So this is day four of Dunkin's residence at Chez April and things are definitely much much better! First day or two he seemed a little neurotic, dragging his dog bed around and balling it up under him and then sucking the fabric and then tearing it, doing the same when he was in the crate, whining and barking when I left etc... Pasha liked him ok at first but when it dawned on her that he would be sticking around she got pretty jealous and perhaps a little "depressed", and as a bird dog he was of course crazy interested in the birds in the birdcage (that hasn't changed and probably won't) - but here we are a few days later and he's settling in in and everybody is getting used to each other!
First impressions of Mr. Dunkin good and bad as always!
1. Let's get this out of the way first... Little shy/afraid of strangers, it doesn't take him too long to warm up to people but if they get too familiar too fast he will snap at them a little. He has snapped at 4 people including myself on the first day, we only knew each other for an hour or two then and it was in a crowded pet store, but in each case it was a similar scenario, people he didn't know leaning/hovering over him and/or grabbing his halter, in each case a few minutes later everyone was able to mush on him and he was giving out kisses! These are warning snaps with no intention of injury, his teeth literally graze the skin if they make contact at all (I felt teeth but there was no pressure), I take biting dogs seriously and I promise I wouldn't understate this or make excuses for him AND I wouldn't keep a dog around if I though he was dangerous to myself, my friends or my animals. I'm keeping my eye on this but I don't feel too worried and I tell new people to let him come to them and of course not to lean over him!
Dunkin comes from a family with a bunch of little kids who he grew up with but if you are a family with kids considering bringing him into your home I'd advise cautious introductions and lots of supervision till you are certain he is comfortable and everybody is cozy and bonded! and probably better off with older kids who you can educate on doggie boundaries;)
He has also been really good at the dog park (I'll provide videos of that in the near future), good at socializing and playing in general and was very very tolerant today of a certain obnoxiously relentless puppy chasing and biting him (I'm talking bout you Charlie!), he was snarling and barking ferociously at him but wouldn't touch him :)
Check out this great podcast on dog bites and dog fights, Ian Dunbar actually says to give credit to dogs who show great bite inhibition when snapping and offers one example similar to Dunkin's saying that a known reaction where no harm is done means the dog is actually really in control of his teeth and trustworthy, actually calls them "brilliant dogs"! I see a fair number of dogfights at my dog run (sometimes my dog Pasha even starts them) but this podcast has made me more a lot relaxed and I think every dog owner should give it a listen, it offers a lot of perspective.
http://www.dogstardaily.com/radio/404-bite-scale-and-how-evaluate-aggression
2. Housebroken? He's peed in the house twice, first day and morning of the second day, but I think I can safely declare him housebroken, in fact he takes forever to pee outside! also strangely he doesn't "mark" he pees all at once when he finally gets around to it.
3. Separation anxiety? not really! I've been putting him in the crate when I've gone out for a few hours and the first few days there was some whining and barking when I left which seemed to die down by the time I went down the four flights to the lobby, but today I heard nothing:) He likes his crate, he goes there to hang out when the door is open and I leave him some rawhides and bones when he's actually crated, and of course he has doggy company which I'm sure helps. In a few days when he and Pasha are better buddies I'll give him more freedom:) I also have a baby gate up and practice keeping him in another room sometimes when I'm home and sometimes he'll whine a little then, but today he has started to go into the other room to play or hang out in his crate and seems to be a little more independent.
4. Good with cats? Like most of the dogs that have come through here he is obsessed with the cat! first thing when he gets in the door he runs looking for the cat, so yes he likes cats but mine thinks he is pretty annoying although he means no harm. I bet in a few days when the novelty wears off and he is less overeager she will go over and check him out, she usually does:)
5. Birds? please don't adopt him if you have birds like I do, they will never have peace!
6. Good on the leash, yes and no. He is pretty decent on the leash but becomes super excited when he spots birds/squirrels, lots of pulling and lunging and whining then, you will not have a relaxing walk in the park with all of those running around, I enjoy our night time walks a lot more when those critters are asleep! I'd love to see him placed somewhere he can be off leash often, large yard, walks in the woods, he should be able to chase some birds on a regular basis, he is a spaniel after all and should be able to follow his instincts regularly.
7. Exercise? Yes please, this is a hunting dog and if you try to turn him into a couch potato I'm thinking your apartment would be destroyed... I've been bringing him to the dog run for at least an hour a day where he can run and socialize with other dogs/people, he plays fetch, chases other dogs and stalks some birdies and he still has energy when he gets home to play tug with Pasha. He's gonna need a pretty regular outlet and I think would become a neurotic nut without it. He also really likes to play with toys so if the weather is terrible you can play with him indoors as well:)
8. Affectionate???!!! VERY, once he decided he likes you! he's a mushy boy, generous with the kisses, loves to snuggle, lots of doggie smiles:))) He's not a velcro dog but he does follow me around for most part, sleeps under my desk, hangs out in the bathroom when I'm showering, at the dog run he checks in a lot and will sit by me for awhile before running off again. After three days he is pretty bonded to me which I found out today when I left him in the dog run with friends to run to the water fountain and refill our water bottle, they said he was very very upset and trying to follow me ( I felt terrible!).
9. Commands?? He knows a few things and has nice house manners! He knows sit, give paw, off, no, I think he knows stay. He's also very quiet in the house, will bark at a doorbell but not much else. Now that the dust has settled I'm going to see if I can teach him some more tricks:)
10. Resource guarding? maybe a little, I'm not too sure yet. Knowing he can be snappy I haven't stuck my hand in his food bowl yet, but I have hand fed him and have held his bones while he was chewing them and he has been super gentle and also takes treats very very gently. His first day he growled a little when I was by his crate when he was eating out of the kong but since then I have been standing right next to him while he was eating and he didn't care. The dogs are fed a few feet apart at the same time and there has been no trouble with that either, they both need to sit and give paw before they are given their bowls. Pasha has stolen bones/toys from him and though he growls he doesn't bite.
11. Likes dogs? Yup, he'd do great with doggie siblings, he's pretty easy going despite Pasha being a jerk to him for the last few days. And as I mentioned earlier he has been doing really well at the dog run, he will stick up for himself with growling and barking but definitely isn't starting anything and looks like he's having a good time and playing nicely! with regular visits I'm sure he'll be making friends and within the week I wouldn't be surprised if he and Pasha become BF's, they have finally begun playing together and I think she's accepting him :)
Second day he was here, can you feel the tension??
look at those big feet!
I let them on the bed to encourage cuddling;)
they're getting there, I saw her give him a kiss earlier...
their first game of tug! Dunkin is finally holding on, he used to just drop it.
the elasticity of this toy takes it to a whole new level! tug-o-rama:))) grrrrr!!!!!!
Can you tell I'm smitten already?? I'm not alone, below are some testimonials from people who have had the pleasure of spending time with Dunkin!
Barbara J. Kennedy I've met Duncan. He presents like a dog anyone would enjoy living with. I hope he gets adopted in this area.
I got to play with this fella today! He's adorable! Anyone in the market for a four legged roommate?
