Having heard there was a male Labrador crowding out Linda's home, we thought we would investigate further to fill the void left by a previous foster dog. Little could have prepared us for the big smiling face of Bear. A gentle giant who just wants to wriggle, have fun and be loved. We introduced him to our existing dog, ex foster dog, Moose and they sort of got on, but it was hard to tell with all the male posturing and then playing in the garden. So with Linda's wise encouragement we took him home with us. I have to admit I was a bit intimidated. I asked Linda, what makes intact males so different from desexed apart from the obvious. How should I be caring for two males when I have only been used to females. Linda was very reassuring and explained there was little difference in managing desexed males, but an intact male had other ISSUES! Well I resolved to get him desexed asap to fix those!
We took him home, gave him a medicated bath, gave him a flea treatment, gave Moose flea treatment, checked on everyone's flea status and then brought him inside. What a gentleman! I struggled to remember his name (Grizzle), I called him Guzzle, Gizzle and eventually the dog. So we asked our son what he should be called. Continuing with a successful formula he settled on Bear because "he's so cuddly except he wriggles too much.."
After their evening walk he settled down a little but was still very stimulated with his new environment and playmate Moose. Linda had learnt us a dog cage just in case, so we set it up so we could get a decent night's sleep. I was still not 100% confident the dogs might come to blows with over enthusiastic play. No problem at all, he hopped into the cage which I made super comfy with an old duvet and of course some dog treats. Moose took up position in his bed and both dogs were asleep instantly. During the night I woke up, felt sorry for Bear and quietly let him out to go to the loo. No problem at all, he bounced back into the cage in anticipation of the treats which were quickly offered as a reward. I told Moose to go back to his bed and threw some treats into his bed. Surprisingly Moose kept on circling me and would not go to his bed, very odd. It took a moment or two for the penny to drop, I turned on the lights and yes, Moose was happily smiling at me from inside the cage and Bear was looking very unloved outside! The rest of the night passed on so peacefully and the next day, that we dismantled the cage and have used the spare bed instead. Both dogs respond well to the drill of go to bed followed by treats and hey presto we have had no issues at night.
Bear has settled in well. He is very inquisitive and watches us most of the time. However he is learning to relax and follow Moose's example of just sleeping undisturbed and heavily whenever the opportunity presents itself. He is a very easy dog to have in the home and must have been used to a domestic environment at some stage.
I have been feeding him a homemade diet of fish, egg and raw vegetables to help his skin heal from the flea bites. His skin seems to be responding well from the care and attention he received before me and is already noticeably less aggravated. I hate to imagine how bad it must have been when he was first rescued from the pound.
Walking on the lead is fine, until he sees another dog. Then the hormones kick in, he starts barking and pulling. Luckily we have a harness to walk him in but I still need my husband to walk him as he has quite a sudden pull.
We have just had our ACT Moon Bear committee meeting at my house. Not surprisingly all loved the two handsome boys who wriggled and wagged their way around everyone. I think a small role may have been secured in a future Animals Asia event.
So yes he is booked in for the snip on Thursday at one of the wonderfully supportive vet clinics here in Canberra. This with some basic obedience training on the lead around other animals will make him a pretty perfect companion...
Post by Gill, Grizzle's foster mum and Moose's permanent mum.
Katherine warned me that if Winston humped, or even came in contact with another male they may react badly. I think Dylan and I were completely paranoid about him after that!
But now, after seeing more male's together, I'm a lot more reassured. It's still intimidating but it's obvious to see (i.e. humping or 'prowling') than say two girls working out a pack order. Especially if you know how you're dog reacts. Then you just watch what your dog does and gauge the tension from there. If Moose looks happy, then they are getting along!