Ben has been with us 16 weeks – four months – today.  Up until this past week, Ben was making fantastic progress in virtually every area.  But since Violet has been home and he’s had to be in forced isolation because of his predatory behavior towards her, he can’t work like he needs to. It doesn’t help that the weather has been too cold for him to be doing anything outside other than his business. As a result of all of this, Ben is starting to show signs of stress.

Last Saturday, he met a couple of potential adopters. The couple were very nice, and they both brought very good energy to the meeting. Ben did really well with both of them, though he did pull on the leash trying to explore the unfamiliar area we were at. But, overall, it was a very positive meeting – very calm and relaxed – and the couple said they were “very keen” [their words] to adopt him. Neither I nor DINO have heard from them since the meeting.

DINO has not been able to find a safe placement for Ben to go to until he is adopted. Forced isolation is not healthy for any animal. The longer it continues, the greater the risk of Ben reverting to the anxious, mistrustful, fearful dog he was 4 months ago. He’s already beginning to show signs that the separation anxiety I worked so hard to help him overcome is returning; the longer he is kept in isolation, the worse the problem will become, and the greater the risk becomes of undoing all of the work that’s been put into him over the past 4 months.

For those who have been following Ben’s journey from the start, you know how far this dog has come in the time he’s been with us. You know how hard he has worked to learn to trust humans. And you know how much he needs and deserves a loving forever home with the right people who can and will meet his needs. If you can help me find the right forever home for him, please contact me directly, or get in touch with DINO Rescue.  Ben is a very special dog with very specific needs, and he will prove himself to be a real angel and a huge blessing to the right people.

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

It’s been a challenging week. Not just for Ben, but for our entire household. Violet’s unexpected return home has put us into a state of constant alertness. Ben is starting to revert to earlier unwanted behaviors because of the enforced isolation. We are doing our best to alleviate his pent-up energy at every opportunity, but the poor dog is so stressed that when he’s brought out of the room he’s been in and he sees Violet, he immediately goes into a red-zone state. His prey drive is immediately triggered and he is deaf, dumb, and blind to everything except killing her. If I don’t handle the situation correctly, I risk being bitten.

So yes, things are very stressful – for all of us.

For the past couple of days, I’ve been working to help Ben learn to become calmer around Violet. I put the kennel in the dining room, and then I put Violet in the kennel for her protection and safety.  Then, using food treats as an incentive to stay focused on me, I work Ben around the kennel, teaching him that only calm, relaxed behavior will be rewarded. The goal of this exercise is to build peace between him and Violet so they can be in the same room together. Of course, one or the other of them will still have to be kenneled for protection and safety, but if I can get Ben to a point where he stops trying to kill Violet, I won’t have to keep isolating him.  Isolating a dog from its pack is not healthy.

My home is quite small – not quite 1000 square feet. We don’t have a lot of space in which to work the animals properly, especially when it’s too cold or wet to work outside.  Yesterday, the owner of Dogcity DayCare and Dogwash Inc. contacted me; they’ve been following Ben’s story from the start, and they want to help me… by donating the use of their facility to me so that I can work Ben properly in a more spacious environment, regardless of the weather, arrange meetings with potential adopters, and more. To say I am profoundly grateful to them is an understatement.

Ben’s journey has been quite the adventure – not just for him, but for us, as well. He has taught us so much, and in spite of his issues, he is constantly trying to make the right choices and earn our affection and praise. He loves to work; he loves to learn; he really loves games that challenge his brain and work his inherent tenacity. He still has a problem understanding that when humans invite him to play – with or without toys – aggression is not the correct response. He associates play with being tormented, and helping him overcome that has been a real challenge. But, he’s starting to learn. We can play for several minutes at a time, now, without triggering a negative reaction. The second he starts to become aggressive, the play is stopped and he is given time to calm down. Once he’s calm again, play resumes.  Slowly but surely, he is starting to learn what play really is.

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