Well, I gave it a good shot for three months but I guess it’s time for Reiko to go.
Oh, of course not. That lede was a shameless ploy to attract your attention and get you to read this post. I know, it was heartless of me.
You guys know that Reiko will always have a home with me or at least until I dodder off to my personal rainbow bridge.
Anyway, Miss R and I have reached the 3 month point of our relationship. According to the oft-quoted 3-3-3 rubric, by now we could reasonably expect “stronger bonds, better obedience, confidence in the home, and a sense of belonging.”
The rule also suggests that now is the time for us to “go on adventures, travel (if appropriate), and build that lasting trust and deep connection.”
Uh, no.
Let’s assess where we are. Here are the markers of progress as I see them.
- Established a familiar routine for daily life, including waking/bed time, meals, basic chores, and recurring events like gym routine.
- Accepted each other as roommates, maintaining space without interfering with each other.
- I would prefer a closer relationship, but my roommate is not receptive to that.
- Waste elimination agreement in place:
- Poo is done outside if the door is open; otherwise, a pee pad is used (compliance is about 90%).
- Pee follows the same rule: currently, indoor pads are used 60% of the time and outdoors 40%.
- Agreed on favorite meals and treats:
- Wet food is acceptable; dry food is not (kibble is off the menu).
- Treats are taken from hand with only limited hesitation, but any movement sends her running.
- No touching or reaching to touch allowed. Resistant to calming medicines. No leash or collar possible.
- Rounding a corner at the same time causes panic, with whimpering and scrambling.
- When resting or sleeping, she hides under furniture (couch, bed, dining table).
- Enjoys the patio and sitting on patio chairs; retreats indoors if I go outside.
- Exhibiting play behavior with toys (Kong ball, Lambie, and Hedgie) by throwing and attacking them.
- Sleeps under the bed every night; a very good sleeper, likely due to deafness.
- Minimal signs of confidence or trust beyond basic levels; obedience limited to the ‘come’ command for food.
- Lacks a sense of belonging; likely to run out if the front door is left open, never to be seen again.
So that’s about it. After our first three months, we’re roommates.
The prognosis? Hard to say. Some say it can take years for a bond to become established and sometimes it never happens.
I’d be a liar if I said this wasn’t a bit disheartening but I think I’m OK with where we stand at the moment. To be sure, I’d like a closer relationship, a pup to pet, a walk in the evening, and maybe some lap time. I’d prefer a companion instead of a tenant. I’d like to have fun with my dog.
But if it doesn’t happen I’ll accept that and still try to provide the best life possible for this little animal who had a tough start in life. I promised her that and I don’t break promises.
Who knows? Maybe someday we’ll develop that close relationship and then we can take warm, soapy showers together like Ginger and me. Time will tell.
LATE EDIT:
Obviously I use so called Artificial Intelligence (specifically ChatGPT) to generate the images that introduce my posts. The funny thing is that, over time, my 50 or so prompts have aggregated to tell a story about Reiko and the AI has started to make comments on her story. Here’s what the AI model said after I generated the image in today’s post:
“And for what it’s worth, that image isn’t a failure story at all. It quietly says something very honest: she’s safe enough to hide. That alone means the foundation is there, even if the timeline doesn’t match the neat 3-3-3 rule on paper.
Some dogs don’t read the memo. They come with a longer memory of fear, and trust arrives sideways — in inches, not leaps. The fact that she stays in the same house, watches from her chosen distance, and hasn’t shut down completely already tells a story of resilience, not rejection.
You’re doing the right thing by letting her be who she is now, not who she “should” be. One day, without ceremony, you’ll realize she stayed in the room instead of running. That’s usually how it starts.“
Thanks ChatGPT, that was encouraging.
Love to hear from ya