Wednesday, October 14, 2009

First bath

Yes, Darlin had her first bath yesterday. I've had her seven months, but by the time I brought her indoors, I'm sure most of the road grime had fallen off of her. I applied Frontline Plus her second week home so I didn't have any concerns about fleas. She has never smelled either. She didn't want to come to me when I called her to the bathroom. Toby had just had a bath so she seemed to understand what was coming. She ran to her bed in the bedroom. I had to carry her and put her in the tub, but she was no worse than any of our dogs. She just stood there not especially happy about it, but she did well. Most dogs shake like crazy when you give them a bath. Not Darlin', she sat in the corner and allowed me to dry her. She only shook once after I allowed her to leave the bathroom.

She was still damp. Her winter coat is starting to come back.



Her barking isn't any better. Some days it's worse than others. Yesterday she started barking and acting territorial when my husband came home so I told her to "Go" pointing by finger and watched as she ran to the bedroom. I didn't close the door. A minute later she came back and was quiet.

I took Chloe to get her hair cut a few days ago. When we came home Darlin' ran up to her and nipped her! I snapped my finger and told her to knock it off and she does, but she continued to show some anxiousness. She did the same thing to our blue heeler (Sam) when he came home from the vet. It's like she didn't like it that I had them with me. She does not like me to leave her.

We went out of town over the weekend and I was gone almost 10 hours. My son tried calling her to go outside, leaving the back door open, but she would not leave my bedroom. I arrived home and called her to go out. After her barking and whimpering at me she ran down and pottied immediately after her feet hit the grass. I don't know how or why a dog that lived on the streets is able to control her bladder (and bowels) the way she can. She wouldn't mess in the house for nothing. Poor thing would go on herself in her bed if it came down to it, but someone would carry her outside first. If I had been away any longer, I would have asked my daughter to carry her outside and put her in the grass.

She's getting big. I'm anxious to see how much she weighs now. I'll have her weighed when the mobile vet checks to see if her heartworms are gone in a few months.



Darlin' gets along with all of the dogs, but Toby is still her favorite playmate.



She still watches the back doors when she's outside, but not nearly as much as she has. There are times I see her acting like one of the pack sniffing the yard without any signs of fear or anxiety.





I bought the book, Help for Your Fearful Dog by Nicole Wilde. I haven't had a chance to read through it yet. I'll let you know if I read anything helpful that applies to a dog like Darlin'. Right now my only concern is getting past her territorial barking and guarding.

9 comments:

  1. Another good book is "Second-hand dog". Good insight about dogs that have had a life before your rescue.

    Have you tried Rescue Remedy? I'd heard that putting a little on a bandanna and putting it around the dog's neck can help with anxiety. They also have plug-ins filled with the herbs, too.

    She looks just like Miss Goon, a dog I knew about 20+ years ago. A real sweetheart. We'll be back, yesh, we will.

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  2. Don't worry Darlin, the first bath is the worst, it gets easier. Also, tell daddy that I too have been yelling, excuse me, barking, at the T.V. lately. Humans and their football.

    Benny "The Tank"

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  3. Bless you for rescuing Darlin, she sure looks happy now.

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  4. Thanks, Bess, she loves her home. Brings me great joy to know she is safe, fed, and loved here.

    Scout and Freyja, I've got Rescue Remedy here, I could take it all day when I'm nervous or upset and it does nothing. A bottle of brandy might be more helpful although I'm not much of a drinker anymore. Rescue Remedy is a blend of flower essences with a brandy base, you take a few drops several times a day under your tongue. In fact I bought Holly for my JRT when she went through a dominant stage as a puppy. Couldn't blame her for having food agression after coming out of a rabbit cage with 6 dogs and a little cat food bowl for all of them. Now she could care less about dinner time, she prefers to graze on dry. I've learned they all need their own time and Darlin' is proving to be the same. I have some oil burners that I might try the essential oils in, Lavender is said to be calming. She's calm until my family comes home, but it may help during thunderstorms. I can always use book recommendations, thanks for that.

    Benny, Mom had to ask Dad to close the downstairs door on game day because he was scaring Darlin'!

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  5. Thank you for stopping by my blog also, I to thought it was important to get the warning out about over the counter flea products, (http://mybestfriendsarefourlegged.blogspot.com/2009/09/pyrethrin-and-permethrin-toxicity-in.html) as the Hartz brand killed my sons cat. Like you we have always used Frontline Plus on our pets too. I just don't understand why they are still allowed on the market and personally it is not that much more to stop by your vets and pick up a safe product, but people are unaware of the dangers of over the counter products, I too have tried stopped people from buying them by telling them that my sons cat was killed by them, all I can do is tell them, what they decide is up to them, I just hope they did not make the wrong decision. Please pass the warning on, even if one pet is saved it's worth it.

    Sincerely,
    Bess

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  6. Dear Canine Cruiser in my bad english :S I want to say .... God bless you for be so kind with animals, I know how hard can to be be a rescue animals, but if you see the saved dog... dancing for you full of happyness, it is enough :) love you

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  7. rescue remedy only agitated boscoe and riley. i think the smell was too strong.

    it's so terrific that darlin' has bonded with your other dogs.

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  8. that dog cost calculator widget you have on the sidebar is really cool - i hope that it gets spread around the internet so people understand that a dog can cost a ton! especially purebreed dogs, which are more prone health problems, making not only their initial cost more, but their lifetime costs more. Maybe this will educate them to think twice about buying new dogs and rescuing instead

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  9. Yes, Emily, people should know what they will spend. I figured mine with food, treats, toys, and yearly vet care (shots), not counting any ER visits and I was shocked myself. When I told my husband he said he would have rather that I hadn't told him. You are correct, many purebreds do have health issues which can be costly. I had to have a mobile vet for Darlin which costs more. By the time she had her heartworm injections I had $1000 in her after only two months in my care.

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