Beckett July 23 2011 a new boy

I know I continue to post advances with Beckett and try to only show the positive steps but that is because I believe that more positive is better than approaching it from the negative. When dealing with a Mill suvivor like Beckett, it can be too easy to identify on the areas that he isn't progressing and lose site of where it is going well.
At this point, there is very little progress on the 'inside' training because Beckett is stalled due to his fear of physically interacting. He seems to do everything BUT physically interact and the things that go along with it.
On the outside of the house or in areas where there are no walls and a fear of being cornered, Beckett is a different dog. He still isn't actually physical but he tries. In this video you can see him playing and enjoying being one of the pack. He doesn't participate in the human interaction but does with the dog-to-dog play. As long as the 'human' is still in the picture, it's a good thing.
This is taken while we had house guests. Mark and Alfie are playing down near the horses and Beckett just had to join in.
As you can see, Beckett is having fun. There is a carefree attitude in his manner, his interaction and he just goes for it. This is where I would like him to end up being without the constant fear as he has when in the house. I guess while he is hanging his face out the car window he doesn't fear too much either. lol
Tonight, July 29th, we head to Maine to see about a 10 year old female that needs a home and looks to be a possible companion dog for Beckett. If it works out, that is great and we can hope to see some improvements.... if possible.

New Dog in the house.. oh yeah.. he brought people too!

Training takes time, patience, luck, and a whole lot of patience...oh yeah, said patience once already... but the statement still stands! On the training, it helps if you can take off from the last positive item for both you and the dog. In my case, our dog is much better outside than inside when it comes to confidence so I expanded on his 'outside' training since it advance at a much faster rate and the success was repeated more readily when asked to do the same thing again.

This week we had company. Company with a DOG!! It was the perfect situation for us. Extra people in the house and a dog to go along with it. Alfy became a steadfast friend of Beckett's and before long it was expected that you'd see one and the other within eyeshot.Beckett is an easy dog to deal with regardless but in this case they even ate out of the same bowl together and it was a good thing, not a competitive thing as I have seen take place in other situations from past dogs I had owned.

It must be the full moon...

I noticed the moon was fairly full last evening. That must be what is creating a bit of an oddity in things around the house. Beckett has peed in the house the last two nights after having a run of a couple of weeks without any accidents. I had not changed any of my routines so he should be good going forward. In the past we wouldn't have done anything except try and be ahead of him, reduce his water intake and pray. It sort of worked but I'm not sure which was the successful component so we did all three! The horses are even acting up. I thought for sure the mare, Jane, was going to cause damage yesterday when the farrier was here to work on their feet. She was a pain in the butt and quite aggressive. Something she really hadn't shown before. I'll have to watch her more closely.





For the first time since Beckett joined us he has actually wagged his tail when asked if he wants to go for a walk. It only happened a couple of times but it's the first step to being happy in our activities. Normally it takes the presence of another dog to even budge his tail. We still have a split personality dog. Inside, insecure, fearful, nervous, no confidence.... outside, happy dog, smile on his face, playful.. but still NO TOUCHIE!! LOL





I've altered some of his training to be more exact with my wording. The little guy is good at working toward the training goals. He now comes to me when given the command to heel (before he'd stay put until I neared and then would heel...all of this is while on an extension lead of course). He plays a mean game of touch both inside and outside. He will touch someone's hand if I touch it first and tell him to "touch". That's a biggie!


I've now begun working with his collar and calling it 'collar' when i fiddle with it. For a dog who didn't like being touched at all, he's doing okay with this part. He will heel on my right (i'd rather my left but it sort of came with him so i didn't want to make him uncomfortable) around objects such as trees and lawn fixtures. My hope is to someday have him jumping over things. I'll have to get a set of equipment to leave in the yard. He needs to be used to the objects first then he is okay about it.


The down side is that he still growls and cowers in the house when there is activity more than I expect and expecially when we arrive home. He truly hates being left alone and is showing his dislike of it when we leave in the morning. He has lots of space to roam around in and different sections to utilize.. but very little stimulation on his own. We'll have to switch out some of his toys again and maybe hang some from the ceiling for him to jump at... something to keep his mind busy.

It's time for another entry. The days are nice and long and there seems to be less of a hurry in the days when all is said and done. Maybe it's just me but I find this time of year the best for getting things done but yet having those sweet moments of relaxation along the way.

The cottage life seems to be agreeing with Beckett as well. His aim each day now is to get out for walks with us. There is just and excitement in his actions and a sense of Happy on his face when he's out walking around the property with us. We even have a neighbour's dog up at the end of our long lane. Shadow is a dog about Beckett's size but black and he seems to get along well with Beckett. I know when we're going for a walk, Shadow's house is the main focus and then once they've had their play time, Beckett is happy to walk back home with a little more life in his step.

Each morning and night I also make it a habit to take Beckett with me when I feed the horses their grain. He seems to be shy around them but always happy to see them at the same time.

Dewy didn't work out, but there is another with Sophie's place in Montreal. A four year old dog. Apparently it is great with other dogs, but had to have an operation and now needs a specific diet. If that is it for special care, then it is a possible companion for Beckett. If not, then there is a young female dog in NS that is not a rescue and a possibility. Either way, I have to get another dog in here soon so as to have a very sound understanding if Beckett is every going to be the type of dog that can be handled. We all love the advancements he's made and to be truthful, I didn't think I'd make it this far with him. Both Darrin and I are constantly keeping each other in check with Beckett and working him with identical methods, words, and praise. That may be the reason he has advanced to this stage. Now the most important step and it's one that he will either do or not, but it will only be with another dog around to show him. That is to actully want to be touched. Right now, he will allow you to touch him but with a great deal of anxiety and fear. As a household with a lot going on, having to put it all on hold until now has been much more than we thought. I was expecting a dog that would love to romp and play and go for long walks on the beach and through the back woods. Instead we have a dog that is afraid of anyone but us, will not go out the door if there is something there he hadn't seen the last time he was out, and will not allow you to walk up to him standing up. It's always in an kneeling position that you interact with Beckett.

On the up side, he's great in the car, loves other dogs, heels like a pro ... almost, comes when you call him, doesn't chew things.. just collects them and he is a big happy puppy whenever there is another dog around. His training has been completely hands off but now he needs to go to the next stage and allow us to handle him. The comman Sit, is not even near a possibility.

Dewy was ooooh so close to joining us

Well, you can't say we aren't trying everything in our power to bring Beckett that much closer to his 'true self'. Over a couple of days we went back and forth with a connection through WIN and the Greyhound rescue organization. They have Dewy, who looks to be a sweet, but shy boy.


Unfortunately amid our lamenting over the dog being the ONE, how we'd get him here, how would we know this is the right fit, etc. there was a decision that Dewy himself wouldn't travel well and there was the issue of him possibly having experienced abuse during his foster home shuffle that would have made it bad for him to even get here.


So, now I find myself going to petfinder to see if I can locate another Wheaten. I have one I'm checking out now in Montreal so we'll see how that pans out. Most importantly, I'm sure as hell not going to purchase one from an "on line kennel" aka possible Miller location. After Beckett, I'm even more convinced that millers need to be regulated. Fine, you want to start breeding dogs that you love, then do like everyone else and show you have the ability to do more than have a female dog get pregnant! People like Brenda and other responsible breeders work hard to give a quality of life to their dogs before considering the ability to make a profit from them.


Now that I have a case in hand, dogs that are 'turned over' to rescue services from Miller should be charged for abuse and through the act of handing over their non-saleable dogs, they are admitting guilt. I'm sounding like a protester but in reality people end up with dogs like Beckett and don't have the resources or the experience that we have.


Even for us, it is a full-time job and we still don't know how we've made it this far with him! Just pure luck and trial and error and the support of our circle of friends have helped us not cash in and call it quits. I can see how these dogs would just end up in a negative spiral and eventually be destroyed after living through a continued series of abuse and mishandling.

Hairless summer...

We have another few weeks under our belt now. We moved out to the cottage at the first of May and here it is the first of June already. My how time flies when you're working day and night and not getting any sleep!

Although the move to the cottage was supposed to be smooth this year, there were a few hiccups along the way to make it less than .... smooth. First was my issue with having to prepare two apartments for renting at the same time that we were trying to open the cottage and build the extension on to the house for Beckett's space. Aside from that was my need to get the horse shelter completed before I could accept the foster horses on the property. All this was delayed due to two solid weeks of wet weather. It was either raining mildly but still now allowing us to work on the grounds, or it was a downpour which made for a very interesting time getting through the mud and into the cottage.

The moving, the construction, the weather, and the lack of 'outside' time added to Beckett's setback after getting his fur cut back for the summer period. Beckett wasn't too crazy about the cottage anyway for a few reasons, or so we deduced after a spell. He didn't like not having a large open space with alternate routes of escape as he had in the apartment. He didn't like that we were able to come in the house from three directions rather than the one. He didn't like the fenced in area we built for him... regardless of the Island stone work! Most of all, he did not do well with us being away for the whole day rather than coming home every couple of hours to walk him. That on it's own seems to have set him back to week 2 or 3 with his fear of us. (It may also be his haircut... really liked him with more fur so maybe he thinks the same way LOL)

I wish I had video'd his physcial reaction about 2 weeks ago. He would run to his blanket and growl at us while physically shaking like a 4 year old who just came out of the cold ocean from swimming. He shook uncontrollabley. I don't know if it was his medication finally kicking in or if it has been the constant work we are doing with him but he seems LESS scared for less of a period but he is still in that realm.

June 13, 2011

This last weekend has confirmed that we do have a dog in need of a role model. I've seen him with other dogs and it is during these times that his true personality comes out and he is a Wheaten indeed. He romps, rolls, wags his tail, smiles and just plane enjoys his life. The problem is that he sustains this for the period that he is playing and for about a 1/2 hour after, then he shrinks back to his defensive mode and will not venture out again.

Our trainer , who has experience with puppy mill survivors, has recognized that Beckett is an extreme case of social issues with humans. She brought out her two dogs to see how Beckett interacted with them and she was completely surprised at the different dog that Beckett becomes with playmates. Like all of his other playmates, he tends to tire them out. It's going to take another Wheaten to match him and lead him onward.

I've taken it upon myself to investigate two different Wheaten organizations to see if there is a possible adoption of a role model dog that is more mature than Beckett is. I've also spoken with our breeder, or rather, potential supplier of a puppy, and she is going to check with her contacts for perhaps a mature dog that is being returned for no other reason than the people can not keep it for personal reasons. Not Personality reasons! LOL The dog also has to be okay around children because I do have my 7 year old grandaughter visiting now and then. Hyper we can deal with, aggressive toward children, not a possibility.

The horses are now in the pasture, the kennel in all it's glory is complete, the porch is screened in and for us, the summer has begun.

Spring into 2011

Hair makes ALL the difference!

I think Beckett suffers from a bad case of vanity. Although we've been trying to do a number of things at once in our lives, we have had to work everything around how it would influence Beckett's routine. It seems odd but in a lot of ways, a child was much easier to accommodate. In Beckett's case, he is so sensitive about his whole surroundings that nothing is considered 'normal' to him. It's just a case of feeling someone less threatened.

As you can see here, the dog kennel is connected to the screened in covered porch, which is in turn connected to the doggy door we purchased especially for Beckett knowing he was may be cold if left outside. Once inside the patio door, we have a dog fence setup that allows Beckett to nestle on his pillow beside the fireplace.

Before we moved to the cottage there was a lot of back and forth to get the cottage ready. There were also those days of 'repairs' that had to take place before we could move in. Winter's cold played against our piping system and a few had to be repaired along with a new dishwasher installed. All this while the patio/kennel was being constructed!

In the midst of this, we knew Beckett had to get his coat cut short because of the 'clean' problems he was beginning to experience and we were unable to help clean him. Then there was the issue of the mud that would be experienced in the country. As you can see from the photos, Beckett was not amused by the outcome.

In reality, we had to take him to the vet's to be clipped because we knew a regular groomer wouldn't be able to deal with his fears. Hell, we can hardly deal with his fears!

Anyway, we dropped him off in the morning, he was sedated and then groomed. Apparently he wasn't too bad with the clipping part but even under sedation, he freaked out as they tried to put him in a tub for a bath. It was nice of them to clip him but in all reality, he didn't need to be put in a bath if he didn't want to go. Needless to say, this has taken him back to almost step one.

We came home last evening to a major mess. Beckett has realized he has the ability to jump up and get things off the table. I've lost all of my invoices for the construction I've done so therefore my tax deductions for this year. Darrin's cell phone was chewed up but somehow still works. Today I've put the web cam on and set it on motion detection. I do have one of him from the first day he was left alone all day. He spent the day playing with his toys and digging up dirt in his kennel.. all looking like he was having fun. Now I suspect he is having anxiety issues. I am stopping up at the vet's today to get his medication. I'm finding my patience is growing short and it takes all my strength to just leave the room calmly so Darrin can deal with Beckett from time to time.

This weekend we have friends showing up for the weekend with their two playful dogs. I am hoping that seeing these dogs playing with us will remove some of the fear that has crept back into Beckett's attitude.

It is also getting to be a major drag with the rain having been ongoing for two weeks straight and trying to get the horse's shelter constructed in the mud every weekend and in the evenings. My time for their arrival is almost upon me too. Beckett will have to stay in a 'hold' pattern for a few days while I divert my attention to this need. It may also provide me with the break from him that I need at the moment. I wonder how many other adoptive homes experience what we're going through or if this little guy is unique in his situation. I do wish I knew what was done to him so I could counteract or at least not provoke reactions.