Weird biting -the Linus diary

The weird biting behavior is back and it's a happy weird biting but that does not make it a positive behavior.  I'm going to go sit outside with him in a little bit and see if I can videotape it.  Saying ouch makes him quickly recoil but then again any loud nose or fast motion makes him scoot away.

It's when he's happy and trying to initiate some type of contact and it maybe a play behavior but I'm not sure.  I'll sit down on the steps and he'll come over wagging, moving forward and backward, back and forth, touching my leg, not touching, touching, then nuzzling (kind of strange) then when he gets bold enough he will open his mouth and start nipping at me and biting at my legs.  It had stopped for a while because I got to the point before  of just getting up and going away, not inviting that kind of interaction.  But then he needs to learn to interact with people.  So how do I encourage interaction but not this kind of interaction. He's making contact but in a really inappropriate way.

Off to sit outside with weirdo.  On another note, he managed to get out of his second harness this morning after breakfast and when I came outside after getting dressed, he was curled up asleep in the bush by the porch - not tethered to anything.  He is clearly not going to ever leave someone's backyard if he can find himself in one as I have no fence and he makes no move to leave a 15 foot area in front of my porch (but not actually on the porch or near the door) - makes looking for dog poop a necessity before walking to my car or anywhere within 15 feet of my porch.

#$@%^$#@

!@#$%^&*%$#

I truly think that Linus is trying to kill me some days.  He has such a frantic dash when he feels "freed" from the trees, he will whip against my legs with the cable and turn to whip in the opposite direction when he hits the end.  One of the reasons I had him on a harness so he wouldn't injure his neck. with that thing.  I try not to touch him at all and get him to do it himself (just following me with my averted eyes)  but some days it's just impossible as he won't cooperate - dashing in the wrong direction to practically clothesline himself.

I am just really frustrated when he hurts me.  It's not his fault, he is just such a freaking pain in the ass and is making no discernible progress. I just don't think he will ever be a pet dog and it is very sad to look at him day after day and know that he is on the fringe of society like a feral or wild dog. I think at best he will be a yard companion for another dog - but who the would pick a pit bull to be a companion for another pet?  I wouldn't want him to go as a companion for another pit bull just because of the risk he would get hurt.

My legs really freaking hurt from the cable burns and bruises.  I'm getting too old for this.

The Quincy diary -

My mother would like to rename Linus "Quincy". I still think of him as Rosebud and I don't think he will ever bloom. he had a great night Friday playing in my parents yard with Ringo. He just loves to be free in the yard. Free to back away and avoid people if he wants and to take treats if he feels like it. They (the parents) managed to get in a pet once or twice but that's all he would allow. Met another friend on Sunday - a male person, shorter in stature but very upright posture and he would not make friends. Came forward to get a treat but did not allow petting.  

I keep him on a cable to do his business and sometimes I think he's trying to kill me. He will wrap himself around a tree and when I try to extricate him, he acts like a freaky ass and bolts to wrap around my legs the minute he gets a free foot or so. The other night I had to literally pin him to the ground and unwind my legs so I didn't bust my ass. My legs have plenty of cable burns. He really needs a fenced yard and grass so he can come to terms with his own problems on his own timeline without being forced. He is not getting better. He does like to rush up behind me and put his nose the back of my legs. His way of making contact that is safer than approaching from the front.  

He whines, he barks. He's unhappy in the crate but happier there than loose in the house. Happiest outside but starting to want company but not company enough for petting. Just company to look at. Again, if he had his own choosing, he would be tearing up a backyard with another dog - humans be damned. At least he is now crate trained and does not use the bathroom in it.  

He does not have bite inhibition. Friday night I grabbed his paw when he was licking it (the last time he was displaying licking and chewing his pads, he had a thorn). He pulled away and when I wouldn't give he nipped my hand. But then I put my other hand around on his collar. Repeated the paw pick up on Sunday and he very slowly and firmly bit down on my hand to let me know to let go.  

Just don't know where to go from here with him. I am not sure he will ever be ready to be a dog.

The Diary of Linus the Rosebud

He LOVED Sunday at Sue and Craig's house.   Met Sue wagging when he was on leash. But once in the backyard, he retreated to the grass to a good time and only came two feet on the patio.  He'd lean in and lick a bare toe but not come any further and resist any attempt to lean forward to bring him closer.  The pic to the side is zoomed and cropped. He really had a great time. Tried to make friends with everyone.  Instead of the I'm taller than you are game, he actually shows submissive posturing, lowering himself, not making direct eye contact, turning his head, allowing sniffing, etc. He's desperate to make friends with other dogs and when he does, he's the happiest little thing in the world.  He's got a goofy run and bounces around like a happy rabbit dog.

Yesterday he actually managed to get himself out of his body harness while I was inside on the phone with Kathi and when I came out he was still in front of the steps - leash less.  His harness smashed into the mud where he found it amusing to dig at it and play with it.  So, no fence and no leash and he still stuck right there. Too afraid to wander off and get into trouble, in this case was a good thing. I can't imagine another dog sticking around that long - the phone call was 20 min.

Then I brought him in and he went right to the crate and I being scatter brained like I am didn't shut the crate or put up the baby gate. He just stayed in there all night until I went to walk them again at 10:30, then he came out.

It's been a while (the rosebud diary et al)

It's been a while since I posted on the progress of Rosebud and we are actually going over to a friend's house to let him play with her female pit bull Kayla.  Hopefully that will go well.   He is so submissive and appropriate with other dogs, I don't think there will be any problems.

Basically there has been no progression with the bud with the exception of knowing now that he can not live without the presence of other dogs. When other dogs are around, he seems more normal, more social, more willing to interact.  Without another dog, he goes back to being freaky little rosebud.  

We tried to take another walk and he approaches that like he does the tie out, spurt a little forward, eyes ahead and on me, when he gets to the end he might panic a little and do a quick "bolt/freeze" then we move ahead. Starting and stopping the whole time.  I am of course walking him without the presence of another dog.  That most certainly would help but Annabelle doesn't want to have anything to do with him and Ringo just wants to hump everything that moves.  Even though he (Ringo) lost his balls last week - it hasn't helped so far and the constant "no", "uhuh" and grabbing him around Linus just doesn't help.  Too many negative verbal cues and fast movements for his (Linus/the bud) comfort.

He clearly needs more exercise than he is getting now that his weight has improved and his body is healthy but it becomes more difficult since he can't walk on a leash yet and I have no playmates or fenced yard. He can't play with me because he is a little inappropriate and he needs to know that teeth aren't for people. So now he just tears up things he can reach - tore up some potted plants, dumped and shredded the recycling.  I can't get him interested in hooves or bones, he doesn't know how to handle them yet.  The only thing he seems to enjoy chewing on are those rope toy balls and I have filled his crate with them.  He's now on avoderm senior and that seems to be working well for him.

I did give him a filled rawhide the other day and he chewed it until it was soft all over then swallowed the whole thing - hoping that won't cause problems later.

Annabelle's going senile (more on that later), the Cosmo allergies, Zelda diarrhea again - @#*#!@$&@#$ and I'm in love with Ringo.  

Two new dogs

I should be shot. Went to the shelter to check out a dog that someone offered to foster.  She didn't pass her evaluation - just too many issues. I hope someone helps her.  But we ended up bringing home two more dogs -another puppy with a broken leg!!! and a young adult male pit bull.

No place really for either one of them but those little gems couldn't stay behind.

Dinner inside (the rosebud diary)

It's official, he's decided he will eat breakfast outside in the peaceful morning but he will not eat dinner outside. He spills his meal and just generally farts around.  When I clean it up and bring him in, he happily eats in his crate.  Tonight he's eating with the door open and actually, he can leave the crate if he wants. I've got the baby gates up in the kitchen. He's been standing in there for ....oh, about 50 minutes now.  He came out once when I was setting up the gate on one side of the elliptical and once he saw the baby gate on the other side of the kitchen, he scrambled back through the narrow hallway to his crate and hasn't come back out.  Weirdo.  Took a flying leap down the steps and cracked open his chin again when his front legs didn't' catch him and I didn't have a good hold on his leash.

Has started making alien noises when I come home. At least the crate was dry today : )

Zelda has diarrhea again, now that we've gotten past majority science diet in the food bin and has a higher ratio of blue buffalo sensitive skin....the diarrhea is back. Guess I'm off to buy more science diet to mix in.  damn it, you would think a month+ of gradual change would stave off the diarrhea.  Nope.  Just when Cosmo's allergies seem to be improving.  *!@#&#!@