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Like people, dogs are individuals, and every personality forms attachments in its own way. This is so true, and it’s important to allow dogs to bond in their own time. Some dogs might be loving and secure from the first day at home. Other dogs take time to decide they’re finally, truly at home. Expecting things to be perfect from day one is unrealistic in most cases, and the work put in to making a dog feel secure and loved is rewarded beyond the effort we had to make.
The love of a dog is precious, and it’s only fair to allow them to fall in love with us in their own way and in their own time. After all, we don’t expect people to be comfortable and perfect in new surroundings from the off. The same considerations should be given to our canine family members.
Today, Dalia met her forever family. She will go home on Tuesday, and I am so happy for her. Mr. Nix and I have just loved her to death, and we are tickled to see her find a home of her own at last. She will also have a Dogs In Distress brother doggie (Rusty). They get on like peanut butter and jelly, and it was so fun to watch them meet one another and play.
Very happy day around here.
Dalia arrived at the Nix house today. She is an absolute angel. She and Kioko the Cranky Beagle have been getting along like peanut butter and jam. I have never seen our beagle be so nice to another dog. They are wrestling on our bed next to me as I type this…happy as clams.
Dalia is gorgeous, seems to be toilet trained, and – other than being a young puppy without a lot of commands – could not be better-behaved. She does not understand any basic obedience commands, yet, but she seems very bright, and we’ll see what we can teach her in the time she is with us.
GREAT dog. Wonderful personality, gorgeous, and an absolute charmer.
Will post new pictures in the a.m.
Met this little girl last week, and she is a heart breaker. So pretty…and so completely devastated by what has happened to her. So grateful she is getting a loving foster home. She needed to be back in a home.
[url:88zjfv7f]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYrpuCuzbqw[/url:88zjfv7f]
This is a video taken yesterday of Jinky in our kitchen.
Meet the indomitable Jinky! This beautiful young man came to us in January after his original owner decided they didn’t want him anymore. He was about to be put down when a kind neighbor intervened and brought him to Dogs in Distress. Our family has been lucky to be his foster home.
When Jinky first arrived two short months ago, he was terrified of his collar and leash, unable to walk up and down stairs, un-housetrained, and completely without training or manners of any sort. The poor guy didn’t even know his own name.
Today, Jinky is reliably housetrained, a pro at using the stairs, a gentleman on lead, and trained with basic obedience commands like "sit, wait, stay, lie down, and drop it." He learns VERY quickly…more quickly than any dog I’ve ever met. As he outgrows puppyhood, he will continue to get better and better at these tasks, and we feel confident saying that, for a bit of cheese or a piece of popcorn, he will learn anything you want to teach him!
Jinky is a perfect Basset Hound. He even has a pedigree to prove it if his looks and loving, stubborn, playful personality weren’t enough to demonstrate his "Basset-ness." This gorgeous dog is affectionate and wants cuddles ALL the time. He loves people and new dogs to be friends with (he loves other dogs so much that he gladly shares his food and even his chew bones with them). His loyalty to his family in particular is impressive. He hates to see any one of us go, and he waits diligently by the door when he knows it is time for someone to be coming home from school or work. He craves attention and will nose your hand or put his head in your lap to remind you that he needs petting.
If you are a family who loves the hound personality, then you know what a joy it is to see one of these independent, lively, and intelligent dogs choose to love and be loyal to you. Jinky is a fine hound and a good boy who wants to love and be loved in a forever family of his own.
With Jinky’s birthday just around the corner, I wanted to stop in and make a birthday wish for his forever family to find him soon. Little Jinky has been so patient and learned so much waiting for his new home. This sweet boy really deserves a forever family for his birthday. He is an amazing creature with a lot of love and loyalty. He melts your heart.
Oh! Oh, my goodness! We LOVE Dobies in the Nix family. Prince is a gorgeous boy. I hope he gets a lovely family really soon.
Well, we’re on day three of the great "no jumping, nipping, or bin diving" experiment, and we are so stinkin’ proud of this dog. Jinky is one smart boy.
We have even made tremendous progress on "drop it" compliance with scavenged items (i.e. food or dirty paper items stolen from the garbage bin).
My husband, especially, is impressed. Jinky has gone in only two full days from jumping constantly and stealing items constantly (and I DO mean constantly) from people, counters, furniture, etcetera, to a sweet boy who only makes these mistakes infrequently through the day.
Two days. That’s all it took.
The time-out method, which works for just about anything, works like this: Whenever Jinky exhibits a bad behavior (such as jumping on a counter or sticking his nose in the garbage bin), we mark that behavior with "no" or "ah-ah." The second time he does the same bad behavior, we say, "Too bad!" and then escort him on lead out of the room and tether him for about 30 seconds or until he stops crying/scratching at door to be let back in. Wash, rinse, repeat.
The first day, this was an every 2 minutes kind of thing…literally. Today, we have maybe one time-out per hour. That is SERIOUS progress. Jinky is so very smart that he has already figured out the program. You can actually see him weighing his options and making calculated choices.
The nipping is already very manageable. He only forgets when he is very excited and in the midst of active play. There have been very, very few nips in calm interaction with him both yesterday and today. It’s miraculous.
I think that given another week or two of consistency, he will stop falling on his old habits to get his way. Little Jinky is being a very good boy!
Newest photos!
Winston loves to eat apples. They are reserved as special treats for when he’s REALLY bored or when he responds very well to training lessons.
Ears!!
Winston Apple.jpgWinston Ears.jpgOh! Oh, it’s just so much cute in one place!!!
I’m a beagle mom, myself, and I have a weak spot for all beaglets.
What a darling puppy.
Winston Apple.jpg
Winston Ears.jpg