down on a bale of hay and petted them both, then got up and left, shutting them in. WOOOHOOOOOO!
I hustled back to the house and got his collar, and the poor thing was so scared when I came back, he just let me put it on him! I also got a chance to check his coyote wound, and found a pretty nasty, crust scab there, but now that he's got a "handle" and I can catch him, I can work on that, AND clip his dewclaws, which have grown around in a circle like a ram's horns.
It's been ELEVEN MONTHS since he slipped out of that collar, and I've been trying ever since to get it back on him. I can't believe it was so easy.
Aside from that, I was also deeply touched that when he was afraid, he came to ME, instead of running and hiding somewhere. Wow! Maybe he trusts me a bit more than I thought.
~Lannie