We hope that we will see you at the Spring Trash and Treasure Show at the Forum this weekend. The Central Aroostook Humane Society will have a booth just inside the entryway. We have new merchandise to sell, doggie and kitty treats and human treats as well.
Last fall Joe and I adopted a dog from the Central Aroostook Humane Society, and I wrote an article about the difficulties we were going through with Annie. Folks have asked how she is doing, so I thought I would do a follow-up.
She came with many bad habits. To start with, she was not housebroken and was very set in her ways. I am so happy to report she is now housebroken. It took about three months, and now she goes to the back door and rings the bell when the need arises. We are very proud of her. Of course, during that three-month period we almost wore out our rugs with the shampooer. Those who have dogs know they always prefer rugs to tile.
One of the worst habits was her need to sit in the middle of the dining room table. She is so strong and big she could just take a jump and land there. At first it was rather cute, but guests were not impressed. She hasn’t done that for a while now. We curtailed that with keeping boxes on the table, and there was not room for her to sit. She still tries to sit in a chair if it is out from the table.
Annie is a free spirit, and we were told she ran loose a lot. That is still a problem that needs work. If she gets out, she takes off like a bullet, but comes home. We just worry she will get hit by a car. We also found out that Annie is very adept at opening doors. Joe had to change the doorknob on the back door and now the garage doorknobs have to be changed. She likes doorknobs that have levers on them. She is able to open those in about two seconds.
We are still working on the jumping-on-people problem. She is very excitable and just wants to love anyone who comes into the house, whether they want to be loved or not. I give a lot of credit to the Schwan’s man. He tolerates her; not everyone appreciates her welcoming ways. If anyone has any good ideas on how to break this jumping habit, please let us know.
She used to steal the TV remotes and take them strange places. Now it is the portable phones she is attracted to in a big way. When she is home alone she usually takes one portable phone and puts it on the floor beside my chair. Two other phones that are not portable, she just takes them off the hook. She usually takes the portable phone and puts it in our bed, sometimes under a pillow. We should not have allowed her to sleep with us, but it was hard to say no. The first night she was with us she ran upstairs and jumped on the bed. What could we say? Her favorite position is to lay close to me with her head on my knees. It’s not the most comfortable, but I love her.
We are still having trouble with her counter surfing and her love of garbage. We keep the kitchen counters completely clear of food, and when we leave the house we hide the garbage can, much to her dismay. I tried to keep her off most of the furniture, but that didn’t last long. Her favorite spot is my recliner in the living room. She gets quite upset when I am in it. Sometimes she sits with me, but it is quite a squeeze. She sits close with her head on my shoulder. She is so very loving.
She is still a work in progress, and we love her so much even with her problems, and we know she loves us.
Please visit us at the Central Aroostook Humane Society. Just so you know, most dogs there are housebroken and all cats use the litter box. We got one that just needed some tender loving care, lots of training, and a lot of patience on our part.
(“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened” – Anatole France)
Carolyn Cheney is a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Aroostook Humane Society.
