He is three years old and was previously at a shelter in Georgia. While other dogs would go to the front of the cages and wag their tails, he stayed as far back as he could. No one wanted him. Apparently when a shelter worker tried to grab him he tried to bite her. (by the way, we weren't told that part until we were finalizing the adoption).
The Georgia shelter called the Leon County Humane Society in Florida and asked if they wanted him as his time was just about up. Apparently it's a high kill shelter and they needed the room. Doesn't that make you want to cry?
The LCHS took him and named him Albert. It was mentioned that he is slow to warm up but he is housebroken and loves to go on walks, does well on a leash. We applied, we had a home visit and the adoption went through. We promptly changed his name from Albert to Loki.
So far we have only had him since Thursday, February 4 at noon. We realize he doesn't know he's home yet. To him, this may just be another stopping point before he's passed off again.
When he sits next to us on the sofa he indicates he’d like a belly rub. He cuddles up so we know he likes us, yet occasionally when we oblige him with a belly rub he growls. The most concerning time with this behavior was at the park. He had been walking fine then he seemed nervous. Maybe it was the gunshots in the distance....who knows. Doug picked him and Loki actually growled and showed teeth. We were "this close" to calling and sending him back.
I called the manager of the humane society to express valid concerns about the possibility of him biting and to let her know we would return him if that happened. But who wants to let it get that far?! We were given good advice, some things we just didn't think about and it’s been better.
Apparently Loki was over stimulated by us taking him to meet our friends at the park, introducing him to the dogs we are familiar with (but he isn't), taking him to a few pet stores for supplies, etc. It was suggested we just walk him around our neighborhood for the first two weeks. Just let him get used to being with us and he will relax and know we are his advocate, we are his family.
This is getting much better now by day ten.
It's very apparent now this little guy has a lot of baggage and his early life shaped him into a slightly mistrustful dog. He wants to please you and shows it. His Velcro level ranges from a high medium to the low end of High Velcro. He doesn't always need to touch you but he needed to be in the same room.
Update: he now relaxes more in another room, not so much following all over the house so...improvement!
Loki likes a car ride and gets quite excited when you grab the harness and leash. We don't like it when he rides up front because it's dangerous for him and, most importantly, he doesn't need to be that close to Doug's face. Today we are buying him a seatbelt leash so he will have no choice but to stay in the back seat.
So far, so good! Every day is a tiny bit better and we are both hopeful he can learn most people are kind. He doesn’t know it yet but he’s going RVing in two weeks.
I’ll post photos. That’s the 10 day Loki report ❤️
Your story sounds so much like what we experienced after adopting Zelda! She came from a greyhound track in Florida, but made her way to us in NY. She was tiny for a greyhound (just 55lbs) and obviously had a very difficult time of it. We almost sent her back after initial growling, showing teeth, some nipping. Poor pup couldn't even make/maintain eye contact for months. She was obviously mistreated, the 'runt of the litter' and a horrible racer. Our daughters loved her and I saw promise, but it took a long time and a LOT of patience before paying off. They say everyone has a "heart dog" and she was certainly mine. She warmed up to only a handful of dogs over the course of her life and it was always a struggle at first. She ended up doing much better with people though. Some things just can't be fixed, but you learn to make adjustments. Loki is one lucky pup!!
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, thank you so much for sharing Zelda's story. I had no idea. We have loved all our dogs but Aja and Kobe were the special ones. Aja was the once-in-a-lifetime dog and, as you put it, our "heart dog."
DeleteThings are already remarkably better with our relationship since we have stopped going to the park. He needs to adjust to us, know we aren't another foster situation.
Aww sounds like he's had a rough go but awesome that you guys are sticking with him and showing him love! I hope it works out and he becomes a cherished part of your family!
ReplyDeleteGreg, we are certainly willing to work with him and hope he can get along with other dogs one day. Apparently he did get along with the humane society lady's dogs, no agression so...baby steps! Thanks much for commenting.
DeleteLoki is adorable! I love that you and Doug decided to give her more time and not return her. She will keep getting more and more comfortable with you and being "home" as time goes by. It took Kaiyo a while to understand that she was home, and to realize that we weren't going to hurt her. She was a puppy mill dog so she had been abused her whole life and was so scared and broken. It was so sad! Now she is one of the happiest dogs I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteVicki, it was a very hard decision to make the call about returning Loki. We were overwhelmed and hadn't experienced thhis sort of behavior with any of our previoous rescue dogs. He is better today, relaxing and sleeping more as dogs do. At first he barely slept as he kept his eye on us so that would abviously make him crankier, lack of sleep.
DeleteThank you for sharing your story about Loki. You sound very patient, and I hope the upward trend in your relationship with Loki will continue so that yours can be the permanent home. I had no idea there were seatbelt leashes that could keep a dog in the back seat to keep from disturbing the driver!
ReplyDeletebe well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae, it is definitely getting better each day. He's loving and I think this will work out well. The seat belt thingee is a buckle that slips into the seat belt latch and the other end hooks to his harness. He can sit and lie down but won't have enough lead to jump up front. Yea!
DeleteHe's a beauty! I'm glad he's making progress and settling into his new home with you. It's been almost four years since we had to say goodbye to our "heart dog" and I'm still not sure we'll ever get another. Good luck with the RV trip! I hope he enjoys riding along. :)
ReplyDeleteLes, there were times we said we couldn't get another dog because of the heartbreak after Aja. She can never be replaced but it is nice having this little guy to take care of and snuggle up with.
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