April 27, 2003 (Day 8)

Now for some humor..... Karen tried to give Gunny, Tyler, and Sara some cheese (the medicine for Tyler and Gunny is in the cheese), and they were not impressed. Tyler and Sara wouldn't take it from Karen's hand like usual, and only reluctantly after it was set in front of them would Tyler and Gunny bother to eat their "treat". Sara flatly refused. A bit concerned, Karen offered another piece of cheese to two more rescues also in our program, and one refused... the other one ate it very slowly. When Karen tried to give some of it to our own dogs, one of them spit it out. The problem, you may wonder??? Karen bought low fat cheese by mistake. Talk about picky critters! But it does show something important: Tyler, Gunny and Sara have figured out that they won't starve if they don't like something, because they will still be fed. This is good.

The pups are proving to be rather amusing at times. Karen went to clean up their kennel run, and Tyler decided he wanted some water. He carefully tried to sneak around Karen so he wouldn't be seen.... when she noticed him, he scurried off to his corner, with a silly smile on his face the whole way.

Tyler and Gunny seem like their kennel cough is getting much better, and they also look like they've grown some already! Gunny was smaller than Sara when he got here, and he's getting near her size now. It must be the high-quality dog food they are getting. It might be the first time they've really gotten the proper nutrition on a regular basis.

April 28, 2003 (Day 9)

Tyler and Sara are making major improvements, with smiles and tail wags right up until the point when we enter the kennel run. Then they run to the back corner and sit, not shaking in fear like before, but still obviously with caution and uncertainty. We can pet them, and they will laugh.... the look on their faces says it all. Poor Gunny still won't make eye contact, and hides as much as possible. We did have to give him medication by an oral paste this evening and to his credit, he didn't try to bite at all. Oh, he was displeased... but he didn't put up a fight and really, he was pretty good about it.

Watching Sara this evening, we couldn't help but notice how beautiful she is. All of them are! Tyler's coat looks so much better, although he needs a bath badly. In fact, so do Sara and Gunny. If you are wondering why we haven't done that yet, it is because these are feral dogs. A bath can come when we have more of their trust, but for now, we need to let them know they are safe. Remember McGregor/Maslow and the hierarchy of need? Yep, all that stuff we learned in college actually has a place in real life! If they don't believe their basic needs are being met, nothing else will matter. That is what rescue on this scale seeks to do..... reinforce the foundation of their basic needs, and then build on it. It means routine, routine, routine..... on a predictable, timed schedule.

April 29, 2003 (Day 10)

The problem with rehabilitation on this scale is that a great reference source to a technique which works all of the time simply does not exist. Thus we are forced to be innovative, and sometimes we take a chance. Today was such a time.

Day in, day out... we have been following the same routine. To a very real extent, this is the right thing to do. But it becomes necessary to take yet another step; to shake things up a little bit; in order to take an even greater leap forward. The dogs (except for Gunny) seem to take well to petting, although they won't initiate contact themselves. So I decided to try and teach them that more than just a pat on the head is there for the asking. Karen & I have switched to "touch therapy" with Tyler and Sara. For now, we've decided not to push Gunny.

By the end of the first session, Tyler was stretched out on the kennel floor, with his paws up on my lap. He didn't mind at all.... I could even play with his feet and he'd grin. Sara had a quizzical look on her face after she was hugged, but she didn't struggle to get away, either. As a baby needs contact with its mother to gain security, we are hoping this same philosophy will translate into a way to reach these rescues. It'll take time..... lots of it.

April 30, 2003 (Day 11)

Not every day will show progress...... this touch therapy routine is new to the dogs and they are adjusting at the moment. Hopefully there will be news later.....

May 1, 2003 (Day 12)

Tyler and Sara are eating up the attention, although they still will not initiate it. Looking in their eyes, there is a little flicker of hope shining deep within. Gunny is not without this hope too, even though he tries very hard to pretend he doesn't care. But pet the others, and his head turns just enough to watch you with a look that says "Hey, don't forget me". We have such a long way to go yet.....

May 2, 2003 (Day 13)

Who says 13 is an unlucky number? Tyler gave Karen a little kiss!!!!! And he did it without any encouragement from the other dogs or us!!!!

May 3, 2003 (Day 14)

Today we started touch therapy with Gunny. Sara and Tyler are doing ok with it, although they don't want to initiate contact on their own. But since Gunny has always sort of hidden in a corner. Gently placing him in my lap, the poor dear wasn't sure what to think. But after a few minutes, he relaxed.... and fell asleep.

WEEK 2 (Summary)

Two weeks have passed, and in many ways, Sara, Tyler, and Gunny seem like they have come a long way towards becoming sweet, loving, sharing Samoyeds. Yet there is so much more that needs to change before they can venture forward into the World and homes of their own. From nearly untouchable when they first arrived, to mostly shy but not fearing contact today, it is only a matter of time.

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