A Full Dog Day
The day started as all good days should--with a trip to the fields for Cabana to run and play with her friends.
After dropping Cabana off at home, I headed over to Buster/Seamus' house! Buster was our previous foster dog, and his new owner asked me to stop by and give a little lesson to her 7-year old twin girls. They love Buster but don't always know how to play with him in ways he likes. I did some research online, mostly using the Liam J. Perk website that I heard about through Martha's blog, as well as the ASPCA site. I put together some photos that show dogs in different postures, to help the girls recognize some cues that Buster is probably giving them. I'm sure it was mostly stuff that their parents had already told them, but sometimes, it has more meaning when it's coming from someone else.
It was so great to see Buster, and he definitely still remembered me. He looked great, his fur was glossy, and he seemed very settled and happy. I told his owners again that I was more than willing to dog sit anytime they needed me.
After that, I drove over to the embroidery place and picked up these sample sew-outs. I think the lab design came out fabulously, and I'm really excited about the polos and hats for Fun Day.
Then, finally with the 10-day quarantine period over for Francie, I drove over to the shelter and brought her home to start her foster period at our house. So far, things are going okay. I wish I could say that Cabana and Francie adore each other, but that's just not the case. I have a hard time understanding Francie's body language, but I think she's being a combination of pushy and playful. Cabana just ignores her or stays very still while Francie makes sudden jerky movements. Mostly, I've been keeping Francie on tie-down or in her crate, while allowing Cabana total freedom. I want Francie to know that this is Cabana's house and that we will decide the rules on what Francie can do and not do. She'd easily take over the place if we gave her an inch. My husband described Francie well, saying that she's a mixture of very sweet with slightly crazy.
Phew, I'm exhausted! Is it time for bed yet?
I am sure Francine and Cabana will grow to appreciate each other
Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com
Francine will appreciate the rules at your house because it will prepare her for her forever home. I like that you used photos to train the kids about dog body language. I know how foolish I was about dogs as a kid. Heck, most grown-ups don't even know how to read a dog.
Mango Momma
Wow! What a full day! Hopefully the Francine/Cabana bond will grow more after they've had a few walks. I won't lie and say Nugget (or 8 year old lab mix) adores Addie or even likes her (despite how much Addie adores her) but I did notice the tolerance definitely increased with more structured walks together.
I think you're doing the right thing. Cabana will teach Francine what is appropriate via the tie-down. If Francine is being a brat, she gets ignored. If she is being calm, she gets attention. Give Cabana some time to warm up-- they may end up loving each other in the end. With some dog combos it can take weeks.
PS- Francine is mostly boxer, right? That's what I'm seeing when I look at her . . .
Francie is an American pit bull, but if I do a Google image search on American bulldog, there are dogs that look just like her, so that's what I think she really is.