Looking for another dog, need some input
Dec 31, 2019 10:17:03 GMT -5
elnini, eljay, and 7 more like this
Post by Shawn on Dec 31, 2019 10:17:03 GMT -5
His pen is where he can see anyone coming in/out of the house and he's right by the barn, so he sees the cows come up (which is the only thing he truly ignores because he's comfortable with cattle) and he can see me moving around in the barn and watering, etc.
Our yard is fenced on the back because it's the pasture fence, otherwise, it's open on the road side. I did remember I had a long lead for horse purposes, so dug that out this morning.
I am very encouraged. I went out this morning and milked. As I saw him from the house window, he was laying on his "dog house" watching everything, but not fussing. I never heard him cry during the night either. He watched while I did all my stuff. Then I got the long lead and went to his pen. He was happy to see me, anybody, I could tell. His tail was wagging. He wanted to come to me, but he's just not quite there. I got the lead on and opened the gate and let him come out on his own. Gypsy came up and was politely checking him out and when he got scared he first started to come to me, (yay) then retreated to his house. They got their meet and greet over with and she is fine with him. He stopped growling when she tried to smell him so that's progress!
Then when she walked off, I followed her and he walked on the lead like he was born to it. He wanted to see where she was going. We made our way around the entire yard, but after the first few feet, Gypsy laid down and he still followed me perfectly. He would stop periodically and take in the sights. It reminded me so much of how Gypsy was when we first got her. It was like she was making a list of things to guard. I let him take as long as he needed when he paused to study something.
We opened the chicken pen and went in and all around it. (It's 110 X 80'). He was studying everything. After we got back to his house I tried to take him into the barn to get his food, but he didn't want to go in there. I tied him to his pen and got food and water. When I wanted him to go to bed, he was not happy about that. After I left him he fussed for about 20 minutes trying to dig, climb or sail out before he settled. So I take it as a good sign he liked being out, even if he had to be with a scary stranger.
After going in the house, Louie was concerned there was a stray dog causing a fuss and that he needed to go out and run it off. I let him out the back door and he charged toward the road and then realized it was the pup. He just stopped, turned around and came back in. lol No sense fussing over that I guess.
Good progress. I'll give him a few hours, then DH and I will take him for a tour of the pasture.
Our yard is fenced on the back because it's the pasture fence, otherwise, it's open on the road side. I did remember I had a long lead for horse purposes, so dug that out this morning.
I am very encouraged. I went out this morning and milked. As I saw him from the house window, he was laying on his "dog house" watching everything, but not fussing. I never heard him cry during the night either. He watched while I did all my stuff. Then I got the long lead and went to his pen. He was happy to see me, anybody, I could tell. His tail was wagging. He wanted to come to me, but he's just not quite there. I got the lead on and opened the gate and let him come out on his own. Gypsy came up and was politely checking him out and when he got scared he first started to come to me, (yay) then retreated to his house. They got their meet and greet over with and she is fine with him. He stopped growling when she tried to smell him so that's progress!
Then when she walked off, I followed her and he walked on the lead like he was born to it. He wanted to see where she was going. We made our way around the entire yard, but after the first few feet, Gypsy laid down and he still followed me perfectly. He would stop periodically and take in the sights. It reminded me so much of how Gypsy was when we first got her. It was like she was making a list of things to guard. I let him take as long as he needed when he paused to study something.
We opened the chicken pen and went in and all around it. (It's 110 X 80'). He was studying everything. After we got back to his house I tried to take him into the barn to get his food, but he didn't want to go in there. I tied him to his pen and got food and water. When I wanted him to go to bed, he was not happy about that. After I left him he fussed for about 20 minutes trying to dig, climb or sail out before he settled. So I take it as a good sign he liked being out, even if he had to be with a scary stranger.
After going in the house, Louie was concerned there was a stray dog causing a fuss and that he needed to go out and run it off. I let him out the back door and he charged toward the road and then realized it was the pup. He just stopped, turned around and came back in. lol No sense fussing over that I guess.
Good progress. I'll give him a few hours, then DH and I will take him for a tour of the pasture.