On the Road to Normal

When Mojo first came to live with us, every day was a new adventure.  Every minute, actually. 

He was, as Churchill said, a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. 

Now, we are just shy of the 6-week mark together, and while there is still a long way to go, I think we've hit the point of exhale:

He sleeps at the foot of the bed every night, and now he comes into the living room to hang out with us when we're there.  He won't always do that if we're elsewhere in the house (or when we're gone), but he has declared us presence-worthy.

When he's out in the yard, he spends most of that time off-leash.  We realize now that although he would pee and poo on leash, it was only because he really had to go ... now, he waits until he's off leash and immediately runs to "his" corner to take care of it all.  However -- I personally have a challenge that needs to be addressed: since he doesn't know any commands, he doesn't come when called and I can't get him into the house.  Jay can; he will lay down when Jay approaches with the leash in his hand.  Me?  He just laughs and runs the other way.  We'll begin interviewing obedience trainers next week!

Jay has been working with him to eat and drink when we're present.  Up to this point, he would only eat or drink from his bowls when we weren't around.  And he ate as if someone was going to take the bowls away from him at any second, filling his mouth with food and running back to his corner to chew it.  Now, Jay sometimes brings his food bowl to wherever he is and sits next to him while he eats, to help him understand that he doesn't have to rush and he doesn't have to be afraid that he'll lose his food.

He's started to become very interested in what we're eating, and has the potential to become a classic irresistable beggar, complete with big soulful eyes and just a hint of a wrinkled brow that will make it really hard for us to not accidently drop a little food under the table now and then.

We've found a kind of rawhide chew bone he likes, and he's showing interest in them as soon as they're presented rather than ignoring them until we're not in the room. 

In other words, Mojo's becoming a dog!   There is still fear, but it continues to abate in leaps and bounds.  He is exposed to a lot of loud noises outside with the traffic on the road, and it doesn't seem to phase him anymore.  He still drops down when he's unsure of something, but we see him standing tall much more than we see him go low.  He runs and leaps a little when he's in the yard, sometimes for no reason what so ever. 

So now, I think we start working on the things that we have chosen to overlook while he was coming into his own.   We need to start giving him rides in the car.  He needs to spend time with other dogs.  He needs to spend time with other people.  He needs to learn to sit, stay, lay down, and (most of all) come.

Every day is still a new adventure, but what a trip it is!