Everything Will be Alright

I was getting worried. I had Lou out the other night. He was lying on the grass median, cooling his infected bits when my neighbour glided by slowly and silently on his bike. Lou looked for a couple of seconds and then leaped. Harold jumped off his bike and Lou reach over it and got his hand. Harold said Lou just grazed him but I was still upset. What good neighbours I have in them. Ginette, his wife, watched for me and caught up with me a couple of days later. They hadn't seen Lou and were quite worried I had put him down. I assured her we hadn't but we had to take it slow again with him. She was relieved for Lou. I don't think we would have in good conscience euthanized him. Besides, MA wouldn't have allowed it. He certainly isn't Ben and I think I've let that go now with a little help from my friends. We can do things with Lou and not worry about being bitten.

In speaking with Lynn, as MA has advised, go slow. She is positive about Lou. Again, she has the experience and knowledge. He's a rescue who was in a shelter for three months. Before that, who knows. First they said he lived with a drug dealer and then it was an elderly lady. MA says he has had some abuse as he cringes at certain things.

Lou and I visited MA and gang the other night after that incident. I figured it would do Lou good. MA's house is a flurry of activity with people coming and going, dogs, cats and kids and he knows her, of course. And, he is comfortable with Boudica and Maeve, his mentors. There was no problem.

I'm a little slow when people with knowledge tell me things like, take it slow with him. Too much new stimuli and he won't know how to react. He snarls, barks and will bite at people. I'm confident we can fix this.

Because I can't control him when he goes beserk, I now have a gentle leader for him. He quite respects it although will still go beserk over bikes but I can at least hold him. Don had him out last night down the street (he won't do it in the backyard). People went by and he paid no mind. Good boy, Lou!!

I'm working on having him connect good treats with the clicker.

His infection is finally clearing up and he is a much happier boy. He sleeps upstairs now, beside the bed, moving from one side to the other occasionally. He started out the evening on the bed with me while I rubbed his tummy and ears. THen he'd had enough and down he jumped. Early this morning he heard something outside and started to do a growly. I told him no, and he did a growly in protest but he lay back down and I rubbed his tummy. He really is a happy boy. The fence will be finished on Monday.