Mom who cares
Cheesehead from the Dairy State
- Joined
- May 2, 2004
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Herding Cats that is so wonderful! Little Romi certainly has stolen lots of hearts!
Yeah, MWC, I am pretty excited. He's outside now, before I run errands this morning, and outside with Gracie the Bodyguard. He's made some huge strides these last 24 hours...and I can't be more pleased. This is the start of potty training, and of integrating, back into the world he belongs to.
I just wish I could get him to eat treats. I put peanut butter out for Gracie, took a bite off my finger and offered the rest to Romi...he looked at me like I was crazy. Refused to touch it, even when I put some on his paw. Gracie licked his paw clean after it was clear Romi wasn't going to...LOL.
Well, we'll just keep on working away at it...I'm just so pleased with his progress and getting happy outside, you know?
YAY Little Romeo!
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I believe she is trying to teach him how to be a dog...including all the dog stuff we don't want (like jumping...LOL).
I'm so happy HC!!! I was really worried for him just 2 weeks ago. He's suddenly making such big strides & I'm just so, so happy!!
Right this very moment, Romi is roaming around the house. The gardeners are here, making a racket with the leaf-blower...so I brought Gracie and him inside. Gracie could care less about the gardeners - actually adores them - but little guy is still kinda scared of them (fine, very scared). But he's watching Gracie snooze, so he went and laid down, too...and seems to be handling this all very well.
Romeo really, really enjoys his outside time now. Such a huge change from the terrified beastie who was scared of the wind, sun, and grass on his feet...now, he'd rather be outside than in, until it's night. Then of course he wants to come in...but for the most part, he's outside now.
As for potty training, he's coming along well. I've had him on a schedule since 1/1, and he used the wee-wee pads once. All the rest of the time, he's gone outside, like a good boy.
And, YES!!! He now knows how to chew on bones. He takes Gracie's left overs (well, Gracie takes all the new ones, and leaves the old ones for him, rather...LOL...), and I watched him gnaw at one old strip of rawhide for hours last night. He was in absolute heaven. I've thought he was chewing them, but had not seen him until last night. I'm quite thrilled...he really is learning how to be a dog, and that is delightful.
As for leash-training, it's going slowly. He doesn't mind it trailing behind him wherever he goes, but does not understand how to walk with someone holding it. We've been practicing him walking and me just barely touching it with NO pressure all around the backyard, but he is not liking that too much...and he likes even less when I'm in front. We'll figure it out yet...something will click and he'll be just fine. I show him Gracie on a leash a lot, too. And he loves to sniff at Gracie when she comes in from "being out there". He'll figure it out, I'm sure.
And, what a great thing - they're both eating next to each other from their own dishes outside. This morning was the first time I tried that, but apparently, it's no real issue at all. Gracie eats, he eats...next to each other (about 4 feet away, but parallel, on either side of the den door).
And yes, he still gets sooooo excited when I come out to see them...running around in circles, tail wagging so fast it's a blur, Gracie jumping on him and him jumping on her...both jumping on me...yeah, it's pretty cool.
And I caught them snoozing together today - he was snugged up on her bum, and she was asleep and snoring. I couldn't tell if he was snoring, but he was indeed napping.
I'm very, very proud of this little fighter, this very brave little guy. Two months ago, he was in a lab in Spain...one month ago he was too scared to leave the hearth. Now, he likes nothing better than to roam the backyard, with his bodyguard Gracie. What a little fighter he is...what a great guy he is. I'm quite thrilled and proud.
Go, Little Romeo, GO ON with your big bad doggie self!!
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Beli, let me see what I can get together...I have found all my camera stuff, so it's just a matter of getting the photos taken.
Gimme a few days, and I'll do my best to get some shots. Deal?
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