May 12, 2016 Thursday. I was busy and didn’t get Ty’s walk in until it was already thundering. Storms were moving in and it was a case of now or never. Had he asked me ahead of time, this could have been avoided, but alas…
So we walked. And thunder crashed all around us. He wasn’t too happy about it, but he completed his business and stayed close to me. Once on the porch, I made him wait for 2 to 3 minutes, just listening to the thunder. I brushed him out, laughing and proving we weren’t being chased inside by some silly old thunder. He didn’t share my thoughts and stayed glued to the door, surly hoping and praying it would just open already.
Inside, I fluffed his blankets and doled out the treats, pats and praise. He licked his lips a lot and wore that furred brow, worried look he gets. But at least he lay normal and not curled in a tight ball of trembling fear like he does. However, and this is big– he never bolted once while outside. So that is progress!
Impromtue Thunder shirt…my old t-shirt
May 14, 2016 Saturday. We went to a fundraiser for dogs, called Barq in the Parq. He did pretty good overall. New place, very hot, I got lost getting us there. There were rows of tents, live music wailing loudly, tons of kids, dogs, people and strollers. He was overwhelmed, which I anticipated. This was to pay a little into a fundraiser and see how he acted out of his normal environment. To push him some.
Tail tucked, not tight, just down with uncertainly. He sniffed everything, looking like a hairy bloodhound. He pretty much dragged me all over the place. He did wag his tail a few times at other dogs in passing. Kind like a doggie hand wave. He circled me endlessly with his leash. I really regretted not working on his leash training more. Seems I only say that when something unusual happens. Daily rituals, it just doesn’t seem important. Considering the heat and overwhelming sights/ sounds/ smells/ etc.. we left after about 30 minutes, before he hit his threshold limit. I wanted to end this adventure while he was still engaged with it.
May 22, 2016 Sunday. We went to the river today. It was crowded. We finally found a quiet place to stop. He was restless, to the point of being hyper. He even plowed through the water several times. (Inches deep) Normally he detests water and avoids it since his first wild abandon splash in the same river last year. His restless activity made it hard for me to relax and meditate
Bouncing around at the river. He’s got something on his mind. And wanting to share it.
At one point, a man came nearby and Ty placed himself between me and the man. He watched carefully. No aggression, but no friendliness either. He just plainly said he was protecting me. It was a good visit, despite his activity was like having a small child along.
May 24, 2016 Tuesday. A trip over to visit our friends again. Always a nester, (one who digs and paws to make a nest before lying down) he discovered the joys of borrowing the little dog’s beds to nest with. Like an oversized cat trying to fit into a too-small box. He also enjoys borrowing bones and chewies. He won’t touch them at home, but he is using theirs to figure out what to do with them.
If it fits, I sits.
I can’t get over how happy he looks, how animated he gets and how curious he can be when visiting our friends. He runs around like he owns the place. He is a normal, healthy dog. I love it! At home, just him and I, back to the cave. Period. No animation, no curiousity and no acting like he owns the place. Here, his sense of humor shines through. At home, I just passing glimpses of that humor. Ty is just Ty. There is no making since of his riddles.
Travels with Ty 
How is Tye when you take him to a friend’s home without a dog? Does he “own the place,” or is he reserved like at home? Might be that he is not secure yet with just people with no other dogs around. There are pheromone misters that may be used to calm dogs–make them feel more secure like mom-dog is there. Just a thought. I’ve been reading your blog from the first. You’ve made a lot of progress. You may not always realize the incremental changes, but they’re evident in your writing and photos. I do rescue collies, too. Some are easier than others, but in all of the ones I have adopted it takes at least a year before they realize that they’re in their forever home. Some take a little longer, others not so long.
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Hello, Ken. Thank you for following and commenting. Actually, I never take Ty to my non-dog owning friend’s houses. He adores the male (neutered) shih-tzu and it’s pretty mutual. The two female (spayed) chihuahua’s wish he’d just leave and he ignores them. When dog-owning and non-dog owning people come to the house, he stays in the cave, is cordial if they approach him but he’s okay to ignore them too. I was thinking of bringing the shih-tzu home with me for a few hours (just borrow him) to see how Ty is with him in HIS house. The cats might not like that test though, so I’m just kind of waiting.
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Hi there,
I was wondering, have you considered getting Ty his own dog? It may sound odd, but many fearful dogs benefit from living with a brave outgoing dog. They take their cue from the other dog, and if the other dog isn’t afraid, then maybe they shouldn’t be either…it’s just a thought, but since he does so well at your friend’s house, where there are other dogs, maybe a companion for Ty would help.
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Hello there. Actually, I have thought a lot about it. I might have mentioned Kip before. He had severe separation anxiety. He was very destructive, to himself and property. He only settled down once he bonded to a rabbit I adopted. Jade had free run of the house so they were inseparable and it worked great for me. I was hoping Ty would bond with one of the five cats already living in the house. Nope, that would be too easy and you can’t force this stuff. Another reason I took Ty to the fundraiser event earlier this summer was in the hopes he would meet the available dogs up for adoption and find a buddy. Next time maybe. When the time is right, he will find a friend we can adopt. There are always adoption events.
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