Cheyenne Yellow Labrador Retriever Female 4 Years Old

January 14, 2019

Surgery is behind us!  She is eating a particular diet now, and with success!.  It is hard, and she is able to bite down on each of the quarter size kibble! I am mixing it with some other dry foods but no more of the moist food.  She is not driven by food, rather affection, but is now willing to sit next to me on the floor and eat out of the bowl.

Pain is managed, with some medicine twice a day and there is an antibiotic for a rash on the inside of her hind leg.  She spends most of the day resting/sleeping/snuggling.  She is starting to show interest in the day to day activity of the home and family.

My daughter went back to college, and Cheyenne had a few depressed days of not eating, and listlessness.  Tori came home for a visit, and she perked right up.  Although she went back, Cheyenne is doing ok without her this time.

She is free downstairs when we are not home, but only sleeps upstairs at night.  One flight of steps daily for right now.   She remains a sweet, but timid girl that appreciates the quiet.  She is very interested in other dogs, and has made friends with one in particular.  They walk together almost every day.  Is less afraid of the dark, but does not travel far …

January 2, 2019

What a sweet thing we have!   Cheyenne had a great outing yesterday.  We started some teaching how to get in and out of the car.  She went to a park, and sniffed about, then to Pets Plus to roam around, and finally back home.  She is good once in the car, but freezes up when going in – thank heavens she is a petite gal.  I suspect, like all other experiences, she will learn and become independent.  Once she learned she was allowed on the bed, she had no problem adjusting!

It must be so perplexing for her to learn our ways.  I can sleep on the bed, but not while it’s being made; ok to be on the sofa, but not to eat there; can have the run of the house, but not when we are at work.  Work is slow, but once the lessons are learned, she performs them gladly.  We are starting with sit, stay and come – mostly without success right now, but her baggage may be getting in the way.  Everything is so new.

She made a dog friend! His name is Guinness, yes, he is a chocolate lab.  She was interested, and they did their share of tail sniffing, and then settled in for a nice walk.  He is a good-natured dog, so it was a great first.  There are more “assertive” pups in the neighborhood that we will keep our distance from.  She is so skittish, and nervous.

She is beginning to trust us, and she loves the attention!

December 28, 2018

A very exciting first 9 days:  two doctor appointments, living in a house, different food, different water, lots of love, a bath, different sounds, the ding of the microwave, TV voices, new everything!  It is hard to grasp how many new things she has encountered . She is a real trooper though, and is adjusting nicely.  No accidents yet, and maintains a sweet disposition. Cheyenne now has the run of the house when someone is home.  I even found her exploring the spare bedroom alone!  When I found her, she needed lots of assurance that she did not do anything wrong.

She has endured a lot of new faces over the last few days.  While she is OK with one or two new faces with soft voices, she finds safety upstairs when there are too many people, or too much noise.    She is terrified to immobility when there are many people (4-5 which includes us) FD had to carry her outside to do her duty, which she did on cue.  She is very content to be alone with you, and to sit next to you on the floor or sofa, or on the bed (her second favorite place – the first is being wherever YOU are). 

December 19, 2018

Slow and steady progress is made.  Enjoyed an outing to the vet for an exam and blood work for surgery clearance.  Teeth need some attention and will be done during the anesthesia process.  Good news, some dry kibble and a tablespoon or so of, the vet recommended, canned food was successful.  Still not a great eater and prefers soft chews.  She is teaching us, and we are eager learners.

If you remember, the first visit upstairs was successful, the second was not.  Loved being with us but did not want to go back down– as if she forgot what she did a few hours earlier. Herm had to carry her down, which she did not appreciated, and has not ventured another go since.

 She is so funny – a living irony!  I have to keep remembering she is farm dog that was kept outside – suddenly she does not like to go out in the rain, and will not eat plain, dry kibble!  I know, I don’t like to get wet either, but business needs to be done in the appropriate place.   (no inside accidents as yet) What fun she is!   A “hint” of stubbornness is beginning to manifest, and while we want to respect her, she is not the alpha. I know, she is so dang cute and sweet, it is easy to yield and let her have her way, but her forever home will benefit remembering that many of the boundaries are for her safety– it’s a learning process.

She received mail today from Brookline, and many wonderful things were in it!  Soft treats, yum!  She is not interested in anything hard to chew or crunchy.  Maybe after her teeth are taken care of she will find some interest in the Kong, and bones. The soft toys hold more interest, but playing is not familiar, yet.

December 18, 2018

Slept all night, no messes in the family room.  The tail keeps going!   It is dark when we get up so she had a preference to the crate.  No interest in dry kibble.  Beginning to explore her environment but remains skittish.  Off to work.

I returned home in 4 hrs. to see how she was doing – it was daylight and I found her sleeping on the bed in front of the fireplace.  A walk outside on the leash proves successful.  Not certain what to do, but she peed, and tangled herself up with the leash.  Did not pull, but can’t figure out the grass.  Someone had some straw on their lawn, and she knew exactly what to do there…It will come in time.  Gave her a bit of kibble with chicken broth, and she took some out of my hand but kept running away.  She can back when called and ate the remainder.  Back to work.

Was in her crate when Herm arrived home – always glad to see you .  More success with dinner, but ate just a little – only about half a cup of her allowed 1.5 cup.  I left it for a bit then picked it up.  Found some hutzpah and explored the dining room and living room – she took a peak up the steps, and up she went, then down again with no problem.  Back in her crate.  As I write this, I can hear her snoring!

Remains friendly, eager to please, cautious but does not like to be out of her crate when it is dark.

December 17, 2018

The worse day of her life!  Snatched from everything familiar and thrown into a car, a shower and then finally to a human’s home.  Those doorways got her at first, but no more than grass.  The tail never stopped; and she eagerly, albeit cautiously, embraced everyone.  A very easy day till dusk – an entirely different personality emerged.  Timid, and fearful.  She paced nonstop.  We took her out, and brought her back in.  Once Herm put a lovely memory foam bed in her crate, she finally rested.  I put a blanket over it and exposed only the door – resembling her coop.  Her happy place.  I kept the door open and she came and went freely.  No accidents in the house.  Did not eat – despite my best efforts.  I had to get her deworm(er) tablets in, and peanut butter did not work, but she took a fancy to Cooper Sharp Cheese.  Lights out and off to bed and “cave”. Day one a success.

Cheyenne is so sweet and friendly.  She’s a petite girl at 62lbs. More to come once she settles into her new foster home