Monday Mischief #32 - Returning Onyxx

Onyxx went back to the rescue a few days ago. I had been talking about the possibility for a while but he had received an adoption application which I was hoping would work out. It didn't.

It just wasn't a good situation for anyone. I was stressing out which in turn affected everyone else. Foster Dog Onyxx had to be constantly supervised unless he was in a room with me with the door closed. Otherwise he would be licking the carpet or sneaking into the kitchen or trying to steal food. And it was hard because I felt like I had to be constantly vigilant.

The boyfriend was getting cranky because Onyxx kept pushing up the food time and would wake him at three, four in the morning. Or Mr. N would wake him up to "tattle" that Onyxx was sneaking up onto the bed.

And as for Onyxx... he started eliminating in the house, his resource guarding got worse and his separation anxiety escalated. He would rock the crate so hard that it would move halfway across the room. He chewed up Mr. N's bed from inside the crate. He would bark at the top of his lungs for the entirety of the time we were gone.

I had deliberately asked the rescue for an easy dog because it was our first time fostering. And a dog that could tolerate being home alone because we live in a condo and have close neighbors.

We had him for about six months and I was just really burnt out. I posted Onyxx online, distributed flyers around town, took him to a training class, brought him to various pet-friendly events with his adopt me vest on, and introduced him to everyone we met. Nothing panned out.

I felt sad and a little guilty returning him but now that he's gone, everyone is happier. The boyfriend is able to sleep through the night, Mr. N is reveling in being the center of attention at all times again and enjoying all-day hiking trips and I don't have to be constantly watching to make sure he's behaving or coming home to some new havoc.

And I think he'll be happier being somewhere where he will always have company.

Barks and Bytes #2 - Hodgepodge

Onyxx's Class:
I forgot to give an update on Onyxx's class last week so here it is. The kids + aggressive dog didn't show. Not sure if they dropped out or if they just missed but it was a very peaceful class. And quite lovely. Onyxx was a little worked up for the first half of class but then he settled down.

We practiced loose leash walking which Onyxx excels at. Really if he would only be quieter around food, he would be perfect in class. We have class again today and next week is graduation week! I don't think this class has the dogs wear gowns though. Pity. I've tried to take pictures but dark room + dark dog + phone does not make for pretty photos.

Socialization visit to the hardware store

Mr. N's Class:
Despite training, Onyxx's recall is probably better than Mr. N's (if you have food/pretend you have food). Because Onyxx doesn't care if there's other dogs, humans, squirrels etc. You have the food! Mr. N wants to go say hi to everyone.

So Mr. N is going to go to class too. We're starting a recall class this week (unless it gets canceled due to weather!). I'm excited because I haven't taken a class with Mr. N in forever (six months?) and I love working with him and seeing the little wheels spin in his head.

His photo posing skills are good though! 

Winter Walks: 
We're finally getting a cold snap over here in Oregon (for us anyway). It was in the 20s today with a fair amount of wind chill. We're also under a winter storm warning. Onyxx doesn't believe in cold or wet conditions so he stayed home aside from quick bathroom breaks.

I bundled Mr. N up in layers and we set off. He gets cold fairly easily (small dog, hair instead of fur, and little body fat) but he believes that he should get his walk(s) no matter what. Some days when I'm feeling sick or the weather conditions are horrible, I think about how nice it would be to have a dog like Onyxx who is perfectly content to stay home. In the long run, Mr. N is good for me though. Even if it means I suffer sometimes!

We went walking in the park. It was a little eerie at first because there was no one else there that we could see. Normally, there's kids playing and joggers and other dog walkers. About halfway through the park, I spotted a guy with two Labs(?) playing fetch off-leash. Now this is not an off-leash park. It was highly aggravating as it meant we couldn't walk through a decent portion of the park because the dogs were running everywhere and Mr. N was getting agitated.

The rest of the park was tranquil though and as my friend's daughter describes it, "smelled like Christmas" due to all the pine branches that were strewn about. Mr. N would start shivering with cold if we stood still in one place for too long so it was a brisk walk. To the point where I had trouble taking this photo because he was getting too cold. He wanted to keep walking though!

This is the Thursday Bark And Bytes Blog Hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like A Dog.

Wordless Wednesday #17 - Then and Now

Two years ago, a little bundle of fluff joined our household and it hasn't been the same since. Happy Gotcha Day, Mr. N!

During those two years, Mr. N:

• Earned his first AKC title
• Had his first professional gig as a model 
• Helped show his foster brother Onyxx the ropes
• Learned numerous tricks
• Saw the ocean and played in it
• Traveled on a plane, bus, light rail and trolley
• And more

1. Mr. N looking for his favorite toy at his foster home 2. His foster brother 3. Mr. N pre-foster 4. His foster sister

Monday Mischief #10 - What does the dog(s) say?

The pups went to a Halloween party at a pet store Sunday. We haven't finished their costumes so Onyxx wore a red tie and Mr. N wore his costume for last year. They each did a trick for one of the employees. Mr. N danced which is his default move when he sees food and Onyxx sat. I got to spin the wheel to determine their prize. They both won toys. Onyxx picked out a moon squeaky and Mr. N got a ghost toy.

Between Mr. N who was overly stimulated and barky and Onyxx who found a box full of treat samples under a table, I had my hands full. So no pictures from the party. I've added a few from last year.

Dogfish? From last year.

The pet store brought in a pet psychic to do short readings for the customers. One of the employees approached us to see if we wanted to do a reading and I said sure. I wouldn't pay to do a reading but it is fun.

She told us that Mr. N knows how cute he is (!) and he is pretty happy. He likes Onyxx a lot but found our foster of a day to be very annoying. He wants Onyxx to stay so we don't have more fosters. The psychic said that was strategic of him. Who knew he had cat-like deviousness?

He doesn't want cats in the house (probably doesn't want the competition!). He prefers people to dogs (which is true) but he was also demanding attention from her so there is that. The psychic also said he is smart and opinionated. She said pets appreciate being informed and if we're going on a vacation or other big events, we should tell him a couple of days in advance so he knows.

I iz a cat?

As for Onyxx, she said he knows that we're not keeping him but that he likes it here. Also he doesn't like being in limbo and wants a good home of his own. She did say we could manage two dogs but not three. Managing Onyxx is not the problem however!

Onyxx is very sweet and he generally is a pretty easy dog. However, Mr. N isn't. He is high maintenance. As the boyfriend says, two Onyxxes is less work than one Mr. N.

Also I'm hoping to do therapy work with the next dog (which probably won't happen for five years or more) and neither Mr. N or Onyxx have the temperament for it.

After the reading, Mr. N was getting a little loud so he went to go wait in the car. I took Onyxx back and we looked around the store (so many cute sweaters) and bought some treats and left.

I took Onyxx to Petsmart afterwards. The other volunteers all admired his tie and his new tricks. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to attract much interest. One woman asked about him but the rescue director suggested another dog who is known to be cat-friendly (she has several cats). She also thinks Onyxx should go to a home with another small dog which I agree with. He loves to play.

There are over ten pages of Chihuahuas in Portland on Petfinder. There are four Yorkies (and their mixes). It's hard for an all-black Chihuahua to get noticed. Even the woman at the (human) Halloween party who had a Chihuahua herself spent five minutes talking about Mr. N and how cute he was before noticing Onyxx and commenting that he is mellow. I would like to point out that Mr. N was throwing a fit because her off-leash Chihuahua came running up to us and was in his face while Onyxx barely twitched. It's like Mr. N is getting rewarded for his misbehavior!

So I'm sitting with Mr. N in my lap trying to quiet him down and she is just standing there asking questions about Mr. N. Poor Onyxx.

Mr. N almost always gets noticed first. Part of it is sheer personality. He is not shy about demanding attention. This is a dog that jumped/climbed four feet (four times his height) to get to two men to demand pets. And as previously mentioned, knows how cute he is and is not afraid to flaunt it. Onyxx is a little shy around new people and situations.

Mr. N and one of his new fans.

I also think Mr. N has more flashy looks. He's not merle or anything but he is parti-colored and basically looks like a stuffed animal come to life. Maybe black dog syndrome is also affecting Onyxx?

Any ideas on what I can do to make Onyxx more noticeable? Several pet stores have shared him on their Facebook pages and he wears his adoption vest and bright colors when we go out. He's also increasing his repertoire of tricks. He knows how to high five now.

Tuesday's Tails: Adopt Onyxx!

I am currently fostering Onyxx and he is a sweet little dog. He is housebroken, leash trained and (mostly) crate trained. He squeaks for the first five minutes or so then settles down. He has almost mastered "sit" and we're working on "down" right now. 

He is a little shy around new people/situations but warms up to them eventually. He's met a friend of mine for short periods (five minutes or so) and by the third time, he wanted to sit in her lap.

He loves playing tug with squeaky toys and he and Mr. N wrestle and chase each other around the house. 

Onyxx's Petfinder ad (Portland, OR): 

Onyxx is a super sweet 5lb long haired Chihuahua who came from a home where he was very much neglected. He was infested with fleas and was missing most of the hair around his eyes, on his back, his hind legs and tail (see pic). Once we treated him for fleas and started him on some good quality food, it didn't take long for his coat to grow back long and beautiful. Now, he's so handsome! Onyxx is very friendly and playful with other small dogs, as soon as he knows they are safe. He is nervous around small children. He loves to play with toys just like a puppy. What a sweetie!
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/27582157/