Harley is in a "tough love" program at our house, learning that there are boundaries and rules and that those rules are set by the people, not the dog. Don't fret for Harley, though, he's getting plenty of hugs and pats and words of affection. Harley is a very loving dog, he loves to be petted, he loves to have his belly rubbed, he loves to be close to his people, he loves any and all attention he can get.
Never before have we not allowed a dog on our couch, but Harley's pushiness made it necessary that he learn that he can rest on his own without sitting on top of the people in the house. He also spent a lot of time in his crate the first ten days, once again letting him know that he can spend time in a room away from the people in the house. When he goes to his new home he'll need to be with people who will be leaders for him, who will show him the way, or he will take over the house in his overbearing, yet pleasant way -- he's not a brute at all, he has a sweet nature, he just needs to be kept in line.
The tough love program also involves his eating habits, as it seems that Harley doesn't really love eating dog food. Most mornings he turns his nose up at the dog food offered to him -- the same dog food he was eating before he came to live with us. We've supplemented his diet with pumpkin, yogurt and some salmon and these nutricious treats help to get him to eat his food. We're working on getting him to eat only dog food, and tonight he ate his dinner, dog food only, with no extra supplements to entice him to eat.
Harley's diet will be ongoing for quite some time. He has lost 7 pounds in the first two weeks. As the weather gets warmer and I can get him out more for exercise I'm hoping he'll start taking weight off a bit quicker. I'll start taking him out to the fields to give him some good cardio workouts, slowly working him up to longer and longer jaunts.
Harley is proving to be a good Weim and will make someone a great pet. Both at the vet's office and on a trip to PetSmart he did a great job meeting strangers and handling himself well in new situations. He is a quick learner and very much wants to please his handler.
The Rescue Dog Performs a Rescue!
Harley showed his very good side the first Saturday night he was with us, when my husband took him outside for one last chance to do his business before heading to bed.I was back in the bedroom when they went out and after a short time I heard Harley barking. At first I didn't think too much about it (except that it was quite late to have a dog barking outside). When the barking continued for several minutes, I went to check on what was going on. I opened the front door and was surprised to see Harley standing at the bottom of our front porch steps all alone, no Dan anywhere in sight. I called out for Dan and heard him reply from the side yard, where he had slipped and fallen down the hillside and was unable to get up.
I got Harley in the house and went back out to help Dan up and into the house. Dan was unhurt and just needed to clean up from all the mud on his jeans and coat, thank goodness.
I called this Harley's "Timmy's in the well moment" as he chose to alert me to a problem in the yard rather than run away, a good trait in any dog -- and outstanding in a dog who has only been in his new home 3 days!
If you're thinking about adding a Weim to your family, Harley would be a nice dog to consider. I think he'd love to have a sister to play with and he loves kids. Contact Tri State Weim Rescue if you'd like to learn more about Harley or the other dogs who need forever homes!
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