My latest guest star: Tibor the Border Collie (or "How I Became a Seeing-Eye Human")

I love reading your updates. You are doing a wonderful with/for him.

You're a Star Emily

 

Sounds like he is starting to settle in with you and the new routines. Excellent work, Emily!! Funny you should say that about his lack of sniffing skills. The first thing I noticed about Simba that was different from my BCs is how much he would sniff while out walking! BCs are much more sight-oriented...which is hard for him since he doesn't have that. And being a rescue he will also have some baggage because of that. But BCs are very smart and I'm sure he will figure things out quickly. And about the human language thing...My last dog, Jet, figured out the word "walk" very soon and we began to spell it...which he also figured out...so we just said "w"... which he also figured out...so we gave up

 

Oh, that's interesting. I guess it makes sense when you think about that intense stare they use in herding!

While I tend to lump together "sniffing and marking", now that I'm paying more attention, he actually is doing much less sniffing than marking. And he's giving up the sniffing more easily than the marking behaviour. He's so smart...he's figured out that I can tell if he puts his head down he's about to wee and I use that to head him off at the pass, so he's started to mark/wee without changing his pace or head position. Tricky boy!

But for only a week, he's come leaps and bounds. We can actually get a decent walking pace going now and that makes us BOTH happier!

 

This was such a precious and interesting read!

Especially some of his behaviours when I thought of my blind Riddick - like constantly touching you with his nose. Riddick is happy in his own home and garden, but he will still some to sit or lie on my feet in the garden, and in the house if I move he's up and following me.
When he's had to have a cone, my calves have blue stripes from him bumping into me!
When he goes somewhere he doesn't know, or somewhere he's only been a few times, he has this constant whine-pant-growl-rumble and it can take him up to an hour to calm down and be quiet. It makes it difficult for vets to tell if he's in pain or not if they examine him!
If we go for a walk, he's only happy if he holds his lead, otherwise he zigzags all over the place, at top speed, for sounds and smells. And he's a big strong dog! At the vet he knows exactly where the doors to the exam rooms and the reception area are and he constantly tries to pull you to the door to go home!

 

I almost forgot - I put bells inside his favourite ball toy! As his eyes got worse he could hear it but he couldn't always follow it as it slowed down and he loves "fetch"!
I also have a rubber bracelet (you know those awareness-type things that you can buy?) with a few bells on it that I wear and jingle when we are outside or out. The other dogs also wear bells 'coz he would be trying to play and they would change direction and he'd lose them! And now he can hear them moving in the house and the garden, although he will still walk into them or fall over them if they stand or lie still.

 

You should be proud of the time and effort you put into these lovely dogs. I'm sure you're a huge part of them being able to find their forever homes

 

Definitely a common trait! In a way, the following about is sweet, but I live in such a small apartment that we find ourselves tripping over each other. I have to do the "chihuahua" shuffle even though Tibor is a fairly substantial-sized dog. But this is more my issue than Tibor's, so I just need to tamp down my morning grumpiness after we've done the "blind dog cha cha cha" for the fifth time when I'm trying to get ready in the morning. Tibor's probably thinking, "Oh, this lady has no grace and rhythm, what a sad excuse for a dance partner!".

This is a really good tip, thanks! I don't have other dogs, but likely his forever home will, so this is something we can share with them.

Other dogs in general are now one of my biggest challenges as he is dog-reactive on leash and while I've dealt with that a lot in the past, how to handle it for a sightless dog requires a different spin. "Look at That" training is going to have to morph into "Listen to That".

On the other hand, if he doesn't hear the other dog go past him, he of course has no reaction whatsoever, so I guess in that way, a blind reactive dog is easier than a sighted one. Silver lining.

 

Oh thats funny! I have learned - after all these years - to look for him, but I still fall over him a couple of times a week!

Riddick's nose definitely makes up for his sight!! He KNOWS there's another dog, and in the vet's reception it is especially tricky 'coz he's doing his whine-grunt-pant thing and working up all the other dogs, and he wants to go and greet them!
I also have to touch his nose with my finger when I offer him a treat, else he snatches at the smell and nearly takes my finger off! :O

 

Or, "Oh, această doamnă nu are nici un grație și ritm, ce scuză tristă pentru un partener de dans!"

Yup, I googled that. Rumbled.

 

Yeah, but can you PRONOUNCE that?

 

Not quite yet, but maybe when I get my next cold.

 

So here's my freaky Tibi story of the day:

Big work day, started at 5am, walked Tibi at 6:30am, no break possible until a little after noon. Tibi starts doing his pacing around thing (he's normally pretty stationary in the house), so that either means "Time for a Kong" or "Time for a walk".

But this time, he goes in the corner where I keep his harness and leash, drags them off the short table they are on and brings them in my direction.



My first thought was, "He can't find a Kong stuffed with liver inside his own crate yet he's figured out where I keep the leash?"

And my second thought was, "I'm in trouble, this dog is smarter than I am."

If he now goes on to join the Lambie Network it will be the first sign of the apocalypse.

 

Now there's a boy knows what he wants xx

 

Good lad

 

Definitely got the smarts.

 

And definitely don't buy him a Lambie.

 

You've got that right!

 

Well done, Tibor! Just making sure you're keeping one step ahead of Emily?

 

Oh ya...smart. You'll have to be on your toes!

 

I've not posted anything here in a few days because frankly I'm a bit of a loss at how to describe my tenure as Tibor's foster human. It may not be a popular thing to say and it may disappoint people to hear, but I'm just not clicking with this dog. I fully recognise that for the right person, he will be the perfect dog. For me, however, he has zero personality. We are not having fun. I'd even go so far to say that if this was my only doggie experience, I'd think all dog people were out of their minds for taking on so much responsibility for so little reward.

Sigh.

So here's my little rant for the day.

Tibi is doing fine. In the house, he continues to be very easy. He's happy to go in his crate and is still a Kong addict. He no longer tries to wee on his food, water or toys. He does follow me very closely if I get up to move, which to be honest can make me grumpy, as it means I have to constantly shuffle and gently move him out of the way. Definitely no rushing around in the morning trying to get ready!

Outside is another story. He has learned the concept of a potty spot and "go potty" as a command (yes, I know "potty" is kind of silly, but that's what I started with with my first dog Duncan and it kind of stuck). He's making progress with "Let's go" (walking forward) and "Wait" (at a stop light for example). He marks significantly less than he did the first few days and his moments of stopping completely or spinning in place have reduced by probably 80%.

But now he pulls. Hard. And crashes into my legs going side to side. And tries to go after other dogs (or a sound he perceives as another dog). And wees while slowing and walking down the centre of the street. And today - the newest addition - wees on my da*n feet while we are waiting for traffic.

We're working on the pulling. We're working on the dog reactivity. I can wash off my feet ("yay!" for Teva water sandals).

But I'm tired and my heart is not in it. I think back on where I was at with Toby (my indomitable Bodeguero foster in Spain) and at three weeks I was wanting to kill him 80% of the time, but I was also IN LOVE with the little dude. My arms were black and blue from him scratching and biting for attention, but at the same time, I admired his SASS and determination. Looking back on a lot of my fosters, this is how it goes...the first week anything goes, the second/third weeks you see the real personality come through and by week three/four you are in love - or at least in a state of begrudging admiration.

Three weeks in, and Tibor feels like a blank piece of paper. With the exception of food, there's nothing that gets him very excited. Well, I'm sure there IS, but I've not figured it out yet.

Add to this the fact that due to a minor medical issue, I need to leave him next week with his former foster mama - who will put him back on his Flexi line and food that gives him the perpetual runs (a problem I just got sorted) - and things will likely go back to square one when I get him back... well, I'm feeling a bit down about the whole thing.

As I don't want to end this on a down note, I'll say that maybe the break will give me some fresh energy and top up my patience reserves. He IS a good dog and I feel like a total heel even admitting that I've not clicked with him yet. So here's to hoping I'm singing a different tune in a couple of weeks!