3. SOFTLY, SOFTLY, CATCHEE MONKEY

Just over a week in, and it feels like Finn has been with us forever.  He's no longer skulking in his bed in the corner, but will now always be found wherever we are, or, rather, where KP is!  Their bond is complete.  Man and dog.  Where there is one, there is the other.  Finn has well and truly adopted KP as his master and saviour (someone has to... ) and positively dotes on him (it's mutual between them), to the extent of Finn waiting lovingly outside the bathroom (which can be a while).

As for me, I'm the scary lady who moves too fast, often trips over him, and who makes far too much noise, particularly when things are dropped or broken, which is frequently.  

KP, Master and Saviour

What has become very apparent, however, is that Finn has the double whammy of a blind panic response and an over-sensitive nose combined with a strong hunting instinct.  Put those two together, and you have a dog who will bolt as quick as a flash.

Ready to go, if only he could!

He'll probably always have that, so the best we can do is to give him the tools to cope and stay safe.  Not only teaching him to come back to a call, but to also establish us as his sanctuary so that he will bolt towards us if scared and develop a way of stopping (or slowing) him in his tracks when he's on a scent.  Despite our best intentions, his instincts absolutely will come to the fore from time to time.  As a previous happy, but frequently exasperated, owner of a totally loopy and wilful springer spaniel, I have an idea of what to expect.

A very batty,  Hattie dog who gave me 13 very valuable years of experience!

And so Finn's training begins.  His first trip was the 30 minute walk up and over the hill into Rocca for the Saturday market and total immersion into village life!  He was fairly anxious on the walk to start.  It must be a booming, buzzing, confusion to a little dog who's spent the best part of his life in a concrete pen, but with lots of encouragement he soon settled down and actually seemed to rather enjoy being out.

A little too anxious to worry about too much training today

We didn't worry too much about walking to heal, just let him gain the confidence he needs.  On the extending lead, he sniffed the wind, sniffed the ground and trotted about listening and experiencing.  Until we hit the snow line!  And he bounced!  And bounced again!  He loved it!

The sniff of the white stuff before the bounce!

Market day in Rocca was a bit different, there were barking dogs behind gates, loose dogs in the road wanting to check him out, lots of people, cars, noise and a whole array of scary things.  He was clearly scared, but coped pretty well, and seemed to enjoy the fuss when friends came over to meet the new boy in town.  All good experiences.

The next day we did the same, but this time into Serra along the river, and this time with a bit more discipline.  No more pulling on the lead, thank you.  A bit of a tricky one, this discipline stuff, and a fine balance.  Too cross, and he cowers into a trembling ball.  The good thing, though, is get it right and he learns fast.  He's even starting to come back to Hattie dog's old gun-dog whistle, essential for making yourself heard above howling gales and getting through to a dog on a scent!

The most important tool in the "Saving Finn" tool box.

Getting more confident, and filling out well - his hip bones no longer clearly visible.

The one area where we don't seem to be making progress, is having him outside with us as we work.  Because of his bolting tendency, it's too early yet to give him free rein so we've tried putting him on a long rope as we garden, chop wood and paint so he can get used to just being outside with us as we work.  But no.  As soon the rope is attached to his collar, he cowers and trembles and doesn't stop, no  matter how long he's left or how much reassurance you give, until we go back inside once more.  I don't know why; but the reaction is so extreme I think we'll leave it.  It's not important.  He can stay inside.  One day, before too long, we won't need the rope anyway.

He stayed like this, trembling constantly, for the two hours I was digging.

He laid down for a while, but the trembling didn't stop until we went inside.

Spotty, now buddies with Finn, couldn't see what all the fuss was about.