Just thought I'd end this on a good note. The "work", and believe me it is work that you need to call it, that has gone into Beckett for the last month has been extensive. I'd be lying if I told you this was all fun and games, but it isn't all bad either. If you believe in "paying it forward" or "you get what you invest in" then you'd be set for taking in a dog like Beckett.
This is not the type of thing I'd suggest for anyone who was single or had not had a dog before. You need the support of someone living the experience right along side of you so they can hold you when things don't exactly pan out at any given moment. In retrospect, neither Darrin nor I were ready for what this little guy needed but I would like to say we are giving it our best shot and doing what we think is the best possible thing, along the way.
There are times you think you've broken through, or at least you pray that the actions suggest a breakthrough, but then 5 minutes later he is back to his insecure self again with all of the fear and shaking and growling.... and you rely on your partner for reassurance that you didn't do something stupid to cause the slip. This is not the time to look for unconditional love from the dog. It's the reverse, your unconditional love needs to be given, without expectations, and that is how you all get through the moment.
After the last 4 weeks I can tell you that without my partner Darrin, I'm not sure I could have lasted this long. Gwen, Garin and the on-line support continues to be great but like so many others before me well know, the demand of personal time is more than we had anticipated. I was more prepared for a wildly active dog and going through the training of showing it how to control it's actions. This is actually the opposite of what we have been experiencing. Now more than ever, I hope you understand why I need to see these moments recorded in the videos and photographs. They act as the benchmarks and prove we are making a difference. 
Our friend John and his pup Lochie have become what I hope to be a long-term play association for Beckett. We have been discussing a fence for the cottage as well to allow more freedom of play like this. One fence for housing Beckett through the day which extends from the screened in patio out on to an open air fenced in area. This will give him the ability to choose his space but keep him safe from the local wildlife. At least with Beckett in place the puppy we get next fall will be safe from the eagles that are in our area. lol.
Here are a few of the areas we seem to have had success with such as, walking on his lead, having him come in our direction when he is called, recognizing his name is now Beckett, recognizing that there is this thing called a treat and they come in a variety of types but NEVER get put in his dish, and HE decided that his blanket is his bed and his safe area. Outside of that I think basically everything else is in the category of 'under development'!
Tonight Darrin decided to once again give Beckett some close and personal "touch" therapy. This dog is NOT comfortable with being touched. He doesn't think of it as normal or acceptable. I don't doubt that if left to his own choice, he would retain the near but 'no touchy' status for the rest of his life since he gets his needs met for food, security and what he considers attention. Unfortunately we can't live with a dog like that and he needs to be socialized to fit in our family. It's really important that after a suitable amount of time, we do have that dog that sits with us and enjoys touch.
This petting was, to say the least, an exercise in how to bring Beckett to a more familiar level with touch and interaction. It lasted for about 5 minutes and for a spell he did allow his pose to relax the touch but never to the point where you could take your hands off of the 'hold' position. After the 5 minute span ended Beckett exploded out of Darrin's arms as though he'd been hit with a cattle prod. The dissappointment in Darrin's eyes was hard to look at but I knew that he had hoped, as I had, that the touch pushed that magic button that turned Beckett into the 'family pet' everyone desires. Maybe for next month's end I'll be able to report we're more near to that goal.
Not all blogs can be fun all the time. How boring that would be.
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