Introducing Chloe! (Adopted!!)
Hey everyone!
Well, our first foster is here! She came to us this afternoon by way of Shiba Inu Rescue Association. She is such an adventurous butterfly. As soon as she came in (Ryu was in the backyard), she sniffed every room and approached every person head on. She even took treats right away! After she got more comfortable inside, we introduced her to Ryu on the back porch. He took a couple sniffs and then was pretty uninterested. For now, we're keeping them separated as much as possible to be on the safe side. She is a puppy mill rescue and is 6 years old. She's got a clipped ear and is missing one toe. She is as sweet as can be though.
Anyway, here's Chloe!
(with Joanna, my roommate)
(she just had a bath and was a little cold)
Well, our first foster is here! She came to us this afternoon by way of Shiba Inu Rescue Association. She is such an adventurous butterfly. As soon as she came in (Ryu was in the backyard), she sniffed every room and approached every person head on. She even took treats right away! After she got more comfortable inside, we introduced her to Ryu on the back porch. He took a couple sniffs and then was pretty uninterested. For now, we're keeping them separated as much as possible to be on the safe side. She is a puppy mill rescue and is 6 years old. She's got a clipped ear and is missing one toe. She is as sweet as can be though.
Anyway, here's Chloe!
(with Joanna, my roommate)
(she just had a bath and was a little cold)
Comments
Those puncture wound scars on her nose make me want to cry. Do you know her story?
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If she goes missing, we don't have her!
I have her in my office and blocked both doors so Ryu is curious to check her out. I have to admit, I'm nervous about having them meet off-leash. She freezes with the leash on (she has never had a collar or leash on in her 6 years) and Ryu gets frustrated when he has to be on leash in the house.... Would it be better if we kept both leashes on but let them drag in case they get in a scuffle? I'm thinking that if we're not holding onto the leash, Ryu would be less frustrated and would be calmer around her. But I'm new at this so I could use some help
This is also a little strange to me - Chloe is in the office with me, Ryu knows she's in here but he's not really bouncing against the makeshift doors to get in. He comes by, sniffs, jumps up, and then leaves and acts like nothing is wrong.... I guess I just imagined him to be banging against the doors to no end....
It's only been 4 hours since we got her so we have a lot to work through
I would focus on building a bond with Chloe before anything. I think it's most important that you make the new dog feel comfortable and build trust. You already know Ryu and his behaviors - and you should have control of him at all times. But you don't knoe Chloe and there isn't much trust yet...and you don't know if you have her under control. I will definately agree that dogs behave totally different on-lead vs off lead.
For example - Ninja is horrible meeting new dogs on lead - but yet, he is able to be around 20-30 dogs in daycare without any issues.
Another thing may be territory - I'm not sure if Ryu is territorial at all, but I have heard of some cases where dogs are awesome with other dogs in neutral territory - but when new dogs come into that dogs house - all hell breaks loose.
I would recommend keeping them separated for the first week - inside the house. I would recommend walking them together and having them sleep in the same room in their crates. This will give you time to bond with Chloe and during the walks, Chloe and Ryu can have some time together.
If all looks well - I would put the collar and leads on them and let them drag it while they get better acquainted. Do this for a while, until you truly feel there will be no issues from either dog.
I have some other training aids I could recommend to you if one of the dogs or both of the dogs are not improving with the transition.
And I love the recommendation for more bonding time with Chloe. I won't argue with that!
Congrats on doing a great thing for her.
I know you guys will do awesome, and it sounds like Ryu is more than happy to have a foxy lady around. Keep us posted!
What a great thing you're doing for her. Good luck.
Cant wait to hear more stories...she is going to be homed in no time!
She still has this God-awful smell about her though. We washed her twice (in the same bath session) today but I think she's going to need a couple more before she smells like a normal Shiba
I have decided I don't want to know how she got her scars.
Hope you find your way back into Ryu's good graces again. I'm sure you will.
I wouldn't let her and Ryu interact for at least a week, even though it is tempting!
Good luck! You are giving this girl an incredibly good start for a wonderful, normal dog's life!
And Kristin is right, I get the cold Kitsu shoulder whenever a new dog comes in for a few days, then he's extra cuddly to make up for it!
I am glad she is getting more comfortable. I bet that tail will be up full time in no time!
Jen - it's such a different world for me. With Ryu, we grew with him since he was a puppy so we know how to touch him, how to teach him, etc. With Chloe, we're starting from scratch. I've learned that she loves being inside her crate but doesn't like the door to be locked. If she can come and go, she prefers to be inside but she paws frantically at the door when we shut it. I also noticed that she really wants to play (skips around and wags her tail) but sort of doesn't know how to yet. Sometimes, I'll play with Ryu in a separate room but within viewing distance of her (through the mesh screen on the make-shift barriers to the office) and she'll just stare and stare at us. Very interesting.