The other morning I noticed that the jasmine plant I had planted post Rosie had been dug up. Roots scattered all over the footpath.
! ! !
Since I didn't catch Freddie doing it, and there's no other culprit, I couldn't do anything other than replant it, hope it survives and put a little fence around it.
Now that Rosie is gone, the true Fred can shine through. He *does* dig - just not as big gaping moonscape holes as Rosie.
He also started going off his breakfast. Which is quite worrying. I had used Rosie's old food bowl to water the jasmine plant in the morning before work and forgot to put it back inside.
I wonder if Freddie spotted the bowl and remembered/wondered she has gone, and is getting a bit antsy.
He eventually eats everything, but he doesn't gulp it down like he used to =(
When we come home there's a lot more whining too. He's always been a quiet dog. Usually he'll open his mouth while he stretches and I think that activates his voice box. But when we used to come home you'd probably hear one whine from him and a few howls of protest or excitement (however you want to look at it) from Rosie.
Last night when I came home, there was a constant whine coming from the back of the house. *shakes head*
These little things are making me think that he must be getting pretty lonely at home when no one is around. He's only ever been alone for a few days in a row - when we first got him. Otherwise he's always had Rosie for company.
I have found that having one dog is much more relaxing. You can heap your attentions on the dog, and not worry about the other dog feeling left out, or making an effort to share your affection around.
Having one dog certainly works better for us. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work better for Fred.
I came home last night to see that he had done some landscape gardening.
The branch is one that was cut down a while ago that Hubby had never got around to removing. Here Freddie's dragged it inside the verandah so he can chew on it. I watched him circle it last night trying to decide on the best method of attack.
Poor boy. He's so excited to see us when we come home. I try to give him as much attention as I can, but I get the distinct feeling that giving him company during the day might be the best cure.
I'm not sure I'm ready for another dog again. But it's not all about us either. We need to take Fred's feelings into consideration, and the vibe I get from him is that he needs company. Spending the evening with us is super and all that, but we don't really give him that much stimuli. I think another dog for company would be best to keep him occupied and happy.
I think he is pretty used to living in a "pack".. Dogs usually don't do well alone.. Two dogs are extremely hard to care for.. Usually one does get neglected but you must consider the future too.. What if you plan to have kids? It's not going to be easy caring for two big dogs and a baby. *Food for thought here*
ReplyDeleteyeah i know
ReplyDeleteone of the important things abt getting another dog would be to make sure they do ok around kids. i've tested fred out (just general stuff that i read abt how dogs react to kid stuff like tail and fur pulling, widening of toes etc) and he's pretty docile.
i'm starting to think i might leave the radio on for him so he doesn't feel as lonely
hubby is going home earlier today so at least freddie won't stay at home alone as long. i'm looking around dog sites, but they only do so much. most of the time you really do need to see them in person to assess. and i'm still not 100% ready for another dog.
i'd kinda feel a bit like i'd betrayed rosie. i'm still checking dog sites to find her, but so far no luck. which means either she got adopted straight away, they're not spruiking her on the website, or she was put to sleep already =(
yes! my two dogs are very protective over my daughter.. when she was younger.. they would come and let us know that she's crying in her pen. we were quite thankful about it. now she pulls their tails to shake their "hands" *wince* but they're fine with it.. they would just runs away and stuff.
ReplyDeletepoor rosie.. but its really hard. you've tried your best.. and there's really nothing much you could do.. i think now you have ur hands full with fred.. good luck with him.. hopefully he will be ok.
thanks ann =)
ReplyDeleteHi Susanna
ReplyDeleteI have been so out of the loop on vox - I just read these last few posts - I am SO SORRY!!!! Yes, having dogs is a huge responsibility and an even bigger one when they have 'issues'. I know all about that right now.... I have Boogie on a training program and it's like a second fulltime job and i confess that I slacken off all the time... and when I do, he stops obeying and goes back to his old ways, does something he shouldn't do. And I know it's not his fault, it's mine for being inconsistent, but it's SO HARD to stay on top of everything.
When I used to foster dogs with medical issues I thought that was bad (every week - another vet visit) but behavioral issues are tougher. As you may know, my Boogie bites people when he is nervous. or feeling territorial... Now I don't know if it's safe to introduce him to anybody even if he is completely friendly and loving at home. He gets so tense around new people/dogs... he's unpredictable.
In reality taking care of a dog is so much work like taking care of a kid. But the difference between kids and dogs is that kids grow up and learn to think for themselves.... Dogs don't ever grow up and they will depend on us to lead them, forever! It's a big committment and I can understand your hubby's decision to get rid of Rosie though it's a sad one. I hope she finds a family that has the time for her.... this is a good thing for her. And it's good of you to want to find her a new home rather than euthanize her. It's not her fault for being naughty...
As for Freddie, give him a kiss and a backscratch for me. Dogs live in the moment and they adapt quickly if we don't make a big fuss over things. He's probably grieving for Rosie right now... VERY IMPORTANT - don't make a big fuss over this; don't feel sorry for him... (as hard as it will be not to)... try and treat every day like normal, take him on longer walks, give him things to do, bones to chew etc.
Boogie used to move things around or chew up cushions, rugs etc. when I left the apartment. As part of his training, we now put him in a crate before we go out. OMG - it is the BEST THING EVER. Seriously. I used to think it was inhumane to crate a dog, but the truth is, dogs LOVE having their own little private den or sanctuary. Dogs stress out when you leave them alone - which is why they destroy things - when they have a crate, they chill out. So this has been a win-win thing for Boogie and for me. Think about a crate for Fred - really!!!
Sorry about this long comment. Take care xxx
(p.s. Boogie's blog - http://boogiebt.wordpress.com)
Dear Lili,
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks so much for your lovely comment. It means a lot to me.
Yes I totally agree that owning a dog is like having children. Course the only difference is you can just send them outside to their dog house when they misbehave, as opposed to children............... ;)
I've been following Boogie's progress, and I can totally relate to it being stressful. Rosie used to be so dominant when we took her for walks. Whenever she saw another dog, she'd run off and back it into a corner. Once she and Fred (Coz fred followed rosie for everything) ran up to an old lady who was walking her three jack russells. The lady managed to pick up on her of dogs, but the other two - Rosie chased down the road and backed them into a fence =S
I had to run up and tell them off both soundly before putting them back on lead. Where I live it's pretty rural, and we weren't expecting anyone to come by, so I had let them off lead to give them a bit of a run. Since then, I'd always be terrified whenever we went on walks in case Rosie misbehaved.
Now that I only have Fred without a bad influence (rosie), walking has been *such* a pleasure. I actually LOOKED FORWARD to walking Fred whereas I used to go home and dread the ten fifteen minutes we needed to give him a bit of a walk. Like I said, with Rosie gone it feels like a breath of fresh air. Suddenly everything just feels so much easier....
Do you reckon Fred's grieving? He won't eat in the mornings. It's happened for most of this week now. He'll sit for his food and then wander off =S Last night hubby fed him, and Fred didn't eat for 2 hours! We didn't let him in until he had eaten, but yeah..........
I don't have time to discipline Fred atm, but from tomorrow morning (it's a long weekend), I'll make a point of taking his food away if he doesn't eat the minute the food is put in front of him. I don't know what's going on. He's never been off his food before unless Rosie was there growling at him =S
I got him 3 tennis balls last week which he has already chewed to bits. The branch that he took is whittled down to bare bones now, so that's good.
I am the same as you, I always thought crate training was cruel.
However, at home Fred always goes under the coffee table, so I wonder if that's his equivalent inside. If I'm in the study, he'll go under the table.
Hubby made him this huge dog house in the backyard, which has a fairly small opening, and I notice he always goes in there, so I guess that would be his outside crate? If so, it means I'm doing a kind've crate training even though I didn't really approve of it. How ironic. lol
Well hubby had come home early the other day and he said that Fred hadn't noticed him. From what he could tell Fred seemed pretty ok, chilling out, sniffing here, digging there, chewing a bit of bone etc.
We're going to have lots of visitors this weekend, so maybe that will cheer Fred up, and we'll be visiting my mother in law with her jack russell, so at least Fred will have a bit of company. =)
Hi Susanna
ReplyDeleteYeah it sounds like Rosie was a dominant dog... It's a good thing she didn't hurt the other dogs. I have been doing a lot of reading on Dog psychology and one theory would propose that Rosie chased those dogs off to protect you from them! In other words she probably thought that what she did was a GOOD THING. So, scolding her would have made no sense to her... she probably thought you were mad about something else, lol.
I have the same fears when walking Boogie... I keep expecting him to lunge at other dogs. Whenever a dog walks by, I can feel myself tensing up. A friend of mine said to me: "Boogie probably picks up on your fears which makes him even more anxious and defensive. You have to relax and take charge." Of course, easier said than done, though I am getting better now with leash training and getting him to sit for a treat (to distract him) when other dogs walk by.
I don't know for sure if Fred is grieving... but there has a been a change in your family structure, he has just lost a friend, no doubt this is unsettling for him.... When I first adopted Boogie he had no interest in eating for 2 weeks. I thought there was something wrong with him but I think he was just unsure about his new surroundings. Maybe eat something in front of Fred just before you feed him? Boogie is weird with drinking water. He doesn't drink enough water... he tends to only do so if I drink first in front of him. (???)
Sounds like he has taken to the doggie house as his crate! :) Crate-training might be a breeze for you! I've heard that some dogs cry and protest... maybe Fred will be easy to train. Next step would be putting him in the crate at night to sleep (with shut door), and when you go out and getting him used to this.
Anyway, good luck! Keep us posted :)
ah, no. freddie sleeps in our bedroom beside me every night. he woke me up this morning by farting =S
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness. chasing downs to protect me?! ha! i would never have thought of that.... she never seemed interested in us much, unless food was involved. she did the quickest sit i've ever seen for dinner.
yes, i remember watching dog whisperer and them talking abt dogs picking up vibes. when i walk fred i try my best to be confident and casual abt it. he's pretty good atm, and doesn't pull as hard when he spots something he wants to pee on. for a while he kept on turning up to look at me, and i'd always say encouragingly 'good dog'
yes that's a good idea. i was thinking last night i should eat a biscuit in front of him and put it in the bowl, so that he feels like i've eaten first since i'm dominant over him.