And a new journey begins...

Simba (now renamed "Scully") is about to begin a whole new life with his new furever mom, Maddie... I don't think he could have gotten a better home with someone - his new furever mom is willing to love him unconditionally, take Scully to that higher level of intense human bonding and walk in tandem through her life as he trots along at his level...

During the home check and intro time, he raced around their home like he'd already begun loving life in it, found Maddie's 'spot' on their couch and in my heart, I got the sense he'd 'finally come home,' ya know?... Maddie's a very loving lady and she's not only young and beautiful (inside and out), she's going to give Scully that emotional connection that I as a foster mom could not give him (for if I had, he'd become too attached to me and it would not be good for either one of us)...

For my part, I am very grateful he was in our lives for the past three months and I was able to bring him out of his shell, teach him how to trust again and work through most of his anxiety issues... I enjoyed our walks and I am so proud that he walks with self-esteem now as opposed to his tail between his legs, scared and unwilling to move more than several feet in any direction without bolting for dear life... I will never forget those precious sweetheart ears and cute buttonized tail, nor the cuddles and kisses he gave me as he reached out beyond that fear...

Congratulations, Maddie and Scully - what an amazing journey you both are about to begin!

Catching up...

Simba is now ready for adoption. He's clearly enjoying the human touch, comes to you when you call him and has grown into a real sweetheart. He's a real pro on lead now and I can take him just about anywhere without him being fearful or scared. We've been doing a lot of umbilical training as well, so that's caused him to be right by my left side without any commands or direction. He's totally house-broken as well, will sit and lay down on command, knows what 'quiet' is as well as back, drop it and stay.

We have a foster mom and her litter right now and Simba is SO interested in them! He stands and just watches them non-stop, wagging that little snub tail a hundred miles an hour... I just never would have thought it! But he is totally fascinated... It tickles me to watch him watch them... Wonder if he had puppies around him sometime before in his life? He doesn't bark or growl at them - just stands there watching, wagging that little butt of his! What a goober!

Hopefully there is a furever home out there for him - he so deserves one!

Another outing...

Simba went with me yesterday afternoon to get a mailbox set up... I've been taking him with me consistently, testing him in all kinds of new situations to see how he'll react and handle any fears or issues that come up... While he did bark at two little girls who came by, his confidence levels and self esteem have done a radical change since the beginning of this process... He'll allow strangers to pet him and while I'd like to see him continue to hold his head up and not sink in, it's all a matter of time...

He really loves sitting in my lap and looking out the window as I drive... He's not yappy or antzy in regards to going bye-bye, but I think he actually looks forward to it... For sure, as soon as that lead goes on, he's a new dog all together!

Another thing I have noticed is that the extreme level of his humping has diminished... The more secure he gets in his own little world, the more it seems he doesn't have the need to do this or to tear up and destroy stuffed animal toys... Pet Palace has a good article on humping in case anyone is interested... Dogs do it for a variety of reasons, not just sexual ones...

When I catch him in the act of tearing up a stuffed toy, I reprimand him with the 'no, Simba!' and then I pick up what remains and go on about my business... I understand the drive and psycho-ness of this behavior, but I don't want to do much more than ignore the bad behaviors and reward the good ones... Isolated dogs or dogs not socialized properly tend to 'act out' like this (for lack of a better term)... The natural prey drive all dogs have seems to be carried to the extreme - they caught it, they're going to destroy it, etc... If Simba destroys one or two stuffed toys a week now, it's unusual... Originally he was destroying several every day...

Another thing he's now doing is coming for TLC and affection... He comes to me and wants to be petted and cuddled... I'm an avid Cesar fan and firmly believe in the 'rules, boundaries, discipline and then affection' mantra... Maybe I go overboard and hand out too many kisses and cuddles, but I need them just as much as my dogs do... LOL... I can't sit down without having a few in my lap and as many hands as I have, that's how many are getting pats and pets or rubdowns... Then I switch over to someone else... I go to sleep every time doing the same thing... I think they enjoy the soothing as much as I do, and as long as they're not complaining, neither will I!

Ut oh... shots time...

Yesterday my husband and I took Simba and BeeGee into the shots clinic... BeeGee needed her rabies shots upped for another three years and I had no history on Simba (I did ask for it though)... While I'm a supporter of ALWAYS keeping shots up to date, I'm not so sure if I'm 100% behind the current protocols of the lifetime duration of rabies vaccinations, but maybe one day soon the Rabies Project will publish their findings and all of our animals will stop being over-vaccinated...

Regardless, I put a crate in the back seat of the car (just in case) but intended on taking Simba out in public on lead for this event... He handled the car ride without any anxiety and I think actually enjoyed looking out the window as we rode along... He sorta/kinda has a kinship for BeeGee, although she won't give him the time of day!... LOL...

Once at the store, we got in line and although he stood on my knee once, he wasn't anxious or scared... A Miniature Schnauzer got in line behind us and she was on overdrive - not happy at all about being in the store (?) or what was going on... Simba retained his cool and even my husband commented about how well he was taking all of this in...

We were probably in line for 20 minutes from arrival until we made it up to the table... And the entire time he was down on the floor... He was interested in what was going on, not put off by people arriving or the various amount of dog smells, etc... He stayed between my husband and I, and I could tell he was confident about his position, safety and role there... (I'm just SO proud of him! smile)...

No issues with the strangers at the table, nor being handled by the vet for the two shots... We have no history so we had to start from ground zero with this aspect of his health... Delayed the rabies until three weeks from now to make sure there were no reactions to all the rest of the vaccinations... And I watched him closely for a few hours to make sure he was OK...

This morning he once again delayed climbing out of bed with me at 3AM and about 20 minutes ago finally decided to not be a lazy bones about it... Came out and I let him outside to go potty... Surprisingly, he went up into the penthouse and then attempted to step onto my desk... I reached over and he didn't go into that 'hanging head' dog stance... Simba sat in my lap for a few minutes and I could tell he was cold, but he relaxed into one of those "I'm warm now and a contented puppy" states on my lap...

After he warmed up, I went and got a doggie bed and blankee, then sat him down on top of it on the futon after tucking in his blankee around him... A few minutes later, Frito came trotting out, went potty outside and came back in, looking at me... As a fluke, I lifted up the corner of the blankee covering Simba and put Frito inside there with him - the worst that could happen is that one of the two would leave... BOTH of them are curled in together asleep now...

These are the remarkable little 'angel-hiccups' that occur along this journey that just keep me awestruck about it all... It wasn't that long ago that the thought of another dog within 3' of Simba would put him into anxious, whining, nervous mode complete with air-snapping jaws... Granted, Frito is my 'go-to-guy' for every new dog or human... He just doesn't ever come across a dog or human that he doesn't love on the spot... But to look in underneath and see Simba and Frito curled up with each other (both boys, both Chihuahuas, etc.), it does warm my little pea-pickin' heart this mornin'!

Success at getting his nails clipped!... BRAVO~!!!

From Simba's most recent photo, you can see how well the old halter indentation is coming along... Slowly the flesh tone is leveling out from where the back piece encircled his chest cavity too tightly... And yes, it if seems like he's laying in the center of the small of someone's back, he is... That's my daughter's butt in the photo!... LOL...

Simba successfully got his nails trimmed for the first time yesterday... It went VERY well without much difficulty at all, in fact... But Maggie?... She's the best~!!... And he wasn't 'wigged out' when he returned either, so that's another small step of progress IMHO... He was able to handle a trip in the car, seeing a groomer and having his nails clipped without going through another major anxiety issue...

Maggie verified the staff infection (??) he had on his four paws is gone now (there's a lot to be said for the vinegar/water - 1:1 - homemade brew)... Usually dogs and cats get that when they've been stepping in their own poop constantly, but the vinegar/water brew works very good... And most of his fur has already started growing back in on his paws... This is but what?... A month since his arrival here?... It usually takes about 6 weeks to see the difference to see major coat losses... The increased Vitamin E helps a lot in that regard as well..

And he's 'found his spot' now in my lap in the evenings when I watch a movie or 'American Idol'... He curls in with BeeGee and Frito underneath the covers without any issues...

I think for me --- and I'm really deviating off the goal of this chronicle --- the unbelievable aspect of doing something like this is watching the interaction of my crew and the new fosters... Seeing a new foster go from a total inability of getting along in harmony with other dogs... To the ability to interact without aggression or rancor... I am ALWAYS totally amazed as I watch this transformation and it is simply like seeing a baby chick come out of their shell for the very first time... Over and over again, each time is totally brand new to me with the amount of awe I feel...

When Simba arrived here, he couldn't interact with any of my guys... If they got too close to him physically, he'd do an anxiety episode... He was barking-almost-crying with anxiety and nervousness... It seemed like (at least to me), every hour he'd have one of these episodes occur... And now to see him curl up and sleep peacefully aside of one of the other dogs that caused him so much anxiety just weeks ago is almost close to a miracle... I am SO fascinated by the ability of dogs (when in a calm and serene environment) to lower the anxiety levels and be a part of the serenity instead of the chaos...

He's such a sweet little guy and the idea of him spending his life in a state of anxiety over the simplest things is darned close to heart breaking... And to watch him experience new things without regressing back into that emotional chaos is such a warm fuzzy to feel inside...

I seldom have to use the harness to pick him up any longer and I think he is ready to move from wearing a harness all the time (even a loose one) to a normal collar like everyone else... He will readily allow you to pick him up without the need of all that extra stuff to get a hold of... And it will be more comfortable for him as well...

It won't be long now that he'll be ready to be adopted by someone who will love him as much as we do... What a great gift that will be for both him and me... His journey has been so long in some aspects and in others, so short in the grand scheme of things... I am SO proud of him!

For the first time ever, Simba came up yesterday when I called him at naptime, laid on my tummy and allowed me to rub and pet him as he 'relaxed' into my body... Then, in a humorous kind of mood, he rotated between playing with my hand, and licking me to death!... Maybe he thought I needed a bath!

Once I got tired, he moved to the base of my neck, butt on the pillow, head on my shoulder blade and went to sleep... Right underneath my chin... Thankfully the little goober does not snore, so we both eventually went to sleep...

He's also mastered "get into your bed" as a command... He doesn't usually stay there, but I give the command, point and up into it he jumps... LOL... We're still working on the 'stay' with spread hand command... ...

Simba also allows my husband to pick him up, pet him and doesn't fly out of his hands any more... Maybe he's finally figured out no one here is going to hurt him... He and Zeus still 'snarf off' at each other periodically, but overall, he's learned tons of canine manners he didn't have before... He'll come to you now for kisses and food without fear you're going to hit him or harm him... It has all taken time...

Today he's going in to have his nails clipped by the best ever groomer... She's always handled all of my dogs and fosters, so I'm sure he won't give her too hard of a time... Maggie is the best - EVER~!!!... And next week, to the vets hopefully, depending on how well he does today...

I'm really touched at the love fest yesterday afternoon... I wasn't expecting it... He's done it at night beneath the blankee, but never out there in the open which I suspect he feels more vulnerable doing... We must have stayed at it for 30 minutes and I was doing my absolute best to not fall asleep because I didn't want it to end... But that's what a nap is for, right? LOL

I've been remiss about posting here as consistently as I should... Me bad... LOL...

Simba and I have been engaging in a mini love-fest on the nights "Idol" is on... I put his leash on him, he's ready to go before I am, and up on the couch he jumps, waiting for me to sit down and get the blankee on my lap for him to climb underneath... Then he scoots around so that he can come up and give kisses, get a bit antsy, hand out some more kisses and then settle in...

He's doing so much better the past couple days, despite all the busy and craziness that's been going on around here... His anxious zones are only about once a day, and sometimes not even then... He's figured out the 'lay of the land' now and rolls with the rest of the crew every time...

The doggie door is still too much for him to overcome and there's something about him and his head that prohibits him from trying it on his own... But he goes outside for potty each and every time, so I'm VERY happy with that progress...

He's also figured out the favorite spot of some of the other crew - on the chaise lounge or the doggie hammock, sunbathing every morning with everyone else... He really enjoys the sun and the slight breezes that come across the backyard...

Simba doesn't always come to me on command (but no longer runs from me either)... When I'm gone (even for just a few minutes to switch laundry loads), you'd think I'd been gone for ages... He is VERY happy to see me and jumps up like a jack-in-the-box... Dong, dong, dong... LOL... THIS is the human connection I was looking for and didn't see when he first arrived here... I'm not sure if it is the evening cuddles or the afternoon nap rubs, but he is looking forward to being petted and the human touch... Whereas initially he'd freeze or high-tail it in the other direction...

This week we've been working on crate training again... He wasn't too happy about it the first time I put him in there, even with a Kong, but today I was able to do it without a ton of crying and complaining... I normally leave the crate doors open around here (they are favorite napping spots by some of the others), but I believe in crates - if you have to evacuate, you can't bring your pets unless they are good canine craters... And vets really dislike dogs that can't tolerate a bit of time in their crates...

We are doing exceptionally well on lead now... Simba is not pulling from me or pulling in front of me... I think my other guys are still somewhat confused about why we are walking around in the backyard on lead, but they follow along too... (smile)... My guys are something else - I could not do what I do with other fosters without their help and efforts... Now that Simba is doing so much better on lead, he's headed into my vet's office on lead for a check-up... I haven't taken him to the park yet, watching for signs of kennel cough but (knock on wood), he's doing fantastic on the diet here, his coat is nice and silky as well as filling in where it was a bit thinned out...

He's a sweetie and has really come a long, long way... I just looked over and he's asleep in one of the doggie beds in the penthouse... What a sweet angelic face he has... Sweet, sweet, sweet!

(yawn...)

I went today and did a follow-up check on my most recently placed foster (Yoda)... What an awesome home and new furever family he has gotten!... What a cutie patootie he is and (sniff... sniff... ), I miss that little goober!... Ah, the downside of rescue - when they move on!

I have no degree or training... The little bit I know about dogs and rehabilitation of rescue dogs is what I've read, researched, observed and tested out through trial and error... If you believe in Cesar's philosophies and 'dog-speak' by various authors, there is a space that is yours and must be claimed as the alpha in charge. Add in the belief that 65% of the clues we give dogs come from the percentage of white our eyes show to them, you could make the assumption 'your space' is generally the two foot sphere in the front of you.

I've been testing out these theories with Simba. Because of the back issues I have, I seldom move around very much during the few hours of sleep I get... 'Primo' spots are reserved for BeeGee and Frito (by my tummy) and Peanut (above my head on my pillow)... Little Bits usually sleeps on my side and balances throughout the night there (don't ask me how with her back kneecaps!)... This is standard routine and happens every night or nap... Simba jumps into his basket (which faces me) and that's where he stays...

UNLESS I happen to turn over to the other side and then he will jump into bed with me, but sleeps at my back around the ribcage... Frito and BeeGee switch sides and stay in the tummy area... Peanut is the queen so I think that's why she choose the pillow and Little Bits 'rolls with the flow' as they speak!

I have been testing out this theory that if I crawl into bed with my eyes closed, will Simba climb into bed?... He seems to want to claim a spot in bed, but getting into 'my' space in the front where he faces me seems to be too daunting of a task still for him...

This afternoon (after numerous times of testing out this theory), for the first time ever, he climbed into bed and underneath the covers --- and I didn't need to close my eyes for this to occur!... He even allowed me to unhook the harness, pull it over his head and give him a full body massage... Then allowed me to put the harness back on without going into statue mode...

BTW, we've been practicing this too because eventually I want to get rid of that harness and have him wearing only a collar... I use harnesses to train with or walking on lead with --- not having them on 24/7... But for now with Simba, he's still too skittish to be able to catch him (if need be) without one... And he's now tagged - I broke my own rule long enough - so despite the oddity of the ID tag on the look at the base of his neck in the back, it's the best we could do for now... That soft cotton harness AND a collar is just too much... And the indentations around his rib cage have receded now, although he still has sensitivity at times in the areas underneath the armpits... I think that will go away in time, and who knows how long that original harness was on and that tight...

Simba follows me wherever I go throughout the day now... Well, just about everyone does eventually, but those with the highest self esteem take the longest to follow me... The others just about have every chore or task down pat - they know about how long it takes to change a load of laundry, take a shower, go to the bathroom or change clothes... If I'm a minute or two longer than their expectations, they will come find me if I haven't given a command... Simba still has such low self esteem (and a bit of separation anxiety still) that he follows me each and every time - no matter what...

He still is not seeking out love, affection and attention on his own... If I bend to pat someone on the head, he's there... He follows everyone else in regards to TLC and food... But he doesn't reach out to connect on his own yet...

I noticed he has not had any of those disturbing nightmares since about a few days after Valentine's (for the lack of an exact date)... His demure and small cries don't occur in the middle of the night, nor the twitching of his feet when he's sleeping or napping... (keeping my fingers crossed that they are finally gone now)... I don't know what happened in his past, but it must have been traumatic enough to give him nightmares... sigh...

I don't have progress to report every day... And some days it is very small in the overall picture of this journey... He LOVES the backyard and since I got it 'spring-ready,' I tend once again to spend more time out there... He investigated the pool the other day when I was cutting back the vines, but although he went to the edge and peered in, he had not much more interest than curiosity... Once the pool water heats up, I'll make sure that he's water-tested (like we do each of the other dogs each spring)... Although he looks and is curious about things, I don't worry about him being a runner or trying to leave me, the house, backyard, etc. He seems to be as happy as a dysfunctional, slightly traumatized little pupper can be and I expect the greater his self esteem becomes, the happier he will become...

P.S. He's great at destroying at least 3 or 4 toys a week... He gets downright destructive with some of them and he's learned "drop it" means to stop tearing the stuffing out of one! I'm writing it off to anxiety and also expect this to decrease as he gets better along the way. The humping issues have not decreased to any degree and I feel downright sorry for the giraffe (which is now three-legged), the overstuffed teddy bear and the lion that is indeed sorry it has a fluffy mane to hold onto!

Becoming a member of the community...

This is a real toughie for the newbies... becoming a member of the community or pack... Especially in the case of PMPs - but Simba has his days when he does well... And then other days???... He fails miserably...

Last night he decided to test his 'place' and challenge Zeus... This is common with any dog in a multi-dog environment... Someone is always on the bottom, trying to move up... But there are two things I do NOT allow around here - barking and aggression... Playing and snarfing at each other is one thing - aggression is another...

Zeus and Simba challenged each other while I was in the bathroom earlier on, right after dinnertime... The best I could do when they squared off is to hold each other static and de-escalate the situation... Tight, confined spaces trigger male dominance regardless... And why everyone has to follow me to the bathroom is beyond me, but they do!

Once we went into the family room later and I settled in to watch my twice weekly 'fix' of 'American Idol,' Simba decided to challenge Zeus' established spot on the couch (right aside of Paul)... NOT a good thing to do!... LOL... I'm VERY fair about making sure the regulars are polite to the newbies and the newbies don't come in and try to take over...

But both Zeus and Simba are about the same ages, both males, just about the same size and both tend to be a bit territorial...

Within seconds of coming up onto the couch last night, Simba began to challenge Zeus for his spot... And within seconds he became 'umbilical-corded' against his wishes... Hooked on his leash, he had to sit on the floor (leash around my foot) until he got a different mindset (i.e. from 'I WANT THAT spot' to 'I want back up on the couch')...

Then once allowed on the couch, he had to sit where I wanted him to and it took about 10 minutes or so until he realized he could only go so far and that if he sat and was nice, he'd get sweet pets on his head, neck and back... But if not? Nothing... Around here, 'nothing is free'... LOL...

When Simba gets his mind wrapped around it, he can do anything very well... When he gets a wild hair up his butt, you have to start at ground zero all over again... With time and 'practice, practice, practice' the 'ground zero' times will become less and less with smaller lengths of duration...

I have GREAT expectations for this little guy... I get the sense he has a heart full of love and SO wants to connect functionally and emotionally... He's not a bad dog at all... There are times he is so like all the others and it is no longer a consistent 'out there' mode he will stay in... He looks at me with those sweet eyes and sweetheart ears and my heart melts... I feel sad that he has had so many years on this planet without that special and unique bond between a human and other of his own kind... He has all the ability to do this... We just have to consistently show him the pathway to achieving this ultimate goal!

Now an update...

I felt yuck at adoptions and by the time I got home, I had caught some kind of a bug, so I've been battling that since then... I started feeling a bit better yesterday and worked Simba for the first time on lead outside in the back yard...

Don't think he has spent much time on lead because he wasn't comfortable at all with it initially... We probably looked like goobers walking back and forth on the sidewalk with Simba in his harness and lead, the other Chihuahuas following along, wondering what we were doing!

I did manage to get some cute photos of him in the 'Chi penthouse' as we call it around here... I'm not sure if after the short training session, he was tired or what... But he watched me and slowly got so sleepy, he curled up in one of the beds and went to sleep...

Simba gives out kisses readily enough now... And not just for me, but for my daughter as well... "Give me a kiss" and you'll get one - that's progress... (smile)... He still has periodic 'anxious moments' as we have come to call them... Even though he is fitting in well around here and has figured out the 'order of the pack,' he gets these moments that can be considered nothing else but being anxious - unsure about what is going on - too much into the moment, etc.

The game plan this week was to work him enough that he'd do OK on a lead and get him into the vet's office for a complete blood work up (my own protectiveness issues)... I just like a benchmark on the older Chihuahuas... Right now, I think he'd freak out a bit if I attempted this, so maybe we'll postpone this until next week and I get more lead times with him... I could crate him and take him that way, but I'd rather not do that if I can have him be less stressed on lead...

50% of the time he'll come to me now (with or without food) and he's started following me around the house the majority of the time... Not insecure like but more, just interested in what I'm doing and what's going on... I watched him outside this afternoon, and he's so alert and into what is going on around him... I have a futon mattress up on a pallet out back and the Chihuahuas love laying out on it, sunbathing... Simba loves laying on a pillow (yes, on top of the mattress) and it gives him a bit of height that he can peer out across the backyard, breathing in the breezes, watching the world pass him by with slitted eyelids... Really sweet and nice to watch... Such a difference from weeks ago...

Splayed feet...

I probably have e-talked about this enough that 'splayed feet' is a term recognized, but I finally got a good shot of Simba's today. PMPs (puppy mill puppies) have this VERY frequently because they've lived (and died) on wire-bottomed cages. The feet tend to end up like 'living deformed snowshoes' as they grow long and spread... The toe nails tend to reach up and out, longer than normal just to get that hair's breath to grab a wire and not fall through. I suspect Simba spent quite a bit of time on wire-bottomed cages from the condition of his front feet.

Another chapter begins...

...sniff ...sniff

Yoda went onto his furever home yesterday with his new best friend, Snickers... I admit to getting all weepy about it after he took off in the car at PetSmart with his new furever family yesterday afternoon... I'm going to miss that little goober - we went through a lot together... On Saturday morning before we left for adoptions, Simba and Yoda played an exhausting 'catch me if you can' in the backyard for at least 15 minutes... I know I have a PhD in anthropomorphism here, but I could swear they knew one had lucked out and got their furever home!

Now onto the matters at hand! ...

I've talked about Simba's splayed feet and although I haven't managed to get a really good photo of them, I do have one that would give a reader an idea of what I'm talking about... Puppy mill puppies commonly have splayed feet because they're raised on wire bottom crates and cages...

It's like a pair of snowshoes - the pads grow much wider and fuller than usual, the toes 'splay out' wide to give them as much standing space as possible and commonly the break for the ankles moves back further than normal... And the toe nails grow long to give them that little bit more to grab onto (so their feet won't fall through the wires)...



Simba has a BAD case of splayed feed (especially the front ones) to the point they are almost grotesque depending on how he is standing and where... I'm not so sure they are painful, but most PMPs develop arthritis in the feet joints as they grow into seniors... Hopefully the Synovi G3 will counteract this for him...

On another thought, I have noticed with Simba that he feels more comfortable with 'rules, boundaries, limitations' - AKA Cesar Milan - where would I be without you, dear Cesar?... Accordingly, I put a blankee on top of the crate that sits aside of my bed, then a soft doggie bed... He loved it, it became 'HIS' place, but he still had periods of anxiety that transcended into outright nervousness and the need to nibble-nibble... If you didn't get in front of it immediately, it'll move to borderline aggression...

So last week I went and got a nice square basket, lined it with plush fleece blankees and covered it with yet another one... Now he has to hop up and into the basket bed and when he's inside and laying down, you can't see him... And of course, he can't see the other puppers either... This seems to be working better now...

Usually in the middle of the (my) night, he hops out of the basket and burrows in underneath the covers aside of me... If he is polite (and he isn't always), the others allow him room to snuggle in and 'dog pile'... Eventually, everyone stretches here and there.... And before I actually wake up fully and get out of bed, Simba is stretched out, facing me, aligned aside of me...

This is my opportunity (and I seize it every time I can!) to explore his body with gentle rubs and massages... I have been all the way down to the chopped off tail (which has a bump on the end of it I'm concerned about) --- to his poor splayed deformed front feet --- and to the tip of his snout...

He doesn't go anxious on me when I'm doing this either, that's the joy of it... His hind legs are now full and muscular, ribs are covered once again with meat and he's darn close to being proportioned well again... The new cloth harness is comfortable to him and I'm going to try this week to get an ID tag on it in lieu of a collar (at least for now)...

I caught Simba and my husband sharing his BBQ dinner... Simba perches on the back of the couch and like a parrot, reaching down from there to get little bites from my hubby... He's also able at times to pet Simba and keeps working on his end to rehabilitate this little pupper... I've been able to get Simba kisses from this same roost in fact...

To demonstrate, I asked my daughter to snag a photo of this encounter (although this is on the counter and not on the back of the couch)... Simba comes in submissive with ears back and head lowered, recognizing me as the alpha, so I know we're moving in the right direction... Onward and upward!

We made some major progress today... With a new harness (and in blue - Yeah buddy! No more pink girly, girly for the Simba!) I was able to pick him up, take off the old one and put the new one on... Wooo Yooo!... No anxiety attack, no attempted nibbles, nothing! This one is a cloth harness and I left it a bit loose around the belly, for the indentation is slowly filling out, but not yet completely there... I am SO proud of him!



I have my normal routine pretty well down pat... Every week all the doggie beds get washed and every other week, I wash all the stuffed toys in the washer... I know - weird - but because they drag the toys in and out of the house, and then sleep with me, I just don't want them mouthing and playing with stinky toys...

Simba wasn't quite sure about all of this... I guess he didn't like the way his old best bud (the green giraffe) now smelled, 'cause he tossed it out of the doggie bed he prefers during the day, grabbed this teddy bear devil toy, got a big 'familiar' with it and then circled up and went to sleep with his new best (his smell) 'bud'... LOL... What a goober!



Simba sleeps with us every night now, and with me during my midday nap... He has a favorite spot of his own and in the morning, will even snuggled up against me before we get out of bed... This morning as I was sitting on the bed, he did a new one - burrowing underneath my robe and ended up sitting behind me, but underneath my robe... Almost like a reverse pregnancy - know what I mean?... He also consistently climbs onto my daughter's lap or on the futon by her side...

Here and there we still go through those mini anxiety attacks when handing out TLC and pets... But they are decreasing in frequency and if you use either the 'easy' or 'quiet' command, you can work him out of them pretty rapidly...

Now that we have the new harness on, I'm going to attempt to put him on lead and see how he does... I suspect it will scare him and he'll not do too well, but it's a natural progress of things... I'd have rather had a 6' lead, but the set only comes in 5' lengths... We'll see how things go... He seems to have adjusted the new harness without much issue at all... Sweet little thing... Simba certainly has come a very long way in a very short amount of time!

Simba has learned the joys of the Chihuahua penthouse... it is two industrial sized shelves made out of hard plastic, 2 shelves high and in an "L" shape with a ramp at the apex where they meet... The morning sun comes in through one large living room window and on the other side of "L", the Chis lay and look out the front window towards the street and neighborhood... It's a favorite spot of my crew, not just for the sunny spot to sunbathe, but because it is right aside of my computer desk and filled with plush Cleopatra style doggie beds and fleecy blankees...

Simba's still going through those anxiety moments where I suspect he wants affection because everyone else is getting it, but 'the moment' is too much for him so he starts 'anxiety barking and snapping'... He's head- and back-shy, so you have to be very careful in how you approach one of these moments with him... Last night I showed my husband how to either snatch him up and calm him down with words and strokes, or to slightly nudge him in the chest to get his attention and redirect the anxiety...

No wonder people have such difficulties at times, dealing with abused dogs... My husband's had, trained and been around dogs his entire life (although he favored the much bigger breeds - Rotties, Ridgebacks, Akitas, Huskies, etc. - until he met me!)... These little guys are so radically different than the bigger breeds and the Chi is a species all themselves!... LOL...

Today's my therapy day at the seniors facility and this will be the longest Simba has been left alone (and without the better behaved crew around) - with the exception of Peanut... As well trained and behaved as she is, she's not 100% reliable to do therapy with... She's still an ankle-nipper when there are territory triggers (especially here at the house), so I'll leave her here to 'patrol the perimeter'... LOL... You can never tell how long therapy days will be - it's really up to how the folks are doing there, so I scheduled this during the morning nap time and believe Simba will do that while I'm gone...

He'll have to learn there is a plateau of changes that occur around here eventually anyway... There are two families interested in adopting Yoda and there's a good possibility Yoda will not come back home with me after adoptions on Saturday... I will be sorry when Yoda moves on (and if I am honest, I expect to shed a few tears when he leaves for he and I have been through a lot together, not just the daily baths for his 'stinky-butt' Demodex and finding new and creative ways to get that ivermectin down him every day!)... Simba will eventually learn there is a 'core' that stays here (and always will) but we have visitors (fosters) that come and go without much advance warning... Some things are consistent (such as Peanut and her rules!!!), but others change as the need arises...

I believe I am going to take a break from fostering for awhile, especially if Yoda gets adopted this weekend... Spring is coming and I do a lot of work outside on the yard, plus it won't be long now that Simba's rehabilitation will move into another aspect (dog obedience - Oh MY!)... Hopefully there won't be any more major dog kills going on in the local shelters in the next few weeks/months so I can once again concentrate on what I have going on around here and in my own life! (crossing fingers)...

Off to get dressed, feed the crew and 'saddle up' the four Chi Musketeers to go brighten some senior folks' lives today!

P.S. I did snap a photo of Simba in the penthouse and will post later when I get back!

Early on, I felt that Simba was a product of the puppy mills, and while we don't know for sure how old he is, it is such a shame he's still suffering the psychological affects of this all these years later... There are some breeds that naturally spin and front leg bounce (such as Chinese Cresteds) - however, the PMP spin is usually accompanied by incessant barking... My daughter's dog is definitely a PMP and closing any door or gate triggers the spin and bark with him...

In Simba's case, it is usually triggered by affection or the thought of it for him... I get the sense he wants the pats, pets and TLC for he will now rub up against me (similar to what a cat does as they rub up against the legs of their owner - but in their case to mark the human as their own)... Once Simba starts rubbing against your legs (or arms if you are sitting) and turning round and round, it seems almost like a switch gets flipped in his head and he realizes he does indeed want that affection, but there's a conflict going on inside him... So then he starts the anxiety barking to deal with the internal conflict...

I'm a volunteer newscaster for another group that fights the mills and one of the news stories today hit the nail on the head:

"All they can do is bark and spin in their cages because they want attention.” Humane Society of Missouri Director of Adoption Center Cyndi Nason says, “They've never had that.” Source

... but this is what is like for PMPs... and I've seen it time and time again sadly... If Simba is not a PMP, then the only other environment that causes this behavior is long-term kennel confinement... As he's too cute to not be adopted rapidly, I doubt he spent a long time in any shelter in his lifetime... And kennel-craze is usually caused by crates and kennels that are extremely small and confining - the USDA regulation is 6" taller, longer and deeper than the dog standing up...

Nope, the more and more I observe his behaviors, the more I am convinced Simba is a PMP... And along the way, his human guardians did not recognize it, nor address it... About the only way to 'fix' it, is to quickly grab a dog, cuddle it securely in your arms and do long, massaging strokes with a calm repetition of talk... (in my case, I use 'easyyyyyy, easyyyyyyyy')... If you're not successful in grabbing the dog, the action just enforces the crazed behavior and you have another whole set of problems to deal with...

In Simba's case, he's wearing a new lightweight sweater now and between that, and the mesh harness underneath, if you time it properly, 95% of the time you can catch him securely and render the calming strokes... I must do this four or five times a day... You can't let him get 'way out there' in his crazed barking because it quickly gets picked up by the other puppers and he's likely to be mock charged by balanced and functional ones...

Another aspect of this is his incessant need to 'chipmunk nibble'... It's the adult version of the infantile sucking need for comfort... Human babies suck on pacifiers to help with that need and puppies normally nuzzle with their moms for the same reason... When puppies are left long enough with their moms (10-12 weeks), they don't develop this chipmunk nibble later on in life... This is also the same period of time when every puppy goes through their fearful stages of life... The world is much more than their mom and the box or bed they were born in, but a BIG SCARY place... The ability to rush to their mom and nuzzle (or 'root' like a piglet) is like lavender to humans... It is calming and reassuring... Little Bits does this each and every night as she is drifting off to sleep... She'll find a part of my nightgown or the edge of the comforter and just chipmunk nibble herself to sleep... In Simba's case however, he is a bit more than just a nibbler at times, so if you're not careful, it's borderline biting...

Just so, so sad... Every time I encounter a pupper with these behaviors, it renews my passion to fight and try to stop the puppy mill industry... God always puts things in my life (whether I want them or not! LOL), for he has a very strange sense of humor with me... The battle against the mills is a weary one and sometimes you feel like you are alone in the fight or that we're not making very much progress... And then I see a tiny pupper like Simba who is so psychologically deformed by his origination and experiences, it almost angers me that the puppy mills are legal in this country.... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR....

Oh well... Thankfully I have a Peanut in my life and despite her also being a rescue, as the alpha around here, she's made it her mission in life to teach good canine manners to the fosters who come and go... Without her, none of what I do would be possible... Simba got a major 'comeuppance' last night when he went into his spin/bark routine on the couch... Everyone had settled in, either above or underneath the blankee, Mom had kicked back the footrest and "House" was just about to come on when Simba started... Peanut quickly jumped up and told him off - not that it did much good alone, but between her and I, we were able to stop the process from escalating to an outright anxiety session in him...

Today is Tuesday and I want to get him into my vet's office by the end of the week so I have just a few more days to work with him...

My first decent cuddle!

One of the most favorite parts of my life is what I call the "DPCs" (dog pile cuddles)... For the most part, whenever I lay down, everyone else around here of the canine species does also... It is a privilege earned and not given lightly... Everyone has their own chosen spot and while there might be a bit of shifting around from time, for the most part everyone gets in their spot and stays there...

Simba has been trying to find his own spot, now having decided he doesn't like his original selection (maybe he really is a an UC - under covers - Chihuahua!)... Once everyone settles in (whether it is for an hour nap or a 4-5 hour nighttime sleep), I tend to give cuddles, pets, rubs and full body massages to those within reach... Simba has horned in on Frito's usual spot, but once the cuddles and rubs start, he scurries to the foot of the bed as fast as he can... It is a bit humorous to see this moving lump underneath the coverlet, I have to admit that...

But I keep trying... Not only at DPC times, but throughout my day... I pick him up and cuddle, petting and rubbing, telling him what a good boy he is... This morning Simba started scratching at my knee and I just went with it - picked him up rapidly, put him in my lap and started the slow rubs and cuddles, but making sure I was holding onto his harness firmly in case of the fright/flight issue he goes through constantly...

While holding him, he started giving kisses to my forearm... I'm guessing he's seen my puppers doing this time and time again... When I leaned in a bit to start the sweet mantra whisperings and Simba responded by giving me about 10 kisses on my lower jaw... I call that progress...

(sigh)... But when I started to put him down, he still did a half-hearted scoot for life... What a goober!... LOL...

I was at adoptions yesterday (Jack got adopted - YIPPEE~!!!), so Paul was on 'pup-sitting' duties... And no problems - NONE... Neither from our PMP (Riley) or Simba... I'm pleased!

My husband is left-handed and once I observed that you shouldn't touch Simba with your left (only your right) and told my hubby, he's made a great attempt at not petting with his normal (for him) hand... It's going much better... Maybe someone in Simba's past hurt him with the left hand... Most dogs know food generally comes from the right hand, so they tend to look first at your eyes and then at the right hand... I wouldn't have even noticed this about Simba if I'm not normally a 'scooper' with these older Chis...

Simba's a frustrated male right now... He's got a crush on BeeGee and she's an "it" so she's not interested in a boyfriend at all... Some males even neutered still keep the drive to mate and I haven't been able to gain enough of Simba's trust to do a deep investigation of his genitals yet... Maybe it was an incomplete neuter? Dunno...

Otherwise, he's sleeping with us every night now and when I go to the family room to watch the occasional TV program, he comes up on the couch and tries to integrate himself with everyone... Sometimes he is successful, sometimes not... If not, he jumps down and settles in on the comfort pillows across from the couch... No longer does he stay retreated in the living room when I'm not there...

We're still practicing 'pick ups' and we're a long way from his ever letting me do this, enjoy it and look forward to it... Right now, he's tolerating me picking him up to cuddle... He becomes a statue and when you go to set him down, you better have a good handle on him, for he will leap (and possibly hurt himself) otherwise... I noticed this is the stage he was in with his owner, so I'm not unhappy with the progress so far...

I'm pleased he's eating well for me, exercising with the crew and for the most part, he's happy... I'll be happier when he makes that step forward from simple existence to honoring the moment with a human... Right now we're just 'live chickens' or food sources... There isn't that unbelievable bond that we all treasure so much... These little guys may be only a few pounds, but their hearts (if not abused or neglected) are as big as Montana and that's probably why they are such a popular breed... Even without a full tail (but those tipped 'sweetheart' ears), Simba is absolutely adorable... Now if we can just gain enough trust for him to connect emotionally, we'll have achieved a quantum leap in this rehabilitation!

Where do I fit in???

I think I already mentioned this - having to find where he fits in with the pack... Cesar's talked about this several times... There is a pecking order in any pack - whether it's one dog or three - there's an alpha or leader, then there is the rest of the pack...

If you rush too quickly with a foster, it upsets the serenity of the pack... If you move too slow, it gives the foster the only spot of 'bottom of the pack'... Unfortunately, each foster is different and there is no hard and fast rule for this... Simba has stopped attempting to bite everyone else but he still has these periods of "I'm anxious and the only way I know how to deal with this is to bark and mini-bite"... (Note to self: I gotta go get that mouth looked at and cleaned... what I can see, I'm not happy with)...

Last night he attempted to come up onto the couch with everyone else, but just could not settle in without getting anxious - although he did let Paul pet him during that period... Finally he settled on the comfort pillows on the floor across from us in front of the aquariums... And after a few looks around, settled in for the nap while we watched "American Idol" (2 hour show last night... one of the few TV shows I like to watch each season as a family with everyone else)...

And that's OK too... He's progressing at the pace he feels comfortable in...

However, we still practiced 'pick up, pet and cuddle, then sit down' at potty break time (the doggie door is still too much for him to learn)... I haven't tried a hand-off to either Des or Paul yet, but we'll get there eventually... During one of these practice holds, he leaned into my neck and I got my first 'Simba kiss'... Oh my!... Tentative, but sweet, it was a major leap of faith for him and tickled me to no end!

Once the show was over with, I did my usual "let's go to bed" command and everyone 'assumed their places' rapidly... Jack knows he sleeps in the crate at night, Peanut stands at the hallway waiting for the walk to the bedroom, etc... Simba headed to his doggie bed in the Xpen and I took a leap of faith, based upon that doggie kiss... I decided to try to let him sleep with the Chis in our bedroom, but not in the crate I had planned to try... The worst could happen is that I'd have to get up and bring him back out, ya know?...

He quickly found his new spot, but then opted for the pillows on the headboard as they have fluffier and thicker blankees there... Settled in immediately and went to sleep... Not a peep all night... When I got up at 2:30AM this morning, I had to lift him down from the bed as we did the potty-potty run (he still hasn't figured out how to go back down the doggie steps)...

Right now he's sleeping with the 'big dogs' on the futon here in the living room... (smile)... Simba's learned our routine around here pretty fast!

Me bad...

I missed posting anything yesterday... Me bad...

Speaking of bad - first the bad and then the good?... Well, not bad really - more sad than anything else...

My daughter was able to get Simba's head through a mesh harness - it's not the right color (it's pink) but it is his size and it is much softer, giving because it is mesh... But that is as far as she could get Monday evening... Tuesday morning I decided I had to 'bite the bullet' and somehow get the belly band part fastened because it was hanging almost to the ground... I herded him into the bedroom early Tuesday morning with the help of my husband, away from any of the other dogs and we shut the door...

Twenty minutes of my best calm and soothing words, Simba eventually sat with his back to us and his head in the corner... I had no choice... Slowly, slowly I petted at the same time I snapped the clasp on it... Poor little guy - my heart was hurting inside, but I'm already breaking a cardinal rule around here with fosters - an ID tag... Once I got it shut, he scrambled out from my hands and promptly defecated all over the place from stress... sigh...

Well, that's the sad part...

Now for the good part... We've had so much rain here the past week or so, I had to edge and mow the back yard - can you believe it? In February? My guys know to go sit on the chaise lounge while I'm doing that, but Simba wasn't too sure what he should do... Eventually he figured it all out though...

And there is something about freshly mowed grass that causes dogs to get crazy!... Jack, my Jack Russell foster (don't ask!) loves to run, so he started one of those 'catch me if you can' chases in the back yard... And this dog can RUN and FAST!... Like greased lightening!... Usually the Chis chase him and he does it for at least 15-20 minutes before he runs out of steam (several times a day too!)... The Chis can't catch him despite all of them being pretty quick...

Yesterday Simba joined in the chase... I watched him stretch out those back legs like a Greyhound - way out!... Those back legs and knees are no longer wobbly and popping... Must be all my doctorin' and home cookin'... LOL... He had an awesome time, trying to catch Jack (and never did!)... But it did my heart good to see him running like that...

Simba stayed free all day yesterday and I only crated him back up when it was bedtime... He sleeps in his doggie bed in the Xpen and doesn't bark or cry there either... He learned quite a few canine manners in the past day or two - along with some commands... He definitely knows his name, "Quiet" and "No"... He's learning "Back" right now and "Come" - although as soon as you say that, he heads off in the other direction with his tail between his legs...

Today was the first time he was alone since he arrived... I had grocery shopping to do and I just couldn't arrange the schedule any other way... I put him in the Xpen and boy, was he happy to see me when I returned!... So happy I was able to pick him up in his excitement and for the first time since he's arrived, I was able to hold him! He won't give me eye contact and leans away right now, but he'll come around...

This afternoon when I crawled into bed for my nap, I let him stay free and he eventually found his way to the bedroom (no one is allowed in there unless I have invited them - I keep a gate closed and it is off limits to everyone otherwise)... I just let him look and observe... I watched him, he looked at the crew finding their usual spot to cuddle in like normal...

Eventually he watched two of the Chis go up and down the doggie steps and he tried it himself... Once up on the bed, he stepped on someone and was promptly reprimanded... He found a spot not claimed by anyone on top of the crate I keep by the side of my bed and did a couple of turns to get the blankee arranged properly and took a nap with all of us... He spent about 10 minutes looking around and listening, then drifted off to sleep...

Because I go to bed around 10PM and am up around 2-3AM each day, Simba's learned my odd routine now - and if I don't get that hour's nap in the afternoon, my back, hip and knee become unbearable... I know he knows I take a nap (or try to) every afternoon, but he's always been in his Xpen during it... I seldom allow the fosters to sleep with us - there's something about the order of the pack that causes disharmony if you allow your guys to be upstaged by the incoming and going fosters - my next step will be to transition him over to sleeping inside that crate by my bed at night... I believe all dogs need to know how to crate because of vet visits, the need in wildfire country to evacuate, etc... And while the crates around here stay open throughout the day (and provide great places to nap for the pups), if I can get him in the routine to sleeping in that crate I'll feel we've taken that aspect as far as we need to while we work on other things...

After the nap and before fixing dinner, we practiced being picked up, petted and then set down gently... Initially, he'd scoot immediately away, but I just did it again about an hour ago and he stayed in the same room with me... So that's a LOT of major progress in the past two days...

Simba does have an annoying habit though... He picks up the bigger stuffed plush toys, takes them to a specific doggie bed in the living room and humps them nonstop... Peanuts given him a few 'talking to's' about that habit already, but I'm afraid it's not done much good... LOL...

So, that's all the news for today that's fit to print... Onward and upward as they say!

Another step forward in the progress...

Normally when I have a new foster, I spray them lightly with 'Beautiful' while they're still in the kennel, put the kennel in the center of a large Xpen in the backyard and allow my pack to smell the new guy but not do much more than that through the Xpen wires...

I didn't try this with Simba because I didn't get the sense he was ready to trust anyone - dogs or humans alike... And I felt he needed time to acclimate himself to the way I do things, the smells around here and the schedules... I figured he'd tell me when he was ready to integrate himself with the crew... This afternoon I got the sense he was ready to do that - he didn't want to stay in the Xpen by himself any longer and I felt he was ready to make a major leap of faith...

First I put a large Xpen up outside in the backyard, then convinced him to go into his kennel, carried it outside and then opened the door once I'd put it in the center of the Xpen... I purposefully wanted to do it when it was a bit chilly for introductions go better when it is not hot and sticky... (smile)... Everyone looked around at each other, but no high tensions or activity... Next I added another Xpen and opened it up so they connected... Still OK...

I figured I'd up the ante and so I put Frito inside this double Xpen area... Then Peanut (the alpha)... Finally BeeGee... No issues, no problems, no tension... The telling tail (tale) was to put Riley in there for he's our puppy mill puppy and a major work in progress... No problems, no issues... The only action was he marked the kennel and then Simba had to mark it on top of Riley's marking... Not a biggie... I expected that...

Waiting and watching for about an hour, I decided to take my leap of faith and I opened the side of the Xpen allowing everyone to come out... We spent the next two hours going in and out of the house using the 'inside' command and outside with the 'potty-potty' command... He's got it... Simba understands when I say that, we're all going inside and he's to follow with everyone else... Or we're going outside to go potty and I think I just about drained his poor little tank this afternoon/evening!

The past few days, we've worked on 'no' and 'easy' through the Xpen... Next step is 'come' on command and although he sorta/kinda has an idea what that is all about, I don't think he'd come on command most of the time, so we'll keep working on that...

Tonight I fed everyone together in the kitchen (Simba included)... I've repositioned his Xpen inside by my computer so the door is open, his doggie bed and pitty pad is in there, but he can come and go as he pleases if he so chooses to do so... For the most part, he's checked out the other doggie beds (but not the Chihuahua penthouse yet) and pretty much keeps me in his sight most of the time...

He definitely knows Peanut is the alpha and she's exceptional at teaching doggie manners to one and all... Simba's just started playing with toys and chewies, so that will take time as well... It's hard to be a dog when you haven't been one for quite some time --- or never maybe in his case --- for I deeply suspect Simba is a product of the puppy mills... His feet are so splayed (especially the front), the lack of canine manners and a vacuum with the human bond should be... That's typical PMP traits...

So overall, we made a HECK of a lot of progress today... We're not ready to take that quantum leap from Xpen to sleeping with mom and the rest of the crew, but we've indeed made good progress today! That's for sure!

Yesterday, last evening and this morning...

Yesterday evening, one of my fosters and Frito 'argued' about a cookie biscuit and once I removed the source of the disagreement, I then turned to Simba to address his reaction to the disagreement... Frito has been making a point of going over to Simba to touch noses on occasion, so I can only suspect that they are friends...

But trying to win his trust is not the time to start administering any kind of discipline unless it is extreme bad behavior and this wasn't it... Simba is spending a lot of time outside of his doggie bed and the kennel, so I know he's observing what is right and wrong around here, as well as the massive interchange between myself and the pups... Will it eventually click in his little brain that the ultimate goal is to love each other and exchange pats and kisses all the time?... Dunno... Don't know how far 'gone' Simba is yet because so far, he's been in a controlled environment...

My goal for today was to expand his environment another step, but he decided to widdle on his doggie bed... It wasn't that he had to widdle, for he'd just gone on his pitty pad... It wasn't marking behavior either... It was (IMHO) a reaction to stress...

And he's still suffering the after effects of an environmental change, so that is to be expected... I debated with myself if I should still try and attempt expanding his environment and decided to go ahead and do it - I could always decrease the size if I was moving too fast with him... sigh...

The ultimate goal is to get him to the point were everyone else is - free roam, using the doggie door, potty trained, good canine manners, no aggression towards humans or other dogs, basic obedience and a firm foundation between wanting affection from humans and being able to give it back freely without fear...

I know, I know... Big expectations from such a little guy, but I've done it before so there's no reason I can't do it again for the upteenth time... (smile)... If he's willing to keep trying, so am I!

Thankfully, dogs don't seem to have a sense of 'spacial time' (i.e. past, present and future)... They have a sense of clock time (especially when their bellies tell them that they normally eat a certain time! )... But my instinct and past experiences tell me that if you can replace bad memories (?) with enough good ones, you can unlearn bad behaviors...

Of course, there will be those who disagree with this concept for to have memories, you must be able to recognize there is a past versus a present, etc... Dunno, I leave that to the experts for I'm just a doggie observer...

So far, Simba is doing OK with additional room in the Xpen... Maybe I gave him a little too much room this morning, but he'll just need to work through it and if he can't, then we'll try again tomorrow... He's struggling with wanting to be petted, wanting to reach out and smell the other guys, but then he pulls back once he realizes he's put himself out there to be vulnerable(??)...

I also moved his food dishes around... Originally they were on the 'non-doggie' side of the Xpen in the event he is food aggressive... Still not so sure about that aspect, but if he wants to get along with other dogs, he needs to have a sense of his space versus theirs, and respecting other dogs because they respect him... The sides of the Xpen still separates his food dishes from access by my crew, but to eat (and be vulnerable), he has to be closer to that 'other side' of life around here...

This is really like a 'push-pull' process... I push a little, he pulls back a little... I push a little more, he pulls back a little... Hopefully we continue to make progress even if we keep backtracking all the time, but that is rehabilitation works... Progress not perfection!

Harness is gone...

This morning I crawled into the Xpen and sat down, hoping Simba would come over and/or jump into my lap... Close up, I could see the harness is just too small around his rib cage - it had to go... Closer inspection, I guessed it would not go over his head either and had been put on upside down with the leash connection ring on the bottom... Dunno how long it has been on, nor do I know for sure that's why he has such extreme back sensitivity...



Regardless, eventually with much patience and sweet talking, I was able to get the scissors underneath one section to cut it but while doing it, Simba widdled all over my lap... What is in this littel guy's past that causes this?

Convincing him that I wasn't going to hurt him and was the bearer of those yummy (YUCK!!) Vienna sausages, I managed to cut the other half of the harness off of him... However, he walked and widdled in anxiety...

That was enough pushing and stressing him for now... I gave him another one of those (YUCK) Vienna sausages and stepped out of the Xpen to give him a break... He's back into his kennel again - guess the stress was a lot for a little guy, but it had to be done... Hopefully the line across his back from the halter will smooth out with time now...

More progress today...

Today I was at adoptions with my fosters (none got adopted... pout) so I wasn't here for most of the day... When I got home, I can't say Simba was ecstatic to see me like everyone else was, but he seemed like he was a tiny bit happy... The biggest news of the day is that he has given up the kennel and chosen to sleep in the plush circular doggie bed I also put in the Xpen area for him!

To me, this is a BIG step for a little one! The kennel was security, safety, a place to go when he was nervous, anxious, etc... The doggie bed doesn't have a cover or sides, so it requires him to feel a little more trusting of his environment....

Tonight we expanded the area and my daughter stepped in, then sat down... After a few minutes, Simba jumped into her lap... We think he was really trying to get off his sweater as well as wanting that human interaction, but we'll take it!

He went from periods of leaning into her, then afraid and retreating back into the kennel, out again and into her lap, back to the kennel. We decided to take off the sweater if he wanted out of it that bad and after a few tries, she was able to get it off... She stayed in the Xpen area for a time, and then he seemed like he was getting too much stimulation, so she climbed out... At that point, we attempted another intro with Frito while Simba seemed so 'out there' and willing... It went well and Frito was a perfect gentleman as he always is, friendly towards all...

At that point, we halted it all... Simba was getting yappy, too excited and we felt like we'd done enough work for one day/night, so I brought him a thick plush blankee and as soon as I laid it on the doggie bed, he was in and arranging it like he wanted... It seemed to release the pressure (anxiety?) almost on the spot and he's circled up in there right now...

This is the issue with rehabilitating rescue dogs... You don't know any of their background or history so you do the best you can - try things, observe the reactions, don't push TOO hard but challenge consistently to make progress - even if it is in small baby steps... As long as you have the time, patience, TLC and space to give them what they need to 'come back,' they will... The shelters don't have any of these things - they're always against the gun and the budget for the sheer volume of incoming dogs and cats never decreases, but always increases beyond the capacity of their facilities and budgets...

I'm pleased with the fact he's not clinging to that kennel now (50 hours into this) and made the attempt at connecting by climbing into my daugher's lap... When I talk to him, he responds attentively... He has some sensitivity along his spine, but I'm not sure if this is a medical or psychological issue at this point... Once he becomes a little more hand-friendly, we'll go to the vets and have some Xrays run to make sure it is a psychological issue (this is what I suspect from the way he reacts)... He's pretty stable today on those back legs and while the Synovi G3 can't have made this change already, maybe it is the chicken and brown rice... Dunno, but he's much more stable today, despite the splayed feet.

Well, tomorrow's another day and I'll be home all day... Tomorrow we are going to attempt to get that harness off of him, for I think it is too small... We've done enough work and made enough progress for one day!

Small baby step of progress...

My daughter came in at lunchtime from college and Simba jumped out of his kennel and stood by the Xpen... As she leaned down to talk to him sweetly, he wagged his little half tail... Ah~!!!... Those small baby steps of progress~!!... How we treasure them so!

Less than 24 hours

Well, Simba came out only once last night before I went to bed... But apparently he likes my home cooking because during the night he finished up his bowl of food (chicken tenderloins, rice, peas & carrots with a bit of Missing Link mixed in)... No poops yet and that sorta worries me a bit... (smile)... Ya gotta love us Chi foster moms - we worry about EVERYTHING!

However, when he did come out, everyone else had to check him out... While Simba is not necessarily totally feral, I don't want to take a chance the introductions don't go smoothly, so for now I'm changing my normal routine with fosters... And because he is human-shy as well (and tiny despite the fullness of his new sweater), I don't want to have to chase him around the first few days to catch him if need be... I draped a nice warm velour blanket over the top of his crate, he's got a fluffy furry blankee inside and until we start making some progress, he'll take things as he is ready to - not on my schedule...

He sure does have such a sweet little face though, doesn't he?... A bit of the tip-eared look, he's probably right at 4 pounds... A LOT of fear in those eyes however, but despite that, he does allow me to reach inside his kennel and pet his chin a bit... Of course, he's checking for treats and food, but even that is a good thing... Food motivation crosses a lot of bridges rapidly in rehabilitation...

This morning I put Frito into the Xpen for he's my best intro Chi... Frito loves EVERYONE - big or small, human or canine... Frito didn't attempt to jump into Simba's kennel but just stood at the door, wagging his tail and waiting for an invite... They sniffed noses but not getting an invite, Frito respected Simba's space and we'll try it again later or tomorrow...

At lunchtime, Simba could not resist the smell (braised and drained chopped sirloin, with a bit of rice and veggies, plus some Synovi G3)... He must have been hungry because he came out of his kennel and ate with an audience... Both back legs are extremely stiff, but I did manage to snap some pictures of that tail... It looks like it was cut off completely, as if in an accident...


I noticed he was having a bit of trouble with that step into the kennel so I covered it with the rubber shelf liner stuff... That works excellent for gripping on surfaces... I use it all the time on the ramps for the Chis, the steps, etc... He hasn't tried it out yet since I did it, for it's 'afternoon Chi nap time' around here right now... (smile)...

I think he's doing pretty good so far for less than 24 hours... I'm guessing this is going to be a long, slow rehabilitation process, just by the way he carries what is left of his tail... Total lack of self-esteem for Chis love prancing about with their tails hung high and curled over their rear end... That's OK... Patience I have tons of!

Ahhhh... the beginnings...

First things first... let's get the 'housekeeping' out of the way... I'm called an 'autowriter' so I'm told that means I write like I think (scary thought!)... You will probably find misspelled words and things that are not grammatically correct... If that's your thing - great!... I don't expect many people will read this blog anyway, so it is more a chronicling of my latest foster... I had wanted to do this with a puppy mill Chi we adopted a few years back, but it just didn't happen... He's still in rehabilitation and will probably always be a 'work in progress'... (smile)...

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a fellow Chi lover who had been concerned about a little guy who lived at another neighbor's in their complex... The complex only allowed two dogs and this neighbor had temporarily taken in her daughter's senior Chihuahua... She already had two of her own dogs (a Shih Tzu and a Border Collie) and her two dogs didn't care much for this new 4-pound addition to their household...

I make no judgments here, OK?... I have learned in rescue that people do what they have to do and I keep my focus on what's best for the pups, not necessarily why they ended up in rescue... The day I retire from doing rescue actively, I will find a reputable Chihuahua breeder who has a longhaired Chi pup that will stay in the AKC standard and purchase it... Before I die, I would like to have the opportunity to fall in love with and care for a Chihuahua that's not been through the shelter/rescue system process, and I don't have to undo bad habits or issues, but (maybe) create some of my own in the pup! Just kidding (about creating)... But I'd like to have a clean board for a change and start out with a puppy that I can train... I've gotten sidetracked...

Anyway, initially when I looked at Simba, I realized he was in no shape to be adopted at the present stage of his life and socialization... He is now about 10 years old and was adopted out of a shelter approximately 4 years ago... He has half a tail, stiffness in his hindquarters and is very introverted on top of it... For the past months, he's been on the outside balcony and not happy in the home he was in... I am not judging here (this is what the owner told me today)...

My philosophy with Chis is that I consider each and every one with a bit of an odd mindset for those in rescue... Some will never move onto their own furever home, but for the most part, most do... I get them healthy, rehabilitate them, do the basic dog obedience and then hopefully they get adopted... If they don't?... They will always have a furever home with me... And I look at each foster with this mindset - I hope they all move on, but I won't put down a Chi because of their issues, behavioral issues or other reasons... Only when the quality of their life has decreased until it is no longer quality... And I refuse to 'warehouse' these dogs in crates and kennels just to keep them alive... Rehabilitation (at least to me) means that they have good canine habits and manners, thriving in our Chi pack, getting along with the others, and interacting with my family (human) members and I in a home environment...

On my first meeting with Simba, I saw potential there... He was not aggressive but was extremely shy... I could get him to eat from my hand once I was down on the floor, but no way would he allow me to touch him, let alone pick him up... The stiffness is the back legs can be improved with a good diet and Synovi G3... Even the age does not put me off - Chis live from 15 to 20 years, so he's still a young guy in the grand scheme of things... Thankfully he is already neutered which I will judge people on... Failure to spay or neuter your dog IMHO is borderline inhumane... They live longer with less health issues and dogs intact have a 6 times great chance of biting someone than those that are no longer intact...

So I agreed to foster him and try to find him a furever home...

Last night I stopped by the local petshop and bought a few small sweaters in his size... Today I set up an environment close to what he is used to, but it is inside... Using an Xpen, I created the space of that balcony and put down a pitty pad holder and pad, plus a new ceramic water dish of his own, a few toys and elevated the kennel up off the floor to deter drafts... I made sure the crate I brought him home in will fit inside this area, for he needs a place ('den', 'cave', etc.) to feel safe in before he'll begin the trust process.

Once home, I didn't do introductions with the pack like I normally do... I'm not sure he's ready for that at this stage of the game... The kennel door is open, he can come out freely if he chooses to, but he's been out only once tonight... His area is right aside of my computer desk for I spend a good deal of time online working off and on throughout the day... My goal for tonight was to just let him settle in and start getting accustomed to the sights, smells and noises round here...

Every journey begins with the first small baby step...