Update on Winter

My boy Winter is still making slow progress. It is times like these I wish I had more hours in the day to be able to work with him on a more consistent basis. He needs that. Unfortunately, as in most kennel situations, extra time is simply hard to come by and consistent training is not apparent.

He will now come to me at his kennel door to be leashed to walk outside. Because I wanted him exposed to more men, I had my son and his roommate come out and walk with me while I had Winter out. He balked, much like the first time I tried to get him to walk past the gate, but with some firm nudging, we took off. He was definitely not comfortable, but he survived with no scars. He has been in the comfort zone for so long where he was babied and not made to confront his fears, he sits down when he doesn't want to do what you are asking of him.

With some patience, or alot of patience, he will get over that. The problem is with someone actually wanting to adopt him. You see, he doesn't show well.

What I mean by that is if you ask to meet him, he will not come close to you or allow you to come close to him. He will do his best to get away. Most people do not find that challenging. I do. He is not going to be a snuggle bunny with you until he trusts you. That trust does not come easily.

He will now lean into me to be brushed and stroked. Walks with me with his head and tail up and comes to me when called. I still haven't gotten him in the car yet, but once again, time is not on my side.

With the advent of a little cooler weather around the corner, I am hoping to be able to work more on the weekend afternoons with him. At least when there is no one else around and he won't be distracted while dealing with cars and car doors.

It is a battle, but one that I plan on winning. I will keep you updated.