After months of waiting...and studying...and learning...the time has finally arrived. I will be picking up Curley in less than 72 hours in Albany. What I have learned...the importance of calm assertive energy and exercise-discipline-affection...will finally be put into use and more important than I could have realized if this is really going to work.
Dolores called today to say that Curley's dental cleaning is tomorrow and he'll be ready to come home either Wednesday or Thursday. I'm hoping for Thursday because I'm off for 9 days as of 4:00 on Friday afternoon. But it will be a journey fraught with challenges. He has been fabulous with each new dog he's met since coming into rescue, but they've all been Cockers and his size. Over the weekend, she introduced him to a Springer Spaniel and he got really, really scared. She thinks it was because of his size, so is recommending we introduce him to Chica slowly. And if it doesn't work out with the two of them, we will have to return him to her.
I am counting on all I've learned from Cesar to help me make sure when Curley comes home, it's to stay. I will practice nose-eyes-ears when we meet. I will practice no touch, no talk, no eye contact when we meet. I will be calm, I will be assertive. I will take him for a structured walk around Grandma and Grandpa's house before we continue our journey home to Buffalo so we can begin building trust. And when we reach home, I will have Alex and Chica meet us outside where we will go for our first long pack walk before we introduce him to his new forever home.
Dolores advises he has not been introduced to a crate since coming into rescue, so she is not sure how he will do if that is something we choose to implement. He does not have accidents inside as long as he is taken out regularly and has been trained to go on wee-wee pads. If we go with the crate, we will introduce it slowly. It will be his decision to go in...perhaps with the help of some food bribes:)...and we will never close the door until he is calm and completely relaxed. We learned our lesson...a crate is supposed to be a haven, a place to feel safe and secure. It is not to be used as a time-out or means of enacting punishment or discipline. From day one, there can be no negative association with his home within a home.
Then...72 hours after he comes home...I'll be tossing Bailey into the mix! I'm sorry to say that Alex will not be able to be with me when I pick her up. NYS requires that the pups remain with their mother until they are exactly 8 weeks old, so our plan of welcoming her home together on Saturday when he is off is not meant to be. As she is driving to Syracuse that day to bring 4 of Bailey's brothers and sisters to their new families, she has offered to meet me before they head out, either bringing her to me or meeting me near a Thruway entrance. Don't tell Alex, but I'm kind of glad! I had no idea how I was going to wait alllllll day for him to get home from work! I'm still working out how I'm going to introduce her to Chica and Curley. I'd planned on leaving Bailey outside with Alex and coming in to get the older two, then setting off on a pack walk, but I think I'll have to introduce her to the apartment and dogs at the same time, then immediately set out on that walk.
Time to get my "Tssss" on!!! The kids are coming home!!!!
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