Butler Did It!

He's gotten some manners and he's back on the available page! Here's the most recent update from his foster mom:


"Butler has moved back to the available page. Whohooooo......Fingers and toes crossed that we will see some good applications for him. I now know this little man very well and feel really good about what we are looking for in his forever family. Thank you to the team for creating a great Bio for Butler! Check out the cute new pictures of him too.

We are almost done with obedience training. Can't say we've learned a lot of tricks, but he does listen to us better. He just seems like a softer, calmer dog. Butler is such a lover boy! My husband says that his "1000 yard stare" is all but gone. Meaning, when he first came to live with us, he had this look, or non-look in his eyes-- like he was looking right through you without much emotion. Now was see a real softening of his little being. He is also quite the cuddle bug. He is now the kind of dog that would stay in bed with you all day and snuggle.


Another area of improvement--no accidents in the house all month. He'll hold his bladder for hours now when we are out. I think really getting into a schedule, making sure he does his business when he is in the yard, and of course watching Mo and Van Gogh have all helped him make great progress.

I needed to make an adjustment in working with him on walks. I do the positive reinforcement, giving him treats whenever I saw a trigger coming into view, but sometimes he would get too worked up to care about the treat. Timing is everything, but occasionally even the best timing (or best treat) would not help, so I started to carry a small squirt bottle and treats. If I can't get his focus with the focus command or with a treat and he starts to go off, I give him a shot with the squirt bottle. This he responds to immediately and relaxes. It is clear communication that he needs to knock it off and he does. If I have to squirt him at all during a walk, it's usually only once, maybe twice. Then I continue with the treats and the praise when he is good. I guess every dog is different and while this approach may not work for others, it works for Butler.

Butler had another day at doggie day care last Thursday. I brought Mo and Van Gogh for a fun day for all. They all just LOVE doggie daycare. Lots of different dogs, big and small. Butler seems to almost seek out the females, so we are confident that he does not have issues with female dogs at all. It's just the leash/barrier "issue".

I also brought him over to a neighbors house for a visit. They have a large female lab that Butler had been yapping and snarling at for months because he can see her from our back porch. When I brought him into the house ( poor Anne the Lab started to shake when she saw him up close) Butler did stiffen up gave a yap so I gave him a quick squirt with the water bottle and he relaxed and was laying by her side before we knew it.
This just amazed the neighbors because they have been very in tune with what we have been doing with Butler. I think Mom and daughter are making a sales pitch to Dad to adopt him ( I don't think he's buying it though) especially after they saw Butler so calm with Annie. Butler was working it too----sat down front and center between mom and daughter and was pulling out all the cute looks.

What a boy! I am so proud of him."

Frenchies! So charming, so irresistible, so magically delicious! chirps

The Frog Princess