Developments in the ongoing saga of Snowflake!

[AndyS]

Really all good news! She has moved in with me--at least into the back yard (50x50 feet). She allows me to close the gate on her overnight and for most of the day as long as she has some freedom to come and go. We are working on leash training. It's going better than I expected and she is content to stay close on a 20' retractable tether. We walked at least one mile with the only issue being terror of cars passing by and an occasional negotiation over when to turn around and go home.

On occasion she will alert me that some form of wildlife has transgressed the property. A low pitched 'Woof. Woofwoof! Not an angry or aggressive sound, just an announcement. I acknowledge her commentary and she goes back to her sentry post.

She is socializing well and easily accepts anyone inside 'her' yard. Still a bit timid out in 'the wild' tho. I want to see how she reacts to children--I suspect it will be well as she adores Jack and on one of her walkabouts adopted a neighbor's small dog and brought him home with her as well. At least she isn't adopting feral cats of which we have a large contingent

I have discovered two resources for rehoming, both specialize in Great Pyrs. One specializes in family situations and one for farm/ranch working dogs. I'm not sure which Snow will fit into and need a bit more time to figure it out as well as shots/spay/heartworm etc.

The last hurdle is getting her into (and out of) my car for vet trip and deliver to rehome.

Of interest is that she seems to be housebroken to my back yard--as in will not poop there. I suspect she does her business somewhere in the neighborhood and expect to hear from a neighbor about evidence of Sasquatch found in their yard

[cate94]

1. You can make steps to your car

We make some out of the thin sheets of styrofoam used for insulation. Glue them together to the height you want, add smaller sheets for the second step. Cover the top step with carpet for better traction. The advantage is that it is light and sturdy. We use it both for our dog and our MIL who otherwise couldn’t get in our SUV.

[AndyS]

10. The issue isn't height, it's fear. Snow is at least 60 pounds, about the size of a Shepard

and can easily make it into and out of the vehicle. However she is terrified of cars and trucks. Or being confined in small places. I've emptied my two car garage and she will only take a step or two past the door.

I'm optimistic we can get there in a week or two. She has made so much progress in the 6-7 weeks I've been working with her.

[cate94]

19. Good luck

I’m sure you’ll get there!

[Diamond_Dog]

2. I so enjoy your well written

and heartwarming episodes of the Snowflake Saga. 🙂

[AndyS]

12. Thank you.

She has recovered so well from the harsh mistreatment she suffered.

I don't think any of it was intentional. I believe that she was tied outdoors because the previous owners had no other way to contain her and we have leash law in our tiny 1500 pop community. Then the housing boom started and I assume her family was evicted and what do you do with a 60 pound dog while looking for a roof over your own head?

I'm happy to have found her and look forward to a happy end to this saga when she finds a forever home.

[niyad]

3. Oh, that is such good news! Thank you for this update. And thank you for your

caring and patience.

[AndyS]

13. I can't help myself.

My own personal history won't let me walk away . . .

[sinkingfeeling]

4. More photos of Snowflake, please.

[AndyS]

14. If I can get them out of my cell phone I have short vids of

romping and playing with Jack! She looks so much like a puppy instead of a mother of ??? who has been abandoned.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Thanks for this heartwarming news!

She is really acclimatizing more rapidly than I ever dared to hope.

I will be sorry to see her go out of your life. But I can imagine that evidence of Sasquatch is enough to make you less sad!

[AndyS]

15. I anticipate tears myself, but tears of JOY! nt

[femmedem]

6. Such wonderful news!

Thanks for sharing it with us.

[AndyS]

16. Watch this space . . .

[slightlv]

7. You've done wonderfully!

I'm so amazed it's taken so little time, tho I expect to you it didn't seem like so little! (LOL) I loved the Sasquatch comment! I can just imagine, given the output from my "pony-who-would-be-a-puppy"! After all this, I fear it's gonna hurt to see her rehomed, but also you can be so proud of the socialization and work you've done to get her ready for her furever home. You really have worked a miracle with a sad, forgotten dog. I salute you!

[AndyS]

17. In retrospect it hasn't been that long but at times it was step forward, step back.

Had I not had the DU family--and there's NO family like DU family--I would not have made it. A new DUer, Rocky Racoon, advised me on the breed which has very unique personality. Had I not had that input and found on line resources to better understand her I might have given up because I didn't understand her behavior.

As much credit goes to the DU family as to my personal effort.

[SheltieLover]

8. Yaaaaaay!

Ty for helping her & for the update!

[AndyS]

18. We get along with a little help from our friends! nt

[brer cat]

9. Wonderful news!

It does sound like she is socializing well.

[AndyS]

20. Better than I could ever have imagined once I got the help I needed.

Great Pyrenes are a strange breed with very specific personality traits and DU came through with the help and support I needed.

[Rocky Racoon]

23. They are something else.

Like we used to say about my late Pyr mix, "She has character. We just don't know if it is good or bad." You are now in the Pyr zone. Not hardly anything you ever learned about dogs applies any longer. I appreciate that you took the time and effort to learn about the breed. I was gratified to be helpful with that process. They are a trip. However, as you are finding out, that until you research and experience their quirks it can be hard to understand their behavior. Welcome to my world. A life-long character study as a labor of love for me. Thanks Andy. Ya do good work.

[AndyS]

24. You have no idea how much help you were.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. When I brought a cat home from the local shelter last year,

she was in a TOTAL panic inside the cardboard box they gave me to bring her home in. By the time I got home, she had almost completely broken out of it.

I already had a proper cat carrier at home, just hadn't brought it with me to the shelter. I was going to be bringing her back after about 30 days for a check-up, so I put the carrier out, and put cat treats in it. She quickly associated the carrier with treats, and when I needed to close the doors to bring her back for the appointment, she was pretty okay.

A month or so ago was her yearly well-cat check up, and I did the same thing. Had the carrier out and would put treats inside. Very effective.

[AndyS]

21. A box of dog biscuits works miracles. Coaxed her out from under the mobile home,

coaxed her to the food bowl, coaxed her to my house and coaxed her into my heart.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

22. Excellent.

[Me.]

25. Any November UpDates?