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tomorrow is another day
Boomer is rocking the good life. We have had a bunch of visitors who love him up, short walks to expose him to the sights and sounds of the city, and some free time with our therapy dog Junebug. There are a couple of essentials when dealing with a dog as sick as Boomer...and in some ways these are good rules to apply to any rescue pup.
1. Don't over do it with the affection: Even though Boomer's condition is horrifying, we cannot baby him too much. Boomer still needs rules and discipline. Imagine a 65 lbs pittie pup who thinks climbing, jumping and head butting you is appropriate! Additionally, providing to much affection can bond Boomer to us in ways that we don't want like guarding us against other dogs, or people.
2. Make hand feeding a priority: Boomer was starved, no doubt about it. This could make him, and with good reason, obsessed with food and go into survival mode whenever food is in the picture. Hand feeding does a few things:
a). it shows Boomer that we are the provider of the "good smelling things", which continues to build trust.
b). it associates food with human hands, and can help prevent against future food possessiveness or guarding.
c). lastly, it takes him longer to eat which helps with "scarfing". When emaciated dogs scarf their food this can lead to vomiting.
3. Exposure. Exposure. Exposure: We don't yet know who Boomer is, but expect to bring out the best of his personality. We do this by exposing Boomer to as much as soon as possible without overwhelming him. Because we live in Manhattan there are many sights and sounds that he will need to be accustomed too (unless he lands one of those coveted homes in the country). So for now, Boomer must be one with fire trucks, police cars, skateboards, baby strollers, bikes, screaming children, barking dogs and screeching cars.
Small stints outside and creating rewarding experiences around things that might get him spooked, is one way of desensitizing him to these potentially scary things. So far...Boomer is the zen master.
For information on how to adopt Boomer, contact bullyambassador@gmail.com
a warm, safe place
Our latest visit to NYC's city shelter brought us Boomer. A dog left for dead. A dog no one loved. A dog, like so many others. Sick, starving, cold, wounded but with a will to live that will bring you to your knees...
For the 45 minutes we spend with Boomer at the shelter I follow his lead. Head up, calm, appropriate, preserving, cautious and surviving. But when we come home, and I really see Boomer...all I have left are tears. No pictures or words will ever tell the heartache of his story, so I won't try. Instead, I will share what happens next...his first tail wag, his first kiss, his funny awkward walk and his resilience.
this morning...
WELL, the lady got up this morning and took me right outside and there was all this cold, wet, white stuff, and i didn't like it. she was smiling so i leaned on her and she just kept saying, "get busy, buddy!". i don't know why she says that when we go outside.
THEN, the little one they call junebug came out and i followed her around. she did her business so i figured it was ok. we all went back in to the warm, dry place and i smelled that good stuff the lady gives me. so i waited as hard as i could. i sat down, but it hurts, so i stood up, and then i tried to sit down again and finally i gave up and stood up. it takes her a long time to put the smelling good stuff together - but i don't cry or complain because it seems like she's working really hard to make it right.
THERE is also a big guy who i like A LOT. he sits on the floor with me and talks to me a lot. i don't always know what he's saying, but i try to get really close to him so he knows i like him. he says soon i'll be able to, "meet millie, but i have to get better first." i don't know who millie is, but there is another really pretty black dog who hangs out with the one they call junebug. i think i'd like them a lot.
love,
boomer
For the 45 minutes we spend with Boomer at the shelter I follow his lead. Head up, calm, appropriate, preserving, cautious and surviving. But when we come home, and I really see Boomer...all I have left are tears. No pictures or words will ever tell the heartache of his story, so I won't try. Instead, I will share what happens next...his first tail wag, his first kiss, his funny awkward walk and his resilience.
this morning...
WELL, the lady got up this morning and took me right outside and there was all this cold, wet, white stuff, and i didn't like it. she was smiling so i leaned on her and she just kept saying, "get busy, buddy!". i don't know why she says that when we go outside.
THEN, the little one they call junebug came out and i followed her around. she did her business so i figured it was ok. we all went back in to the warm, dry place and i smelled that good stuff the lady gives me. so i waited as hard as i could. i sat down, but it hurts, so i stood up, and then i tried to sit down again and finally i gave up and stood up. it takes her a long time to put the smelling good stuff together - but i don't cry or complain because it seems like she's working really hard to make it right.
THERE is also a big guy who i like A LOT. he sits on the floor with me and talks to me a lot. i don't always know what he's saying, but i try to get really close to him so he knows i like him. he says soon i'll be able to, "meet millie, but i have to get better first." i don't know who millie is, but there is another really pretty black dog who hangs out with the one they call junebug. i think i'd like them a lot.
love,
boomer
something new
we are going to start writing a blog here soon...promise.
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