Building Bonds

Yesterday’s visit with Ben went really well. He was much calmer in his greeting, and during the course of the visit, he not only offered me affection several times, but he also invited me to play with him. At one point, I went to my car to get a drink, and to my surprise, Ben invited himself into the car.  😀  He sat in the front seat for a couple of minutes, and then he moved to the back seat… and laid down. It was beautiful – and it was the first time I’ve seen him relax.

The initial plan, mentioned in the previous post, was to spend the next couple of weeks going to him and working with him. But that plan has been pushed ahead to one week. We want very much to bring him home, so this week is going to spent working to help him reach a point in his rehabilitation where he understands that not every dog he meets is a threat to him. This is crucial, because he’s going to be living with our dog and our cat, and attempting to attack or outright fight with either one of them will not be tolerated.

I’m going out to work with Tonka later this morning. Because he did so well with it yesterday, I’ll be using my long lead again today; he seems to be more comfortable with it – and, it allows him to choose to follow me, which in turn helps strengthen the trust-bond between us.

Have a great day, and remember to stay calm and lead on…