Success! And Another New Experience

[spottychick]

One or two of you might remember I made a request a while ago for a coat for my dog Tango. Ever since I got him we've been struggling with the Tassie cold weather (well - since winter set in of course).

The problem is Tango has some wierd "quirks" - for example he hates water to the point that he'll climb through thorny thickets to avoid a small puddle or runaway and hide if you so much as walk toward him with a bottle of water. He also has a strange aversion to blankets or any kind of covering. And he freaks out at Pepper trying to snuggle into bed with him.

But the main issue atm is that he won't let me put a blanket over him - his reaction - leaping up at the mere sight of the blanket moving toward him and running from the room - was extreme. He wouldn't wear a coat. He'd pace around in it and refuse to go to bed until I took it off him again. I had occassionally managed to get a tiny bit of the corner of a blanket over his foot or something and I'd pat him and reassure him (trying to get him slowly acclimatised) but as soon as I stopped patting him and walked away - he'd jump up and get the bit of blanket off him again. Then he'd curl up with his nose under his tail and shiver.

We had made some progress I guess. The fact that I could actually pat him in his bed without him attempting to take a chunk out of me was, I consider a major achievement! But he was freezing at night in our chilly tasmanian winter - poor little dude was constantly shivering and would be icey cold when I touched him in his bed - and that is not a good thing for a fella who needs to gain weight!!

Here he is in bed - cold and miserable - despite my efforts

SO anyway, recently I bought MYSELF a double layered minky blanket. Very garish and a stupid pink colour that I usually hate - but it was SO WARM and SOFT. I needed it. But, sucker that I am, I lost it to the dogs in under two days. I realised how it would get very warm just from touching it so I put it on the floor one day and Tango immediately hopped on and slept on it. The side of Tango that was against the blanket was exceptionally warm. So I put in in his bed so that it would be around his sides - and sure enough. He was MUCH warmer. He loved it and would sit on/in it wherever it happened to be. But Pepper wanted it too. She is happy to share but he isnt so they would argue over who got to have it. Fortunately it's very large so I started spreading it across both their beds. (Getting these two closer together every day). On really cold nights Pepper would get a blanket over her - and Tango would watch me cover her and look longingly at her all snug and warm. Occassionally he'd try to pinch her bed - it was as if he understood she was warmer so he thought he'd take her spot. But the instant I try to tuck him in - up he gets! Runs out of the room and wont come back till I look like I'm doing something else. So he wasn't understanding that it was the blanket making her warmer. Or something. Very odd.

So. We come to last night. It was particularly cold here. Ice on the damn windows, fog as thick as anything and my house has no insulation. We've run out of firewood and all I have is a pathetic fan heater. I was freezing even in several layers, gloves and beanie. Tango was shivering so hard he was shaking the wooden floor. So I decided firm action was needed and I think Tango finally decided enough is enough.

Long story short - I'll post the rest in pictures

Edited August 25, 2010 by spottychick

[spottychick]

The blanket

The beds

[spottychick]

Ohhhh Look at that! A dog under a blanket. Is it really Tango?

Yep! Dog is officially a sooky-lala YAY!!!!

[ari.g]

Awwww He looks so much warmer and content

[spottychick]

LMAO Ari - he was so content and warm he didn't even get up when I went to bed. I usually bring the dogs beds into the bedroom and Pepper was in there but Tango wouldn't budge hahahaha. He didn't move till I got up this morning hee hee

It's absolutely wonderful for me to see that! I can't express what it means - trust and confidence and all sorts of wonderful things

[Lhok]

Fantastic Tango looks as snug as a bug!

How'd you manage that? My parents have an aging dog that won't allow blankets to be tucked around her for warmth. Would love some tips that I could show them.

--Lhok

[spottychick]

Hi Lhok

Despite the flippant way I wrote about it - I did actually approach it with a bit of a strategy LOL. I've been gradually trying to get him used to the idea over a period of a couple of months. I do sit on the floor next to him and pat him a lot - which at first he was really suspicious of but now he loves it. After he got used to that I moved on to "getting a blanket on him" WHen he was relaxed with me patting him I'd just gently pull a light blanket over the back end of him or over a foot, leg or whatever was easiest and least fuss. I tried to do it without him noticing - no jerky movements or leaning over etc. Just stayed looking at him, patting his head and sneakily pulling a bit of blanket over a bit of him. Then I'd pretend nothing had happened and keep patting him. I'd try not to break the rythm of patting at all.

Hope that makes sense.

A few times he still leapt up and I had to leave it. I wouldn't push it and I didn't insist. Gradually I was able to put a little more over him at a time and then he'd leave it on him until I stopped patting him and got into bed. THen instead of leaping up etc he began to stand up, shake the blanket off and lie down again.

I waited till he'd leave the blanket on say - his foot - for a few minutes and then next time I'd try putting it over a bit more of his leg.

So all I can say is - patience - lots of it, don't make too big a fuss about what you're doing with the blanket, act casual at all times LOL and do it in tiny increments - and expect set backs.

I believe he started to realise what the blanket did once I had progressed to getting it across almost half the back end of his body. He actually left it there for a few minutes a couple of times and you could see him looking at the blanket trying to work out if it was friend or foe LOL He could probably feel the warmth tho and so he was sort of in "two minds" about it all.

I also think having Pepper totally covered in a blanket all the time - and him seeing that - seeing that she was happy and safe with the blanket on - might have helped. But I'm just guessing.

[Lhok]

Thanks for that Spottychick

Will discuss this with the parental this weekend, the old girl in question loves pats and cuddles... just hates blankets

once again thanks and congrats on your success with Tango

--Lhok

[voloclydes]

well sophie now likes pats.... she throws here self at you for em....and drags her self round the floor on her belly for you to scratch her back.

but coats are ok... only as long as you don't rip the velcro then she goes in orbit.

see you can treach an oldie new tricks it just takes longer.

[Loving my Oldies]

Wonderful. Such a relief knowing that you can get him warm.

[spottychick]

It certainly is a relief!! Bit warmer tonight with a roaring fire going - will wait till bedtime to see if he's really 'down with the whole blanket thing' now!

Gotta love Pepper - no such issues with her - she's always completely invisible under piles of blankets and will ferret her own way under them (she even does it in summer - for about 5 mins until she comes bursting out all panting and overly hot, silly goose!). Many's the time Tango has accidentally jumped into a dog bed not realising she was in there LMAO

[Little Gifts]

I know it might seem silly to some but I think that is fantastic news! Tango has overcome a major fear with your persistence, patience and love!

Toasty Tango!

[spottychick]

Thanks!

Puppy Sniffer - exactly - this is really HUGE for Tango.

VC - you are doing amazing things with that rescued girl Can you believe Tango is NINE years old! He just seems and acts (and looks) like a much younger dog.

Oh and MM - he was perfectly happy to have a blanket on him again the next night so it's definitely solved

[Sandra777]

Sounds like Tango needed to be allowed to get used to a lot of things, but in the mean time wouldn't it just have been easier to get him a bed which was covered over (crate or igloo type bed). Never understood why people (not you spottychick!) think a dog in a basket trying to heat up the whole room with it's body heat is "warm and comfy" - provide a covered bed and see the difference.

[spottychick]

Sandra- I agree and I tried something along those lines - I made him a home made "crate" out of a very large cardboard box and blankets following a suggestion I read in here (fortunately I'd just moved house so I had plenty of big boxes to choose from). But he wouldn't get in it or go anywhere near it no matter what I did. He was really very wierd about bedding - apparently all he had before I took him was just one blanket on the floor inside a kennel. So in the early days he would often actually dig a blanket out of the basket onto the floor and then curl up onto the blanket. I used to watch him struggling away trying to make it comfortable but really just pushing it into a wierd looking lump - and sort of whining very gently to himself and it would make me teary because I could imagine that's what he'd been doing for years. I'd let him alone and when he got up again I'd put it back in the basket and he'd go in the basket too.

A few times I tried to put a pillow or something up against his side to help insulate him and he actually attacked the pillow when it moved toward him (fortunately I anticipated this might happen so my hands were always well away from the danger zone). THis is why I ended up giving him the big fat minky that was meant to keep ME warm ;) It really made a difference to his body heat levels, and I could bunch it up so that when he got in it was up the sides of his body without him thinking anything unusual was going on.

I don't know exactly what happened to Tango in the past but he was very 'specific' about his bed and very scared of anything or anyone being over or around him. Now, not so much :D

I'd love to get igloo beds for both my dogs (Pepper would LOVE it - Tango might.....not sure) but cost is a consideration - especially for larger size dogs. Maybe later when I'm feeling less drained from vet bills LOL and after I fix the gaping hole in the bathroom floor.

I've actually always wanted to get Pepper one of those beds with the blanket sewn on three sides because I know she'd instantly know how to get in it and would adore it - but I can't really justify the expense when she's just as happy in her bed with a quilt over her - or in MY bed with MY quilt over her LMAO

[Sandra777]

Sandra- I agree and I tried something along those lines

No issues with you spottychick or what you were trying to do with a very troubled dog, you obviously know that a dog curled up in a basket isn't necessarily warm and cosy! ;)

[spottychick]

Hey Sandra - I get ya ;)

[spottychick]

Just thought those who are following this story might like these pics

All because my neighbours son was too lazy to come and mow my lawn.

I was going to pay my neighbours teenage son to mow my lawn. I asked him about it over a month ago - he brought the mower over two weeks ago - but still no sign of him actually mowing. Hahahaha Meanwhile lots of rain etc and my lawn has been getting out of control!

His mum rescues a whole menagerie of animals - including miniature horses. So yesterday when he couldn't avoid running into me, he suddenly came up with this brilliant idea. "I'll just ask mum if she wants to put a couple of our mini horses in your yard!"

Fine by me - I much prefer that to a smelly polluting lawn mower and I get free horse poo!!!

I wasn't at all sure how Tango would cope around the horses (Pepper has been around them lots in her life) but these pics were taken within less than half an hour of them arriving. They say it all really.

Edited August 25, 2010 by spottychick

[spottychick]

And this

[spottychick]

And lastly

Looks like we've got ourselves some friends for a few days. They are so cute, the older one is Cutey but I can't remember the foals name. They follow us around the yard like dogs - in fact they'll follow my dogs wherever they go.

Tango didn't even mind when they crowded him and sniffed him while he was chewing on an old bone he found. What an amazing fellow he is really!!!