It’s been three weeks since I got Tapi. He has made an incredible amount of progress and I’m happy to say he’s emotionally ready to be with his forever family. Physically, he’s not ready for a little while longer while he finishes up his heartworm treatment.
Dog mentoring dog
Initially the progress was slow. I believe he was physically punished and he didn’t have much exposure to the world before. I started socializing him as soon as he was physically ready and I remained neutral to prevent him from becoming too attached to me. Instead I let my female Border Collie to be his mentor. She has taught him so much, way more than I could.
Hate those worms
The heartworm treatment made the rehabilitation extremely difficult. He was scared of toys of any sorts. The squeaky noises shut him down. I like to use play as major part of the therapy. I knew he was playful underneath that man-made fear. Unfortunately he wasn’t allowed to fetch or tug with me until all the worms are gone.
Fear of cars
There were TONS of things I wanted to work on before I put him up for adoption. The biggest issue was overcoming his fear of cars. He was terrified of going into a car, riding in one as well as cars passing by. First time I saw his reaction to a car going by, I wondered if he was hit by a car before. I’ve worked with BCs that wanted to chase cars but his reaction was not natural. (Yes I do consider BC chasing somewhat natural) His fear of riding in a car was really slowing down his progress. Once he’s stressed, he couldn’t snap out of it. If I pick him up to put him in a car, he was twice more nervous during the car ride. He drooled and panted the entire time. I HAVE to take him to work and places for socialization because I can’t walk him in the neighborhood because of his heartworm treatment. On one weekend I decided that we were going to conquer this fear one way or another. If I could get him to WANT to jump in the car, I knew he was going to be less stressful and able to relax during the ride. By the end of weekend, he was happily jumping in and out of my car. I took him for a short ride, he stuck his nose out of the window and he enjoyed the ride…likely for the first time in his life.
Watch his progress with cars here
Turning point
We had the biggest turning point this week. I saw a new dog; curious, happy, playful, engaging and even goofy. Until now he was scared to go out of the gate. Now if I grab a leash and car keys, he is ready to go. He even showed a glimpse of BC-ness the other day – a stare at a ball. He went out and peed and pooed on his own. He used to freak out if I was not standing next to him. We worked out a system where he gets his breakfast in the backyard, then go potty while I watch from distance. He now goes out on his own without the help of food. You might find it silly but to him, it was a big deal. Affection is good but I don’t want clingy. I want dogs to be confident and a little bit independent when they need to be. (Watch him peeing on his own here)
Handling still make him nervous
This week we worked on more handling. He lets me cut his nails and brush him. He is very sensitive when someone touches his belly. He shrinks and freezes. He is learning that belly rub is pretty cool. He still gets startled when I move too fast or make loud noises. He shuts his eyes when I raise my hand or reach over his head. Working on those too. Obedience training is not important with this foster. I want him to learn that the world is safe period. When he’s confident and ready, we will work on some fun stuff later.
Three weeks ago…
I was very upset that I had to choose him over another dog I fell in love with. I was the only one who could save his life that day. I hated the pressure and the responsibility of deciding the fate of a dog. It was pretty simple. If I chose the other dog, he was going to die in the shelter. The thought of him being killed partly because of the decision I make sickened me… and he was with me that week. After I made the decision, another volunteer told me “…he’s meant to be with you for an unknown reason…you will know what that is later” I don’t know what that is yet. Each day he peels off his shyness like a little white onion. I see a sweet, affectionate, smart, probably very playful Border Collie in him. I can’t imagine him not being here happy and alive. Trusting the gut feeling (well more like a sick gut feeling this time) was definitely the right choice.
Tapioca’s bio:
He is crate trained and sleeps very well in it. He prefers calmer dogs, female dogs and smaller dogs. Energetic and bigger dogs make him a little nervous so if you have big dogs, it might take time for him to be comfortable. He seems to be OK with kids but I prefer that he goes to a family without children so that he can continue to gain confidence without kids at home. Only patient individuals who enjoy seeing small progress are welcome to apply for Tapioca. He is neutered, current on all shots and is about 2 years old. If you are interested in Tapioca or any of our foster dogs, please apply online. www.allbordercollierescue.com Please check back his page for more updates. http://tapioca.shutterfly.com
A whole new Tapioca
Bordernerd 
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