Royal adjusting to living in the house

Royal has been with us for a little over a week and with each passing day he is getting more comfortable inside the house.  Living in a house has been a bit hard for Royal - he's very concerned about the noises in our house and this concern will result in him rapidly skittering away.  Sometimes he's moving away so quickly that he will lose control of his back legs and he will slide and fall onto the ground.  The noises that bother him are what we consider everyday house noises - dishwasher running, snapping closed Tupperware containers, the taking out of pots and pans, turning on the shower, things dropping on the floor, etc.   We don't know Royal's history before he came to us and really it doesn't matter.  What matters is working with Royal to help him realize that these noises are not going to cause him pain.

 

Royal has chosen his "spot" or what I think of as his safe place and it's a great choice.  It's a bed in our dinning room that is within a couple of feet from where we sit when we are on the computer.  It also gives him a view into the kitchen and down our hallway.  He can lay in this bed and see and hear what is going on around him.  Royal has complete choice in deciding to stay in the bed or move around the house.  So this bed is a nice spot where he can manage his movements when he hears the noises that concern him.

Royal's "spot"

The "work" that we've been doing inside the house this last week has been just letting Royal make choices of where he moves.  When he's settled down he's often given a treat as a reinforcer for the choices he's making.  This may not seem like much work but, by giving him choice we are building trust and a foundation for the next steps in working with him.  This last week has been stressful for Royal and when a dog is stressed they can't think very well.  So, working at reducing his stress in the environment will allow him to think clearer and then we can begin working on some other things that will help Royal while in foster care.

 

Royal is a great boy - he's very loving, very smart and wants to connect with people.  I have no doubt that what Royal needs is time, patience and understanding from the humans.  With the humans providing these things for Royal I have no doubt he's going to excel and continue to be a wonderful fella.  



Feeling a bit more relaxed