An Observation

[CountryEscape]

I have a totally open mind, if this is someone's pup. At this point, no one has called, no one has asked about it, and I will go one step further and see if he has a microchip. Probably the only way he has that is if he was already at the shelter and someone adopted him. Otherwise, I doubt anyone went to the expense of having one put in, although I know they are not that expensive.
He actually is trying to come out of his shell. (Pic from my cell phone, so it's small, sorry.)

This morning he came out from under the end table, and tried to play with the other dogs who were playing tug of war. Denali, the brindle Boston, keeps bringing her toys to him, so at one point he had 4 toys laying next to him. She's trying her best.
Tomorrow, when I start digging my new pond, I will be outside all day and he will get a chance to see that I'm not there to hurt him, he can wander where ever he wants to go. I'm just glad he feels safe enough here to have gotten out of the pen yesterday, and still stayed in the yard. That's a good sign, right?!

 

[sissy]

Well country at least you are trying and can take alot for dogs to trust someone if they have been scared .Puppies usually get scared easly and it could have come from being chased by other dogs or people who don't want a strange dog hanging around .Some are afraid of rabies .On the internet here they have a place where you can post a pic of a lost or found dog from the local animal rescue ,do you have that there .

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh, and on a "cat issue", I let dogs outside this morning to do their thing, and of course Tarzan, my black cat, wanted to go out. When I was trying to catch the puppy, I noticed water on the pond edge rocks! I freaked!!! It was along the edge with the shelf, and so I went to check on the fish, who were all in the deep end, couldn't tell if any missing ...... then I noticed a VERY wet Tarzan! Guess he fell in. LOL Poor guy, he stayed outside for a long time licking himself dry. He didn't want to come in while he was wet, I guess.

 

[sissy]

Uh oh he must have been snooping .

 

[pecan]

CE, that is a cute pic, and so cute that your other dog is trying so hard. What a good heart she has. Silly kitty falling in the pond.
I was cleaning my Beta tank once and had the Beta in a bowl on the counter while I cleaned his tank. I looked over and saw our tabby cat sitting next to the bowl looking down from the top motionless. Naughty kitty thought she was going to get a treat.

 

[sissy]

did I hear a dinner bell LOL

 

[j.w]

I'd say you and Denali are close to winning the little guy over real soon. Yes I agree it's a good sign he feels safe at your place and doesn't want to leave. Poor baby!

And silly Tarzan prolly learned his lesson to not do whatever he was doing so close to the pond edge

 

[CountryEscape]

I'm pretty sure I know what Tarzan was up to this morning. I watched him this evening. He had started "bopping" the baby koi on the head when I would feed down in the basement pool, so he is no longer allowed in that room! It was kind of funny, as he never really did any harm, and the fish didn't even bother to swim away, just down for 2 seconds, then back up. He thought it was great fun, though, getting his paw wet. He has no front claws, BTW, so not like he could have caught any of the fish. Well, tonight he's walking the edge of the pond and leaning way over toward the water. I know he's hoping one will get close enough to "bop" it, but they don't. And the other part of me says it is a good thing. he will teach them to be wary of anything that is on the edge of the pond! I always feed them from above on the deck. Maybe that will help keep them safe from any other predators. I can hope, at least.
Tonight when I got home and let Yukon out of the pen, he ran around and played with the other dogs for over an hour. When we went inside, I went through the garage, as sometimes he would come into the garage and then I could let him into the house. Well, he went right back into the pen and laid down in the dog house. Good boy! I crawled into the house and brought him into the house, though. I want him to have as much interaction with me as possible. I put a little harness on him so when I need to take him outside to go potty, I'll be able to bring him back inside, rather than have to try to corner him or sneak up on him, which I don't like to do. In the house, he just stops trying to walk away eventually.
Tomorrow a.m. I will take him to get checked for a microchip. If there is one, I'll be shocked, but I'm more than willing to give him back to his owners, if there are any that want him back. And, if they don't want him, I'll be happy to keep him.

 

[j.w]

That would be cute photo's or video of Tarzan doing that to the koi CE.

Weird that the pup is so scared of people. Usually puppies that have been around people are licking you all over and wanting attention. I think he has been hurt by people somehow and does not trust them to be nice to him. If you keep it up his fear will go away eventually. Hoping you don't find the old owners cuz I have a bad feeling about them. See what they think at the vets about him being so fearful.

 

[CountryEscape]

Yep, I will ask questions. I know I had a dog that was raised in a kennel, never got petted, just got bred and had puppies. She was so backward, never should have been raising puppies. I seriously think she had a screw loose. The breeder gave her to us, she was scared of us, never let us pet her unless she had puppies. We raised on litter (we were very stupid back then) and she had a puppy that was just like her. The pup was VERY tiny, I think maybe retarded, seriously, and the new owners came back a year later, said they loved her to death, but she would not let them pet her! She loves her owners, sat under their chair, etc, but never did get over it and never warmed up to them. I could not believe they loved her! They came to get another pup (different female LOL) and hoped that it would help the first one learn to love people. We spayed that female and never had any more puppies out of her, but kept her anyhow. She had a rough life, didn't deserve to go anywhere else.
I see progress every day with Yukon. He has looked at me 3 times this evening and not turned away. That's progress. I let him lick out my bowl from nacho cheese, and he let me pet him on his head, and didn't try to move away. So, treats will help. Little by little he is coming out of it, but it's going to be a long road for him to get to the point of coming to me when I call, and wanting to be petted. Baby steps first ....

 

[addy1]

I picked up a sheltie mix from the pound years back, it was set to be terminated the next day. Curled up in a ball in the back of the cage, nose to the corner, shaking, broke my heart. I took him home, he had been beaten with a stick, is what I figured out, totally afraid of anything in your hand. It took a year before he would take any food, including steak from my hands, after that he was great. Time, love and patience usually will win over.

 

[CountryEscape]

That was a long year, huh, Addy?! Wow. And, yes, I agree any puppy that has had any nice human contact after maybe an hour would have been whining to be petted, even if scared, and wagging it's little tail. Not this guy, but I see improvement every day, just baby steps, but anything is better than nothing.

 

[j.w]

He will come around eventually. I have faith in the little fellow w/ you being his teacher CE! Can't wait to see him when he decides to let you be his ma ma!

 

[CountryEscape]

I'm inside getting a sandwich before hitting the digging again, and he's been in the pen snuggled in the dog house the whole time. I guess it's a good thing that he feels totally comfortable in that pen. That tells me that he was raised in a pen, never had any contact, just thought he was supposed to be left alone all his life.
BTW, vet checked him, no microchip. They cut his toenails and wormed him ... for free!!! Asked if I wanted to get his shots but told them I had him in the paper and on the radio for next day, so didn't want to spend money and have someone come and get him still. Secretly, I will put Frontline on him today, and I give my own shots except for rabies, and only because vets are the only ones that can give rabies. I pretty much do everything to my animals, but when they need to see the vet, they get taken for sure!

 

[j.w]

Well so far it sounds like you may have new buddy CE.

Now back to work w/ the digging,lol!