Day 14 - Thursday, June 3, 2010

I didn’t get to spend much time with Sinatra today, but he did have his adoption photo shoot with Laura Witherow and I went to help him out. As usual, he was such a good boy. Laura, whose studio is upstairs from Bark Avenue, brought him upstairs. He was a little nervous to walk through the door and would have liked some time to sniff around, but straight to the photo shoot he went. Laura and I used lots of treats and he actually stayed in his down (for a little bit). He rolled on his back and gave up his belly. Sadly, I don’t think many of those shots will be useable, but it sure was darling.

I don’t know whether I’ll make it over to Bark Avenue to visit tomorrow, but we start fostering him on Saturday afternoon, so I’m sure I’ll have lots more to say. Good night!

Day 13 - Wednesday, June 2, 2010

I GAVE SINATRA A BATH TODAY! Gosh, was he dirty. The water just ran yellow the entire time. As you can see from the picture, he did not enjoy the experience, but he was very cooperative (and he wasn’t that stressed because he continued taking the cheese I offered him the whole time). He loved being towel dried. He nuzzled his head right into the towel while I rubbed him down. After the bath, he did some zooming around with his butt down. I love that.

Before his bath, we went for a 20-minute walk. We did lots of sits and comes on the street and both were great. He balked a bit when we had to walk down an extended stretch (probably 150’) of street that was being repaved. It was really loud and smelly. He sits well on concrete, but still not so well elsewhere.

When we got back from our walk, we worked obedience in the lobby. His eye contact is excellent and he came back to me immediately after checking out a dog that was coming through the lobby. We officially started working on stay today. Sit-stays are HARD, since he slides around. So, we’re working harder on down-stays right now. I’d just like him to begin grasping the concept of stay.

He can be a little mouthy with other people, though not really with me. And his mouthing is VERY gentle, almost like he doesn’t even put his mouth on you, but just does the open mouth motion. He’s also taken to trying to climb in everyone’s lap and he does so in such a gentle way that no one is turning him away (I am, but it is SO hard).

Tomorrow, Sinatra will have his adoption pictures photo shoot with Laura Witherow – www.laruawitherow.com (who does fabulous work). Linda asked me to work on a bio for him, but I don’t even know where to begin.

Day 8 - Friday, May 28, 2010 and Day 12 - Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Day 8 – Friday, May 28, 2010:

Sinatra and I went on a 30-minute walk. Silly as it sounds, I’m thrilled to say he pooped on our walk. I was so excited. Up to this point, he’d only peed. We also shared the sidewalk with a labradoodle or goldendoodle with a summer cut. Sinatra was interested, but did not get aroused.

Mysteriously, Jeraul and I noticed that his stitches were out. I didn’t take him to the vet, nor did Linda, and Daniel didn’t remove them. So, it appears Sinatra took them out all by himself. The surgical site looks great, so no harm done. Now that his stitches are out, it’s bath time.

Also, Jeraul told me that he not only chased the ball for her on the playlot, but he also brought it to her and dropped it easily. What a good boy!!!

Day 12 – Tuesday, June 1, 2010:

Louie and I took Scotch to Bark Avenue to go for a walk with Sinatra. We’ve decided we’re going to foster him and want to continue acclimating the dogs prior to him coming home with us (probably this Saturday afternoon). Anyway, we allowed them to sniff and Sinatra kept his head below hers and was very deferential…until he put his paw up and tried to mount her. Scotch corrected him appropriately and he backed off immediately and did not try again (unlike when he continued trying to mount Rou, who never corrected him).

We took the two dogs for a 20-25 minute walk. We cut it short because both dogs were tired and dragging. When we returned from our walk, I allowed Sinatra and Scotch some unstructured time (on-leash). All interactions were appropriate, so we allowed them about 10 minutes off-leash on the playlot. For the first 2 or 3 minutes, Sinatra stayed with me while Scotch sniffed around the lot. Then Sinatra broke away from me and followed her around. Scotch was a little stiff with him sometimes, but mostly appropriate. When Rick walked by the playlot, Sinatra ran to the fence, wagging his tail. He really likes the people at Bark Avenue.

Around 8 or 9 minutes, Sinatra decided to try and play with Scotch. She was not interested and barked at him, communicating her disinterest. He would back off for a minute, but then try again. His behavior was playful and light hearted, but he’s determined. I think he’ll have a physical style of play, but will have success with a number of dog playmates (though never in a big play group). He really enjoyed his time with Scotch, despite the fact that she just coexisted and didn’t care about him at all. After about three unsuccessful attempts to play with Scotch, we leashed both dogs back up. We didn’t have Rou with us yesterday, but I will get them some more face time this week.

He seems to be becoming more confident with time. I haven’t seen him look afraid of anyone lately. He relishes the attention showered on him by everyone at Bark Avenue. He’s also developing a personality. While he’s still calm and very even, he’s definitely a happy dog who is even silly every now and then. For example, before we left for our walk, I asked him for a sit, which he readily gave. When I told him he was free and took a step, he bounded toward the door. His legs are kind of funny, so he looks a bit like a bronco when he bounds.

Day 7 – Thursday, May 27, 2010:

Sadly, I didn’t get to visit Sinatra today. Gosh, was that hard. I just had too much on my plate. On a positive note, I did participate in a court case dogs dog wash at A.C.C. today, washing all of Sinatra's former friends. Thanks to A.C.C. for letting us get our bullies/pibbles out and clean them up. And thanks to everyone who volunteered with me today. Mostly, thanks so much to Deb, for having the idea and sticking with it to see it though to fruition. She is the reason these 12 dogs got bathed and groomed today. While some of the dogs definitely didn’t like the bathing part, I can’t begin to describe how each and every one of them were different dogs once clean. To quote Deb’s thank you email:

”Callie saw brindle for the first time on Slinky, Biddy's white coat shone so brightly she was blinding, Krinkle stood tall instead of cowering and wagged his tail, Trilby smiled and shook hands with everyone, Trigger rolled on his back, winked and wiggled, Tweedle wagged, licked and grinned, Fantango smelled divine and pulled like a newly simonized mack truck, Pudge was so happy it was hard to stand still, Sandy was ever so girly, and Tres, Dos and Uno looked like normal energetic, clean puppies...”

Watching these court case dogs regain, even if temporarily, any semblance of normal dog life is so rewarding. In spite of all they have been through and against all odds, they are sweet little (and not so little) balls of energy and love.

If you know of any rescue that might be interested in pulling these dogs from A.C.C., I’d love to speak with you. These dogs exemplify the best in canine spirit. And while Sinatra swindled his way into my heart, I’d love to see my other court case dog friends have similar outcomes, finding great places to live as halfway homes to forever homes.

Day 6 - Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Linda, from Puppy Love/Love Cats, visited Sinatra this morning and took him on a nice, long walk. Via text message, Linda told me, “Sinatra was such a dream! He got a bit nervous at some construction that we passed, but otherwise, what a love!”

I visited later. We didn’t go for a walk since he had such a nice one earlier in the day. Instead, we worked obedience in the lobby and just had fun. He was playful today and tried to climb in my lap every chance he got. Mostly, we worked sit, down and come. He was great and really responsive. He has no concept of stay yet, but we’re working on it. Also, as previously noted, Sinatra stuggles to stay in a sit. We worked him on an area with lots of traction today, which helped, but did not resolve the issue completely. Sometimes he really tries to hold on, but just can’t do it. He rarely sits straight with his feet under him, but when he does, he’s better able to maintain position. Anyway, Emily said he might actually need to work his core. Ha! We’re going to get right on it, but it wasn’t something that had ever occurred to me. So, little Sinatra’s going to learn how to beg/sit pretty (whatever you call it). Good thing he’s getting interested in food.

No dog issues today, but the lobby was quiet. Sinatra was happy to play with Daniel when he got to Bark Avenue and worked beautifully for him (which he really only seems to do for people he trusts). At one point though, Daniel took off his hat and was absentmindedly swatting it in his hand or against a box (I don’t recall which). That freaked Sinatra out. He slowly moved away from the hat and behind my legs. Daniel and I showed him the hat and gave him treats, put treats on the hat and let him eat them off, and finally asked him to target the hat (which he kind of did). We treated him and Daniel put his hat back on. That was his scary item of the day. We’re always learning with him.

We also tried to work on his “man” skills, but he didn’t demonstrate any reticence about any guys at Bark Avenue today. He was happy to see everyone who came in and, in typical pit bull fashion, clearly figured everyone who entered the lobby did so just to say hello to him. He’s such a little ham.

Daniel let me put him away. We walked past the small dog xpen (very closely, but there’s no other choice), where at least three small dogs read us the riot act. Sinatra didn’t even look or care. He was too busy prancing with me back to his run. He went right into his little temporary home (complete with a nice raised bed, blanket and a few toys) and I gave him a treat.

I’m hoping to visit tomorrow and celebrate his first week (in a long time) as a free dog! It’s a busy day though, so my fingers are crossed. And Louie and I are taking our darling dogs camping over the Memorial Day weekend. I might go through Sinatra withdrawal.

Day 4 - Monday May 24, 2010 and Day 5 - Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Day 4 – Monday, May 24, 2010:
Only saw Sinatra for a few minutes today. Debbie and I went to drop Scotch off at Bark Avenue. We took Rou in too because it was so hot and I wanted to say hi to Sinatra. Daniel brought him out to see us. He was immediately excited to see Rou. Sinatra play bounced at Rou. It was the first time I saw him do something playful.

On a different note, Sinatra did also let out his first growl at a dog. A very exuberant Rottweiler came out to greet its owner. Sinatra was pretty close to the action and gave a single, low growl.

Day 5 – Tuesday, May 25, 2010:
I visited Sinatra at Bark Avenue this evening after work. We went for a walk and worked a little obedience in the lobby. As we exited Bark Avenue for our walk, we met a friend and her two dogs. Her dogs were excited; one barked and one lunged (though not in a terribly aggressive way). Sinatra immediately looked to me and did not react.

Our walk was short, but fabulous (only about 15 minutes). I got him to both sit and down on the street, which made me really happy. He also had some pep in his step, prancing next to me a few times.
Inside, his obedience was good. He would sit, down and come at about 75%. He backs into his sits and is reluctant to “come” in close, but we’re working on it. He also has a very difficult time staying in a sit, something I noticed at A.C.C., but attributed to the slick floor there.

As far as his people skills, he’s definitely partial to women. He is more, but not completely, comfortable with men approaching him and more reluctant to approach men himself. This is true of some more than others. As I noted in a previous post, he was very comfortable with my husband, Louie. Nonetheless, I think it’s something to focus on in the future.

He made some progress with respect to toys today, as well. Min, who works at Bark Avenue, told me Sinatra played ball with her today. He didn’t retrieve the ball, but he did chase it. And this afternoon, he put his mouth on the rope toy I was offering. It was short-lived, but definitely a start. Previously, he had ignored all attempts to offer him a ball or rope tug.

A number of dogs came through the lobby while we were working (though it was a slower night and mostly quiet). Most of them did not peak Sinatra’s interest, but there was a Beagle that aroused him. Richard warned me that when this dog’s owner came, the dog would go completely crazy with excitement. So, as anticipated, the Beagle vocalized (as only an excited Beagle can) when its owner arrived. Sinatra’s hair went up and he gave a hard stare. He had a nice space cushion at this point, so I attempted to redirect him verbally, but he was really locked in. As per his usual behavior, he made no attempt to go to the dog. And he did not growl or vocalize in any way. Nonetheless, since he was pulled from A.C.C. these incidents have been isolated and reserved to high-energy, very excited dogs. That is not to trivialize the behavior. It definitely needs work, but I think we’re making progress.

Stay tuned. More to come.

Day 3 - Sunday, May 23, 2010

I sound like a broken record, but we had another good day…and asked for new things from him.

Even though, today was great, the absolute best thing I get to report is that I’m told Sinatra is not going to the bathroom in his crate/run!!! It’s so awesome to love on a dry dog. Also, someone at Bark Avenue gave him a localized wipe down, so he’s not crunchy any more. I can’t wait for his stitches (from his neuter) to come out so he can have a full bath.

Anyway, on to our walk. Louie and I brought Scotch and Rou with us today. We did a full meet ‘n greet with Sinatra and Rou, which went well. Initially, his hair was up and his tail was high and wagging (not in a rigid wag). Still no growling, fortunately. Each dog licked the other’s lips a few times. We did a cursory meet and greet with Sinatra and Scotch. Scotch was in heel position on a sit with Louie, and Sinatra and I walked by closer and closer. We didn’t let them do any sniffing (baby steps for them). Sinatra avoided her almost completely, and she didn’t make much of an effort to sniff him either (though we were asking her for obedience). So, I walked Rou and Sinatra and Louie walked Scotch. Almost the entire time, Scotch was in front, followed by Rou and then Sinatra coming up the back. All three dogs were in pretty close proximity without incident. A few times Sinatra walked side-by-side with Rou, but mostly stayed at the back. There was even some incidental contact between the three with no problems.

Early in our walk, we passed a house with some little dogs barking from cages behind a fence. None of the dogs were the least bit interested. On the way back, at the same house, we were bum-rushed by two really fence aggressive dogs (afterward, my friend Debbie told me she crosses the street to avoid the dogs in this house). All three dogs were startled (as were Lou and I) and initially pulled toward the fence, but none barked or growled. I made sure Rou and Sinatra were separate, in case he (or even Rou for that matter) got worked up and redirected, but it never happened. Both were pretty responsive when I made a hard and fast 180 turn to cross the street. After we crossed and were waiting for Louie and Scotch to catch up to us, Sinatra stared at the wall, his head down and his back to the barking dogs across the street.

Also, we encountered a man watering his lawn with a hose. Scotch wanted a drink from the hose and the man nicely obliged. Rou, who likes to swim, hates hoses…as did Sinatra. He lowered his head and backed away from the man with the hose. Sinatra and Rou were quite the pair – two tough looking dogs trying to get as far away as possible from the water hose. Meanwhile, Scotch was biting the water stream, drinking and having the time of her life.

When we got back to Bark Avenue, we had the lobby to ourselves. All of the dogs got a drink and we just hung out for a bit. Sinatra tried to mount Rou a few times, but each time I told him no and pulled him off. Rou, of course, didn’t react at all, nor did he move away or alter his body position. Sinatra stopped trying after about four or five attempts. He also contemplated approaching Scotch, who was lying down, completely relaxed and exhausted. Sinatra cautiously made a wide circle toward her, sniffed the nearest item, looked at her briefly, then sniffed again. He never closed the distance completely (they were probably about 2-3 feet apart). Scotch lifted her head, looked at him and kind of leaned to sniff, but never got up.

It was hot, hot, hot today – by far the hottest day of the year – at least 87. For the first time, I saw Sinatra’s tongue hanging out (as were Scotch and Rou’s). At one point toward the end of our walk, Rou stopped to pee and Sinatra found a piece of shade and lay down. It was so cute. As soon as I said, “let’s go,” he was up and moving, but he was tired. All three dogs were completely spent after the 25-30 minute walk. Sinatra didn’t even look back when they led him back to his run, which is unusual.

He hasn’t pooped for me on-leash yet, but he’s usually pooped within a few hours of us going for a walk. In due time, I keep reminding myself.

As Louie tells it, he likes this dog stuff “in moderation.” I love him for supporting me on this and joining me on our walks.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Day 2 - Saturday, May 22, 2010

Sinatra was fabulous again. He was definitely feeling a bit better. For the first time ever, he jumped up on me (he was really pumped to see me). Louie and I took him for a 25-minute walk or so (including Damen and Grand again, but new side streets). He did a little sniffing and exploring, which made me happy. And a few times he walked ahead of me.

Anyway, still no growling...and we pushed the envelope a bit more today, walking past a doggie daycare where a couple dogs bum-rushed the fence barking hard. NO reaction.

We passed a small child (probably about 2) banging a whiffle ball bat on the concrete. That totally unnerved him. He glued himself to my side, slowly approaching the situation (putting me between himself and the child with the bat), then quickly ran by the situation, never making eye contact. He then refused food for the next block.

On the way back, we passed the doggie daycare again. No dogs bum-rushed the fence, though there were dogs on the lot. He wanted to stop and gawk a smidge, but wasn't stiff and came with me on an upbeat “leave it.”

He sat for me (AND Louie) a few times outside today, but still won't at busy intersections. I was really proud of that.

He's starting to enjoy cheese, but not as much if I'm not around. Rick, one of Daniel's awesome staff members, has been watching him closely and has taken an interest in him. He said (thus far) Sinatra has not demonstrated reactivity toward any dogs, including walking along a fence with small dogs who are barking. He also said a few dogs at Bark Avenue have gone nuts barking at Sinatra and he didn’t even look in the direction. It will be interesting to see how things go dog to dog-wise. I don’t want to be naïve; there is still a lot of work to do with this adolescent boy.

He's incredibly attached to me, but REALLY liked Louie and even sought out affection from him, which doesn’t do to anyone but me when I’m around. When we were walking, he'd split the difference between me and Lou...and even sat for Lou too (again, which he’s not doing much of for anyone but me when I’m around).

As always, it was incredibly difficult to leave, but I know he's in good hands and Linda from Puppy Love/Love Cats was going to visit him this afternoon.

Lou and I are going to walk him again tomorrow…stay tuned.

Day 1 - Friday, May 21, 2010:

Day 1 – Friday, May 21, 2010:

I picked Sinatra up at A.C.C. today around 2:00 p.m. Charles brought him out for me (with a towel, as he was his usual urine-drenched self). Sinatra was ready to go. He could hardly wait for me to put the towel down on the passenger’s seat before jumping in my car. Once I got in, he curled up and put his head in my lap.

As far as the rest of the day, it couldn’t have been much better, though I recognize Sinatra not only started a new life today, but also was neutered just yesterday. So, I don’t expect today was typical. Anyway, we got to Bark Avenue and introduced him to everyone. I think he’s going to have a fan club. There were lots of dogs in the lobby (4-5) and he was pretty good (staring, but no growling). We hung out for about 30-45 minutes and then I went back to work. I returned to Bark Avenue around 5:30 and he was out on the lot, “playing” with one of the kennel attendants (it was more like hanging out, but…). Daniel brought him out to me and we worked a little bit of obedience, but mostly just had fun and played around (with other dogs coming in and out, walking though, etc.). He met a few more people (some of whom he was immediately comfortable with and some whom he took him a minute to warm up to), and then we went on a 20 to 25-minute walk, which included Damen and Grand (both very busy at rush hour), as well as some neighborhood side streets. The leash was NEVER taut (not even once), nor did he EVER place one foot or his head in front of me – and this is not the least bit of an exaggeration. It was the easiest walk I’ve ever taken with a dog. He peed immediately (as usual), but didn’t do any environmental sniffing (except for as noted ahead). His head was low, but his tail was in the middle (neither too high, nor tucked) and his gait was pretty comfortable and relaxed. He’d head check with me very occasionally, but not often. He was acutely aware of my body and movement (I stop, he’d stop; I turn, he’s right there too), but would not do any obedience on the street (and I did not push it) yet. On our walk, we encountered loud buses, an underpass (with passing traffic), people walking with grocery bags, bikes, runners - approaching from both the front and the rear, and a number of dogs (probably 5), mostly at a distance, but we passed one closely in the neighborhood (at a distance of approximately 4’-5’). We stood in the parkway grass, while the dog (a good size shepherd mix – bigger than Sinatra) and its owner passed in front of us on the sidewalk. Upon the dog’s approach, Sinatra started sniffing the ground all over (which he had done none of up to this point). He continued sniffing until the dog passed, then calmly watched the dog and owner walk away. He made no effort to go the dog, nor was there any hard staring. All the while, there were dogs on a balcony across the street barking at us and the passing dog (he didn’t notice any other dog on the walk, nor look for where the barking was coming from). As for the runners, the one that came up from behind startled him; he came in close to my leg when she passed, recovering as soon as she was a few feet ahead. He watched the bicycles carefully, but didn’t break his stride. He noted and was a bit uncomfortable with changes in terrain, like when a driveway slanted the sidewalk. I left Sinatra around 7:00 p.m., and he was headed to have some dinner. Louie and I are going to take him for a walk tomorrow. Hopefully, we’ll have another great day.

Again, I take all of this with a grain of salt, as I know it’s his first day out, his first walk outside of the A.C.C. lawn in almost a year…not to mention that he had surgery yesterday. As soon as his stitches come out, that boy is getting a bath.

I’m sure this is more than you needed to know, but thanks for letting me share our fabulous day.