Straydog UPDATE posted THURSDAY 2/27/03 at ~8:47 p.m. CT

Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27 2003

New Arrival Jesse (formerly known as Bear) is getting along okay

      As most of you know by now, big Pup Jesse is one of the "Four Tenison Golf Course stray dogs." who has been rescued and is now in our care. We brought him home from our clinic yesterday, and he is adjusting okay to his new life as a "captured/rescued" pup in his kennel.

      Yesterday all of us went into Jesse's kennel to spend time with him, talking quietly so he could get to know us and see that we all are his friends. He stayed hidden in his shelter, peering out at everyone but not venturing out to let anyone pet him.

      By 6:30 last evening he had warmed up to me enough to take a dog treat out of my hand, and I was thrilled! (It doesn't take much to make us happy around here!)

Jesse settles in

      We get an early start on feeding the dogs in the morning, and the first meal of the day is served at 6:00 a.m., in the early morning darkness. Jesse was sitting in his shelter doorway watching me as I came into his kennel with flashlight in one hand and his bowl of food in the other. I set his bowl close beside his doorway and told the fellow I'd be back to see him later when it was light enough to see well.

Jesse didn't shy away from me!

      Around 9:00 I went to visit Jesse again. He was sitting in his favorite corner of his kennel yard watching his neighbor dogs, Mommy, Bobby and Briar, play with each other. When I walked into Jesse's kennel, he looked up at me, and I was really surprised that he didn't make any move to run and hide in his shelter as he had done all day yesterday when we went to visit him.

      Jesse just sat and waited for me to come to him, but he had the look on his face that let me know he'd be taking off in another direction in a split second if I moved too fast. So as to not frighten Jesse, I sat down a little distance away from him and kept on with the soft baby talking as I kept scooching closer and closer to him, and I was practically in a prone position on the ground to keep from frightening him. When I was close enough to touch Jess, I reached out my hand and petted his shoulder! He made no move to get away, so I stayed beside Jesse petting him for about 15 minutes, taking my hand away occasionally to give him the chance to move away, if he wanted to, but he just sat and let me pet him. This was a real beginning!

Pat offers Jesse a "cookie" (a dog buscuit) as she tries to befriend the frightened former stray.

Pat finally pets the only rescued one of the Tenison Golf Course Strays inside his new kennel.

 

Jesse says "No!" to a puppy-dog companion

      We thought that a puppy-dog companion might be good for Jesse to help with socializing him with other dogs, but when we brought Brigitte, who is just about Jesse's age, to see him, Jesse immediately snarled his disapproval of her, so we took her back to her kennel right away. We'll wait a week or two, and then try again.

      We're all just happy that Jesse is here, and we're all trying to make him feel wanted and loved.

      The plans are in the making for the "sweep capture" of the remaining three dogs, and when they are caught/rescued, they too will be coming to our Happy Home for Strays.