Bad Momma

Let me preface this post with the admission that this was my fault. I take the responsibility. Duncan has now chewed on his first piece of my house. Here's what happened...

I left the house late yesterday because I had a late morning dentist appointment. I did not get to work till noon, so I worked late. Duncan was alone for the normal length of time, but it was much later in the evening than usual that I got home. So when I walked in the door, my lamp was laying on the floor and my mini blinds were chewed on a bit. Nothing serious, but obviously he had been upset and wanted to see out the window. It was also raining when I got home, but Duncan was very ready to get out of the house and potty, so out into the rain he went. Then he didn't want to come back inside because he'd been stuck inside all day!

I think I salvaged the evening though. Once I finally got him back in the house (after much talking back on his part telling me he didn't want to come in) he was of course soaking wet. Cute funny little drowned rat. I spent a few minutes toweling him off. He doesn't particularly enjoy this, but he doesn't seem to hate it either. Afterwards his fur was pretty tangled and really needed a brushing - at least his outer coat. I have received several different suggestions from everyone for how to handle brushing him after my post about it, and I basically took some pieces from different people. I've been having a little difficulty balancing the "light touch" because of Duncan's shyness, with the need to assert myself as alpha with him. I don't want to deal with him too aggressively and undo any confidence that he has gained, but I do also need him to know that I am the boss. So, Duncan and I got up on the bed and I started out giving him some treats and praising him before I put his leash on him. Then I went ahead and put his muzzle on too. He has never bitten me, but he does definitely snap when he gets frightened. Since he can't eat treats once I put his muzzle on, I let him just lick a liver treat. (He seems to have accumulated a taste for these more and more because he didn't really seem to care about them at first.) I talked to him calmly and soothingly as I began to brush him very gently with the pin brush. He did jump and snap at me several times and try to move away from me, but with his leash on he could not get away from me, and I persisted so that he knew fighting me wasn't going to work. I gently, but firmly told him "no" each time and continued brushing him - again talking to him soothingly telling him it was ok, and that he was a good boy. As he let me brush each area that he initially jumped and snapped at me for I moved on to another area. I didn't brush him thoroughly, we just started out with five or ten minutes and then we stopped on a positive note when he was letting me brush him without fighting. I then took his muzzle of again very calmly and the gave him lots and lots of praise and treats. His demeanor was very positive and he laid down close to me on the bed and watched me crochet for awhile before we went to sleep.

I think we'll continue this same procedure for a while until he's used to being brushed with the pin brush, and then we'll move back to using the rake on his under coat again.

Hopefully when I get home tonight it won't be raining and I can take him for a long walk to get out of the house!