It appears we’re over the worst of the adjustment period. There was some additional growling/snapping yesterday, but it’s absent today. Otis is now on his new schedule of eating twice a day with the other dogs, which also means he’s on a new potty schedule. That’s not to say it’s all completely smooth. There are cautious looks between Ozzie and Otis, but Otis is now sleeping next to Yaz and checks in with the both of them on our daily walks. That’s an enormous step in the right direction. That means Otis is beginning to think of the other two dogs as in his pack. Many dogs never reach that stage without much prompting, bribing and patience. Otis being the smarty that he is, has taken to our family quite well. I continue to be pleased with his progress. As long as I don’t force him into uncomfortable situations — which includes meeting new people and meeting strange dogs — he’s great.
Yesterday, he exhibited some amazing gymnastic feats, which had me cracking up. During tug-of-war, I managed to get the rope away from him, and he pretty much just levitated from standing in front of me to land on the bed, several feet away. He didn’t jump or leap. He simply lifted off the ground from one place and ended up in another. It was one of the funniest things I’ve seen. He was VERY proud of himself for his magic trick.
Today, I left the trio in the house alone for several hours to see what destruction I would return to. Since I’m not familiar with Otis’ chewing habits, I was concerned that I would find many things destroyed.
Nothing.
I was ecstatic about that. What a good boy!
Introversion Effect 