Day 6: Mona Update Over the last 24 hours there have been steps forward and steps back. The really good news in Mona finally went out into the backyard! She immediately handled her business outside which was a relief for me! She was playful and even sitting for treats while we were outside and chasing down toys that I tossed for her! This is all REALLY good stuff! I was elated. Mona ventured out at about 11:30pm when the dogs were in our bedroom, the house was quite, and all were sleeping. We spent about an hour outside having fun, but it was very cold last night and I was growing tired. I was ready to head inside and go to bed, Mona was not. This is a real challenge because Mona does not come when called. She does not respond to commands. She puts on the “brakes” whenever an attempt is made to pull or lead her either by slip lead or leash and harness. So, for about 30 minutes I tried all sorts of bribery. Treats, a bowl of wet food, peanut butter, nothing worked. She would step a paw across the threshold and then hunch down and sulk backwards and back out to the grass. I know she had spent 5 days inside and she likely had grown use to being outside while stray. But I don’t think she was just being stubborn, I think she was untrusting and unsure. Poor thing. So I decided to leave the slider open and sit and wait for her to come in on her own. I figured she would get cold and work up the nerve. I didn’t want to leave her outside in the backyard while I slept for fear she would be too cold or attempt to dig out. An hour went by and still no Mona. So finally at about 1:45am I resorted to putting on her harness and pulling her in, even with her brakes engaged. This was very upsetting for Mona. I closed the sliding door behind her and she laid down against the wall in my dining room and shut down. She would not wag her tail. She would not give a kiss. She would not take a treat from me. She closed her eyes to avoid looking at me. :( I felt awful of course but I knew it needed to be done. For about an hour. I reassured her every 15 minutes with love and kisses and petting. Then I would retreat to the bedroom to give her some time to decompress and wait. Finally I accepted that she was going to spend the night in that spot and I went to sleep in her room. She moved to the couch this morning but would not come down from the couch. This was a challenge because our three dogs needed to be able to leave our bedroom and go outside themselves. Mona seems intimidated by them (understandably) and so we are not allowing them to mix and mingle. It was not until about 1:30 this afternoon that Mona finally returned to her room. It took some rearranging of the furniture and some light vacuuming to persuade her. But she finally decided she no longer wanted to be in the living room and trotted down the hall to her room. She is accepting treats and food again. She is kissing and tail wagging again. She is no longer shut down as I type this. I share this experience to illustrate the delicate nature of a dog in this state. It is touch and go. It is day by day. Although one moment she can show so much improvement and progress. The next moment something can happen that causes her to shut down again. It will take time. Time and repetition. Time and healing. Time and love. Time and a best friend full of support. I am honored to be Mona’s best friend.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 23:35:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015