We're Fostering a Former Laboratory Beagle - Experimentation Hurts!

[MineralMan]

38. The Beagle Freedom Project

always places animals at first as fosters. Very smart of them. Right now, Allen isn't really adoptable. He needs some quiet therapy at a home where he can progress at whatever pace works for him. We don't mind giving him space as we work with him. Once he's closer to being a normal dog with normal dog behaviors, then he could be adopted by a family that might not have the time or patience to work with him. For example, he's not house trained. So we have pads down and, as soon as he's more used to things, we'll begin the process of house training him. Right now, he doesn't understand the concept of a leash and being led, so we can't really take him out just yet. He'll start with a short leash he can drag around to get used to. Then, as he gets more confident, we'll start taking the leash and walking him around the house. When he's OK with that, we'll carefully take him outdoors, where he'll no doubt be nervous, since he has no experience with that. Soon, he'll discover a world of smells, etc., including spots where our other dog has peed in the snow. That will stimulate him to do likewise.

It's not difficult, but it does take a bit of dog psychology to do, and not every family is ready for that kind of training interaction. So, we're part of his transition.

Still, it's likely that we'll want to keep him, and that's just fine with the organization. We have room and time. We both work at home, so we're here all the time and able to do the constant, easy training he'll need.

He can't be kennel trained, because he's lived his whole life in a kennel. That's enough of that. So, it's pee pads and stuff like that for a little while. No big deal. Right now, he doesn't even know how to drink from a bowl of water, so there's a drinking bottle for him. But, the water bowl is there, and our other dog is drinking out of it, right in front of him. He'll figure that out soon, I'm certain. The other dog is also sniffing and licking and wagging his tail frantically, so Allen is getting trained by a dog, too. The kitties don't really understand dog behavior, but they aren't afraid of dogs and walked right up to him the first day. He didn't really react to them, except to sniff noses with them, so he'll adapt to cats being around automatically.

It's interesting, to be sure.