After several months of intensive efforts to integrate Penny into the household, it is clear that she is not going to be able to live peacefully alongside my cats. I am not willing to subject any of us to an indefinitely divided household, so my best option is to rehome her. (I have the support of the shelter she came from to do this, fortunately.)
Here's an overview before I get into the details.
Non-negotiables for her next home include:
- Physically strong, knowledgeable handlers who will continue the work I've started on her house manners, reactivity, impulsivity, and lack of frustration tolerance, using positive reinforcement techniques and a healthy dose of patience and compassion for her foibles.
- No kids under 10, cats, small dogs or other small animals
Ideally, that home would include:
- Another dog-friendly dog to play with and hopefully mellow her out a bit (she has shown an ability to chill out and not constantly mug dogs we are on hikes with who don't wish to play, but I think an enthusiastic playmate would be good for her)
- A fenced yard where she can chase birds and squirrels without getting into any trouble - no electronic fences, she's impervious to pain and seems like an excellent candidate for barrier frustration that spills over to aggression
- A fairly consistent routine in a quiet home, without a lot of environmental noise or a ton of comings and goings - big adventures/excitement seem to drain her limited emotional reserves, resulting in increased frustration behaviors for a day or two afterward
Now the details.
I'm going to lead with the challenges and end with the good, because I want anyone who reads this to know what they're signing up for.
In addition to her issues with cats, which I assume would extend to toy-sized dogs and other uncaged small pets, Penny is highly predatory outdoors, so I imagine she also should not live with chickens or other small outdoor pets/livestock, unless they're secured far away from the house and any areas the dogs spend time.
Penny is intensely leash-reactive, mostly toward dogs and somewhat less so toward people. This is entirely frustration-based, as she loves every single dog and human she meets. When she has been able to greet, it has always gone well, albeit exuberantly.
She has nearly zero frustration tolerance, and her frustration manifests as mouthing, leash-grabbing, jumping, and sometimes screaming and crying (I call it her "yodel bark"). I can always tell when she's overtired or overstimulated, because she resorts to one of the above activities. When it's only moderately bad, like at the end of a walk that went a bit too long, I can redirect her with a game of "find it," which she is great at. When it's in full force, a time-out is the only solution I've found.
Penny is the physically strongest dog I have ever handled, even on a front-clip harness. She also has no idea where her body is, basically ever. This means she is prone to slamming into, well, everything, including humans. She needs a physically strong handler who is very steady on their feet. This is why I think she should not live with children under the age of 10, as she would be likely to bowl them over. (She has met several kids and loved them.)
Her house manners have gotten reasonably good, but she is rarely allowed to roam free, so there may be issues that arise when she has free rein in a home. Counter surfing continues to be an issue when she has access, and her potty training is only around 80%; she tends to signal that she wants out anytime she's bored or frustrated, not just when she needs to go potty. She is on such a regimented schedule with me that I rarely even see her signal anymore; she just goes when I take her out, which is about five times a day.
We are working on polite greetings with people, but Penny is still very jumpy unless the person greeting her is savvy enough to prevent it.
Penny has shown signs of vigilance/woofiness about people or other activity seen or heard outside the house when she is indoors, which I think is also based on a desire to greet whoever is out there, not any kind of territoriality. I have managed this with white noise and covered windows rather than trying to address it.
Now, here are the selling points:
First of all, oh my god just look at her. She is gorgeous. LOOK AT HER.
Second, she is an absolute lovebug and an expert cuddler. She's sweet, funny, and very fun to train. She seems to have no issues with body handling or resource guarding, and I see no signs of separation anxiety. She has heard and been interested in (but not fearful of) distant gunshots. We have not yet experienced a thunderstorm together.
Of course, when she's not having a frantic frustrated reaction, it is wonderful that she loves people and dogs so much. She's done great at the dog park and at daycare. She can get a little overaroused with fast chasing or intense wrestling, but she settles back into appropriate play quickly when interrupted.
She's lived with a former dog trainer for a few months, so she is marker-savvy and has a decent foundation of training already, and you can hit me up for insights as to what's worked and not worked as you settle in together.
While she is quick to frustrate, she is also quick to settle into a time-out or tether situation, as long as there aren't cats to freak out about. She can generally self-entertain with a good chewable, lickable, or shreddable item for nice long stretches between naps and shared activities.
She is great in the crate after a minute or so of gentle whining, although she does best when she is allowed to chill and not see or hear any activity in the household. I think she could work up to being crated amidst the bustle of a home, but it has not been a priority for me to work on it.
She's a DYNAMITE sleeper, and maybe kind of a lazybones when it comes down to it? I often put her to bed around 9:45 and she sleeps without incident or complaint until I get out of bed at 7:30 or 8.
Penny likes car rides, although she can't be left alone in the car yet (this is the only time I've seen SA-like behavior from her, mostly frantic looking out windows and whining/crying). She generally stays alert and interested on rides, but doesn't complain or fuss unless she spots livestock or other animals out the window.
And now the logistics:
I am willing to transport Penny to anywhere within a 350 mile radius of my current home in Horseheads, New York, or meet someone in the middle if they're farther away. I would love to find an arrangement where I can have an ongoing presence in her life, whether that's a yearly email update, monthly visits, or anywhere in between. I don't want to be obtrusive, but I would like to know how she's doing.
I am also hoping to be her new owners' first option if they are unable to keep her for any reason. I'm happy to start with a weekend and then a weeklong trial run for anyone seriously interested in taking her who wants to test the waters before committing. If you are otherwise interested but couldn't take her for a couple months, for the right adopter I am happy to wait until the timing is workable for you.
I am asking for a $150 adoption fee, and I will send her to her new home with a Balance harness, some food, any toys that she has particularly enjoyed, her next dose of flea and tick preventative, and a supply of the calming supplements she's been taking.
If you've made it this far, congratulations! You've already passed Step 1 of the vetting process. The next step is to call or text me at 215-964-7442, so we can talk more about your interest.