Opal found us on Facebook.
One of the Humane Society of Wichita County's best friends posted Opal Hound's pic on her page with a brief synopsis of her plight. That dog had me at first glance.
We do not know much about her back story. And we have a little over two weeks to build a file about her before she goes to a permanent home in New York.
NEW YORK CITY!??!
No, thank heavens. I wouldn't wish relocation to New York City on .... a cat! No, Opal Hound is destined for the upstate woods and countryside.
Our mission--before the transport departs--is to learn as much as we can about Opal's likes and dislikes, her level of training, her habits and behaviors. Is she housebroken? How does she relate to other creatures on her turf? What is her tolerance for small humans totally lacking in social skills?
And between bouts of observing and reporting, get her crate-trained for the long relocation road trip ahead.
Crate training may be the biggie here. She has no love for The Box. That was evident when we loaded her aboard the Blazer to bring her home, and again, just moments ago, putting her to bed in her new (to her) borrowed bedroom.
For all her dislike of being crated, though, she is profoundly silent about it. Once inside, she accepts her fate, calmly and quietly. So somehow we need to broaden her acceptance to entering the crate mostly on her own without gentle-yet-assertive persuasion.
So as Day One comes to a close, what have we discovered?
Opal is a sweet-tempered dog. She gets on well with other animals, although she is a little leery of cats.
"She has obviously had dealings with cats at some point," Mrs. Miller adds. "She is leery, but not the least bit aggressive toward them. She hasn't shown any signs of aggression toward anything."
Annie also noted that she car rides well.
She is keenly alert to her surroundings, her attention peeked at any new sound.
"Even when other dogs are barking, Opal remains quiet," Annie says. "This may change as she becomes more accustomed to her new surroundings, but so far she has not barked at anything."
Brought into a strange environment, her first task is a thorough investigation of the turf.
She is affectionate. Wouldn't take much to make a lap dog of her, but it would require one strong and ample lap! She does have a desire to jump up on you once she gets to know you a bit, but she remains hesitant to do so. When she does climb into your face, she is easily dissuaded from doing so.
She is able to negotiate terms with at least one other dog sharing her "home" turf.
As for the cats...well, she'll just wait for them to come around to her.
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| Opal (front) and Beano take a brief break from The Sniffing Game" |
We do not know much about her back story. And we have a little over two weeks to build a file about her before she goes to a permanent home in New York.
NEW YORK CITY!??!
No, thank heavens. I wouldn't wish relocation to New York City on .... a cat! No, Opal Hound is destined for the upstate woods and countryside.
Our mission--before the transport departs--is to learn as much as we can about Opal's likes and dislikes, her level of training, her habits and behaviors. Is she housebroken? How does she relate to other creatures on her turf? What is her tolerance for small humans totally lacking in social skills?
And between bouts of observing and reporting, get her crate-trained for the long relocation road trip ahead.
Crate training may be the biggie here. She has no love for The Box. That was evident when we loaded her aboard the Blazer to bring her home, and again, just moments ago, putting her to bed in her new (to her) borrowed bedroom.
For all her dislike of being crated, though, she is profoundly silent about it. Once inside, she accepts her fate, calmly and quietly. So somehow we need to broaden her acceptance to entering the crate mostly on her own without gentle-yet-assertive persuasion.
So as Day One comes to a close, what have we discovered?
Opal is a sweet-tempered dog. She gets on well with other animals, although she is a little leery of cats.
"She has obviously had dealings with cats at some point," Mrs. Miller adds. "She is leery, but not the least bit aggressive toward them. She hasn't shown any signs of aggression toward anything."
Annie also noted that she car rides well.
She likes playing ball even though her ball-handling skills are slightly north of tripping over her own feet.
She is keenly alert to her surroundings, her attention peeked at any new sound.
"Even when other dogs are barking, Opal remains quiet," Annie says. "This may change as she becomes more accustomed to her new surroundings, but so far she has not barked at anything."
Brought into a strange environment, her first task is a thorough investigation of the turf.
She is affectionate. Wouldn't take much to make a lap dog of her, but it would require one strong and ample lap! She does have a desire to jump up on you once she gets to know you a bit, but she remains hesitant to do so. When she does climb into your face, she is easily dissuaded from doing so.
She is able to negotiate terms with at least one other dog sharing her "home" turf.
As for the cats...well, she'll just wait for them to come around to her.
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