THE 12 CAIRNS OF CHRISTMAS

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MICKY IN WISCONSIN
28 & 30 DECEMBER 2009

Colleen Swartz writes:
This weekend was a real turning point in Micky's behavior. First of all, he has gained considerable weight. I have even stopped the special diet that I cooked for him because one of my biggest problems with him right now is loose stool. It comes and goes, but mostly, it is still very loose which makes it hard to housebreak him. He is now just eating his kibble and I use dehydrated chicken breast as treats.

Yesterday, we didn't have a single accident in the house! It was amazing. He now knows how to come in the dog door and climb all of the steps to my second floor apartment, but he still doesn't want to go outside himself. Too scary out there. What I do is take him outside, close the dog door so he can't get back in until he goes to the bathroom, then he gets a treat and the door opens for him. He hates the outside and always wants to be inside, so this is a very good incentive for him. The dog door opens when he goes pee.
We did, however, go to the dog park this weekend. I took him & Romeo & Bubble to a great park with fields and trees and he did very well with the other dogs. He walked the first lap on a leash and did so well, that the second & third laps he did without one; he stayed close but actually seemed to have fun with the other dogs.

He is becoming a puppy. He kept me up most of the night last night barking at every sound he heard. It was a real pain, but made me feel like he is becoming more normal at the same time.
He now plays a bit, nipping at my fingers and climbing on my head. He isn't sure what to do with that ball I roll at him, but he picks it up and spins in circles like he is trying to figure it out.
He still feels safest in his kennel, but I have started taking the lid off of it so he is forced to deal with the world outside. It also makes him less territorial as he has shown a bit of aggression to other people approaching his kennel. With the lid off, he seems less inclined to defend his den.

I do feel confident with his rapid progression so far, that if someone is ready to work with a puppy (treat him like an eight-week-old, because that is about where he is at). then he is ready to go.
I have been working on his food aggression, taking his dish away and returning it, getting him used to men, getting him walking on a leash and teaching him how to take treats without removing my hand, so these things are well in process. By the time we get an application for him, he should be a safe & adoptable dog.
He is a good boy, and I am very proud of the progress we have made.

On 30 December:
I took Micky to the vet today and the good news is that his upset digestive track is not parasites, but stress and a flora imbalance. I was given probiotics to feed him and a low dose of antibiotic to try to bring him back to normal.

The fabulous news is that Micky
weighed only 8.15 pounds when
he left the mill; now he weighs in
at a hefty 12.9 pounds!
Can you believe that he gained
nearly five pounds in such
a short time!
The vet says Micky is still a
bit underweight. She would
expect him to be at 15-16
pounds for his frame,
but his health is excellent,
his teeth look amazing for a
mill dog and he is
doing very well.

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TAMMY IN WISCONSIN HERE

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MICKY IN WISCONSIN 28 & 30 DECEMBER 2009
Colleen Swartz writes: This weekend was a real turning point in Micky's behavior. First of all, he has gained considerable weight. I have even stopped the special diet that I cooked for him because one of my biggest problems with him right now is loose stool. It comes and goes, but mostly, it is still very loose which makes it hard to housebreak him. He is now just eating his kibble and I use dehydrated chicken breast as treats.

Yesterday, we didn't have a single accident in the house! It was amazing. He now knows how to come in the dog door and climb all of the steps to my second floor apartment, but he still doesn't want to go outside himself. Too scary out there. What I do is take him outside, close the dog door so he can't get back in until he goes to the bathroom, then he gets a treat and the door opens for him. He hates the outside and always wants to be inside, so this is a very good incentive for him. The dog door opens when he goes pee. We did, however, go to the dog park this weekend. I took him & Romeo & Bubble to a great park with fields and trees and he did very well with the other dogs. He walked the first lap on a leash and did so well, that the second & third laps he did without one; he stayed close but actually seemed to have fun with the other dogs.

He is becoming a puppy. He kept me up most of the night last night barking at every sound he heard. It was a real pain, but made me feel like he is becoming more normal at the same time. He now plays a bit, nipping at my fingers and climbing on my head. He isn't sure what to do with that ball I roll at him, but he picks it up and spins in circles like he is trying to figure it out. He still feels safest in his kennel, but I have started taking the lid off of it so he is forced to deal with the world outside. It also makes him less territorial as he has shown a bit of aggression to other people approaching his kennel. With the lid off, he seems less inclined to defend his den.

I do feel confident with his rapid progression so far, that if someone is ready to work with a puppy (treat him like an eight-week-old, because that is about where he is at). then he is ready to go. I have been working on his food aggression, taking his dish away and returning it, getting him used to men, getting him walking on a leash and teaching him how to take treats without removing my hand, so these things are well in process. By the time we get an application for him, he should be a safe & adoptable dog. He is a good boy, and I am very proud of the progress we have made.

On 30 December: I took Micky to the vet today and the good news is that his upset digestive track is not parasites, but stress and a flora imbalance. I was given probiotics to feed him and a low dose of antibiotic to try to bring him back to normal.
	The fabulous news is that Micky weighed only 8.15 pounds when he left the mill; now he weighs in at a hefty 12.9 pounds! Can you believe that he gained nearly five pounds in such a short time! The vet says Micky is still a bit underweight. She would expect him to be at 15-16 pounds for his frame, but his health is excellent, his teeth look amazing for a mill dog and he is doing very well.