# Completely shutdown ex-breeder (making progress)



## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Hi all.

Firstly a massive thank you if you are taking the time to read my post, (It's a flipping long one)
Another huge load of thanks to you all because if you are on this forum then you are of course a 'proper dog person' which means you are my kind of people!

I think I just need people who are dog-gurus on here or people who have gone through the painful slow slog of working with a shutdown dog to tell me 'hey you are doing well, keep plodding' etc etc.

Husband and I have had dogs all of our lives so that's a start. We also already had a Border Collie which we rescued after he had spent most of his life (years) in kennels due to fear aggression and him having a bite history.
We have had him over 2 years and we have transformed him, thank God.

Two years on we wanted to get him a friend. We saw online a 5 year old female Beagle. She had been at the rescue centre for a few months, people walking past, overlooking her as she hid at the back of her cage. She was used for breeding and was described by the centre as 'the most shutdown dog we've ever seen' She had then spent 2 weeks in foster.

We thought we could help her as I am home all of the time, experienced with dogs, kind, loving and patient (Jeez, patient...)

When we first got her she was completely 'dead' her eyes were like a shark, empty, nothing there at all.
She wouldn't move, would just sit there staring, you HAD to pick her up to take her for a wee and bring her back in.
We'd sit outside in the cold a couple of metres away talking to her softly, day and night.

After a few days we had managed to get her to run out of her crate to the garden and she'd come back in on her own, back to her crate, wahoo, progress! (But then found out she didn't need to be touched so now won't let us, I'll get to that later)

In her foster home she'd only eat in her crate alone in the dark overnight. We managed to get her to eat 2 meals, morning and night in her crate whilst our other dog was eating a few metres away, wahoo, progress!

She now will not let you go near her, you cannot pick her up, she runs away (unless in her crate where she will take a treat of course) we see this as progress as she is no longer just shutdown and giving up, she now has her own mind.

We introduced her to some toys, not interested, tried a Nylabone and a filled bone, she hid them in her box for a couple of weeks then one night we heard her munching on one of them, wahoo more progress!
We were now thinking 'brilliant, she is no longer shutdown, there are signs of life, she knows she is a dog now and there is more to life than being ignored until it comes to churning out puppies.

We have managed to get her to take treats from our hands but only when she is near her crate (her safe space) she of course shied away from us for weeks, pushing against the back of her crate but slowly taking the treat. Then over the weeks slightly more forward. Two months on we can get her to get her whole body out of her crate to take a treat. But out of the tips of our fingers, any change she can't cope with, so out of the palm is a no-no.

At first she would not drink in front of us but now 2 months on she will mostly drink her water and we can walk past (her water is about 1 metre away from her crate, it used to be just outside her door but we recently moved it slightly further away) wahoo, a bit more progress.

So this is where we are today, it has been about 10 weeks now since she arrived.
I throw her treats in the garden, she takes them but runs off. She will not take a treat from my hand (with the exception of once yesterday where she did tentatively take a treat for the first time but today, nope, won't go near me outside.

She lives in her crate in our bedroom (never locked in) where we spend most of the time (we're in a bungalow) 
She used to run at breakneck speed to the back door for a wee, this has now slowed to sometimes a run, sometimes a fast trot.
When I go to open the back door she is still very very nervous, is sniffing the floor, will sometimes pancake (which kills me to see after all this time)

She has no interest in going out during the day unless I beg her. I try to get her out a couple of times, I go out with treats desperately trying to bond with her. She comes alive in the evening.
She will run into the kitchen from her crate asking to go out, we let her out, she sometimes just goes onto the patio and wants to come straight back in, she sometimes goes up to the garden has a trot around then comes back in, she will of course on occasion go up the garden and go to the loo.
This has started to go a bit mental for example I have started to keep a log of when she is going out.
Last night I started making notes at 9.43pm, from that time she either ran into the kitchen and came back to her crate or I gave in and let her out. 19 bloody times in total, which ended at 12.50am when I put my earplugs in and went to sleep.
During those 19 times I let her in to the garden 7 times. Of those 7 times she had a poo then 2 wees. So out of 19 times she only 'needed' to go out 3 times.

When she first started this I would be up and down all evening until I realised she didn't 'need' to go out.

I can only assume this is her transitioning from living in her crate 24/7 which must be flipping boring! to her being a more 'normal dog'

I also assume she is enjoying getting humans to work for her for a change! 

So from day one, her sitting there, dead behind the eyes, having given up, her saying 'go on then human, do what you want to me, there's nothing I can do so get it over with... she now has at least some quality to her life albeit tiny.

Oh there is one huge thing which I think is the thing that keeps me going. When in the garden, at the top we have a set of bushes in the middle. I can call her and she will follow me around and around the bushes, keeping about a metre from me, this melts my heart.
Also sometimes she will eat poo (lovely) if I am with her and say 'no' she will stop.
If she is out alone and I am sneekily watching her from the conservatory, if she is eating poo or something and I want her to come in I can just put the light on in the conservatory and wave frantically and she sees me and runs straight in. So she kind of has some respect for me (I think/hope) I mean to say she is a Beagle she could just carry on eating poo and ignoring me right?

Unfortunately I am struggling and I have to walk off into another room as I now cry A LOT from the slow progress and her taking 3 steps forward but 2 back (which of course does mean progress I know)
As I read this back we have probably made huge progress in 10 weeks but 10 weeks feels like 10 months.

I have an appointment with the Dr because I think I am perimenopausal lol, which really isn't helping me at all here, so any tips from you ladies out there on this?

So yeah, long story, sorry about that but I needed to get it all out of my system and I could really really really really really really really do with some support from you gurus or people who have been through the same with a shutdown dog.

Huge thanks to you all.
xxxxxxx


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Holy moly that is a long post, so sorry, just desperate of support from dog-people x


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## O2.0 (May 23, 2018)

BeachLife said:


> Hi all.
> 
> Firstly a massive thank you if you are taking the time to read my post, (It's a flipping long one)
> Another huge load of thanks to you all because if you are on this forum then you are of course a 'proper dog person' which means you are my kind of people!
> ...


Hi and welcome  
You haven't mentioned how the beagle gets along with your Collie? That would be one of my first places to start, letting the beagle take her cues off the BC.

Honestly 10 weeks is really no time at all. Most rescues go through a whole long process of adjusting to their new home. 
*Waits for @simplysardonic or someone else to post that great graphic about the weeks and months progression with rescues.*

That she has made progress in this time is awesome. Put that in your back pocket  
A couple of things I'd be careful with though. Don't beg her, don't keep pushing, just let her be. If you need to move her, get her outside, whatever, be matter of fact about it. Not "oh I'm so sorry but we have to do this" just a happy let's go, and go. 
Does she wear a collar? Can you put a leash on it?

When offering treats, come at her from the side instead of head on. Even better, drop a treat and back away. Give her space to take the treat and then retreat. If she's brave and comes to you, reward her by tossing a treat away from you so she gets the distance and the food as a reward. This will help build her confidence in moving towards you.

For the poop eating, add some pineapple to her meals. About half a spoonfull per meal should do it. 
Don't fuss at her if you miss it and she eats some. Just ignore it. It's gross but it won't hurt her if both your dogs are vaccinated and wormed.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

I think it's early days yet. 10 weeks isn't long at all to undo the damage of the last 5 years, as you've said it's 2 steps forward, 1 step back.
I also think you may be overwhelming her a bit with attention, it's such a big contrast to her past life and she sounds very sensitive to change. For now I would minimise the attention and only give her what she asks for. Meet her needs of food and water, somewhere warm, cosy and undisturbed to sleep, outside access, but otherwise just leave her alone to find her feet. Only pet her if she comes to you and initates it and only for a few seconds unless she indicates that she wants more. The same with treats, my first dog, also a rescue, would only take treats if she was feeling confident and relaxed.
( cross posted with @O2.0)
ETA I've always had another established dog when taking on a new one and found them a great help with house training and getting into a routine.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

O2.0 said:


> Hi and welcome
> *Waits for @simplysardonic or someone else to post that great graphic about the weeks and months progression with rescues.*
> .


Here it is!









And the link to the page it's from in case it disappears like pictures sometimes do on here:
https://www.facebook.com/HSSMFOSTER...r-new-dog-will-be-overwhelm/1333917560142661/


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

O2.0 said:


> Hi and welcome
> You haven't mentioned how the beagle gets along with your Collie? That would be one of my first places to start, letting the beagle take her cues off the BC.
> 
> Honestly 10 weeks is really no time at all. Most rescues go through a whole long process of adjusting to their new home.
> ...


Hi, a huge thank you for your lovely reply.

Yes, sorry, believe it or not I was trying to keep my post brief lol, hence leaving out so much info.

Yeah we already had a huge crate for our Collie and a new smaller one for when the Beagle moved in, Mrs Beagle day 2 decided she preferred the Collie's crate so wandered in and our Collie was 'fine with it' and he moved out.
We then bought him an identical crate...
He was excited when she first moved here, he wanted to play but soon realised she wasn't up for anything whatsoever.
They both go running out together, best of friends first thing in the morning but he has learned she isn't interested so doesn't ask her for anything any more. Hopefully if/when she comes out of her shell they will be all over each other.

Sorry when I said I beg her to go out, that was silly of me. I just put my coat on which is a hint that I am going in to the garden then I just say in an excited voice '"Go for a wee wee, go and play?" sometimes she will come out with me, I just sit and let her wander about as I throw treats.
Sometimes she doesn't look bothered about going out and I will leave her. I just worry about her being in there for so many hours, but as you say I should leave her and she will venture when she is ready.

'Does she wear a collar?' Yes she came with a collar, is tagged etc.
No chance re getting a lead on her, as I say she will take a treat out of our hands when in or near her crate but has only done this once yesterday in the garden. Apart from that we can walk past her eating or drinking but she doesn't voluntarily come to us anywhere else yet, we couldn't wander up to her and touch her at all yet, which is awful, I want to stroke her but nope, we are way off that yet.
She has never even been into the lounge!

Yep we do the tossing of treats in the garden. We try to make it no big deal, I smile etc, she can probably tell I am close to tears sometimes. She is an intelligent dog.
She has made huge progress from that 'dead dog' we once had, it's just me, I am an idiot for thinking 10 weeks is a long time when she has had 5 whole years of crap, poor sod.

Many thanks again xx


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## O2.0 (May 23, 2018)

Yay! Thanks @simplysardonic 

@BeachLife this video is about training dogs with food, but if you skip to 1:50 it talks about approaches to offering food and how it can affect the dog. 
See if any of it is helpful. 





I would definitely work on getting a leash on her, if only for safety reasons. I'll try to post a video later of how to approach a scared dog for this sort of thing.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

SusieRainbow said:


> I think it's early days yet. 10 weeks isn't long at all to undo the damage of the last 5 years, as you've said it's 2 steps forward, 1 step back.
> I also think you may be overwhelming her a bit with attention, it's such a big contrast to her past life and she sounds very sensitive to change. For now I would minimise the attention and only give her what she asks for. Meet her needs of food and water, somewhere warm, cosy and undisturbed to sleep, outside access, but otherwise just leave her alone to find her feet. Only pet her if she comes to you and initates it and only for a few seconds unless she indicates that she wants more. The same with treats, my first dog, also a rescue, would only take treats if she was feeling confident and relaxed.
> ( cross posted with @O2.0)
> ETA I've always had another established dog when taking on a new one and found them a great help with house training and getting into a routine.


Hi thank you. x

God, the day she actually (if ever) comes to me for a fuss I will probably pass out, just can't imagine it ever happening, can't imagine walking her or her getting in the car.
I mean to be fair I said the same with our Collie with the bite history but we got him there so I should have faith.
Thanks again


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

BeachLife said:


> Hi thank you. x
> *
> God, the day she actually (if ever) comes to me for a fuss I will probably pass out,* just can't imagine it ever happening, can't imagine walking her or her getting in the car.
> I mean to be fair I said the same with our Collie with the bite history but we got him there so I should have faith.
> Thanks again


Never lose hope, one of mine took 4 months before we could touch her, but once she discovered she enjoyed gentle human contact she couldn't get enough of it!


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

simplysardonic said:


> Never lose hope, one of mine took 4 months before we could touch her, but once she discovered she enjoyed gentle human contact she couldn't get enough of it!


Hey I think I'll print this off and pop it on the wall lol.
Thank you so much for saying this!

As I type this she is munching on her filled bone having a lovely time, such a different dog to day one.
It is me with the problem, I need to get on to HRT asap lol.

Congrats on changing your dogs life, and thanks again x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

Hi, welcome to you and your beautiful dogs.It sounds like you're doing ok to me but I know it's easy to say take it really slowly from outside of the situation.I know it's already been said but 10 weeks is nothing compared to the years that your poor little rescue has had to endure before she came to you.I'm no expert in behaviour by any means but I do think that a dog being shut down is about emotion not behaviour.In my experience,dogs can't learn and move forward when they are in that state,they react rather than behave,if that makes sense.So,back to where I started from,I'd take it really slowly,let her dictate the pace.It feels counter intuitive when you want to take her in your arms and shower her with all the love and affection she has never had but if you can give her the time she needs now,you will reap the benefits in the months and years to come.My own little rescue was reactive to pretty much everything.I firmly believe that he has grown into the dog he was born to be but it took time,he learnt so much from observing the world, from whatever he set as his safe distance.I think it helps to look upon it as a journey that you undertake together,a journey that will have a few twists in the road and where the general direction of travel is about as definite as anything can be at this stage.It sounds like you new little dog will have a great future with you,good luck in moving towards that future together.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Hi @Silverpaw and thank you so so much for your post. Everything you say makes sense.
When I think what she has been through, yikes.

Thank you and well done for helping your own rescue dog, you are a good egg.

This afternoon she ventured out of her crate to get her afternoon little treats, usually she will take it and go back into her crate to eat it but today she stayed out, ate one and waited for another then sniffed close to my hand to see if there were any more! Huge for us all.
Tiny steps mean so much.

As you say, it will take a long time but will be so worth it.
Have a great day and thanks again x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Hi @Silverpaw and thank you so so much for your post. Everything you say makes sense.
> When I think what she has been through, yikes.
> 
> Thank you and well done for helping your own rescue dog, you are a good egg.
> ...


So pleased to hear that she's taken this step forward,I can imagine how much it means.I think it's these small steps that can be built on and can eventually snowball into something big.Hopefully,she now knows that she can stay close by you and trust you not to overreact.Trust is so important in these situations,it takes time to develop but is,I think,the key to a successful future.I never pushed my own dog beyond his comfort zone but I did aim to expand it by offering him experiences when I thought he was ready to take advantage of them.It might be something simple like getting a little bit closer to something he was watching but with the option to get further away if he wanted to.I know some people advocate 'pushing' a dog but I don't subscribe to this.I hope you continue to make steady progress.I think it helped me to keep in mind the fact that Maci's behaviour meant something to him,even when I couldn't fathom out what it was.He's an old boy now and I'd give anything to be able to turn the clock back to extend his time with us.


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

Silverpaw said:


> Maci's behaviour meant something to him,even when I couldn't fathom out what it was


I love, love, love this.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> So pleased to hear that she's taken this step forward,I can imagine how much it means.I think it's these small steps that can be built on and can eventually snowball into something big.Hopefully,she now knows that she can stay close by you and trust you not to overreact.Trust is so important in these situations,it takes time to develop but is,I think,the key to a successful future.I never pushed my own dog beyond his comfort zone but I did aim to expand it by offering him experiences when I thought he was ready to take advantage of them.It might be something simple like getting a little bit closer to something he was watching but with the option to get further away if he wanted to.I know some people advocate 'pushing' a dog but I don't subscribe to this.I hope you continue to make steady progress.I think it helped me to keep in mind the fact that Maci's behaviour meant something to him,even when I couldn't fathom out what it was.He's an old boy now and I'd give anything to be able to turn the clock back to extend his time with us.


Another great post thank you.
Again I agree, it is all down to her pace and there is no way I can speed this up.

Maci is one lucky boy.

Thank you so much xx


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Another great post thank you.
> Again I agree, it is all down to her pace and there is no way I can speed this up.
> 
> Maci is one lucky boy.
> ...


Thank you but I think I'm the lucky one,he really is a splendid little dog.He never ceases to amaze.He's started to have acapuncture recently and I think the vet doing it is astounded by how good he is, especially as it's for his jaw,so the needles are around his little face .
Your dogs sound lucky too.I hope they'll become great pals in time.Please let us know how you are doing from time to time.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Thank you but I think I'm the lucky one,he really is a splendid little dog.He never ceases to amaze.He's started to have acapuncture recently and I think the vet doing it is astounded by how good he is, especially as it's for his jaw,so the needles are around his little face .
> Your dogs sound lucky too.I hope they'll become great pals in time.Please let us know how you are doing from time to time.


Wow that's incredible!

I will do, thank you x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

Hope things are going ok and moving in the right direction.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Hope things are going ok and moving in the right direction.


Hi, oh how lovely are you?! Thank you so much for thinking of us.
Things are moving painfully slowly but definitely moving and in the right direction thankfully.

She is now ok if I open my palm and will take a treat from an open palm then sniff my hand to make sure she has got all the treat!
She will now come to me in the garden to take treats as long as I am in the same place, if I move 6 metres away and sit elsewhere she won't, she still struggles with change bless her.
For example, outside the back door on the left we have a storage oblong thingy, we needed to get something out of it and had left the lid open, she was in the garden and wouldn't come past it to come in because it was 'different'

So yes we are getting somewhere.


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Hi, oh how lovely are you?! Thank you so much for thinking of us.
> Things are moving painfully slowly but definitely moving and in the right direction thankfully.
> 
> She is now ok if I open my palm and will take a treat from an open palm then sniff my hand to make sure she has got all the treat!
> ...


Ahh, bless her, hopefully she will be able to build on the steady progress.It's amazing to think just how small/closed her little world must have been before.I remember when Maci arrived,he was absolutely terrified of the kitchen,to the point of shaking like a leaf.Once I saw this,I didn't try to encourage him in,he was happy to be fed in the hall and eventuality I'd leave the adjoining door open,so he could see in but with no need/encouragement to venture in.He's never really shown much interest in it,even though he's always been a foodie dog.I've always thought that he might have been attracted to cooking smells when he was looking for food and popped his nose into a kitchen somewhere.Knowing that dogs over there sometimes have hot fat/boiling water thrown over them,he may have had to retreat quickly.Of course, I'll never really know but whatever the reason,he was so scared of it.
I hope you're other dog is doing ok.Hopefully, the weather will improve soon and we might all be happy to spend a bit more time in the garden.I think it's time and familiarity,from a safe position,that gives them something to build on.
Well done for sticking with her and thanks for the update.It's heartwarming to hear something kind at the moment, given the awful,sad state of the world.
PS just remembered how Maci used to sit under a bush in the garden.He declined any invitation to come out, with his teeth if necessary.He really is the biggest softee in the world now, although I don't know if it would do his street cred any good to broad cast it .


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Ahh, bless her, hopefully she will be able to build on the steady progress.It's amazing to think just how small/closed her little world must have been before.I remember when Maci arrived,he was absolutely terrified of the kitchen,to the point of shaking like a leaf.Once I saw this,I didn't try to encourage him in,he was happy to be fed in the hall and eventuality I'd leave the adjoining door open,so he could see in but with no need/encouragement to venture in.He's never really shown much interest in it,even though he's always been a foodie dog.I've always thought that he might have been attracted to cooking smells when he was looking for food and popped his nose into a kitchen somewhere.Knowing that dogs over there sometimes have hot fat/boiling water thrown over them,he may have had to retreat quickly.Of course, I'll never really know but whatever the reason,he was so scared of it.
> I hope you're other dog is doing ok.Hopefully, the weather will improve soon and we might all be happy to spend a bit more time in the garden.I think it's time and familiarity,from a safe position,that gives them something to build on.
> Well done for sticking with her and thanks for the update.It's heartwarming to hear something kind at the moment, given the awful,sad state of the world.
> PS just remembered how Maci used to sit under a bush in the garden.He declined any invitation to come out, with his teeth if necessary.He really is the biggest softee in the world now, although I don't know if it would do his street cred any good to broad cast it .


It sounds like you have worked absolute wonders with Maci and I flipping love reading that he has become a lovely soft dog now. Tell him I am proud of him and not to worry I won't spread the word about how soft he is nowadays lol.

I have just been in to the garden with both of them, she came wandering past me so closely if anyone was watching they'd think we'd had her from a puppy!
I forgot to say something massive the other day, I really should keep that diary I have been meaning to start for the past 3 flipping months...
We were in the garden, just me and her, there was a twig with a dead leaf on it, she touched it, it kind of went springy and she got excited like a cat with a ball on a spring and she started play bowing which made me giggle like a kid.

I still can't believe that one day she will venture in to the lounge but a couple of weeks ago I never thought she'd take a treat from me in the garden but now she does.

It is fantastic to see their progress isn't it?!

As you say, the warmer weather will be here all being well, it'll be great if she is a sunbather like me!

x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> It sounds like you have worked absolute wonders with Maci and I flipping love reading that he has become a lovely soft dog now. Tell him I am proud of him and not to worry I won't spread the word about how soft he is nowadays lol.
> 
> I have just been in to the garden with both of them, she came wandering past me so closely if anyone was watching they'd think we'd had her from a puppy!
> I forgot to say something massive the other day, I really should keep that diary I have been meaning to start for the past 3 flipping months...
> ...


Hehe, Maci's pleased to hear that his secret is safe with you .I think he had the opposite problem to your little dog in some ways,he had 'over exposure ' being out on the streets fending for himself and exposed to all sorts of potential dangers (I think this explained his reactivity to people,to other dogs etc).It sounds like your dog has been 'under exposed' to any sort of decent, normal life experiences.What she has seen of life seems to have taught her that it's best to give everything a wide berth.It sounds like she's doing well,at her own pace and hopefully this will give her something to build on.As you say, it's fantastic to see their progress and I think it does sort of creep up on you,you suddenly realise that a reaction has changed.It's been an ongoing process with Maci and I am still careful not to put him into situations that I know he'd find difficult.It is pretty amazing to see how far he's come though.I firmly believe that 'it's' in there all along,they just need the time and circumstances to grow into the dog they were meant to be.
Roll on the warmer weather,I think we're all ready for it.The only thing is,Maci has a lovely thick coat (he was made for the harsh Romanian winters) and now that he's a bit of a softee, he's usually pretty close to where I am.So, I'm usually in the shade, looking less like I've seen sunshine by the year.Not a good look for someone who has a dog that came from Tryanslvalia :Hilarious.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Oh my God oh my God oh my God, what the hell just happened???
I just went out into the garden with her, I sat out the way, she ran straight to the top of the garden then came bounding down to the pond where I was and trotted straight past me, then went onto the grass and was rolling about on her back all excited, then stood up started play bowing and jumping from side to side like a pup again. I start giggling she keeps doing it.
We eventually come in, she trots in with me, she goes back to the bedroom towards her crate, I stay in the kitchen descaling the kettle (livin' the dream) but I can see her across the hallway and she isn't in her crate but sniffing my slippers lol.
I kept a side-eye on her as I reckon she may be a thief in a few weeks time lol.
OH MY GOD, things are happening!

So Silverpaw when you said this you were not strong



Silverpaw said:


> does sort of creep up on you,you suddenly


xx


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Oh my God oh my God oh my God, what the hell just happened???
> I just went out into the garden with her, I sat out the way, she ran straight to the top of the garden then came bounding down to the pond where I was and trotted straight past me, then went onto the grass and was rolling about on her back all excited, then stood up started play bowing and jumping from side to side like a pup again. I start giggling she keeps doing it.
> We eventually come in, she trots in with me, she goes back to the bedroom towards her crate, I stay in the kitchen descaling the kettle (livin' the dream) but I can see her across the hallway and she isn't in her crate but sniffing my slippers lol.
> I kept a side-eye on her as I reckon she may be a thief in a few weeks time lol.
> ...


Ahh, bless her and I love your excitement at her progress.It sounds like her personality is starting to surface.She might turn into a little miss mischief .Onwards and upwards beautiful.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Ahh, bless her and I love your excitement at her progress.It sounds like her personality is starting to surface.She might turn into a little miss mischief .Onwards and upwards beautiful.


Lol, I just cannot get over it. Four weeks before Xmas we had a piece of meat delivered, not a dog. We had never seen a dog as lifeless. We were told it'd be hard work but I thought 'meh, we know what we are doing, it'll be a Christmas miracle you watch, she'll be opening her presents on the sofa Xmas Day'
:Joyful how wrong could I be.

So today to see her acting like a puppy for ages is wonderful. She is now spending more time out of her crate, sniffing about and for the first time ever she has just been chilling out at the front of her crate on blankets rather than at the back in her bed. She just had her little head dangling over the doorway lol.

I cannot believe it, Silverpaw.


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

Brilliant, I'm really thrilled.It sounds like she's really turned a corner.The more she does without becoming fearful the further forward she can move.So lovely to hear when there is so much sadness in the world at the moment.She's very lucky to have come to you,a lot of people would have pushed her too far too soon.Well done,I hope you're giving yourself a pat on the back .


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Brilliant, I'm really thrilled.It sounds like she's really turned a corner.The more she does without becoming fearful the further forward she can move.So lovely to hear when there is so much sadness in the world at the moment.She's very lucky to have come to you,a lot of people would have pushed her too far too soon.Well done,I hope you're giving yourself a pat on the back .


Thanks so much, I am pleased with myself to be fair.


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Thanks so much, I am pleased with myself to be fair.


I should hope so .Well done's all round.
By the way, could I ask what your dog's names are?


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> I should hope so .Well done's all round.
> By the way, could I ask what your dog's names are?


Yes of course, how silly of me!
The Collie is Biggles and the Beagle is Raffles. x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

Great names.Maci says hello to Biggles and Raffles :Smuggrin.I always have to explain Maci's name, it's pronounced Matchy,as in matchstick,not how it looks.He came with it,so Maci he remained.The pronunciation is on all of his notes at the vets etc.I thought it might be isolating to him to not hear his own name.It's fascinating to hear how dogs get their names.The last dog I named was many many years ago,he was a stray who didn't have a name,so he became Digby.They've all had names since and fortunately,there hasn't been one that I couldn't call out at the park :Hilarious.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Ah ok, yep, I was calling him 'Macy' I shall change that in my head now!
We got Biggles when he was around 5 years old, he was in kennels for over 3 years of his life due to fear aggression and his bite history, he had lived in 4 homes, 3 of which were for a week to 2 weeks (they really gave him a chance NOT) we knew he'd be going on some big adventures with us on holidays etc so wanted an adventurers kind of name.

Tenko is my favourite TV show of all time and Raffles was the hotel in Singapore where the women felt free for the first time in years. We also had Bedlington Terrier as a kid with the same name so we chose that for our lovely Beagle.


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Ah ok, yep, I was calling him 'Macy' I shall change that in my head now!
> We got Biggles when he was around 5 years old, he was in kennels for over 3 years of his life due to fear aggression and his bite history, he had lived in 4 homes, 3 of which were for a week to 2 weeks (they really gave him a chance NOT) we knew he'd be going on some big adventures with us on holidays etc so wanted an adventurers kind of name.
> 
> Tenko is my favourite TV show of all time and Raffles was the hotel in Singapore where the women felt free for the first time in years. We also had Bedlington Terrier as a kid with the same name so we chose that for our lovely Beagle.


Wow,you've done well with Biggles, bless him.It's so good that you are willing to give the so called 'difficult' dogs a home.I bet you can't wait for Raffles to be able to join in your big adventure holidays.
Maci's enjoyed lots of holiday's/breaks away but we've tailored them around him (as with all of our dogs).He's been a super little camper but only at quiet times where we could be a long way from anyone else.He didn't want anyone else near or passing his tent :Hilarious.His mobility is very limited now, with his age and missing leg but he has a pet stroller that can go off road .Look forward to hearing about some of your adventures in the future.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Hehe an off road stroller, brilliant!
Before we got Raffles I kept looking at a rescue centre with a beautiful dog with wheels for his back legs, he coped with a drag-bag too but we have steps up to the other tiers of the garden so worried about putting him through that. I still think of him and hope he is settled in his forever home.

Yeah we'd usually go to the rescue centre and say 'I need the dog to be able to do this and that' etc etc so felt we wanted to give a bit back so when we were looking at another Collie (we've had a few over the years) we said 'which dogs are you struggling to rehome?' then saw this little monkey. We had to visit him a few times at the rescue centre, he wouldn't have anything to do with us but that's history now and 3 years later he is awesome.

What a life you have given to Maci, 'super little camper' lol, bless him. To be fair, I wouldn't want anyone near my tent either lol, I prefer my privacy so good on him! 
I shall keep you updated. x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Hehe an off road stroller, brilliant!
> Before we got Raffles I kept looking at a rescue centre with a beautiful dog with wheels for his back legs, he coped with a drag-bag too but we have steps up to the other tiers of the garden so worried about putting him through that. I still think of him and hope he is settled in his forever home.
> 
> Yeah we'd usually go to the rescue centre and say 'I need the dog to be able to do this and that' etc etc so felt we wanted to give a bit back so when we were looking at another Collie (we've had a few over the years) we said 'which dogs are you struggling to rehome?' then saw this little monkey. We had to visit him a few times at the rescue centre, he wouldn't have anything to do with us but that's history now and 3 years later he is awesome.
> ...


Hehe,I don't think many campsites could afford to run if everyone was like you and Maci,he really didn't want anyone in 'his' field :Hilarious.He's mellowed a lot but I don't think he'll be doing any more camping now.His stroller is brilliant,it lets us walk a bit further and he gets to stay out longer and get more stimulation.Have wheels can travel is his motto.It's really great when our dogs are fully included in our lives, isn't it?,we just adapt round them Wait until little Raffles is ready to participate in things,I bet Biggles will show her the way.






Introducing Maci X


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Hehe,I don't think many campsites could afford to run if everyone was like you and Maci,he really didn't want anyone in 'his' field :Hilarious.He's mellowed a lot but I don't think he'll be doing any more camping now.His stroller is brilliant,it lets us walk a bit further and he gets to stay out longer and get more stimulation.Have wheels can travel is his motto.It's really great when our dogs are fully included in our lives, isn't it?,we just adapt round them Wait until little Raffles is ready to participate in things,I bet Biggles will show her the way.
> View attachment 485321
> Introducing Maci X


OMG how cute is Maci :Happy:Happy:Happy:Happy

Lol no, me and Maci would probably have to save up to rent our own private island, I'm not over keen on humans


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> OMG how cute is Maci :Happy:Happy:Happy:Happy
> 
> Lol no, me and Maci would probably have to save up to rent our own private island, I'm not over keen on humans


Maci's had a look in his doggy bank and it's looking pretty healthy.He thinks a private island sounds good.I'm not a fan of busy places either. He's a lot happier with people than he used to be,his world view seems to have changed from one where he thought everyone was going to harm him to one where he thinks everyone is going to like him.He can still be very cautious of some people/dogs thought.I never allow strangers to just approach him,so he doesn't have to guard himself.I'm far more ferocious than he is anyway :Hilarious.Bring that island on .


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Maci's had a look in his doggy bank and it's looking pretty healthy.He thinks a private island sounds good.I'm not a fan of busy places either. He's a lot happier with people than he used to be,his world view seems to have changed from one where he thought everyone was going to harm him to one where he thinks everyone is going to like him.He can still be very cautious of some people/dogs thought.I never allow strangers to just approach him,so he doesn't have to guard himself.I'm far more ferocious than he is anyway :Hilarious.Bring that island on .


Hey, hope you are well. I have not yet received any travel documents from Maci, is he standing me up? lol
Nothing over exciting to report here. When she was waiting to go out to the garden last night I had the cheek to drop a treat on the floor, this was too much for her so she buggered off! Strange when in the bedroom or garden she will take it from our hands. But as you say, 'it means something to her' and whenever she seems to go backwards I remember this!
x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

We're fine,thank you.No,Maci isn't standing you up, he's been a bit busy but he's sorting his travel documents out .He says he doesn't really want to leave the UK because he's seen 'over seas' and doesn't like it.He wants to sort his passport out, haven't renewed it since he arrived,so still Romanian passport but he's proud to be a UK dog.We need an island in the UK with guaranteed sunshine and very few people .
Ahh, bless her.Has it set her back a lot or is she ok with other things?Maci was very nervous about the kitchen when he arrived and still isn't particularly happy there.Don't really know why but it isn't a problem, he's very happy in the rest of the house.Does she take a lead from Biggles?
Your patience with her is amazing,I hope you are proud of yourselves because I'm certainly proud of you .I think, and hope, you have the makings of an amazing little dog.


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

Thought about Raffles today when I saw a dog who is looking for a home on Dogbus's page (they're doing amazing work in Ukraine but that's another story).
It says that it's taken him four months to let anyone touch him, and it's still only on his terms.They are now looking for a patient and hands off foster home,who will let him approach them in his own time and on his own terms.Doesn't it make you wonder what these poor dogs have endured to make them so fearful .
I hope the better weather is helping with Raffles and that she is maybe starting to take a bit of a lead from Biggles.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Hi, sorry for such a long delay, are you happy for me to DM you on here later? x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Hi, sorry for such a long delay, are you happy for me to DM you on here later? x


Sorry, I'm a bit technically challenged, don't know what DM ING is :Banghead.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

lol no worries xx


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

Just looked it up,a direct message,yes,no problem if I can find out how to receive it/reply to it .


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Bear with me, will message u later, x


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

Just a quick check in to say I hope that Ruffles is doing ok, and Biggles too,of course.We need a bit of sunny weather back.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Just a quick check in to say I hope that Ruffles is doing ok, and Biggles too,of course.We need a bit of sunny weather back.


Hi, really well thank you. Did you not get my very long message? Did you click on to the 'envelope icon' at the top of the page? xx


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Hi, really well thank you. Did you not get my very long message? Did you click on to the 'envelope icon' at the top of the page? xx


I had a message that I replied to but not sure if I got it right.Replied like to an 'ordinary' email.Told you I was a bit  at technology.
Good to hear things are going well .


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Lol, if you saw the message in your normal email account and replied that way then no it didn't get to me.
You have to reply to it in here.
No worries though xx


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

BeachLife said:


> Lol, if you saw the message in your normal email account and replied that way then no it didn't get to me.
> You have to reply to it in here.
> No worries though xx


On no,do I have to reply on the'normal' forum.Sorry,I sent you a proper reply.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> On no,do I have to reply on the'normal' forum.Sorry,I sent you a proper reply.


No lol, not in this bit where we are typing now, when you click on the envelope icon at the top of this page you click 'reply' in there xx


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

Haven't found the envelope icon, I'll have a look at it in the morning.


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## BeachLife (11 mo ago)

Silverpaw said:


> Haven't found the envelope icon, I'll have a look at it in the morning.


Hey no worries, should be top right of this page, it says your username 'Silverpaw, then the envelope, then the flag. xx


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