We can't believe it's been a month, where has the time gone! Guess it's time for a Tasha update and some new pictures.
Looking back 4 weeks, we can't believe how far Tasha has come. When she first got here, she was so scared of people that you couldn't get within 20 feet of her without her running away and hiding in her kennel. Outside, she would run for hours to keep away from us. Fortunately we had a 50' lead on her or we would never get her inside. But now, her comfort level has increased to the point that she will approach us for attention and pets. She is most comfortable if you are sitting or lying down. Still working on getting her to trust us when we are standing up and towering over her. The result is we have spent a lot of time on the floor. Our other dogs love it, they view it as an invitation for some rough housing and play. At first Tasha just watched. But now she actually tries to get in on the action, as long as the action doesn't get too rough.
Tasha had a guest after her first week here, another one of the puppy mill dogs, Khloe 12-100, while Khloe's foster parents were out of town for a long weekend. We aren't sure if Tasha and Khloe recognized each other from their days a the breeder but they did get a long great and Tasha was nice enough to share her kennel a few times.
Tasha went into the vet about two weeks back to get the last of her shots, as well as her heart worm and fecal test. She weighed in at 43-44 pounds, which the doctor said was a great weight for her. And the good news is, all the test results came back negative. Right after that she got her spay done, probably the scariest day she's had since coming to live with us. But that evening when we picked her up from the vet, she actually leaned into us for comfort. Guess we were not as scary as the vet that day.
In preparation for her trip to the vet, foster mom and dad took Tasha and our resident golden for a short ride in the truck every evening. We started the first day or two by just getting both dogs into the truck. When Tasha seemed to settle down, we would start the truck so she got used to the noise. Her first ride lasted only 5-10 minutes. By the time we needed to take her to the vet, she was taking 20-25 minutes rides on the highway. Guess what they say about "dogs love trucks" really is true.
As far as leash training, Tasha is doing better. At first, the 6 foot leash put people too close to her personal space for her comfort. But now she will walk along on the leash, a few feet behind us just in case she needs to escape some scary situation. But we are making progress. Some day we may be able to get her out of the yard and take her for a walk in the neighborhood.
Tasha is getting more free run of the house when we are home. Her kennel is still her safe place, however, she prefers to not have the door latched. When we leave the room, she follows us around the house and likes to keep us in sight. Within the last week, she has started coming into the bedroom at night and sleeping in a kennel next to the bed. One day we hope she'll learn to jump up onto the bed and give it a try. Of course, with two other dogs already up there, it may not leave any room for us humans.
As we mentioned in a previous update, Tasha loves being outside and running free in the yard. When we watch her outside, we get a glimpse at Tasha being a happy and normal dog. The other day we were watching her from the window as she was chasing and playing with a tennis ball. She would pick it up, shake it around and hop a bit, then let it drop and bounce on it. She looked so happy and normal. We're hoping that she becomes as comfortable inside as she is outside.
For all the progress Tasha has made, we recognize she still has a ways to go. We are amazed at times how much she is learning from her fur sisters. She watches everything they do and imitates them. Sometimes it seems she is learning more from our other dogs than from us. Guess it doesn't matter who gets the credit as long as she learns.
Welp, it's time to finish this update. Tasha is behind me right now sniffing the back of my head and sticking her nose under my arm to get some attention. She loves getting pets, as long as you are sitting or lying down of course.