Socializing a shy foster pitbull - picture heavy

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Postby Hoyden » April 24th, 2006, 9:08 pm

This past Saturday, we packed up the kids and dogs and trouped up to Massachusetts to plant some grass for SisMorphine and to help her socialize her foster pitbull Venus with new STRANGE people.

Venus is terrifed of people, but Alyssa has made great strides with her. Interacting with strange people was the next step for Venus. Loud and strange - that would be us.

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The Gremlin watching Aladdin and chattering away constantly to Venus. (The poor dog!)

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At first, she kept her head down and shook

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The poor girl wasn't quite sure and looked so afraid of us.

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Eventually, she got used to seeing us and didn't cower and shake.

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She ate her dinner in between Mark's feet so she could get used to strange humans.


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And then Autumn sat on the floor and fed her fistfuls of treats, making her work closer and closer for them.

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Notice that there are two pitbulls and a greyhound on the couch. The Gremlin is off to the right somewhere and Venus is LOOKING for treats and interacting with us.

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Autumn is out of treats, so now Venus goes to say Hi to Petey and see if Mark has anymore treats.


THE NEXT MORNING:

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Venus nudges Petey out of the way to get treats from Autumn.

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She responds to the Gremlin calling "Veenie Weenie"

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She lets Mark pet her without flinching or skittering away

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And she didn't let Birdie push her away from being scratched


She actually let out a yelpy bark when we left, I'd like to think she wanted to go home with the crazy people who fed her bacon. :)
Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men ~ General George S. Patton, Jr.

She taking all the stars down from her sky to hang them up someplace new, where there's better weather and the sky's a different blue. ~ Autumn Fields
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Postby Marinepits » April 24th, 2006, 9:12 pm

Oh, great photos and great story, Hoyden! Glad to see Venus is doing so well.
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Postby Maryellen » April 24th, 2006, 9:13 pm

totally fantastic!!!! that is soooo amazing , what great work you all did!!!!
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Postby Purple » April 24th, 2006, 9:13 pm

Hey, looks like you're making progress! Thanks for sharing your weekend!!!
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Postby SisMorphine » April 24th, 2006, 9:15 pm

Noel those pics are great.

I can't even tell you how excited I was to see Venus crawling all over Autumn for treats! It was amazing.

It's unfortunate that I look like a drunken fatty in those pics, though. Guess I shouldn't slouch . . .
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Postby Purple » April 24th, 2006, 9:27 pm

Bahahaha, I recognize the Gremlin's shirt!!!
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Postby satanscheerleader » April 24th, 2006, 9:37 pm

Awesome. I have a total soft spot for those shy pups. :)
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Postby Hoyden » April 24th, 2006, 9:48 pm

Purple wrote:Bahahaha, I recognize the Gremlin's shirt!!!


You'd recognize her sweat suit and socks too. The darn kid will only wear Old Navy. Tell them to make more dog shirts so I don't have to fight with her in the morning!
Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men ~ General George S. Patton, Jr.

She taking all the stars down from her sky to hang them up someplace new, where there's better weather and the sky's a different blue. ~ Autumn Fields
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Postby Jenn » April 24th, 2006, 9:49 pm

Great pics, and story! :) "Gremlin" is too cute!
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Postby Hoyden » April 24th, 2006, 9:53 pm

JennKBM wrote:Great pics, and story! :) "Gremlin" is too cute!


Want her?

She has a smart mouth, but she feeds the dogs, gives them water and lets them in and out with out being reminded.

She gets into fights at daycare but always wins. She's a "game" pre-schooler. God help any one who says anything bad about pitbulls, she'll tell them off and set them straight real quick.

She comes with a one gallon bucket and kodiak shovel for poop duty, all her clothing, toys and furniture.
Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men ~ General George S. Patton, Jr.

She taking all the stars down from her sky to hang them up someplace new, where there's better weather and the sky's a different blue. ~ Autumn Fields
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Postby SisMorphine » April 24th, 2006, 10:03 pm

You forgot to add her motor mouth!!!!

I think poor Venus and Sexy Rexy had their ears talked off all weekend long . . .
"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." -Anatole France
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Postby Purple » April 24th, 2006, 10:11 pm

SisMorphine wrote:You forgot to add her motor mouth!!!!

I think poor Venus and Sexy Rexy had their ears talked off all weekend long . . .



Her mother's daughter, fer sure!!! LMAO!
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Postby Jenn » April 24th, 2006, 10:24 pm

Hoyden wrote:
JennKBM wrote:Great pics, and story! :) "Gremlin" is too cute!


Want her?

She has a smart mouth, but she feeds the dogs, gives them water and lets them in and out with out being reminded.

She gets into fights at daycare but always wins. She's a "game" pre-schooler. God help any one who says anything bad about pitbulls, she'll tell them off and set them straight real quick.

She comes with a one gallon bucket and kodiak shovel for poop duty, all her clothing, toys and furniture.


LOL!! I'm barely surviving my own "Gremlin", though she's affectionately known as Demon. ;) The above explanation sounds just like her, and makes me smile. Though I'm not sure how I survived those days of early daycare, lol. I'm just about bald, and I'd like to hold on to the 4 or so strands I have left though!
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Postby Hoyden » April 24th, 2006, 10:39 pm

JennKBM wrote:
Hoyden wrote:
JennKBM wrote:Great pics, and story! :) "Gremlin" is too cute!


Want her?

She has a smart mouth, but she feeds the dogs, gives them water and lets them in and out with out being reminded.

She gets into fights at daycare but always wins. She's a "game" pre-schooler. God help any one who says anything bad about pitbulls, she'll tell them off and set them straight real quick.

She comes with a one gallon bucket and kodiak shovel for poop duty, all her clothing, toys and furniture.


LOL!! I'm barely surviving my own "Gremlin", though she's affectionately known as Demon. ;) The above explanation sounds just like her, and makes me smile. Though I'm not sure how I survived those days of early daycare, lol. I'm just about bald, and I'd like to hold on to the 4 or so strands I have left though!


She's about ready to end up on probation at Daycare. For her smart mouth and for fighting. She doesn't start the fights, but she finished them.

The kid doesn't quit, she just goes and goes and goes.
Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men ~ General George S. Patton, Jr.

She taking all the stars down from her sky to hang them up someplace new, where there's better weather and the sky's a different blue. ~ Autumn Fields
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Postby cheekymunkee » April 24th, 2006, 10:42 pm

Great pictures! You can keep the kid. :wink:
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Postby Asta » April 25th, 2006, 5:17 am

What wonderful progress!!! It makes my heart all mushy seeing her progress :) As for the Gremlin, bonne chance!!!

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Postby ellie@ny » April 25th, 2006, 6:47 am

Very nice !!!
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Postby Patch O' Pits » April 25th, 2006, 7:15 am

Keep up the great work with her! :)
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Postby SisMorphine » April 25th, 2006, 8:03 am

Patch O' Pits wrote:Keep up the great work with her! :)

Thanks! She is coming along amazingly. Seriously, I can't believe how much progress she has made. And it's all thanks to Chris, April, and Megan's guidance and training. And my "strange" friends who let me use them to socialize her.

I love that Weenie. She is going to be the perfect addition to someone's home.
"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." -Anatole France
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