The progress we're seeing in terms of E's confidence and happiness is accelerating. Now that he really trusts us, the "real him" is coming out. To my surprise and delight last night, he grabbed a tennis ball and started tossing it and pouncing on it. Then, he turned to a "dog blanket" we use, and started to chew on its fringe. I didn't correct him since I didn't want to shut this down, but I quietly got up and went to our rags and cut off a 2" strip of a rag. I tied a knot in the middle, and brought it back to him and introduced it in a playful manner. He got the idea, and carried it around a bit.
He's seeking out contact, affection and interaction frequently now. This dog is bonding to us strongly. He needs to find his "forever home" soon!
I've rescued a lot of dogs over the years, and I consistently see the same pattern, that it takes about 3 weeks for a dog to exhale and feel safe in a new place. We're at 2 1/2 weeks right now. We're seeing him "come out" and he's bright, intelligent, and sweet.
Our Japanese houseguest is no longer scary to him, though he does not seek out contact with her. If she tries to approach him, he just moves away. She has never done the "routine" with him that we advise at this stage-- sitting on the ground, having some treats for him. But even without that, he came and stood next to her at the breakfast table this morning, ears up, listening to the conversation, not afraid. He just doesn't trust her enough to let her approach him.
He's up on Craiglist now, and I wanted to take videos of him but cannot find our digital camcorder (did it ever get unpacked after our move?).
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