Susie one week update

Yes, it’s been a week already. Susie has made great progress. That being said, she does still have a lot to learn. Below is a “snapshot” of her current behaviors. Fosters/rescues continue to change and evolve, often not showing us their true personalities for weeks or even months. Keeping that in mind…. Here is what we know. 

Housetraining – All I can say is WOW. No accidents. We have a small fenced area off our deck in the back of the house. I open the door and my dogs run out to the back yard and do their business. Susie just follows the pack. She has also gone potty on each of her leashed walks, but since the walks are still a work in progress, (more on that later) having a fenced yard (for now) sure would help her stay consistent.

Crate- Susie rests quietly in her crate all night. She also spends time in the crate when we are at work and has done well. Because of the bad weather recently, we have been home a lot more than normal, and Susie has had much more house freedom and finds she likes it. Now we need to negotiate to get her into the crate. I often have to put her on leash to bring her to the crate. Once inside she’s fine.

Leash- Susie has been on four successful leashed walks. She’s scared, but seems to have a grasp of what to do. All our walks, however have been “pack” walks with all three dogs. She does well when she lets her guard down, and just follows the others. I’m not sure how she would do on her own. We will give her a solo walk sometime soon, after a few more practice walks with the pack. Keep in mind that we live on a quiet country road. We have not met any other dogs on the way, and have not been passed by a big truck or other loud vehicle. Also, I need be honest, I think I may have caused myself an issue…… now that I have started using the leash to get her to her crate, I am having trouble getting her leashed for a walk. She’s not dumb. I’m sure she thinks she’s going to end up in the crate. Live and learn I guess.

Food/Eating- Susie is eating a grain free kibble twice each day and doing well. She has no guarding issues, and is always ready for meal time. She needs to gain a couple of pounds, and we are doing our best to help her in that department. Susie does not take treats from my hand, and is not particularly food motivated. She will not be lured to the crate or leash with food, which can be frustrating, but we’re figuring it out.

Socialization- What Susie is lacking in socialization in the people world, she makes up for in the canine world. She does extremely well with both my laid back, medium sized male, and my spirited small female. She seamlessly co-exists. She’s not particularly playful, but given all she has been through and the stress of having everything around her being completely new, I’m not surprised that playing is not a priority for her. But you can tell she loves being part of the pack. Socialization in the human world may take time. She has accepted my husband and me, and seems to enjoy having us around, but we have not had visitors, we have not gone for a car ride, etc etc etc. Time will tell. 

Personality – Susie is gentle, quiet, and smart. Currently very cautious and nervous. When the house is quiet and everything is still, she will let her guard down and will snuggle next to me on the sofa. When things get moving, like when Dad gets home from work, or we are making dinner etc, she does get a little anxious and will pace (but not hide). She has also found that if she stays in the living room and looks over the edge of the sofa, she can watch us working in the kitchen, from the safety of another room. (see pic) All this being said, I find that she is a very curious dog. If I go to the basement, I find her at the top of the steps when I come back up. She does the same if either of us leaves the room or go outside and back in. There she is, checking things out. Figuring things out. I also notice if there is a loud or new sound, she with startle, but then goes toward the noise to investigate. It appears this smart girl wants to learn, and wants to incorporate herself into her new world.

Coat/Size – I have not yet measured her, sorry. She is a nice medium size. She is exactly the same height as my Charlie, (a big Beagle/Schnauzer mix) but she is at least 10 lbs lighter. She has long legs and is nicely square, being equally tall to her length. Very much has the shape of a Standard Poodle in a smaller package. She has been shaved down, so not much to report on her coat. Her coat is a soft white with hints of apricot spotting. I’m hoping good food and less stress will produce a beautiful poodle coat with time.