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So happy to read about Romi's adventures -- he is such a brave boy! Hooray for Gracie, too. Sounds like she knows exactly what kind of encouragement Romi needs. Who ever said dogs are not intelligent, sentient beings?

Thank you continuing to share Romi's adventures with us! It's heartwarming and truly fascinating to be a part of this sweet creature's "rebirth".
 
Poor guy. He's having a rough, rough day, and I don't know quite what's happened.

He has been edgy all day. Started with this morning, when he went outside...paced, paced, paced. Settled down a bit when I went out and did some work and also just spent time with the dogs, but still, he was...edgy.

Barked a whole lot more than usual today, too. And flinched when he didn't realize I had come up on him and Gracie from behind...flinched and jumped.

Got very upset with me today, too. Nothing nasty, just...upset. Didn't really relax with me, and got 'mad' when I brought him in just now. No growling, no overt anger, but definitely a tense pup tonight.

And he's pacing the house. Usually, he'll bolt from the back den to his spot on the hearth, curl up there, and not leave it. But tonight, he has been pacing and pacing; very unusual for him. He took his bone from me, but walked around for 10 minutes with it in his mouth, and then dropped it when he saw me coming (I was heading into the kitchen, and we 'passed' each other...and I swear he threw the bone at my feet).

Gracie, OTOH, is being great. She's gone and checked on him a few times, but is settled down with *her* bone, happy as always.

The fire in the fireplace was quite large earlier, but now is fine. I've moved his blue snuggly onto the floor by the hearth, and he's settled down on it all right. He does NOT like the fire in the fireplace (Gracie could care less), but has not had this sort of anxiety reaction about it before.

I've checked him over for owies, distended belly, something caught in toe-pads, everything I could think of. But he's apparently fine physically...

Maybe he's just having flashbacks. I've heard that happens, so maybe that's it. And there is supposed to be a storm coming tomorrow, so maybe he's sensing the change (it's supposed to be rainy and quite windy). I know my horses both sense weather changes and Tango can react very strongly to a bad storm, even before we know it's bad. So maybe that's it. Gracie doesn't react to the 'storms' we get, so...she's no help.

Poor baby. He's obviously very distressed about something...and I don't know what it is. We'll see what happens over the next few hours...I'm just gonna watch him for a while. He has settled onto his snuggly, and his bone is by his side...but he's still really tense.

Gracie is pretending to be a rug at the moment, with teeth, and eating her bone happily.

I hate when something's wrong with one of my critters and I can't fix it.

Best-
Herding Cats
 
Herding Cats said:
Poor guy. He's having a rough, rough day, and I don't know quite what's happened.

He has been edgy all day. Started with this morning, when he went outside...paced, paced, paced. Settled down a bit when I went out and did some work and also just spent time with the dogs, but still, he was...edgy.

Barked a whole lot more than usual today, too. And flinched when he didn't realize I had come up on him and Gracie from behind...flinched and jumped.

Got very upset with me today, too. Nothing nasty, just...upset. Didn't really relax with me, and got 'mad' when I brought him in just now. No growling, no overt anger, but definitely a tense pup tonight.

And he's pacing the house. Usually, he'll bolt from the back den to his spot on the hearth, curl up there, and not leave it. But tonight, he has been pacing and pacing; very unusual for him. He took his bone from me, but walked around for 10 minutes with it in his mouth, and then dropped it when he saw me coming (I was heading into the kitchen, and we 'passed' each other...and I swear he threw the bone at my feet).

Gracie, OTOH, is being great. She's gone and checked on him a few times, but is settled down with *her* bone, happy as always.

The fire in the fireplace was quite large earlier, but now is fine. I've moved his blue snuggly onto the floor by the hearth, and he's settled down on it all right. He does NOT like the fire in the fireplace (Gracie could care less), but has not had this sort of anxiety reaction about it before.

I've checked him over for owies, distended belly, something caught in toe-pads, everything I could think of. But he's apparently fine physically...

Maybe he's just having flashbacks. I've heard that happens, so maybe that's it. And there is supposed to be a storm coming tomorrow, so maybe he's sensing the change (it's supposed to be rainy and quite windy). I know my horses both sense weather changes and Tango can react very strongly to a bad storm, even before we know it's bad. So maybe that's it. Gracie doesn't react to the 'storms' we get, so...she's no help.

Poor baby. He's obviously very distressed about something...and I don't know what it is. We'll see what happens over the next few hours...I'm just gonna watch him for a while. He has settled onto his snuggly, and his bone is by his side...but he's still really tense.

Gracie is pretending to be a rug at the moment, with teeth, and eating her bone happily.

I hate when something's wrong with one of my critters and I can't fix it.

Best-
Herding Cats
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See how he is in the morning and start questioning Simon.
 
Hmm... could be the impending storm, could be the fire, could be flashbacks. My suggestion is to just stay calm and do what you would normally do. You and Gracie are his center... just be yourselves and he will find his way back to his "normal" behavior. Something must have set him off-- it could be anything. But he will come back around. My late husband was a Native American Traditional Healer. He used to say that the greatest medicine of all is Love, and when you combine Love with Kindness, Caring and Sharing you can heal just about any mental "dis-ease". He will be okay, just be loving and patient.
 
It's the moon phase combined with change in weather (my answer to everything, lol.). Remember- he came from a very climate controlled environment. He'll probably be antsy a few or six times a year for his entire life. It may diminish over time, but he sounds exactly like one of mine.
It used to worry and sadden me also, but now I know to- avoid confrontation, and allow access to a safe place- and then ignore. If you try to soothe, it gets translated as positive reinforcement. As hard as it can be to ignore- I would ignore, and restrict toys/treats/etc that might cause reflex possession issues. They tend to ignite things with their 'pack' (in your case- you and Gracie.)
My very humble opinion, of course!

Hugs to you and your little Romi. Hang in there, he will be ok!
 
I asked Simon what happened, and he just told me "nothing." LOL.

Penelope, you're right...love is the best medicine, and time, too. So he's gettin' his lovies and given all the time in his life to recover.

Oriah, thanks so much. I don't comfort the anxiety - I learned that with my horses; if you calm them, they don't learn what is good and bad or how to calm themselves and assess if it's good/bad...they just do the anxiety thing because they believe that it's something they should be doing, and get rewarded for (petting, snuggling, et cetera). So I don't tend to reward/confirm anxiety...and I try to ignore it for the most part. And go on about our routines.

It's just that it went on all day, and all night. He is still a bit edgy this morning, but nothing like yesterday. We did have a storm cell pass through early this morning (complete with thunder), and we are expecting heavier activity today.

And Oriah, I hadn't thought about him living in a controlled climate all his life. OF COURSE! He is learning what weather is...and probably quite attuned to the littlest changes in his environment. Gracie came from MO, and had been through 2 tornado events by the time I got her, and had lived outside a lot, too, so she doesn't react to the "storms" we get down in So CA...lol, they're nothing like real storms...and, she's a really calm pup any way. So maybe it's a combination of things.

He seems to be much better this morning, like I said. He's a bit edgy still, but willing to go outside, and eat his breakfast. Once the rain comes, we will institute "rain day rules", and they will come inside. Right now, Gracie is rolling around on her back, and Romi is jumping on her...playing and being normal.

We will see how the day goes...

I just hate it when I can't 'fix' it...when I know something's bothering a critter, and there's nothing I can do about it. Welladay, we will see how it goes. Some patience and routines are called for from me, and I can give those.

Best-
Herding Cats
 
Herding Cats said:
I asked Simon what happened, and he just told me "nothing." LOL.

Penelope, you're right...love is the best medicine, and time, too. So he's gettin' his lovies and given all the time in his life to recover.

Oriah, thanks so much. I don't comfort the anxiety - I learned that with my horses; if you calm them, they don't learn what is good and bad or how to calm themselves and assess if it's good/bad...they just do the anxiety thing because they believe that it's something they should be doing, and get rewarded for (petting, snuggling, et cetera). So I don't tend to reward/confirm anxiety...and I try to ignore it for the most part. And go on about our routines.

It's just that it went on all day, and all night. He is still a bit edgy this morning, but nothing like yesterday. We did have a storm cell pass through early this morning (complete with thunder), and we are expecting heavier activity today.

And Oriah, I hadn't thought about him living in a controlled climate all his life. OF COURSE! He is learning what weather is...and probably quite attuned to the littlest changes in his environment. Gracie came from MO, and had been through 2 tornado events by the time I got her, and had lived outside a lot, too, so she doesn't react to the "storms" we get down in So CA...lol, they're nothing like real storms...and, she's a really calm pup any way. So maybe it's a combination of things.

He seems to be much better this morning, like I said. He's a bit edgy still, but willing to go outside, and eat his breakfast. Once the rain comes, we will institute "rain day rules", and they will come inside. Right now, Gracie is rolling around on her back, and Romi is jumping on her...playing and being normal.

We will see how the day goes...

I just hate it when I can't 'fix' it...when I know something's bothering a critter, and there's nothing I can do about it. Welladay, we will see how it goes. Some patience and routines are called for from me, and I can give those.

Best-
Herding Cats
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BBM

:rolleyes: Ya don't say. :tsktsk:
 
My late husband always knew when a storm was coming, especially one when the Thunder Beings (Thunder and Lightning) would visit. He would get sweaty and would not feel good -- his bones would ache (sp?). You guys are right -- maybe Romi is like that -- very attune to the weather and barometric changes.
 
I believe you and I are long lost relatives. lol
 
Well, he's doing much better tonight. It rained a bit today, and it was gardener's day, so both Grace and Romi were in from about noon until 5...and we all took a nap together.

He is still a bit more anxious than he's been, but then...it's far better than yesterday/last night. He's not pacing, has been chewing his bone for the last hour, and seems to have shaken whatever was bugging him yesterday.

Maybe the inside time helped, maybe he just relaxed, maybe it was the storm (which has passed now), maybe it was a hair up his fannie. Who knows...but I'm glad he's settled back down...he's such a dear one.

I will be having a lot of tree work done Friday/Sat, stuff I simply cannot do myself. I'll bring both pups inside for that, because it will be rather scary; they're bringing in a bucket truck and hovering the bucket over the back yard...not something any animal would feel good about, and especially not Romi. So they'll both be inside when this is going on...

I just got really worried about him last night...but he's doing much better now, and I am glad.

Just thought I'd let you all know...

Best-
Herding Cats
 
I mentioned this back a few pages ago, but if thunder continues to be a problem for Romi, I highly recommend the "thunder shirt". It is a little pricey (about $35-40), but the calming effect it has on my sensitive dog is just amazing. He loves his shirt and would gladly wear it all day and night (not so much any other garments we've ever tried on him). We use it now for separation anxiety, not just thunder. If you are talented, you could probably sew one yourself. You just need a lightweight fabric with lots of velcro to be able to pull it tight around their middle.
 
Limacola, thanks. I don't think we had too much thunder, and there was a lot of anxiety before the storm even came...so I'm not sure it's thunder or even the storm. But it's worth looking into! Thanks for the reminder.

As of this morning, all is well in Romi's world. He had a good night, and at last look, he was playing rough and tumble with Grace...so it looks like whatever it was has passed, which is a good thing.

I wish I knew what it was, so I could "fix" it or at least try, you know? I'll probably never know...but I will always keep trying to fix it.

Best-
Herding Cats
 
Herding Cats said:
Limacola, thanks. I don't think we had too much thunder, and there was a lot of anxiety before the storm even came...so I'm not sure it's thunder or even the storm. But it's worth looking into! Thanks for the reminder.

As of this morning, all is well in Romi's world. He had a good night, and at last look, he was playing rough and tumble with Grace...so it looks like whatever it was has passed, which is a good thing.

I wish I knew what it was, so I could "fix" it or at least try, you know? I'll probably never know...but I will always keep trying to fix it.

Best-
Herding Cats
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So I take it you're just gonna take Simon at his word? :what: :tsktsk:
 
I took Romi for a car ride today...and he did better and was more relaxed than the first time. Still, he's uncomfortable, and even with Gracie there, he was pretty tense.

I left him in the car while I went into the pet store with Gracie, who got attached to a handcart so I could buy the 50 pound bag of kibble, some cases of cat and dog food, and 28 pounds of litter. She never batted an eye. LOL. I'm thinking of getting a handcart to use around here for her carting/drafting training's first stages.

And Romi sat in the driver's seat the whole time we were in the store. He was able to see me and Gracie go in, and watched the door the whole time, and then was so excited when we came back out.

And then he wouldn't move from the driver's seat...tried to sit next to me on the drive home. Between the bucket seat style, the console, and the size of my hips, it wasn't quite conducive to actual driving, so I moved him over, and Gracie stood over him the whole way.

He was decidedly NOT interested in hanging out in the front yard, so we only spent a few minutes so he could do some leash acclimatization work. Then, once we got past the car in the drive, he went running into "his" yard, and has been hanging out ever since.

I think this is going to be the way to get him used to the outside...give him car rides with Gracie, and spend time in the front. He doesn't pull, exactly, but what he does is freeze...and thus the pull happens. Pretty passive v. aggressive, so we'll work with that, and see where that takes us.

Just thought I'd update you all. He's a dear boy indeed, and is trying his best to figure out what I want, and how he can do it...he's learning to trust and that will take a long while for him. But he's doing his best, and I couldn't be more proud.

Best-
Herding Cats
 
Herding Cats said:
I took Romi for a car ride today...and he did better and was more relaxed than the first time. Still, he's uncomfortable, and even with Gracie there, he was pretty tense.

I left him in the car while I went into the pet store with Gracie, who got attached to a handcart so I could buy the 50 pound bag of kibble, some cases of cat and dog food, and 28 pounds of litter. She never batted an eye. LOL. I'm thinking of getting a handcart to use around here for her carting/drafting training's first stages.

And Romi sat in the driver's seat the whole time we were in the store. He was able to see me and Gracie go in, and watched the door the whole time, and then was so excited when we came back out.

And then he wouldn't move from the driver's seat...tried to sit next to me on the drive home. Between the bucket seat style, the console, and the size of my hips, it wasn't quite conducive to actual driving, so I moved him over, and Gracie stood over him the whole way.

He was decidedly NOT interested in hanging out in the front yard, so we only spent a few minutes so he could do some leash acclimatization work. Then, once we got past the car in the drive, he went running into "his" yard, and has been hanging out ever since.

I think this is going to be the way to get him used to the outside...give him car rides with Gracie, and spend time in the front. He doesn't pull, exactly, but what he does is freeze...and thus the pull happens. Pretty passive v. aggressive, so we'll work with that, and see where that takes us.

Just thought I'd update you all. He's a dear boy indeed, and is trying his best to figure out what I want, and how he can do it...he's learning to trust and that will take a long while for him. But he's doing his best, and I couldn't be more proud.

Best-
Herding Cats
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BBM

Did you see if there was a driver's license amongst his papers from Italy? :giggle:
 
LOL, no, but it is a photo passport...and he may have political asylum. Doesn't matter too much, because he can't reach the pedals. I honestly think he just wanted to be held a bit, which is a relatively new occurance...he loves being held. Won't climb into my lap at home, but will outside sometimes, and thinks it's wonderful to just be hugged on and loved on.

I cleaned his ears tonight, and he did really well with that. Tolerated it, and seemed even a bit happy to get that gunk out...not too partial to full body grooming, but he had some sap on his coat, so I got him brushed down and his ears clean at the same time.

He's a dear one...even when he doesn't like something, he shows no inclination to protest in a mean way. He will give you that reproachful look, but will tolerate it. Unlike Gracie, who, when she's had enough grooming, will pretend to be a worm, and wiggle and squirm and twist away...I am glad he's not learning everything Gracie does. LOL.

Best-
Herding Cats
 
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Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

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