Today marks Week 13 of Ben’s foster care and rehabilitation. He has made significant improvements in virtually all areas of concern, and he is learning impulse control. He is also learning to control himself, and to look to us for help when he’s feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope in situations where excitement levels are ranging from medium to high for prolonged periods. In this area, progress is slow, but it’s far more than I’d expected when he first arrived 13 weeks ago.

With the milder weather we’re having, Ben is starting to show signs of cabin fever and a driving need to run. Over the past few days, I’ve noticed that he’s starting to measure the height of the fence, and gauge where he needs to be in order to jump it. To prevent him from attempting to jump it, we’re putting the long line on him. He’s got lots of room to run, but even if he takes a running leap at it, he can’t get close enough to the fence to jump it. We’re trying to get him some time at the dog park, where there’s a large enclosure of 10-foot-high chain-link fence. The enclosure was designed and built specifically for small to medium-sized dogs. Getting time in the enclosure is proving to be a big challenge, because Ben attacks small dogs. But, we keep checking and hoping, and in the meantime, we continue to work on finding ways to help him release some of the pent-up physical energy he’s carrying.

I am holding a “meet-Ben” event this Saturday, weather permitting, at our local park. I’m hoping for a good turnout; the more people who attend, the better the chances of finding Ben the right forever home.

Ben has his quirks, and he’s always in a state of learning. But overall, he has made tremendous progress. He’s loving and playful, he’s compassionate and caring, he’s got a comical side that, when he turns it on, never fails to make us laugh ourselves silly. He will make an excellent companion for the right person or people.

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

  Ben is making phenomenal progress. Using one of our bath mats as a temporary tool [we’re getting working mats this weekend], we’ve spent this past week working on “place”. This is a critical part of Ben’s learning, as he’s still crowding us, as well as visitors. “Place” not only helps him learn boundaries, it also helps him learn to respect those boundaries. I’ll be working Ben on the exercise later today via live feed on Facebook; he hasn’t perfected the exercise yet but he’s doing a phenomenal job of trying to master it.

Next weekend [Feb. 18], weather permitting, I am holding a meet-Ben event at our local park. Although DINO has him listed on a few different websites, he’s consistently being left behind as other rescues are brought forward into the public’s awareness. He’s not getting the exposure he needs in order for him to find the right forever family. As his foster, I feel obligated to do whatever I can to help him stay in or close to the spot light as much as possible until I find the right forever home for him.

Overall, Ben is making wonderful progress. We are very, very proud of how far he has come in 12 weeks. Of course, we will be continuing to work him – teaching and training never stops – but at this point in time, Ben is a happy, playful, spirited boy who is learning all the time about what it means to be part of a family.  We do love him so….

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