The New Guy -- Initially Shy

MEET BADGER....

He didn't come with that name and I wasn't sure it would become his name but when I first met him and then a few days after having him here...it had to be Badger. See, because of his shyness, he practically crawled on his belly to me. His body spread out and he has a dark stripe down his back and had a more furry face at the time, he looked like a Badger, I wasn't the only one that thought so. It took two times for me to call him with that name and he answers to it every time since. Of course, I could probably call him a different name each time and he'd still come to me -- he loves attention. He does still get low to the ground sometimes, but not as much.

I picked him up from the pound on Monday. He had been there a month and a half. He was found along with 2 females, roaming a retirement housing/shopping community. Whomever owned them, had no interest in taking them back. The vet the three had been taken to said they were used for breeding due to how the girl's bellies and teats were, it seemed they had had a number of litters. In case you don't know, some not very professional breeders often just release their bitches and studs to the world outside of the space they are used to. Yup, just let them go to fend for themselves. They don't even have the decency to surrender them to the Humane Society or to a rescue. It's about making money, not caring very much for the animals that help them to make their money. When their jobs are done, they get released.

The females were adopted out but no one wanted him because he is a leg lifter and has not been neutered. He is one of the best dogs....people drive me nuts. Yes, you have to work with a dog that's been abandoned. Yes, males (and many females) mark their territory. Yes, once trained he will not lift his leg in your house. Yes, there are "diapers" called Belly Bands that can be used in the interim. Yes, you can also crate train...that's where the dog is crated for one to two weeks unless he's outside doing his duties. It teaches them that it's outside where all that stuff is supposed to happen, not inside.

nothing like a good butt sniff to keep a boy going...

I was crate training Badger but he's such a good boy that I didn't like keeping him crated all that time. The weather is nicer so he can spend a lot of time outside. When inside, he does get belly-banded.

He is a funny boy, though....today, when training him by praising him for peeing outside, well, he pee'd once, I told him how good he was and gave him a treat. He pee'd (or so it looked like it) again, and the same -- good boy and treat. He found another spot, pretended to pee and then ran to me. Ah, yes, the smartness of dogs. He didn't get a treat the third time. The second time I thought he faked it but gave him the benefit of the doubt, but the third time? Total fake out!!

Remember the lovely family that took Freddy? well, they returned Freddy and he has since been rehomed to a couple that is familiar with his personality type. As hard as the first family wanted to work with him and succeed, Freddy misbehaved and got aggressive toward 2 different visiting children in the home. Ahhhhh, that's not going to work. He had been fine with them at a different meeting, each separately, but he became very possessive of his new family and didn't care for the intruders. No biting occurred, thank goodness, but with the unpredictability...Freddy couldn't stay there. BUT, that same family may be taking Badger home with them in the next couple of days. The Mom was just here and fell in love and I know the 12 year old daughter will just be beside herself when they come back on Sunday to meet him. Badger LOVVVVVVES attention and petting and just stands there quietly with love in his eyes for as long as you want to touch him.

He will be happy in his new home