Annie Oakley Comes Around

When Annie Oakley first came to us, she had to be coaxed to walk outside with bits of cheese and she was so petrified she couldn't look anyone in the eye. Now her foster mom says, she frequently wears a Frenchie chapeau, as Annie scootches and scootches around trying to help her find juuuuuuust the right spot for a good skritching. Annie's completely come out of her shell, as the update below tells us. What a turn-around! Here's the note we got with some photos:

"Annie is doing just great. She's definitely more wary of men than women. Any strange men in the house she'll run up and bark at them. It's a funny reaction, though, because she still wants their attention since she jumps up on them and will sit next to them, but she apparently doesn't want them to actually look at her. Women she's better with off the bat and usually is all over them fairly quickly -- within an hour or so. Children are a definite no. My sister came for the weekend with her 9 mo. son and Annie was a little too interested in him for my comfort. Also, she's has some strange reactions to certain toys, and would charge the toy -- no matter who was holding it or what they were doing with it. She attacks anything that is held out in the air -- tape measures, pieces of molding, sticks, and toys. She also hates anything that moves -- rakes, vacuums, lawn mowers, brooms -- she completely freaked out the one and only time she saw the treadmill belt moving! I have to separate her any time I'm doing any cleaning otherwise she's all over the swiffer, broom, etc. Thankfully I don't clean that much... :) I'm trying to desensitize her to some of this stuff, but I'm constantly finding new things she would rather didn't exist.

She **loves** to play with big dogs. She's not necessarily aggressive with littler ones, but she's all over them and won't leave them alone. She chases them incessantly and is highly aroused around them. So no little dogs with her - only big mellow dogs. She goes to daycare every Monday and is hysterical to watch. I'm going to try to get an actual picture of it, but to see this little cow stealing balls and being chased by 2 labs, a rottie, a chessie, and a ridgeback is quite the sight! She goes for other dogs' feet, though, and doesn't get stop signals in play, and so if there's another dog in the house it'll have to be ok with that and the people will have to be on top of her to take her off if the other dog's had enough. Most goldens, labs and boxers have put up with her pretty well. Actually, her bestest friend is a golden -- every time they see each other it's love! They completely ignore all the other dogs and play until they drop. Then they lazy play on the floor. Too Cute!!
I'm trying to hint that it's time for them to get a second dog... :)

Otherwise this girl is quite the ham. She sleeps downstairs on our couch -- not because we make her (she's got free roam at night and is more than welcome to sleep in our bedroom), but because this girl apparently needs her own piece of furniture to sleep on. She's just happy all the time now. She and Lucy play tug constantly (the only game Lucy knows), she loves to be chased, and this girl LOVES the water! Turn a hose on and forget it -- she's soaking wet in 2 seconds.


Training wise, she's coming along. She's got the basics down -- waits nicely for her food and at door/stairways, she sits and downs, she's getting better at leave-it and we're working on drop-it. She's a nightmare on leash -- pulls constantly so we're slowly working on that one too, although it going to take a while -- she's a determined little girl!

I have another vet appt for her at the end of August -- and have several intermediate times set up with them to bring her in just for meet and greets and lots of treats! This time, she will get a thorough exam!

So that's about it. She's an incredibly sweet, lovable, hilarious and quirky girl who is going to be very tough to say goodbye to!"

Annie did not enjoy her last vet visit, so stopping by for some treats and praise and happy talk is a good idea.

What a great update! Many thanks to Annie's family for working so hard with Miss Annie O.

The Frog Princess