Welcome Home, Haley (pronounced "hay-lee")

Current Training Progress

09/04/1999: Haley did not yet know/recognize/obey these commands.

09/18/1999: I taught Haley a few basic commands

Sit, Come, No, Go home.

Time to go outside was recognized only when I had his leash in my hand.

09/28/1999: Haley currently knows/recognizes/obeys these commands (verbal and non-verbal)

Sit, Down (lie/lay down), Rest (a fully relaxed 'lie down'), Come, No,

Go outside, Go home, Go play (with other dogs around),

Get some water, Go potty, Go for a trip (in the car),

I'm going bye-bye - be a good boy while I'm gone (he usually goes to my bedroom and lies down).

10/11/1999: Haley now fetches pine cones while we're outside, and sometimes brings them back!

11/08/1999: Haley will now sit-and-stay, as long as I'm within his sight, even when other dogs

try to play with him. I usually have him sit and stay while I take garbage to the dumpster.

01/31/2000: Haley has progressed very well with me. He is successfully performing:

Up (stand), Down (opposite of Up), Go get the toy, Bring me the toy,

Come get the toy (while I'm holding a toy).

Many thanks go to my dog-owning neighbors, who have given me a lot of good and useful

training tips and advice.

Partial Training Progress

Haley and I are currently working on these commands:

Roll Over (a bad one for the winter time, though)

09/03/1999

Today was my first visit to the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV)...

Before going, I checked out all sorts of dog-related web sites, and wrote down

a few possible dog names that I wanted to use: Haley if a male, Hallie if a girl.

My roommate and I look for a few of the dogs we found listed on the web page,

but see only one. I wanted to look for the dog(s) that weren't barking, which

weren't that many! I found one, very pretty lab, but already adopted.

Then I found Haley. He shared a cage with another dog, slightly larger than himself.

We decided to take him out for a walk, of which the HSHV staff were very

supportive. We had to get him out through the outside gate, which he seemed

very happy to get out of the cage (on the leash). Once we walked past the cage

areas, he stopped and sat down. He was very shy and seemed very submissive.

Eventually, he did lie down on his back to let me rub his belly. Trust was growing.

Then, we took him out in the yard for a walk; he did walk around a little bit, but

was most pleased lying on his back to get a belly rub.

After a while outdoors, it was close to closing time -- we had to take him back to

his kennel, a place where he was reluctant to return. He didn't want to go back.

09/04/1999

Haley gets adopted... It's the big day, and I arrived at the

shelter soon after adoption hours started (noon). I felt very strong

feelings about adopting him and giving him a new, good home. I thought a

lot about this adoption the night before, considering the possibility that he

may be 'scarred for life', but such a nice dog doesn't deserve to live that

way. I took him outside for a walk, again, and he acted much better

than he did yesterday. This time, he was eager to walk around instead of

lying down. I ran a little bit with him, and he didn't seem to mind that either.

I completed all of the adoption paperwork and processes, and waited in

the reception area for the shelter to inject the microchip in to his skin.

He didn't like that idea. The shelter manager came out and told me that

he didn't know how the dog would act -- since he was very resistant to

them at the time. I went back to see about calming the dog down, they had

to muzzle him with a leash :( It seems like, almost instantly, he perked up as

soon as he saw me, after I kneeled down to pet him. I had them remove the

muzzle, and decided to take him out for a walk (supervised to make sure).

His tail was between his legs the whole time. When I got outside with the

dog, he was obviously scared. I took him for a walk, and he became happy

-real- fast. His tail was up in the air and he was walking with me very well.

With permission from the manager, we bypassed the microchip procedure.

I decided the dog would be okay, if not I would have to return him to the

shelter. With all of the paperwork signed and tags received, I walked with

the dog towards the car. He was nervous about being around the car

altogether -- he obviously wanted to walk! It took a few minutes to get

him in to the car, but a little persuasion went a long way in this first step.

When I started the car and put it in to gear, he jumped slightly. He was

very nervous in the car, panting a bit, but started looking around outside,

and calmed down a little before I arrived home. Getting out of the car was

no problem at all, at home, but he was nervous as we walked towards the door.

After some more persuasion and talking, we got him inside the building, but

he wouldn't go down the stairs. It took him a few minutes to sniff around and

adjust to the new place .. he finally went down the stairs and found his new

home. Once inside, he spent some time to sniff around, find out what was

going on and such. He went in to every room, with a few exceptions. He

wouldn't go anywhere that didn't have carpeting (ie, the kitchen and bathroom).

09/06/1999

Haley finally goes in to the bathroom and kitchen!

After a little TLC over the past few days, Haley has finally become

comfortable in his new home. Sure, he was bribed a little bit to go

in to the bathroom and kitchen, but I'm hoping it will pay off.. Now

all I have to do is get him in to the bathtub for a nice bath!

09/10/1999

Haley's visit to the veterinarian...

This was only his second time in the car, so it was slightly difficult

to get him in to the car. I actually had to pick him up and put him in.

He wasn't very resistant -- he didn't try to get out -- but he was

really nervous (released a little nervousness-scent on the way there).

I wouldn't blame him! He didn't know what was going on; for all he

knew, it could have been his trip back to the shelter. He laid back

against the seat and left his head between the front seats for me to

comfort him on the way.

When we arrived at the veterinarian's office, he was a little nervous

to get out of the car. But, I was able to encourage him to get out.

He walked very well with me up to the office door, but was a bit

reluctant to enter once he saw all of the tile flooring!

He did get nervous once the doctor came in.. So nervous that he

had a little accident on the floor. He also decided to lie down, so

it was all over his belly too. He did well with the shot

(rabies) that he received. He was sure happy to get back in to

the car!

I took him home, he was happy to see home again, too. He didn't

mind the mini-bath I gave him to get his belly clean, thank goodness!

09/11/1999

Bath time! Haley needed a full bath, badly. That kennel smell was starting

to get strong, and his coat felt a bit dirty and heavy. I tried to get him in to the

bath tub, but that wasn't working and I didn't want to force him. We took him

outside with a bucket of water, the shampoo, and an old towel. I actually

washed him twice, going through about 6 buckets of water. It was warm

outside, and he didn't seem to mind. After he dried off, the kennel smell

was still lingering, but not as bad, and his coat is really soft now.

Clean dog happy dog!

09/18/1999

Haley visits the grooming shop to get a bath and clip his nails...

Getting in to the car was no problem for Haley. This time, with a little

encouragement (patting hand on the seat of the car), Haley climbed in

to the car without any physical help..

Haley was nervous about going inside the groomer's shop, which shared

space with a veterinarian (a different one). Once again, tiled floor!

The groomer came out to get him, and he did not want to go back with her.

As soon as I turned around to leave, he got right up and walked with her.

That was the only trouble he gave her, so he was well behaved the whole time.

She actually charged me a little bit less than usual because he was so good.

He didn't like the dryer, though, so he was a little wet on the underside when

I picked him up. He dried off on the way home, but he was still shedding

hair -- all over the car that I had just finished vacuuming. But, it was okay

since we had a planned trip for the next day anyway.

09/19/1999

Haley's car trip to visit my parents (his grandparents)...

Again, he was very good about getting in to the car. This time, he

wanted to drive! True story: he first sat down in his usual spot

(the passenger seat), but then decided to get up and sit in the driver's

seat. He sat right down and put his paws on the steering wheel!

He looked back at me with such a funny look, as if he was supposed

to drive the car .. Imagine that. I finally got him back to where he was

supposed to sit, but I had to go around to the other side to get him to

move. What a serious dog!

I got on to the highway, and he was a little nervous. I had never gone

that fast with him in the car. He was really good about the whole trip.

I had purchased a "Pet Safety Sitter" that loops around the seat belt

to hold him in case of a sudden stop -- he didn't seem to mind it.

When I arrived at my parent's house, a little over an hour later

(less the time we spent at a rest area, though he just sniffed around),

my parents weren't home. It gave him some time to look around inside

and outside, which was good.

A while later, my sister came over with her dog, a yorkshire terrier,

who was already territorial of my parent's house.. They got along

fairly well, but didn't really play that much. I'm sure when I visit again,

they'll get to know each other and play.

My parents loved Haley, so that's a good thing!

09/24/1999

Haley's second visit to the veterinarian...

This time, he wasn't as timid to walk on the tile inside, but still had

to pick him up to put him on the weight scale -- I guess he doesn't

like to hear if he's gained weight! He actually gained a pound, but

it's probably due to him eating correctly and consistently (a good thing!)

He had to get another shot, distemper, but he didn't seem to mind it

too much. I held and comforted him before and during the shot, so it

wasn't as bad. And, he didn't have an accident on the floor this time!

09/26/1999

I took Haley on a trip to the Nichols Arboretum (the 'Arb' in Ann Arbor, MI)...

It's a really large area with rollings, grassy hills, lots of trees, and

walking trails/paths along the Huron River. There is a place along the river

where it gets fairly shallow, and an obvious path leads down to that spot.

I went with two other neighborhood dog owners and their dogs, parking was

a mess but we both managed to find a spot. Haley enjoyed being with the other

dogs, familiar and new ones we met along the way. We walked down to the

river and the dogs were enjoying the water. Haley followed the neighbor's dogs

in to the water as they fetched a stick. I kept him on a leash all of the time,

even though most other dogs in the water weren't on a leash. But, I wanted to

protect my baby! This day was probably the last nice day before the Fall season

rolls in -- it was roughly 78 degrees, sun shining, and blue skies all around.

We spent an hour there. As soon as we got home, Haley fell asleep!

He must have slept for 3-4 hours...

09/29/1999

After a few days of introductory teeth brushing (brushing only a few at

a time), Haley finally let me brush all of his back teeth -- completing

the full set of teeth! I first noticed that it was very easy to get to all of

his teeth with my finger when he has a bone in his mouth. His cheeks are

much easier to spread open, which helps even though I have a toothbrush

made especially for dogs. The bone trick only lasted through a few brushes,

probably because the toothpaste tasted better. I was able to get all of his teeth

fairly cleaned, much better than before. His front teeth are super white, back to

the canine teeth, but his back teeth still have little spots on them. I am hoping

to be able to brush all of his teeth in one setting, only time and repetition will

help the process.

10/06/1999

I have noticed that Haley is becoming very comfortable in his new home.

I find that he now likes to jump up on to my bed when I go to bed

to lie down next to me. He usually ends up moving down to the floor

beside the bed during the night, probably because I'm not awake to

rub his belly anymore! He also spends the day lying on my bed with

a new peanut-butter flavored rawhide bone I bought him a few days ago.

I just have to be sure to groom him every few days to keep the hair

down to a minimum. Thankfully, he doesn't mind the grooming!

10/09/1999 - 10/10/1999

Today was Haley's third trip. Actually, this was his longest car ride to date.

We spent roughly 2 hours on the road, to spend a day and night with part

of my family -- a small family gathering of my mother's side. Haley acted

very well in the car. He actually sat up a few times to look out the window.

We arrived to a new place - my parent's cabin. Naturally, he sniffed around

a few times inside and out. He remembered my mother for the most part,

but was still shy. He did fairly well with the other 'new' people he met.

After dinner, we were outside by the fire and Haley saw a goose on the lake.

Being the lab that he is, he really wanted to jump in to the water. He stood

close to the edge, but never jumped in. That was a good thing because I

didn't have a towel with me to dry him off!

I don't think he slept most of the night. I woke up a few times to find him

walking around; once when he woke me up by nudging my hand.

Plus, he slept for a short while on the trip home, and fell asleep soon

after we got home.

10/11/1999

While we were playing outside with the other dogs, I noticed that Haley

now fetches pine cones pretty well. Sometimes he does bring them back

for me to throw again, but sometimes he lies down and enjoys crunching it up..

I found that it also works when we're outside alone, if he's in a playful

(not worn out / tired) mood.

Haley will now go in a complete circle around the kitchen / living room

area by himself (between the linoleum and carpet) .. without being asked to,

or bribed! :)

10/16/1999

It was fairly warm today, with the slight threat of rain, but that did not

keep me and Haley from going back to the Nichols Arboretum (the 'Arb' in Ann Arbor, MI)...

I couldn't find any other neighborhood dogs/owners to go with, so we

went alone. He doesn't mind getting in to the car at all anymore.

I took along his new 'automatic' leash .. one of those 18 ft. ones .. and

that really seemed to help. We walked around for a while before going

down to the river.. That 18 ft. cord leash helped out because he

couldn't wait to get in to the water, and probably would have pulled

me in with him! He went in to the water, where the level was just

below his head, walk around for a little bit, then get back out and

shake off. He did that about 4 times, between walking around,

climbing up the mini-hill, walking around the rocks, and just plain

being a dog! We spent almost 1 1/2 hours there this time. There were

plenty of other dogs and people to sniff, so I think he enjoyed it..

When we got home, there were a few other dogs out in the courtyard,

and he decided to play with all of them before going inside and pooping

out for a few hours.. What a great day (keep that rain away!)

11/22/1999

This morning was Haley's visit to the veterinarian. Ever since I've had him,

his back teeth have had a build up of plaque that I haven't been able to

brush off. I've continued to brush his teeth, but I don't want to hurt him

trying to get that stuff off. I decided to get an appointment to have his

teeth cleaned, quite the humane thing instead of having his teeth fall out

and his gums get sensitive and bleed. Well, the procedure requires the

dog to be anesthetized (don't we wish our dental visits were that way!).

They called me around 11:30, so I picked him up and took him home.

One thing they didn't tell me, that I have learned the hard way, is that

he wasn't supposed to have anything until the next morning - water or food.

I came home from work and found a few spots of vomit all over the new

rug. One of them was still fresh, so I was able to use some paper towels

and plastic bags to pick it up. Nature's Miracle worked pretty well on the

other stuff (I highly recommend investing in a gallon of this stuff for such

occasions).. The other thing I didn't know was not to feed him. Gee, what the

vet's office should have told me when I picked him up!!! Okay, so the food

was all over. Before bed time came around, there must have been at least

14 spots all over the living room and rugs -- I was smart enough to pick up

all of the rugs when I found the first few. I was worried about the little guy,

so I called the 'emergency' vet clinic. They told me about the no water or

food thing. After that, there wasn't much more to worry about with regards

to Haley's health - but he was still pretty weak. I had to carry him to go

outside since he couldn't quite make the steps, and I didn't want him to

get hurt trying. That night, I tried to go to bed and have him sleep in the

other room - something he didn't enjoy. He started to whine and cry a

little bit, and actually had a small stream of 'tears' coming out his eyes.

I couldn't allow that, so I moved my alarm clock to the living room, and

slept on the couch for the night, where he was able to sleep next to me.

Yes I do spoil him, but he's been such a loyal and loving companion;

"Man's best friend" is very true, and I'm very happy that he's feeling better.

11/25/1999 - 11/27/1999

Time to visit the parents for Thanksgiving - Haley's second visit to my

parents' house. He did pretty well this time, went right inside - he didn't have

too much of a problem with the non-carpet surfaces, and showed quite a lot

of trust with my mom. He did get a bit nervous with all of the people who

came over, strangers to him, and had a little accident inside the house.

Fortunately, my mom and I noticed before anybody else, and got it taken

care of. Whoops! The first night was a little strange for him, I had to pick

him up to get on to the bed to go to sleep. Once he was there, he slept

really well, and didn't wake me up at all. The second night, everyone left

to go out, and I was supposed to follow behind. I took him outside to use

the bathroom, and then took him back inside. When I tried to leave, he didn't

like it when I told him "I'm going bye-bye, be a good boy while I'm gone."

I tried to leave, but decided to stay outside of the door, where he wasn't

able to see me. He barked, yiped, and whimpered a little bit, so I decided

to stay with him instead of leaving. I figured he wouldn't be very

comfortable alone, since it was still a new place for him to be alone.

After my parents got back, I did go out as I had planned earlier, and he was

just fine alone with my mom there.

On Saturday, (11/27) I left the parents' house. One of the other dog-owner

neighbors had rented a carpet cleaner, since he was house training a new

puppy. He let me borrow it for a little bit to get the puke stains out of the

carpet and rugs - and they came up just fine. There are places on the carpet

where I can see a few partially-visible stains, but they're pretty hard to see.

Once again, Nature's Miracle has saved me again!

12/12/1999

Haley gets a bath - from me this time, in the bath tub! I finally got

him in to the bathtub (still have to pick him up) without getting him

scared. I decided to run the water for a little bit, making a small bath,

then I put him in again. He didn't seem to mind it, but he was a little

scared when I started to wet him down (using a small cup). He didn't mind

the shampooing at all. He did get a little jumpy when I turned the water

back on to rinse him off - it's too bad the bathtub faucet has only one

setting (for the most part).. When I was done, I let go of him and he jumped

out of the tub, getting me and the floor a little wet -- of course, he had

to shake all the water off, too! For the first time, it wasn't that bad!

12/27/1999

Haley makes it through the first major holiday with me.

I figured he would get fairly scared with all of the new people

he had to deal with (extended family), but he did very well.

This time, no wet floors anywhere!