I've decided to wait and see if the mystery skin itch and other issues go away with the food I'm giving him. I'll wait another couple of weeks and if he hasn't stopped itching or is still having issues, I'll get a visit cleared with the rescue.
In the meantime, here's a video of Tracer and Russell playing. He gets on pretty well with Russell now, but London is always more challenging. London was initially very forgiving of Tracer's "transgressions" (he's a dog with very strict rules on what's "polite"), but has entered the avoidance stage of his hate cycle. He really doesn't want anything to do with Tracer, which makes it hard to socialize them to one another properly. In addition, every time London vocalizes (which he does frequently), Tracer goes APESHIT. Like, full on hysteric fits of rage if he's "too close" to London (which seems to vary depending on how cranky he is). Initially, I was working a little with London through the door, vocalizing, and Tracer doing his basic commands while that was going on. He is making progress (I can do this through a baby gate now) but it's still too soon for real interaction.
STILL... for just 6 days worth of work, I think he's come a long way. I wholly believe stability and exercise were a lot of the problem (or lack thereof). The rescue coordinator I go through asked me if I wanted to adopt him free of charge, but I still think - even with his progress - Tracer would do better as an only dog or in a home with just one other dog of a complimenting personality.
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In the meantime, here's a video of Tracer and Russell playing. He gets on pretty well with Russell now, but London is always more challenging. London was initially very forgiving of Tracer's "transgressions" (he's a dog with very strict rules on what's "polite"), but has entered the avoidance stage of his hate cycle. He really doesn't want anything to do with Tracer, which makes it hard to socialize them to one another properly. In addition, every time London vocalizes (which he does frequently), Tracer goes APESHIT. Like, full on hysteric fits of rage if he's "too close" to London (which seems to vary depending on how cranky he is). Initially, I was working a little with London through the door, vocalizing, and Tracer doing his basic commands while that was going on. He is making progress (I can do this through a baby gate now) but it's still too soon for real interaction.
STILL... for just 6 days worth of work, I think he's come a long way. I wholly believe stability and exercise were a lot of the problem (or lack thereof). The rescue coordinator I go through asked me if I wanted to adopt him free of charge, but I still think - even with his progress - Tracer would do better as an only dog or in a home with just one other dog of a complimenting personality.
Super interested in treeing critters, chasing cats, getting belly rubs and eating socks.