End of week SEVEN
Eddie is still sleeping in his favorite spot by the base of a tree about thirty feet from the house. The snow is slowly melting away making his wood chip lined hole shallower, and more exposed. Yesterday on our morning walk Eddie his leg lifted really high to pee with Niko sniffing a spot on the ground just below. Niko moved just in time to avoid the stream. This is the first time I have seen Eddie really lift his leg high, and with Niko very close. He is gaining confidence and seems to be relaxing at least when away from the house. When we are near the house he is much more wary of getting close to me, as if he thinks I might try to trap him and force him inside.
This morning before our walk he and I began to play a little bit, with him happily greeting me and tentatively pawing me as I reach out with my hands playfully reaching for his head and neck. I have been gradually touching him more during walks when he is near enough, and am encouraged that he has less tendency to jump back. I think this is another sign that he is beginning to feel safer and more confident in his new situation, as well as his assertiveness about treats. Over the past few days he has begun to nose in close to Niko as if competing for Niko's treat, and occasionally when Niko is slow on the up take I will give Eddie a treat before Niko gets his.
For the past week I have been putting his food on the snow to avoid the stress of eating from bowl. I'm still not sure that this is a good idea because initially he seemed to be more comfortable eating that way but recently has become increasingly wary almost as if eating out his bowl again. I have begun to make various carpentry noises with the table saw and electric sander in the basement of the house. The first time I did this he began hanging out near the snow plow turn around, and his general wariness increased. Last night he and Niko hung outside one of my neighbor's house while I visited inside. He seemed much more comfortable around that house. I'm beginning to think that Eddie is bothered by the noise of water flowing in the near by creek which echoes off the flat side of the house. My neighbor's house is further from the creek so must seem much quieter. Also Eddie seemed more comfortable when the creek was silenced when the snow completely covered the flowing water. It is spring time and the creek is becoming louder by the day as the snow melts and the water flow rate increases.
My overall strategy is still based on the idea that Eddie finds change to be troubling and scary, and since I have no control over changes in the soundscape of the creek, the wind blowing through the trees, and snow-melt water dripping from the roof, the necessity of finishing my house remodel etc, I have been trying to develop in Eddie a sense of trust in Niko and me, that will be sufficient to out weigh all the those changes in the soundscape. Since change is my middle name I hope that this strategy works. I believe that trust takes time, on the other hand I would like to finish my house projects off.
This morning Eddie took two treats but not a third while nearby house. He gladly takes one treat, and then a second, but will not take a third until I throw it to him. this pattern of initially moving toward something and then becoming more apprehensive seems to be a pattern. If he he is really stressed in in general by something like the weather or something out of place or strange he might not take a treat at all. If he is feeling comfortable like this after noon returning form a good ski he will take more treats.
Today I skied downhill with him and Niko for the first time after removing the climbing skins which enabled me to go much faster. Niko always enjoys skiing and Eddie seemed to really enjoy it also and is much easier to ski with than Niko so far since he doesn't try to get in front of me and run me into trees the way Niko does. Eddie really seems to be getting more comfortable and for a while I though he was growing, but I now think he just relaxing and standing up taller instead of being scrunched down in in submission and readiness to jump.
This morning before our walk he and I began to play a little bit, with him happily greeting me and tentatively pawing me as I reach out with my hands playfully reaching for his head and neck. I have been gradually touching him more during walks when he is near enough, and am encouraged that he has less tendency to jump back. I think this is another sign that he is beginning to feel safer and more confident in his new situation, as well as his assertiveness about treats. Over the past few days he has begun to nose in close to Niko as if competing for Niko's treat, and occasionally when Niko is slow on the up take I will give Eddie a treat before Niko gets his.
For the past week I have been putting his food on the snow to avoid the stress of eating from bowl. I'm still not sure that this is a good idea because initially he seemed to be more comfortable eating that way but recently has become increasingly wary almost as if eating out his bowl again. I have begun to make various carpentry noises with the table saw and electric sander in the basement of the house. The first time I did this he began hanging out near the snow plow turn around, and his general wariness increased. Last night he and Niko hung outside one of my neighbor's house while I visited inside. He seemed much more comfortable around that house. I'm beginning to think that Eddie is bothered by the noise of water flowing in the near by creek which echoes off the flat side of the house. My neighbor's house is further from the creek so must seem much quieter. Also Eddie seemed more comfortable when the creek was silenced when the snow completely covered the flowing water. It is spring time and the creek is becoming louder by the day as the snow melts and the water flow rate increases.
My overall strategy is still based on the idea that Eddie finds change to be troubling and scary, and since I have no control over changes in the soundscape of the creek, the wind blowing through the trees, and snow-melt water dripping from the roof, the necessity of finishing my house remodel etc, I have been trying to develop in Eddie a sense of trust in Niko and me, that will be sufficient to out weigh all the those changes in the soundscape. Since change is my middle name I hope that this strategy works. I believe that trust takes time, on the other hand I would like to finish my house projects off.
This morning Eddie took two treats but not a third while nearby house. He gladly takes one treat, and then a second, but will not take a third until I throw it to him. this pattern of initially moving toward something and then becoming more apprehensive seems to be a pattern. If he he is really stressed in in general by something like the weather or something out of place or strange he might not take a treat at all. If he is feeling comfortable like this after noon returning form a good ski he will take more treats.
Today I skied downhill with him and Niko for the first time after removing the climbing skins which enabled me to go much faster. Niko always enjoys skiing and Eddie seemed to really enjoy it also and is much easier to ski with than Niko so far since he doesn't try to get in front of me and run me into trees the way Niko does. Eddie really seems to be getting more comfortable and for a while I though he was growing, but I now think he just relaxing and standing up taller instead of being scrunched down in in submission and readiness to jump.
posted by Nikopotomus at
3/15/2009 09:48:00 AM
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