Now that I've made the decision to adopt Allie, I start working on getting her used to her new family. One of the way she is dealing with her fear is by hiding in places where I can't see her, and she can't see us. How will she ever learn house manners if she can't see her mentor, Dulcie?
Her crate is in the bedroom, so she's with us at night. During the day, I try to keep her near me by tying her leash to my waist. After she chews through one leash in seconds, and starts on the second, I figure I need to back up and find something less threatening to start with.
Her crate is in the bedroom, so she's with us at night. During the day, I try to keep her near me by tying her leash to my waist. After she chews through one leash in seconds, and starts on the second, I figure I need to back up and find something less threatening to start with.
At first, I think about a playpen, but I realize she would probably be able to get out of it. The point is to have her within my sight without making her feel trapped or unduly exposed. She can't be in her crate forever, no matter how much she wants to be. It's up to me to figure something out that works for all of us.
It needs to be portable, so I can take it from room to room easily. Lightweight and sturdy. She shouldn't be able to climb out of it, but it needs to be easy for me to put her into it and take her out. After considering several different things, I finally figure it out. The Allie Carte is born!
 |
| Allie (in her body wrap) relaxes in her custom Carte. |
Yes, it's a shopping cart. I placed a pillow and a folded towel in it for her comfort. I tossed my house wrap over it to make it feel more like a den to her.
If you look closely, you can see that Allie is wearing a body wrap to help her relax.
This body wrap, which I learned from Tellington-Jone's book "Getting in T-Touch With Your Dog," had proven invaluable when Allie was out of her crate and could not stop running frantically from room to room. Within minutes of wrapping her in the elastic bandages, she was asleep by Dulcie's side. On the floor, in the open, fast asleep. In under 5 minutes. (Yes, do take a moment to order the book. It's that helpful. We'll still be here when you get done.)
It was the first time I had seen Allie asleep since I brought her home. I began to suspect that she was sleep deprived. After all, a shelter is not the quietest place to rest in, and there's been so much to learn about her new home.
Allie gets parked wherever I'm working. In the office, where I learn she doesn't care much for Jimmy Buffett. I humor her, figuring that there's plenty other music in our CD library for us to listen to while I'm fighting the paperwork beast. In the living room where she finds out how much I hate dusting. Everywhere we go, Dulcie settles in near to Allie. I'm hoping it will be only be a short while that she'll need the Carte before she feels more at home.
If you look closely, you can see that Allie is wearing a body wrap to help her relax.
This body wrap, which I learned from Tellington-Jone's book "Getting in T-Touch With Your Dog," had proven invaluable when Allie was out of her crate and could not stop running frantically from room to room. Within minutes of wrapping her in the elastic bandages, she was asleep by Dulcie's side. On the floor, in the open, fast asleep. In under 5 minutes. (Yes, do take a moment to order the book. It's that helpful. We'll still be here when you get done.)
It was the first time I had seen Allie asleep since I brought her home. I began to suspect that she was sleep deprived. After all, a shelter is not the quietest place to rest in, and there's been so much to learn about her new home.
Allie gets parked wherever I'm working. In the office, where I learn she doesn't care much for Jimmy Buffett. I humor her, figuring that there's plenty other music in our CD library for us to listen to while I'm fighting the paperwork beast. In the living room where she finds out how much I hate dusting. Everywhere we go, Dulcie settles in near to Allie. I'm hoping it will be only be a short while that she'll need the Carte before she feels more at home.
I remember these posts last year on FB... it is absolutely amazing to see where she's come since then.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Sometimes I forget how crazy it was at first.
ReplyDelete