A life’s winding path and all the experiences along the way…

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Taking advantage of a break in the rain

My NextDoor post attracted dozens and dozens of responses. Amazingly (for a social media platform) every single one was thoughtful and caring. No trolls, no smartasses, no abuse. Just a panoply of opinions and recommendations.

I even had one responder start by saying that she never had a dog but is an experienced cat person and is quite willing to offer a cat visitation if I wished to pursue it. I declined graciously.

The advice I got in many ways mirrors the opinions expressed in this blog by you smart people. Some said “gopher it” or similar expressions while some cautioned that it may be a good idea but it’s too soon to introduce new players to Reiko’s world. Both sides made good arguments.

I slept on it and my decision is to defer the Senpai Dog 先輩犬 concept. I still want to get some dog-on-dog teaching going but maybe wait until after Miss Reiko has adjusted more to her new surroundings and her devilishly handsome and cultured new owner.

Oh, you saw me. Now I have to run away and hide again.

I don’t know if that’s the best plan but it’s one I am comfortable with because it does not interject anything new and possibly scary to Reiko. I surely do appreciate you all providing your wisdom on this and I’ll update down the road.

Reiko says, “Whew, I feel better about that idea.”

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14 responses to “Experiment (2)”

  1. marthadilo3 Avatar

    She is so sweet! It definitely takes time. What a cutie.

    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar

      I wonder what it would be like if Chester acted as Senpai Dog to Reiko? He’d probably think she was a strange sort of squirrel. God forbid if Chester thought she was a squeak toy.

  2. Julia Avatar

    Reiko is lucky to have you working (reclining in your recliner and drinking beer) on her well-being. I do hope she becomes less afraid soon.

    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar

      My guess is that it’s going to take a long time. That’s OK. What’s the difference between remote working and staying home and drinking beer? None, as far as I can see. 😁

      1. Julia Avatar

        😆

  3. lois Avatar

    I am pleasantly surprised to hear about all the responses you received–and not snarky, weird comments. My faith in humanity just might have been restored. Reiko is such a cutie, Tom–yes, yes, just like her owner. Taking things slow and letting her call the shots sounds like the best way. Sounds like a good plan.

    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar

      I have to say I was surprised and very pleased to have had such a positive social media engagement. Typically they devolve into unpleasant encounters for no obvious reasons. I did like the cat volunteer lady. I even thought just for second, would that maybe work? No, it wouldn’t.

      1. lois Avatar

        Well, if that cat lady was coming, you know I would have to head on over with White Paws and Chunk in tow! 😹

        1. Reiko's Journey Avatar

          A level of trauma from which Reiko would never recover. 🙀

  4. doesitevenmatter3 Avatar

    Reiko is so beautiful! That sweet face! 🙂
    I get sad-tears in my eyes thinking about what she must’ve endured.
    I get joy-tears in my eyes knowing she is now in a safe, loving place with you! 🙂

    You know her best, so always go with your heart. I know you made a good decision for her. Yes, let her get to know and trust you more…then she will be ready to have another human AND a dog in her home. Yes, your home is now HER HOME. You just work for her. 😉

    But, not to worry…soon your handsomeness and culture will win her over! 😉

    So glad you got so many kind and good responses. 🙂 ❤️ And no killer-clown-ones or otherwise. 😉

    Hang in there! One day at a time! “A tiny step today might be the biggest stride tomorrow.” – Naomi Cassirer
    (((HUGS))) and ❤️❤️❤️

    1. Reiko's Journey Avatar

      Thanks for the positive voice and encouragement, Carolyn! I keep telling myself: Little by little. Patience is a virtue. Haste makes waste. Slow and easy. If I keep working on this I may become a laid back dude.

      1. doesitevenmatter3 Avatar

        You’re welcome!

        No worries, dude! Laid back be good! Chillin’! Go with da’flow! Sounds good to me! 😀

  5. Bitey Dog Avatar

    When you adopted Reiko, did they send you home with a book about helping rescues adapt to your home? If not, there are plenty of good online resources. It’s going to take months for her to show much progress.

    In the meantime, have you tried taking her for a walk? Even a few minute walk at the same time each day will give her a sense of routine. Murphy hated walks at first, but now he gets upset if he can’t go on one. (Of course it will also help with the 💩 schedule.)

  6. Reiko's Journey Avatar

    If I hold her lead she reacts to be restrained by going crazy and fighting against being held back. I mean REALLY fighting.So I can’t really initiate a walk. I’ve researched tons of instructional sources in all media and the general guidelines are common about adjustment time, giving space, posture, voice level, etc. And yes, I got a booklet from the shelter. I actually feel reasonably grounded on the subject but I’m always looking for ideas and how to improve. I thought I’d see more progress in one month (gotcha day is 24th) but I’ve come to be comfortable with a timeline that says it will be multiple months to see improvement. I’m OK with that.

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