with the dogs. Although it may seem excessive, in the long run, it will help with the bonding process and to build a more solid human-canine relationship. Spending time together helps to ease some of the stress and anxiety your dogs may be feeling. You can monitor their behavior, learn about your new dog’s habits, and intercept any potential problems. Doing so will help the transition, and your future time together will be much smoother. Spending time with your new and existing dog is important. However, not everyone has the luxury of taking a few days or a week off to hang out with the dogs. In these instances, try to spend as much time with them as possible—especially when you’re not working. For example, avoid scheduling activities during your nonwork hours—unless you plan to take your dogs with you! Same with vacations—try to avoid taking them and being away from your dogs for extended periods for the first few months. Again, it seems excessive, but the more time you can spend with your dogs, the smoother the transition and bonding process will be for you and the dogs.
2: Socialization
Lily Bella—A Social Butterfly
Lily Bella is a Pit Bull mix who was found as a stray.
Is there such a thing as too much cuteness? Not when you‘re a mixed-breed named Lily Bella, who melts your heart when you look at her. Her cute, intelligent face coupled with an elegant, compact sleekness makes you think there’s a little (or a lot) of hound and terrier milling about in her DNA. This endearing little gal may not possess the characteristic “pit bull“ brawn, but no doubt her inherited strength, tenacity, and intelligence kept her alive when she and her littermate brother were dumped and left to fend for themselves.
As is common in plenty of economically struggling communities, animals (especially dogs) are regularly and casually discarded at vacant lots, parks, or on roadsides. As with many strays, the process started with a telephone call to animal control: two puppies living under an abandoned house. Possibly someone moved away and left them behind, but the house appeared to have been abandoned for a good long time. Nothing indicated or hinted that their canine mom was ever present. Most mama dogs rarely leave their puppies unless it is in search of food, and even then they are seldom far away. No one recalls seeing a mama dog—ever. All evidence suggests that the littermates, barely old enough to be weaned, had been dumped. What happened to mama is anyone‘s guess. The potential scenarios are too heartbreaking to imagine.
How long the puppies had been on their own remains equally perplexing and elusive. Thin and sickly in appearance, the puppies should have been carefree bundles of sweetness romping in green grass and summer sun, yet their life was cowering under the house during the day and sneaking out at night to scavenge for food. With little or no human contact, a second animal control officer was called in to help corral and capture the terrified siblings. Lily Bella and her brother were not truly feral, but rather stray dogs who lacked any socialization skills and were merely shifting to survival mode. Identified as Pit Bull mixes, the skeptical puppies, newest members of an animal shelter environment, faced an insurmountable uphill battle. (“Pit Bull“ is not a breed but rather a generic term that encompasses several dog breeds whose original purpose included bull and bear baiting and, later, dog fighting. It is loosely applied to breeds with similar traits and characteristics.) Lily Bella‘s refined, streamlined physique suggests a wedge of Whippet or Greyhound may be coursing through her pedigree. At four months old, this running machine‘s speed and agility paint a fair picture of the modern-day breed. Even so, would her “Pit Bull“ connection keep her from being rescued?
Many counties in California have high-kill shelters, with an estimated 85 to 90 percent of stray and surrendered dogs being euthanized. Scared, skittish, or fearful dogs are seldom given an opportunity to prove their worth. Pit Bulls are rampant in California‘s central San Joaquin valley, and euthanasia remains routine for those entering the system.
Lady Luck‘s giant beacon shone brightly on the two siblings. Rather than being picked up by county animal control where they faced an almost certain sad fate, they ended up at Tulare Animal Services, a municipal facility with a roughly 55 percent euthanasia rate—a low number for many California shelters. The siblings‘ guardian angel was Tammy Burrows, rescue coordinator, who saw potential in the two strays and was determined to save them. They would not become another statistic on her watch.
Two weeks after being hauled out from under an abandoned house, and now in what must have seemed like the pampered life with a warm bath, yummy food, and a cozy bed, the sweet puppies were slowly coming around and starting to trust humans. At roughly eight to ten weeks of age, the puppies‘ narrow window of socialization remained open. Plenty of handling, playing, and cuddling helped to begin instilling confidence and trust. No doubt the turkey, cheese, and chicken-infused bribery helped a lot, too!
Tulare Animal Services takes in upwards of thirty dogs per day, mostly Chihuahuas and Pit Bulls. Walk down any street, and stray dogs run unchecked. Want a dog? Pick one off the street. No one adopts from the shelters. For Lily Bella and her littermate, the best chance at a successful future meant relocating them from the agricultural region to the Pacific Northwest. Dawn Rennie, founder of Enzo’s Acres, a nonprofit rescue organization in Portland, transported them to Oregon, where they were placed in a foster home.
Certified veterinary technician Bobbi Smith was working the day the siblings were brought into South Willamette Veterinary Clinic for spaying and neutering. Smith, along with her husband Todd and four-year-old son Tyler, had been talking about rescuing another dog. Lily Bella, the more outgoing of the two siblings, could not have been more perfect.
Puppies learn an amazing array of essential manners and important survival skills from their canine mama during their first eight weeks of life. A mama dog‘s swift and fair rewards and punishments let a puppy know not to be cheeky, or bite too hard, or fight with his canine siblings; to play gently; to wait his turn; to listen and to stay put or rally around her when told to do so. Behavioral challenges can be an issue when removing puppies from their canine mother too early. In this instance, no options were available. That decision had been made by whoever abandoned them.
A bit skittish and a little scared for the first few days but showing no signs of aggression, Lily Bella bonded instantly with Tyler, and the two remain inseparable. “Mommy I love her and want her to be my dog! She can sleep with me and scare the monsters away!“
Recognizing the importance of socialization, especially considering the absence of a mama dog, as well as Lily Bella‘s possible terrier/hound heritage, the Smiths understood that the responsibility of teaching social skills and life manners fell on them. They started straightaway preparing Lily Bella for all of the exciting adventures that lie ahead. Not wanting to overwhelm the little gal by teaching her everything at once, they established priorities, including introducing and socializing her to everything she is likely to encounter as an adult dog.
Lily Bella‘s new life as an avid outdoor hiking, backpacking, camping, and all-round perfect pet companion already includes a week-long backpacking/camping trip. Avid outdoor enthusiasts, the Smiths already include Doberman Pinscher Chiefy in their wilderness outings and plan to include Lily Bella, as well.
Remarkably, this little gal of unknown heritage who was terrified of humans shows no residual skittishness. Friendly, outgoing, dignified, lively, and affectionate, this once abandoned puppy facing an almost certain terrible fate now lives the high life, surrounded by love, guidance, and direction, with a future as bright and beautiful as her endearing spirit.
Lily Bella and Tyler bonded instantly.
Socialization:
