Duncan has discovered...

...The butt scratch. You will never believe this. Ok, so I haven't written in awhile. It's been a little difficult to write new material because Duncan has plateaued in his improvement mostly. But I have something now! So, remember how I told you that Duncan had started to ask to be petted? He would walk up and look at you intently until you pet his head. And if you stopped, he would follow your hand with his head as if to say, "No, don't stop!" I love that he asks to be petted now, but I think we're on the verge of even more. Now, remember how Duncan did not really care to be touched on the rest of his body? If you went back to far behind his neck or towards his rear end(slow or fast)he would startle and jump away. Well he's starting to get much better about that. I can pet from his head to his tail (not including down the length of his tail) and he very rarely jumps away anymore. The other day I was sitting out on the deck while the dogs were out and Duncan walked by my chair. I reached out and petted him, and when he was still standing there I gave him a few scratches on the rump. I completely expected him to jump away and move out of reach but he didn't. He stood there for a few scratches and then quietly went about his business. I thought maybe that was just a fluke, but there's more. Last night Duncan passed me in one of the doorways in the house here. I reached down to run my hand over him as he went by and he stopped when my hand was over his rump. So I gave him some scratches. And when he didn't shy away I gave him a few more scratches. And then a few more... He let me stand there and scratch him for at least a minute or two! And this is the dog who would turn his back on me when I tried to pet him during his first few weeks with me!

I still can't pick him up without muzzling him, and he doesn't snuggle on my lap or anything, but he sure is getting to be ok about me touching him! And here I was thinking that we had made as much progress as we were going to make, and I was ok with that. But Duncan Hines seems to have more in store for me!