Birds of a Feather

October 20th, 2012

Today we re-visited some problems from our past.  Drake had a problem passing the chicken coop today and passing the parrot tonight.  It could have smelled the chicken feed.  Today I had decided to put food and water in their pen, getting ready for the colder weather.  I noticed that he nose was up and that he followed me to the pen.  He began to act manic, but I could control him with a no, no on the nose for most of the time.  Because I knew him and he kept revisiting the coop, I figured he would eventually act out.  So I pulled up a chair and kept a close eye on him.  Eventually he did act up and I rolled him.  Uh-oh.  The roll did not hold him.  In a few minutes he acted up again, so I rolled him again and this time I picked him up and took him upstairs.  So I guess the next step if you roll him and he acts out again, is to remove him from area completed.  I do notice that when he is tired he act out so much more.

When I got him upstairs, he laid down on the bath room floor, and took a very short nap.  I knew he was still tired so I kept a close eye on him.  Suddenly he was back smelling the bird cage.  He did not even back down once when I no, no on his nose.  He was defiant and angry.  I tried to move him by stepping in front of him and herding him away from the cage.  Also, I sprayed him a couple of times.  I eventually rolled him.  I had tried everything else because after the double roll outside earlier I knew I was over using the roll.  It was loosing it's effectiveness.  I even had to invent a backup for it.  That isn't good. 

I am not discouraged, but frustrated.  It makes me think of Paws in Prison and what they accomplished in just six months.  Actually the team that really trained, Cristi and Shelly, did not get him until four months before I got him.  That makes it even more amazing.  Machelle has such a positive energy and love for dogs, that she is an inspiration.  When the girls hit a wall or had a problem they said that Machelle would always say, "fix it".   She always believed they could do anything, and that kind of confidence pushed them.  The girls had a great mentor in Machelle and she was lucky to have those two girls.  However, all I have was me.  On days like this I so appreciate the incredible gift that those women gave me with this dog.  They are the only reason I can even begin to communicate with him.  I know if Machelle was here she would say, "fix it".   So I guess I better fix it.