Boo Boo~Adopted

08/09/13 Update:  I changed Boo Boo’s status from On Hold to Available this afternoon.  Her progress has been amazing!  She’s seeing the vet very soon and will be ready for adoption!  She is going to make someone very very happy.

She is going in and out of her crate, without a leash.  She sticks close to me outside.  She doesn’t cower as much anymore, because I’m ignoring it.  She found a stuffy toy last night, and played with it… that’s HUGE!  She has found her joy!

08/19/13 Update:  A few days at the vet for a much needed bath, all of her shots, and spay proved to be stressful on Boo Boo.  I can’t blame her.  The folks at Newman Veterinary Centers insisted that she meet new people, be petted, and get used to getting attention!  Boo Boo did very well.  She proved to everyone how fearful she really is, but she did it… she pulled through, and overall she had a good experience there.  It took a few days for her to recover from her surgery, and feel at home again, but now she is her normal affectionate self.  She adores my daughter, Sarah, and comes to me easily for kisses.

Boo Boo has a long road to recovery, she needs routine, a quiet home where she can slowly explore and gain her confidence.  If pushed, she will regress.  Whoever adopts Boo Boo will find themselves owning a velcro dog!

08/22/13 Update:  The stars all lined up properly for Boo Boo Monday night.  I was told there was a blue moon on Monday, it was gorgeous.  So if the expression is true, “once in a blue moon” that’s how Boo Boo’s adoption can be described!

It was so perfect, it’s hard for me to explain!  When Leslie and I talked about possibly adopting Boo Boo I said to her, “don’t expect Boo Boo to come to you, to have eye contact, to take a treat from your hand.  She will be very scared.”

NOT!

Serena Drake had come over an hour before Leslie arrived.  She spent time with Boo Boo de-sensitizing her.  You see, Serena had bathed Boo Boo just a few days ago, so Boo Boo was a bit familiar with her, so Serena was not a total stranger.  Serena walked with her on leash, got Boo Boo to sit close to her and let her be touched, and practiced taking the leash on and off, on and off.

It didn’t take long before Boo Boo actually fell asleep with her head on Serena’s leg!  It was a great exercise for Boo Boo to learn to trust someone she didn’t really know.

Then, the time came for Boo Boo’s new family to appear in Act Two!  I asked Leslie to sit in “my chair”, her husband Jack sat next to her, Serena had Boo Boo on leash (Serena was on the floor) and I vanished!  I didn’t want Boo Boo to use me as a shield.

When I returned a few moments later, I sat far away from everyone and Boo Boo was on her own to make her own decisions.  I gave Leslie and Jack treats, and much to my surprise, Boo Boo approached Leslie, sniffed her hand, and licked it!

WOW!

Then, Boo Boo and Leslie made eye contact and they stared at each other.  “She is so beautiful,” Leslie said.  And something happened.  The connection was made.  Boo Boo took the treat, then Jack presented a treat as well…. wait for it…. and Boo Boo took the treat from Jack’s hand.

I nearly fell over.

The meet went perfectly.  Boo Boo was not afraid, she was curious, she was calm, she was… perfect.  We completed the adoption… now to get Boo Boo through the yard and into Leslie’s car.  That again, was uneventful.  Boo Boo was afraid to get in at first, and I picked her up.  Did you hear that?  I said I picked her up!  She did not snap at the air warning me not to, she let me pick her up.

On the way home, while in the back seat with Leslie, Boo Boo gave Jack, the driver, a kiss. Once they arrived, she and Leslie went for a walk, and as of late yesterday… it’s a match made in heaven!

Boo Boo still has to learn to get along with Leslie’s cat.  She is doing very well with her new Dad, Jack, and I just love getting regular updates!  Woo Hoo Boo Boo!  Oh, and her new name is Bella!

What an awesome save!

Boo Boo’s History:

She looks like an Aussie, but I’m not convinced. She does have a tail, and that happens, but there’s something about her face… I see Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever… is that rare? Yes, but I still see it! And what about those blue eyes?

Note:  I will retract the Duck Tolling comment below!

This young girl has totally shut down emotionally. She would avoid eye-contact, freaked out on leash, and freaked out when she entered my home. She was happy to go into her crate, and she is resting.

She did make progress and took hot dog bites from my hand.  After a while, she did take the bone I offered her, and ate some kibble, but she had to feel safe first. This morning when I made eye-contact with her, she wagged her tail! That’s huge! I’ll give her a few more days so I can earn her trust and let her come out of her shell… on her own time. Emotionally, she reminds me of Les Paul. I’m sure she’ll come around.  You can see more photos of her on Facebook.

She will see our Vet on Monday, and all of these dogs are currently being fostered in Deltona.

Special thanks to Pilot, Ed Golly and his team of volunteers, to Becky Harshman who coordinated the rescue, and to all of our wonderful supporters who donated to our Veterinary Care Fund. This is why we need and depend on your help!

08/03/13 Update:  Becky provided me with a little bit more information about this pretty red girl.  She wrote:

“Second Chance Rescue is a boarding facility that doesn’t adopt dogs, just holds them until a rescue can be found.  They are part of the Butler Co. Humane Society.  Red girl was found in the woods with her sister by a member of the organization and the dog was boarded in a kennel until real rescue was found.”

This piece of information makes total sense.  This little red girl is our Brittney’s Mystery.  So, I called Brittney and begged her to come over last night.  She did!  You can see some of the photos on Facebook.  Boo Boo refused to come out of her crate, and I had just fed them a large meal with their capstar and de-worming medicine… it was time she goes outside.  The last thing we want to do is set a dog up to fail.

 

Without any history, we have to be careful.  Boo Boo does not do well on leash so I wanted a harness on her.  Brittney slowly got Boo Boo out of her crate, we muzzled her so that we would all remain calm (a Mystery move!) and we placed a gorgeous leather harness on her.  Realize that this is not something I would do while home alone with my two children!  I needed Brittney!

While Brittney is very confident about her approach, we are much the same… we are both stubborn!  I would use the no touch, no talk, no eye-contact, while Brittney does the opposite.  Regardless, we both agree that we remain patient, yet firm.  Calm yet assertive.  It’s a dance, it’s a form of communication.  We have to let the dog know, “you’re okay, but we have to do things to help you.”

It worked!  Out in the back yard late last night, while it was dark, the pup licked Brittney’s hand, I got to hold her for a bit and give her a massage on her back, and yes… the pup rolled over on her back, exposed her belly, thus inviting Brittney to rub her!  It was awesome.

This morning, again, she wagged her tail when she saw me.  The harness was there for me to leash her up, and we went outside.  No Problems!

One thing I forgot to mention is that this pup is in heat.  Which puts her at 8 months of age.  If she continues to make progress, we’re going to the Vet on Monday!

Do I think that sharing her story, and telling the truth about her will reduce her chance to be adopted?  Maybe!  But it’s the way we do things at TDL.  We are honest about our dogs, their issues, and we know the type of homes they need to be successful.

Boo Boo really likes it when Petunia comes close, she wagged her tail, licked Petunia in the face, and rolled over to show her belly.  Being with other dogs will be good for Boo Boo.

What I can tell you is that I never saw the dog have the desire to bite.  She is just scared.  She is Les Paul scared, she is Shy Sharon scared, she is Brittney’s Mystery scared.  She doesn’t know if we are nice people, or if we want to eat her!  So, let’s move on, give this girl a chance, and hope for the best!

08/04/13 Update:  I didn’t use the muzzle this morning.  When I walked out to greet the pack, she stood up and was very happy to see me!  She went outside on leash with little resistance but isn’t walking around and investigating.  I hope today she will get a bath.  That’ll be a scary experience for her… but she has to have one.

08/05/13 Update:  Last night was amazing.  Brittney came over, and lured Boo Boo out of her crate.  She wanted Boo Boo to do it on her own.  This woman has patience!  I was very impressed with Boo Boo’s progress.  She has joy in her eyes now, and her trust factor has improved at least 50%.  I video taped a lot of the session and took a lot photos that can be seen on Facebook.  But one mystery is solved.  Brittney sees Red Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) and Aussie in this girl, and she is spot on.  I retract the Duck Tolling Retriever comment!

08/06/13 Update: Boo Boo continues to make a lot of progress. She will let Sarah put a leash on her, she will go out of her crate, into the yard and come back into her crate for my daughter, Sarah! Woo Hoo!

08/08/13 Update:  Well, isn’t this a kick in the pants?  My daughter, Sarah, has been letting Boo Boo out every day.  She can get her out of the crate, put a leash on her, let her out, and bring her back in!  Boo Boo is walking with much more pride, and doing her business outside like a good girl.  Her heat cycle is almost over.  She due for a much needed bath, and she will be ready VERY soon to go to the vet.  She’s doing great!