Clive

Last weekend, we went to K9 Friends, a local charity that homes stray dogs. They are always looking for foster families and we decided to give it a try.

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When we got there, Lyra and I took a stroll through the kennels to see if there was a dog that we thought we could take on. Most of the dogs are quite large, or barking (who can blame them), or jumping. Or all of the above. But this little fellow stood quietly at the door to his kennel. He immediately stood out from the crowd.

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He's turned out to be a real gem: gentle, quiet (mostly), clever, and sweet natured. We can tell that he's had previous owners. He loves to jump into the car whenever we go for a ride. He knows he's not supposed to be on the couch - but he gives it a try whenever he can. He loves to have a blanket on the floor or patio to lay on. We're still assessing how house trained he is. He's had one accident in the house (in the same corner where Basil has pee'd). But after one week, he's doing pretty well. Basil is getting used to him although he's still a bit of a bully to him. The cats are taking a bit more time, but are getting more comfortable each day. We haven't yet let him loose in the same room with them - too worried he might get too curious. But he's gentle and quiet enough that it's just a matter of time before they will tolerate him.

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amygirl said...
So do they have a particular source for dogs that need to be adopted? Like do they get left behind by expats when they leave?

I think most are strays but maybe strays that have been abandoned by a previous owner. There are many that are taken in by expats. Or just like at home, people realize that they can't take care of a dog properly and bring him in. When we were there, a family was adopting a small little dog. The dog had been left with a friend for a couple of weeks, but turns out the family never came back. It's not unusual for families to take their dogs to the kennel for summer vacation and then never come back to get them (as a result all kennels require you pre-pay for any lodging.) A large percentage of the expats here are from the UK - and they aren't allowed to bring their dogs home unless they go through 6 months of quarantine. Why they didn't think of this before they got a dog??

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We're only guessing about Clive's previous owners because he was a stray when brought into the kennel. He has the classic behaviors of a dog that was left alone in the yard too much. He's still pretty young (maybe 2 years old) and is a bit rambunctious. I can imagine that he jumped onto something, chewed the wrong thing, scratched a door, barked too much - and someone got tired of it. He responds very quickly to any training and in just a week we've seen a huge improvement. He's got some behaviors that will take some time, though. He barks a bit - especially when he thinks he hears something outside. Once he gets started then Basil joins in and he keeps going - to get in the last word. He jumps when at the door. He's learned he has to sit, but then as soon as you reach for the handle he jumps up again. He likes to pee on the deck - even if he's just been outside. Like I said, he seems more willing to pee and poo on the patio rather than when outside on the leash.