Beyond Obedience's Newest Pack Member

Meet Jake.   A 12 year old Australian Shepard. Jake has a story. A 12 year story.  And the truth is I don't know his whole story. Only Jake knows this. So I am starting his story today, or a few days ago, when I met him. My husband and I drove out to Pakenham, to meet Jake , his current owner and a potential new owner. Jakes current owner wanted to give Jake a better life, and while many of us out there can say, how can you give away a 12 year old dog? it is not my place to judge or critize as it does nothing to help Jake in this transistion, The interested potential new  owner brought her 6 year old Sheltie Bailey to see how the dogs would react. Introductions of dogs can be a tricky thing. It is often not as simple as "let them figure it out" Well let me clarify.. It is that simple when humans are not involved. Dogs are remarkable at figuring it out without much fighting and rarely bloodshed. But add a human into the equation, well that is another story. Quite often we are the cause of much of the fights and disagreements amongst dogs. We think that dogs are acting out of jealously but sadly this is just in our own heads and in my opinion not true. Jealousy is a complex emotion that I believe dogs are too intelligent to suffer from. ( I know many of you will disagree but we can save that debate for another time :)   ) Quite often when a new dogs enters into a pack with another dog and some humans, the original dog takes offence to the new dog because he has his pack of humans well trained and the new dog is going to interfere with all his well laid plans. This would have been the case with Bailey. It was quite clear from the moment I met Bailey that he had his pack under control. The owner admitted this too. Bailey was 'spoiled' and he was quite comfortable in his life. So after a few walks and some talking we brought Jake home with us. 

  Any new dog that enters into the Beyond Obedience pack starts off the same. Structured pack walk. The structure walk allows dogs to "meet" while understanding the relationship and hierarchy here at the facility.  For most dogs this pack walk starts off slightly stressful but soon becomes a method of reassurance to the new dog. Pack migration is natural in the canine mind, and although the pack members may be new, the dynamic of this migration is not. Essentially I am taking the guess work out of it for the new dog.  We are a pack. The humans are in charge. Once that is established, the new dogs' mind is put at ease and tension quickly dissipates. We started Jake out no different. Even though both my husband and I were already soaked and tired from Jake's initial meet in Pakenham, we knew we had to do it again and probably again and then again. We first introduced Jake to Jessie, our older mixed breed female and Wellington, the intact male Newfoundland who has the highest dog ranking here at Beyond Obedience.  As expected Jake's presence set Wellington into a less than cordial greeting as Jake is not  neutered and much older than Wellington. But I disagreed with Wellingtons reaction and we were off. We walk until all dogs settle in and there is no sign of stress or anxious behaviour. This didn't take long and we continue introducing our other dogs in the same fashion. Before long it was plain to see that Jake likes the ladies, but not a fan of the boys. Not unusual for an older intact male for sure, but something we would continue to work on. After the walks and Jake was tired we asked him to rest in a large crate in the house.  Unfortunately Jake has confinement issues from his past and this was made apparent after we successfully got him in the crate and walked away. Jake has the most soulful and one of the saddest howls I have ever heard. But this was something we would also have to work on. Although the sound would break your heart it was important to make sure we didn't  feed into this by talking to him or telling him it is ok. We had to let him be. This is an issue that he needs to face. Instead we started him on a routine of short duration positive confinement  (ie putting him in  the crate) to eat and then when he is quiet and calm let him out and play. This way he learns that confinement isn't a death sentence but instead part of daily life, and nothing to get worried about.

Day 2

   I took Jake out first thing in the morning for his walk with a few of our pack members, later he helped me walk the kids down to the school bus and then went for another walk with different pack members. (we do lots of walking here) He really walks well with the other dogs even if they are not his best friends. We went into the indoor play yard and I wanted to see if he would play. The previous owner mentioned he had a huge play drive and I wanted to see for myself. Jake was more interested in sniffing and marking the area at first but soon I got his attention with a basketball and I got to see the working dog come out. Pretty impressive! He got pretty dirty so   I then decided Jake was overdue for a nice bath and trim.

 He did fabulous in the bath and was a real rock star for the dryer and trimming procedure ( and he looks and smells fantastic).  After the bath we did some more walks and got the kids off the school bus. He was very cheerful and submissive to see the kids off the bus. A very encouraging sign.  That night after final playtime he entered his suite on his own without encouragement but still howled when we left.

Day 3

Pack walks today with guest Yogi. Wasn't love at first site as Yogi is an intense boy, but he walked well and stayed right with us. Mark discovered Jake's love for Frisbees. So much fun!!!! Note to self: buy more Frisbees!!!!  We want to make sure that Jake understands that the kids are pack leaders too. I invited Paisley to play with Jake and she had a good time, and so did Jake!
We continue to work on Jake's confinement issues. Still a sad howl  when left but much better at going into a suite.  Also Jake is obviously feeling more comfortable in the house as he has tried marking some of the furniture. He is easily corrected, and does not take offense.  He has bonded more with us as he always likes to be with or near us.

Day 4 and 5

  Pack walks are going fantastic!  Jake knows what is expected of him and fits in beautifully. He has been going out for group with Jessie, Lincoln, Mariah, and Soda (sometimes Berlin) and doing well. If there is toy he is playing with, he prefers to work alone. Lincoln loves him and although the feeling is not mutual,  Lincoln has not taken offense to this. Jake is good in the house (still have to watch for marking) and always sleeping at my feet. There is an intense bond as he is obviously comforted by my presence.  This is normal when you provide clear structure to a new dog. When a dog is feeling vulnerable, we need to be more confident leaders to help them through the transition and Jake has adjusted really well.

Day 6

  New guest dog pack walk this morning. Tonka was trying to be dominate, and Jake did not approve but looked to me for support. I immediately corrected Tonka, and Jake went back to submissive position. I love it when a dog asks a question!!!

This afternoon I had Jake with me outside while I was moving the outdoor play equipment inside. I noticed Jake trying to help by picking up logs. So I put him to the test and asked him take in the plastic jumps. He did awesome and was so proud of himself! He is a truly amazing dog! He loves to work!!! I love a working dog!!!! He is brilliant!!!! And really coming out of his shell!

Day 7

  Snow! and Jake is having a blast with the kids. Ben loves the fact that Jake will jump in the air to catch his snowballs! Jake is sleeping more soundly now which is a great indicator of his comfort level with us in his new home. We love this boy and are truly blessed to share our lives with him!!!!