Today I went back to see Tango. He was lying down in his cage, with his front legs tucked in again. When I walked by the door, he recognized me and looked up right away. He even maintained eye contact with me as I opened the door to the building and went inside. He backed away when I went up to the cage, though. So I said "okay, i'll be back for you. Let me get someone to let you out" and I left to go find someone. Even after I left, though, he was still alert and looked around at me/for me quizzically. (good sign!)
Tango was so afraid of the handler that I found that he urinated himself when his cage was opened to let him out. He actually wouldn't come out with the handler around, but he came out just fine when it was just me. He understand "come", but it's not every time that I can get his attention. I still cannot get over how calm this dog is, though he does get freaked out by sudden sounds/movements. He went over to play with other dogs, but even when the other dog tried to attack him (growling -> neck bite) he held his composure. Good dog.
Today, I tried to get him to climb up on a rock, just for shits and giggles. But he made it half way up, then wouldn't come down! So we was just posted up with his front legs on the rock looking way out at everything, but refused to budge. So I freaked him out by JUMPING onto the rock, which obviously freaked him out. Then he wouldn't move from his new spot! I actually got him to come to me, though, with gentle tension on the leash as I said come. TRUST!
Sadly, even though there is so much progress with Tango, I'm not sure if I'll be able to adopt him. My parents have made it a very big deal about having a dog, even though I told them that I HAVE to train the dog now in order for me to live a productive lifestyle in Grad school. But they say not under their house, and they are not dog people. I brought up how my dad bought our first dog for us, and how he himself introduced us to dogs. He said it was a mistake and that the rules have changed. They're not willing to sacrifice a bit of their lifestyle even for 6 days, let alone 6 months.
If I wait the 6 months, Tango may be adopted by someone else, or possibly be euthanized. (It was ironic they called it the "euth" list) Not only that, I'll have to wait to train the dog in college, where I'll be hard pressed for time and unable to properly supervise him in the beginning stages. If I get the dog now, I'll have to move out.
Edit: If I get the dog now, I'll "ruin the relationship with my parents"
Thursday, January 6, 2011
My doggie experience!
For the longest time, I have wanted to get a dog to fill the gaping hole in my life, really ever since I stopped taking care of Lexi, Tommy's Siberian Husky puppy. I went onto the internets and found the website for an animal shelter here in vegas, and I found two that were really what I was looking for! They were both older (less freakin' out) and furry (in case I move somewhere cold).
Today, I figured I would go and meet the dogs, just to get to know their personality. The adoption center has like, 22 buildings of dogs! Each building has maybe, 15 cells? That is a lot of doggies! To help me search for the dog, I'm supposed to copy down their ID number. I wrote them down, but then forgot them at home!! Luckily the nice employees there helped me look up Tango and Akamaru, the doggies I was looking for. I found Tango first, and he's a ~2yr old border collie male, with all three colors! (yes!) But he took little liking to me, and didn't even rise up to greet me. He just sat there, and stared at the reflection of the dog in the next cell barking. (I knew this because I stuck my head in front of his head and followed his gaze)
When I found that out, I went and put my hands in the way of his line of sight to the other dog. FINALLY he looks at me, like, "woah! I was so lost in that other dog. Now I can stop staring at him and hide in the corner" and then withdraws a little bit from the edge of the cage and tucks his front legs in.
Akamaru is a 3yr old white welsh-corgi (mix) female. When I got to her cage, she was shivering, and she seemed to spasm a little more every time a dog barked. She did come up to the edge of the cage and see what I was all about though. I took her out to play and she was ALL OVER THE PLACE! But she did obey me a little, and she totally responded to her name and some commands like sit and come. =) She does NOT know how to play catch though. I'm kind of not too into the body shape of the corgi, though.
I took Akamaru (lol dunno why they named a white dog "red fur" ) back and went to take Tango out to play. But right when I told the staff about which dog I was looking for, they knew him right away. Apparently he is very shy, and reacts very badly to men. Even getting him out of his cell was hard, and I had to coax him out with jokes about it being quieter outside. (he seemed to understand) Walking him was easy, but if I turned to quickly, he mistook my fast motion for aggression and tried to bolt (but was tied to me by the leash) One time I took him into some unpaved area to pee, and he jumped on a big boulder like "WTF YOU GONNA DO TO ME?!" After I walked him though, a staff member was like "wow i am so impressed with you, because Tango does not like men at all!" Later on I found out how true that was! Playing was a bust (not interested in balls whatsoever) and twice I couldn't get him to move. He did sit close to me, behind me, and on my left side though, while we were in the play area.
IN FACT! I noticed that was a trend, Tango going around me to my left side. My best guess is that he used to get harassed/beaten by a right-handed male. The dog SURE IS SMART though, and I love the breed. So I'm going to go again tomorrow and visit him, and if he doesn't warm up to me in 5 days, I'm not too sure what I can do.
One thing is for sure, I have to get him to trust me before I take him home. My mom already doesn't want a dog, and she especially doesn't want a freaked out, peeing/pooing dog tearing up the house. So once I can be sure that he'll react in a predictable manner, I'll bring a crate with me and i'll show it to him and hopefully he'll be like WOW A CRATE? I'LL LIVE INSIDE!
Today, I figured I would go and meet the dogs, just to get to know their personality. The adoption center has like, 22 buildings of dogs! Each building has maybe, 15 cells? That is a lot of doggies! To help me search for the dog, I'm supposed to copy down their ID number. I wrote them down, but then forgot them at home!! Luckily the nice employees there helped me look up Tango and Akamaru, the doggies I was looking for. I found Tango first, and he's a ~2yr old border collie male, with all three colors! (yes!) But he took little liking to me, and didn't even rise up to greet me. He just sat there, and stared at the reflection of the dog in the next cell barking. (I knew this because I stuck my head in front of his head and followed his gaze)
When I found that out, I went and put my hands in the way of his line of sight to the other dog. FINALLY he looks at me, like, "woah! I was so lost in that other dog. Now I can stop staring at him and hide in the corner" and then withdraws a little bit from the edge of the cage and tucks his front legs in.
Akamaru is a 3yr old white welsh-corgi (mix) female. When I got to her cage, she was shivering, and she seemed to spasm a little more every time a dog barked. She did come up to the edge of the cage and see what I was all about though. I took her out to play and she was ALL OVER THE PLACE! But she did obey me a little, and she totally responded to her name and some commands like sit and come. =) She does NOT know how to play catch though. I'm kind of not too into the body shape of the corgi, though.
I took Akamaru (lol dunno why they named a white dog "red fur" ) back and went to take Tango out to play. But right when I told the staff about which dog I was looking for, they knew him right away. Apparently he is very shy, and reacts very badly to men. Even getting him out of his cell was hard, and I had to coax him out with jokes about it being quieter outside. (he seemed to understand) Walking him was easy, but if I turned to quickly, he mistook my fast motion for aggression and tried to bolt (but was tied to me by the leash) One time I took him into some unpaved area to pee, and he jumped on a big boulder like "WTF YOU GONNA DO TO ME?!" After I walked him though, a staff member was like "wow i am so impressed with you, because Tango does not like men at all!" Later on I found out how true that was! Playing was a bust (not interested in balls whatsoever) and twice I couldn't get him to move. He did sit close to me, behind me, and on my left side though, while we were in the play area.
IN FACT! I noticed that was a trend, Tango going around me to my left side. My best guess is that he used to get harassed/beaten by a right-handed male. The dog SURE IS SMART though, and I love the breed. So I'm going to go again tomorrow and visit him, and if he doesn't warm up to me in 5 days, I'm not too sure what I can do.
One thing is for sure, I have to get him to trust me before I take him home. My mom already doesn't want a dog, and she especially doesn't want a freaked out, peeing/pooing dog tearing up the house. So once I can be sure that he'll react in a predictable manner, I'll bring a crate with me and i'll show it to him and hopefully he'll be like WOW A CRATE? I'LL LIVE INSIDE!
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