IVY

Notes from the foster: Ivy is a sweet pup who could be a wonderful pet for an adopter with an appropriate physical space and a commitment to providing the training that she clearly didnt receive before being abandoned. There were specific reasons why her foster placement with me wasnt workable, but these wouldnt apply to all settings. Ill start with the bad news and explain the issues: She clearly had been an outdoor-only, backyard dog before and I dont have a back yard. She was afraid of my front door, deck, front steps, and patio, so I couldnt take her out there for toileting as I had planned. The only way out of my house was in the back, through the garage, and then walking around the block to the public park. She had clearly never been walked on a leash before. Initially, it was a chaotic mess of slaloming in front of me and/or crashing into me. Even more problematic was the fact that she wouldnt relieve herself, on the leash. I spent hours out in the park with her, having her sniff all of the popular peeing spots, which she clearly found entertaining; but she was not inspired to join in. The only place I could have let her have outdoor off-leash time was on my patio, which (as per above) she was inexplicably afraid of and wouldnt go near. Thus, I spent four days desperately trying to get her to pee and poop outside, to no avail. Her other slightly problematic behavior was chewing. Shes young, and its normal and understandable, but it started somewhat suddenly on Day 2, and I had to scramble to get bully sticks and rawhides because she was shredding cardboard, paper towels, and one unfortunate shoe. My fault for not getting out ahead of that problem, though. She did much better once she had appropriate things to chew on. Lastly, as you might expect after being abandoned, she had some separation anxiety. I spent a lot of time hanging out with her. Any attempt on my part to stand up was countered by her crawling into my lap to keep me from moving. Once I was on my feet, she would not just follow me around, but actively block my path and get underfoot. At first she would whine when I left the room, until she learned how to follow me up the stairs. So, she was pretty needy at first, and a bit large to be climbing all over me the way she wanted to. On the other hand, the good news: apart from the toileting problems that I couldnt solve, most of her issues improved as she settled in and she also has a lot of great qualities. She started to figure out the leash situation pretty quickly, and while shes still a bit squirrely, it did get a lot less frustrating in just a couple of days, and I dont doubt she would continue to improve, with training and consistency. She also figured out the stairs quickly, going from complete avoidance on Day 1, to actually chasing a ball up and down the stairs by Day 3. Shes great in the car. Shes unclear on how to get in, and needed a boost, but once in she seemed quite happy. Shes friendly with everyone - adults, children, mail carriers, other dogs, even seemingly with cats, although I didnt let her get close enough to fully test her apparent desire to be friends. The only thing she tried to chase was birds, and even that just seemed playful, not like a serious prey drive kind of chasing. Shes very quiet. For the first two days, the closest thing I heard to vocalization was one impressive burp. Then we encountered some kids playing soccer in the park, and she started barking, but just in an excited way that suggested she wanted to join in. I suspect this may have been a familiar activity to her. That was the only bark I ever heard from her. Other things that could be good to know: She isnt very treat-motivated or else I never found the right treats, but I tried several kinds. Shell take them if offered, but she wasnt terribly excited about it and definitely wouldnt do anything she didnt already feel like doing, for a treat. I tried waiting to give her regular food until after her walk, in hopes of eliciting more interest in the treats, but she was still meh about the whole treat scenario. Shes also somewhat indifferent to verbal corrections. Definitely not fearful - I dont get the sense that she was ever actively abused, and shes awfully well-socialized for a neglected dog. I wonder if perhaps the adults neglected her, but there were kids in the household who played with her. Perhaps shes just used to a chaotic environment, such that people raising their voices is unremarkable to her. She likes chewing on rope toys, but she has zero interest in tug play. Every time I tried, she was just like, Oh, okay, you can have it and that was it. Maybe shell discover the joy of tugging in the future, but right now she has no idea that its a thing. She LOVES bully sticks. Still not in an Ill do what you want to get one kind of way, but she sure enjoys them once theyre offered. She also enjoyed a kong with dog-safe peanut butter in it, and she liked the rawhide too, but bully sticks were the clear winner. (Also cardboard soda-can cartons, and paper towels, but I obviously didnt encourage those.) Chasing a ball was well-received for a while, but she was satisfied after a few minutes - shes not a please throw the ball 600 more times kind of dog, although she might find it more exciting if she could be off-leash in a yard. Lots and lots of pawing and high-fiving. Cute, but a little relentless. Also loves resting her head in a lap.