Day in the Life

7th December 2010

9^:30am – Arrived at Battersea to pick up dog, at this point I’m not sure which dog I’ll be taking home, either a mongrel called “Darwin” or a Sbt x Husky called “Ruff”.

10am – Decide Ruff is the most neediest dog at this time, he is 4 months old and has had a leg operation. He needs somewhere to go and chill until he is better. Turns out he was gifted in to Battersea due to ‘Separation Anxiety’. He’s only a baby, so I don’t expect him to be comfortable on his own anyway just yet.

11am – After he gets the “all clear” by clinic to leave the site and micro chipped, I am able to take him home. I am given my courtesy bag of food, bedding, treats and this time a baby gate to keep Ruff downstairs.

11:30am - Arrive home. As I live close by, I can drive back and forth from Battersea easily. Ruff is very good on the journey home, he falls asleep on the back seat. It’s always good to know how well the dog travels so that it won’t be a problem if they get a home far away from the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.    

When we arrive back, we always take the dogs straight to the garden so they can mark their territory. This lessens the chance of them toileting in the house.

Then Ruff is free to run the house for a little bit to get used to his new surroundings. This can take a while as he is only young and wants to stay around me and my mum for company.

Once he is settled I give him his lunch (puppies/dogs under 6 months are fed 3 times a day). I have decided to crate train him. This allows the dog to have their own space where he can chill out there until his leg gets better.) I give him his lunch in the crate so he associates it with good things.

2pm – I put the baby gate up at the bottom of the stairs so that Ruff learns early where he can and cannot go. He has quite bad diarrhoea which often happens with the dogs due to a change in diet/surroundings. It only takes a few days for their tummy to settle down so I am very aware of where he goes. He is house trained but has to get used to where the garden is. It’s more about reminding him where the garden door is rather than house training him.

4:45pm – By now Ruff has settled in very well and is asleep at my feet with a furry toy our next door neighbour has brought over for him.

5pm – Time for Tea. He is having rice and dried puppy food due to his runny tummy. The rice should help bind together the food to stop any further diarrhoea.

6pm – I go out for an hour leaving Ruff with my mum; he seems fine to be left with her (probably because all she does is cuddle him!!!!)

7pm- Arrive home to a sleeping puppy again, he’s had a very long day so far.

9:30pm – Before bed, I take Ruff for a walk around the block. Due to his leg being in recovery he is only allowed 3 walks for 10mins a day so this is his final walk of the day. He is loving being outside and smelling the world around him. He’s very good on the lead so I don’t think I’ll need to have a harness for him.

10pm – Bedtime. Due to his ‘Separation Anxiety’ I have decided to put his crate in my room as the crate is new and I am new, at least he will know he’s not on his own. Me and mum prepare ourselves for a long sleepless night with a whining dog however nohing, not a peep, he falls asleep with no problem and stays that way till 7am when the day starts again.

1:30am – Dog is used to hubby being home and letting her out at night. Maybe if I ignore her, she’ll lay back down. Does she really need to go out?

1:33am – This isn’t working; I have to get up. Yeah, she really did need to go out. That was a giant poo. Seems to be loose too. I’ll have to watch that.

8:30am – When did she climb into the bed? I must have been zonked right out.

10:00am – She doesn’t want to go outside. I’ll give her a toy, while I’m busy for the next bit.

10:15am – Left over chicken stock in Fridge. I’ll warm it for a minute in the microwave and add to her dry – she hates eating regular dry and think she might be just a tad underweight. Need to check that with the vet next time I’m in.

10:30am – Food’s all gone. Won’t go outside in back yard. It is pretty cold, even with me outside trying to coax her out, she won’t budge and house is cooling down. Well let’s hope the courier company gets here quickly so I can take her for a proper walk. I should put some wet food into her Kong and freeze it for this afternoon.

Hmmm... maybe if I take her ball outside and play with her for a few minutes she’ll go out. It’s been a month since she’s had an accident in the house. Out in the garden, she easily misses catching a ball and gets overexcited and catches my hand. The two ball technique gets her attention, calms her a little and we don’t have a tug-a-war with her getting more and more riled.

11:30am – First delivery here – second not due till at least noon. I’ve got a window. Now  why doesn’t she want her harness on? She’s running into her crate whenever I approach her. Confusing dog! I stopped putting her coat on cause she seems to hate it. Nice 20 minute walk, a bit of frolicking in the park. All of her essential business is done too.

11:50am – Got home before the grocery delivery. Ah... muddy feet, now I have paw prints all over my trousers. I should have checked her at the door. The ground felt like it was frozen – where did she find the mud? Oh, well – thank goodness the sofa is leather – it just wipes up, and trousers are washable.

12:30pm Second delivery – Delivery driver is afraid of dogs. I close her up in the front room with a chew toy. She whines a bit, but the chew toy smeared with peanut butter is clean – so clearly not too distressed. And I have all my groceries delivered straight to the kitchen.

She plays on and off for 2 hours with a ball in the living room, jumping around and chasing it into corners of the room. On occasion she gets it stuck under a piece of furniture and howls. I break down and retrieve the ball from under the coffee table about 4 times an hour.

2:30pm – Out for a proper walk now. 45 minutes walking.

3:30pm -  A bite of lunch. She’s not allowed on the sofa when someone has food. She’s still chewing on her Kong a bit. Spicy lunch – help myself to a bit of milk. She curls up on the sofa beside me. Whoa!!! What’s this? Drinking my milk! A sharp correction – she lays down beside me on the sofa. Has a good nap and is a warm companion on a cold day.

6:00pm -  Supper is down in minutes despite no stock.

8:00pm -  Final walk of the night. Does not want harness on. Still running away from it. Strange, no problems with this earlier (i.e. last week).

I’d planned on a 20 minute walk. I think we did 10. She started heading for home the moment after she did her business in the park. Gave her a new ball. She’s busy chewing it to pieces. Another mess to clean up, but she hasn’t brought it in here and caught herself in the cables and managed to unplug the whole computer system – like she did a few weeks ago. Not minding her tearing it to pieces that much.

10:00pm - Bed! Maybe I won’t have a 1:00am wakeup call!? That would be nice!

5am - Sophia barking got up to let in garden

7.30am - out for walk

8.15am - Feed, takes ages to eat and have to stand there monitoring or other dogs push in and she’s so nervous she easily gives up.

9am - Leave dog with other dogs and son to go to work.

12noon -  On return home am greeted like a long lost friend, have to acknowledge greeting without going over the top

1pm -  walks

1.45pm -  biscuit time on return from walk,

2.30pm -  husband home makes big fuss of dog/playtime.

5.30pm -  feed, won’t eat much keeps slinking away, ignore behaviour and put bowl on worktop.

6.30pm -  Lead walk practice around roads

7.30pm -  Offered food again still ignores it, take bowl away

10pm -  out in garden for toileting, takes ages to come in will come to door nearly then run away again.

Sophia is a very nervous dog and the temptation is for people to be over kind to her to compensate and try to comfort her. The hardest thing has been to encourage all the family to ignore the submissive behaviour and fuss her only the same amount as all the other dogs. It is hard to ignore the sad looks, especially when she won’t eat and she’s so thin. However, I can report that the next day she ate two breakfasts and is enjoying food!

She also now comes in from garden when called. It is so rewarding to see the progress she is making already