Lost the Medical Hold & Gained a Forever Family

Yesterday Marmaduke was cleared to walk off leash after a four-month recovery from surgery to repair a badly broken leg. He will need a bit more time to heal and gain strength in his leg, but soon, he'll be good as new (with a few added parts) and able to run with the pack.

Our heartfelt thanks to all who kept watch over Duke's progress, to Liz for transporting him and entrusting us with his care, and to his 401Grey Sponsors, Justin Smith and Julia O'Hara. A HUGE thank you to Nina, who lovingly cared for Duke in the first months of his recovery from surgery. 

This big, sweet boy has stolen our hearts--well that's not a good description. He calmly and nervously walked into our lives. Day by day, each member of our family, human and canine, came to the same conclusion--we had, somehow—without trying, without seeking—been given the opportunity to accept the promise of unfailing love and gratitude (and endless entertainment), by this boy who is perfect for us in every way. We will finalize Duke's adoption at the Fall Picnic where we can celebrate together.

Marmaduke is absolutely blossoming! He accompanies us on more and more outings and he's become much more confident. Saturday, he went to his first Meet & Greet at the Bowling Green Petco! He was a HUGE hit. People felt compelled to stop to see this strikingly beautiful hound. Most importantly, he settled in nicely within just a couple of minutes. No one would have suspected this was only his third trip to Petco and his very first Meet & Greet. He's a champ! He's still too anxious to take treats outside the house, but it's only a matter of time and more practice. 

As he gains confidence, Marmaduke will make an excellent "special events" hound. He's a perfect balance of social and gentle. He tolerates all people, including children. He would make a good therapy dog, given his calm demeanor and his tolerance for (craving for?) attention. He does need to be watched around small dogs, especially when they approach him quickly without hesitating to greet first (sigh. . . ). He accepts hugs even from the front and he LOVES kisses on the top of his head. He is a champion leaner and he shows affection by nuzzling his head into your chest, or if you are willing to hit the floor with him, by cuddling up to you. He still has a penchant for jumping into the bed and he quickly nuzzles in to lay his head on you, perhaps in hopes that being so endearing will earn him a place there beside you. He's not allowed on furniture, so he's at least learned to vacate when told.

Marmaduke's leash manners are really very good. We've figured out his potty routine, so he has made only one mess in the house during the past two weeks. Marmaduke just insists on a WALK to go poop. He will not go in our yard. A jaunt across the street is usually successful within 5 minutes. Whew! Glad we got that figured out.

Marmaduke is a young, spunky boy. He eagerly awaits being released from medical hold so that he can run off leash and play. He's a big boy so he needs some room to maneuver and he gets pretty wild with his stuffies. When I turned to watch him one evening, he and Ashton had learned to play together. It was a beautiful sight to see them nose to nose, both in a play bow! Seconds later, they started in. It was like synchronized swimming in the family room, except at super high speed! Gotta' love these guys.

Marmaduke is eager to meet everyone at the Picnic. Catch up with him in the X-Pen area or investigating with Ashton.

This picture is from his first Meet & Greet, where he happily settled in with our resident hound, Ashton.

Learning to enjoy retirement

Marmaduke is a people dog. He is most happy when he's cuddling me, gazing into my eyes for long minutes at a time. Although that's not dog to dog behavior, he communicates with me in those intuitive ways. He is attuned and sensitive. He's a young boy, but he's experienced more change than stability. Not surprisingly, he needs a bit more support to thrive than some pups.

Marmaduke has gained a lot of confidence. He understands much more about behavioral expectations and he is much more responsive. He WANTS to explore the kitchen but can be redirected immediately with "Out of the kitchen." He understands "LEAVE IT" which now means turn your head away from whatever you are getting nosy about (including the cat). Gradually, he'll learn to back away and leave off interest. Speaking of cat: he used to be mortified. Then, he gained some confidence and began to stand near and bark at her! We've gotten through that stage and now, he neither cries when she's near nor bothers her. At most, he sniffs from a close distance and he seems quite respectful of her warnings to back off.

The question, "ready to go outside?" used to strike fear in him. Now, he exits his crate voluntarily, tail wagging. He is still very skittish outside. He's no longer afraid of the wind rustling or the sound of insects. However, if he needs to go and any sudden noise surprises him, he ceases interest in going potty and stares at the door. I've turned every outing into a training session. He gets small treats for looking at noises instead of bolting, for smelling the surroundings, and for going potty. He rarely has an accident in the house, but he must be carefully observed whenever he is out of his crate, due to his desire to avoid going outside to poop. If we have to leave the room, he must be crated until excursions outside have been successful. That can take at lot of attempts, so he's still a ittle high maintenance.

He is especially skittish at night, but frequent trips outside with treats and the opportunity to mark a little territory have begun to help desensitize him. He is WAY easier to handle on leash: Walking in figure 8s or quickly switching directions has taught him to attend to me while walking.

These milestones mean he's coming closer to becoming a happy, well-adjusted hound. He's content either in or out of the crate most of the time. He LOVES sleeping in the bedroom with the humans and the pack. He is a SNEAK, though, and we occasionally wake being pawed repetitively after he steals into the bed undetected until his leg movements wake us and we help him back down to his own bed. He sleeps nicely 8 hours a night, (10 - 6 or 7).

He's so endearing that his antics are more than tolerable. Just look at those eyes!

Becoming comfortable

Marmaduke becomes more comfortable by the day. We've established a good potty routine and created some positive associations with the yard so that he now can go potty within a few minutes of going outside on the first go around. This is a huge accomplishment for one who was so tentative about even being outside until now.

He responds extremely well to gentle leadership. Boundaries help him feel safe about exploring. And he is really curious and persistent at times. But he is responsive and intuitive and he floods with too many demands at once, or expectations that are too high (don't we all!). Old standby rule of thumb works for him: 3:1 (positive to negative). So, three genuine expressions of praise or reward at least, for every sharp "No!" If more is needed, I just reduce his freedom a little so he can be successful. He accepts rules and boundaries very well if delivered calmly. He aims to please and he needs to know he is.

He slept in our room on a bed once and slept through the night. Until now, his potty schedule was irregular so he had to be crated at night. Now, we can permit choice about bedtime.

He is VERY funny with stuffies. Loves them all. Takes them all and keeps them all. He never steals one from the other hounds, he just waits his turn. He very much wishes he could go outside unleashed like the other dogs do. He gently resists putting on the martingale for potty walks. He must be leashed walked for potty breaks for about 2 more months at least, until his leg heals more thoroughly.

He's excellent with the cat. I remain vigilant but he has proven to be curious but not assertive with her. He has moved toward her once to sniff but he was easily redirected verbally. The cat gets the next opportunity to tell him to back away and I expect that to be the end of his curiosity.

Marmaduke likes to explore the counters a little but no real counter surfing. He is not allowed in the kitchen anyway so he seldom gets this chance. He actually loves getting into bed but he's learning the house rules for off the furniture.

Last observation: this guy has the most pitiful, loud whine when he wants something. It's hysterical. Not only that, he also does a part roo, part bark sound when he's excited--too short for roo but just that pitch.

Funny, funny pup

This boy is beyond cute! Marmaduke is a young boy, playful but always gentle. He's considerate of the hounds and people around him, which is super nice in such a big boy.

He spent much of his first three days with us in his crate where he feels safe, but he loves people so much he couldn't stay there forever. Treats when he ventured out and an open crate door allowing him to freely move in and out have encouraged him to spend more time outside the crate than in. He now spends most of his day beside me in his bed. He's interested in being a part of the pack so where we go, he follows. Last night, I thought he might sleep in the bedroom with us on his bed. He had a terrible time deciding whether to stay in the crate or stay with me. I am pretty sure that he'll be in his bed with us tonight.

He's a curious boy: So far he's sampled my coffee from the table (hated it), and, before I had time to sit on the bed, he joined me there to try it out. His leg needs more time to heal, so Ethan and I had to assist him down.

His leash manners are improving daily. He's pulling less and easier to direct, and he's gaining confidence outside. He understands to remain outside the kitchen and joins the other dogs just where the carpet meets the kitchen floor. When he needs to potty, he whines to let you know and he's found some good potty spots so he doesn't take as long to go as he did early on.

Marmaduke loves to eat and he takes treats carefully. He loves hugs and kisses more than any hound I've ever met. He nestles against me, and lavishes in the affection, gentle talk, and massages.

I posted before that I was not sure if Marmaduke was apprehensive about new situations or if the great number of changes he'd experienced were just quite challenging for him. His very quick acclimation to our home and his interest in bonding while also spending time alone in his bed convince me that he does not lack confidence. He will benefit from a longer period of stability for a while, but he warms up really well.

More next week!

Everything is new

Marmaduke arrived from Memphis on Saturday after fostering for a month with Nina to recover from surgery. He will need special care for at least 2 months to allow his leg more time to heal. 

Marmaduke is a sweet, gentle boy who comes over often for hugs and kisses. He loves his stuffies and he is a bit of a hoarder. Yesterday, as the other boys looked on longingly, I had to retrieve some from his crate for general use. He is a bit apprehensive of new situations right now. I do not know if this is temperamental or if it is a product of all the changes he's experienced over the past few months. We'll be gently working to encourage his time out of the crate. Right now, he is happy to be there just about all of the time, although his door is always open. Tonight, we are going to venture outside the yard and take a walk around the neighborhood. 

He slept through the night last night in his crate in the family room (it's too large to fit into our bedroom). He did not cry in the night. If he decides he would rather sleep near the humans, we have a place ready for him in the bedroom with the pack, although our beds will not accommodate this big boy so we will have to double them up. 

We are very much enjoying this sweetie and so happy to help him adjust to retirement and fully recuperate. I'll blog regularly so watch for updates and photos here. 

A Marmaduke Update From 6/14/2012

Just wanted to let you know that I picked up Marmaduke at MSGAO this afternoon and brought him to our house for another month of rehab. After a month, he'll be checked by Dr. Pearce and, if all looks good, he'll be on his way to Nashville to start meeting and greeting and looking for his forever home. He must be leashed walked when out of the crate. He is walking on the broken leg and it seems to be healing nicely. Dr. Pearce saw him Monday.

He was very happy to meet me this afternoon and made the ride to our house with no problem. We introduced him to our doggies in the back yard and after a whole lot of butt sniffing everyone was content. We found out pretty quick that he does not like to be without a two-legged buddy. I put him in our guest crate which is next to Debutante's in our bedroom. He whines a lot when the humans walk out of the room. Right now, Bob is in the bedroom watching the golf tournament and Marmaduke is just as quiet as he can be. Too funny.

The photos attached are:
1. Marmaduke saying good-bye and thank you to Mrs. Vicki at MSGAO.
2. and 3. Playing with stuffies in the office area at MSGAO. He LOVES stuffies!!!!
4. Settled in my van and asking, "Where are we going, Mrs. Nina?

I'll keep everyone updated as he settles into the Clark household.