DAKOTA'S SPLENDID WEEK
This was a great week for Dakota even though he doesn't know it. It started with his yearly visit to the vet. Time for heartworm test, yearly shots, and a physical that included a basic profile because of his age.
He was delighted to see everyone. They all spoil him rotten but Karen is his favorite because she loves him up and down and tells him he's the greatest. He's not familiar with the exam table and how it goes up and down and that it also tells his weight. But he caught on quickly and did everything he was asked to do.
His doctor said his heart was still just terrific and showed no signs of aging. He has a nice, slow, steady, and strong beat. His eyes are clear as a bell with no signs of cataracts. He has no allergies or skin problems. The only issue we have are the hips. But they do not present a huge problem for him and he has learned to adjust and avoid a lot of pain.
His doctor called the next day with the profile results and said they were all just fine and that some of the scores were actually very low. Quite wonderful to hear from a dog that is almost 11 years old. We picked up his heartworm, he got his last ear scratches and hugs, and we were on our way home.
Then the next day we got hit with our first big storms that included thunder and lightening. I was anxious to see if my winter of work with him on his storm fear would result in some positive aspects. I was in my office when it started and I put his Kennel Calm disc in to play while I finished up my work. He pretty much responded the same way he always did through the thunder fear disc. He slept through it on his bed under the table next to my desk. I didn't want to get up as I knew he would then get up and follow me and it would probably break the chain of positive events. And it did. He started to show signs of worry. But they were not extreme. He went behind my desk and stayed there for a while and then he did go to the closet and curl up on the bed I'd put by the door for him.
He went downstairs with me and pretty much followed me around while I got ready for dinner. He did try to get into one closet I went into to get some things. I should have left the door open but instead I made him get out so I could close the door. Later I realized that was a mistake and I won't do that again.
The storm continued through the evening. He wouldn't eat his dinner at his table but he was curled up next to it, so I put the bowl down in front of him and he ate and took his medication. He was fairly quite through the evening and did go from place to place but nothing extreme with one exception. He thought about trying to get behind the couch, but never pushed the idea through to completion.
While he was under some stress, it was no where near what we experienced last fall when we adopted him. I like to put it this way. On a scale of 1 [no fear] to 10 [a lot of fear] he was probably at about a 5. Last fall I'd say he was at a 12+ and rising. So I think he has improved quite a bit. I didn't have to give him anything. We pretty much ignored him, watched TV and chatted and laughed as normal.
Once the storm had passed - the thunder was gone and the lightening had moved on - he went out potty and didn't rush to come back in. He goes out in the rain now if there is no thunder or lightening and actually seems to enjoy the rain. When he arrived here, he wouldn't even stick his nose out the door if it was raining.
Another interesting point was that he didn't react to the low pressure that went right over us. Last fall he seemed to react to an oncoming storm quite far out. So I believe the work I did over the winter did help. But rather than pat myself on the back, I think a lot of his progress is a result of his settling in here and becoming part of the family and gaining a lot of trust and stability in his life. When he arrived last fall he had been through an awful lot of scary events and he wasn't sure what was happening to him. But with our work and patience through these 8 months, I think he's gained a lot of confidence in himself and trusts us and feels secure. He's fit into routines, created new interests, and definitely thinks this is now his home. He has no separation anxiety when we leave and is happy to welcome us home but not overly so.
It most certainly is a success story. His chipmunks came out this week too and he's back to keeping on eye on them. He loves being outside and watching everything that goes on but is frustrated by the darn rabbits - aren't we all. He doesn't need me outside with him every minute. He takes his new plush toys out with him and brings them back when he comes in. I think it's going to be a great summer. It's till too cold to put his pool out, but I can't wait to see how he deals with that.
It's been a good week.
He was delighted to see everyone. They all spoil him rotten but Karen is his favorite because she loves him up and down and tells him he's the greatest. He's not familiar with the exam table and how it goes up and down and that it also tells his weight. But he caught on quickly and did everything he was asked to do.
His doctor said his heart was still just terrific and showed no signs of aging. He has a nice, slow, steady, and strong beat. His eyes are clear as a bell with no signs of cataracts. He has no allergies or skin problems. The only issue we have are the hips. But they do not present a huge problem for him and he has learned to adjust and avoid a lot of pain.
His doctor called the next day with the profile results and said they were all just fine and that some of the scores were actually very low. Quite wonderful to hear from a dog that is almost 11 years old. We picked up his heartworm, he got his last ear scratches and hugs, and we were on our way home.
Then the next day we got hit with our first big storms that included thunder and lightening. I was anxious to see if my winter of work with him on his storm fear would result in some positive aspects. I was in my office when it started and I put his Kennel Calm disc in to play while I finished up my work. He pretty much responded the same way he always did through the thunder fear disc. He slept through it on his bed under the table next to my desk. I didn't want to get up as I knew he would then get up and follow me and it would probably break the chain of positive events. And it did. He started to show signs of worry. But they were not extreme. He went behind my desk and stayed there for a while and then he did go to the closet and curl up on the bed I'd put by the door for him.
He went downstairs with me and pretty much followed me around while I got ready for dinner. He did try to get into one closet I went into to get some things. I should have left the door open but instead I made him get out so I could close the door. Later I realized that was a mistake and I won't do that again.
The storm continued through the evening. He wouldn't eat his dinner at his table but he was curled up next to it, so I put the bowl down in front of him and he ate and took his medication. He was fairly quite through the evening and did go from place to place but nothing extreme with one exception. He thought about trying to get behind the couch, but never pushed the idea through to completion.
While he was under some stress, it was no where near what we experienced last fall when we adopted him. I like to put it this way. On a scale of 1 [no fear] to 10 [a lot of fear] he was probably at about a 5. Last fall I'd say he was at a 12+ and rising. So I think he has improved quite a bit. I didn't have to give him anything. We pretty much ignored him, watched TV and chatted and laughed as normal.
Once the storm had passed - the thunder was gone and the lightening had moved on - he went out potty and didn't rush to come back in. He goes out in the rain now if there is no thunder or lightening and actually seems to enjoy the rain. When he arrived here, he wouldn't even stick his nose out the door if it was raining.
Another interesting point was that he didn't react to the low pressure that went right over us. Last fall he seemed to react to an oncoming storm quite far out. So I believe the work I did over the winter did help. But rather than pat myself on the back, I think a lot of his progress is a result of his settling in here and becoming part of the family and gaining a lot of trust and stability in his life. When he arrived last fall he had been through an awful lot of scary events and he wasn't sure what was happening to him. But with our work and patience through these 8 months, I think he's gained a lot of confidence in himself and trusts us and feels secure. He's fit into routines, created new interests, and definitely thinks this is now his home. He has no separation anxiety when we leave and is happy to welcome us home but not overly so.
It most certainly is a success story. His chipmunks came out this week too and he's back to keeping on eye on them. He loves being outside and watching everything that goes on but is frustrated by the darn rabbits - aren't we all. He doesn't need me outside with him every minute. He takes his new plush toys out with him and brings them back when he comes in. I think it's going to be a great summer. It's till too cold to put his pool out, but I can't wait to see how he deals with that.
It's been a good week.
posted by Katie | 2:09 PM
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