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.