Day 4: The first approach!

More progress! This morning Martha came up to me!

I've been using the calming signals from Turid Rugaas' book, moving slowly around her, turning my face away, yawning and licking my lips, all to show her that I'm not threatning...

This morning she came out of her crate and followed the dogs around. She's obviously still scared and would run, but she started coming up to me! I was snuggling Brutus and Wednesday and she was so curious, she was sniffing all around me and she even sniffed my face! I gently touched her head and she didn't run so I kept scratching her, letting up now and then to give her a chance to move but she stayed! :)

She is still scared but I'm sticking by the signals and it's really working! She's been following me at a distance and is curious, and doesn't run as quickly... Progress!


Rick scratching Martha's head...

The first 48 hours...

What a shock this must all be for poor Martha. All she has ever known is cruelty at the hands of humans, and she is really the only one who doesn't know yet that she will never be hurt again...
She slept quietly all night in the crate. Actually, quiet is all she is, we haven't heard a single peep out of her since we picked her up.
She came out of her crate Saturday morning and followed the other dogs to the backdoor, but she was too scared to follow. I kept my distance and kept my back to her not to intimidate her, or she would go running. I finally had to carry her outside though to get her to go to the bathroom, but with no luck. She was too scared and would just cower in a corner of the yard...



She did eat however! We have her a small portion, seeing how she had been too scared to eat the night before, but she ate all of it! She spent most of the day Sunday in the crate, and that's where we fed her knowing that she feels safe there.
Later she even ventured out a little, sniffed around the house and followed the other dogs around.



Today she didn't want to come out of the crate, and I was seriously starting to worry about her bladder. It had been two days since she last went to the bathroom! We were gone in the morning but came home early afternoon and let the dogs out in the bckyard and carried Martha out for another try, and this time it was a success! She peed for the first time since Saturday! Poor thing is so terrified she can't even go to the bathroom...
After she was done she didn't understand that she was allowed back in the house, so she curled up in a corner by the house on a pile of leaves... It's the saddest thing I have ever seen! :(



But the progress kept coming! She also took a toy tonight! My pug mix girls Bela and Wednesday were playing with their squeaky toys and we noticed that the sound made Martha perk up and she was watching them play, so my husband tossed one of the toys over next to her, and she got up, sniffed it and picked it up! She carried it back to her bed and was sniffing it and nudging it... I couldn't help but cry a little seeing her take it, she has probably never had a toy before in her life! But with all the horrors she's been through and with all the fear she feels, the sound of that squeaky still stirred something and for a moment she relaxed and tried to play...



We are using the ignoring method and calming signals (See Jan Fennell's The Dog Listener, esp. chapter 5, and Turid Rugaas' On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals). The selfish part of us want to pet her and pick her up, but it's crucial to give her space and time for her to choose to join the pack, not because we made her...

All in due time...

Martha's Arrival

Martha is home home after quite the excursion yesterday!
We (me and my friend Nikki) drove to Portsmouth and met my last fosters Mimi & Coppers adopters and said goodbye.

We were then off to Hudson NH to meet up with the transport to get Martha, and also two Boston terriers, Polly and Shurlock, for two other volunteers in Augusta ME. We got all three in the car without any drama, the two boston's in crates and Martha on the backseat, but not until Martha had pooped on Nikki, poor thing was scared stiff!

Martha laid quietly on the back seat the whole way home, she literally didn't move a muscle!
We met up with the other volunteers in Portland and dropped off Shurlock and Polly (read more about Polly on her blog.
Wee got home and I literally had to carry Martha out of the car and into the house, she was rigid as a board, she was so scared... :(
Once in the house I introduced her to my alpha female pug mix Bela, and you could see every muscle in her body relaxing at the sight if another dog! She perked up, and started following Bela around. And she had the same reaction to our other two, it's clear that the precense of other dogs are gonna be a huge help in her rehabilitation!



I tried taking her for a brief walk with Bela, but it was a no go. I knew it was a shot in the dark but was hoping that Bela would encourage her to walk. She took a few tentative steps into the flowerbed in front of our house, then sat down as far back as she could in a corner by the stairs, hiding and refusing to move. It was the sadest thing I've ever seen! She is just so terrified...

She will let me pick her up, if necessary, but she goes stiff as a board. Anytime I walk near her she runs away and hides, so for now I'm competely ignoring her. I want her to get comfortable and feel like nothing is expected of her besides just being a dog. She has known nothing but cruelty at the hands of people and it will take time to change that...

She found one of the crates and stayed there for 5 hours. I was starting to doubt my techniques about ignoring her, but sure enough, all of a sudden I hear her tiptoeing into the living room! She looked around, sniffed the other dogs and went back inthe crate. If even for just a minute, it's progress!

Bela has been barking and beckoning for her to come out and play, she even went into the crate and nudged the blankets in front of her! If anyone will get Martha out of her shell, it'll be the dogs... ;)

Poor Martha was too scared to eat, but that too will change soon enough. She needs to relax first and make herself at home. She is not gonna starve herself and will eat when she's hungry, especially seeing the other dogs eat...

I feel like she has surrendered to the horrors at the puppymill and needs to be completely reprogrammed. She has forgotten how to be a dog... She needs time, patience and reassurance that not all humans are evil...

But I am very excited to work with her and help her come out of her shell! She is just the most adorable thing and I'm completely convinced that in time she will blossom into the most amazing little schnauzer ever! Just wait and see... ;)

How do I adopt Martha...?

If you think Martha might be a good match for you, don't hesitate to fill out our Online Adoption Application! It is in no way binding, but will show that you are interested and we can figure out if she a good match for you.
If you are really serious, I highly recommend putting down a deposit on her, which is usually half of the adoption fee, via Pay Pal. That way she will be put on hold and we know that you are committed! If the adoption doesn't go through your deposit will be refunded.

You can visit Martha on Petfinder.com,
or visit on Dogster.com!

Read more about Friends Of Homeless Animals, Inc. on our website!

Adopt Martha the miniature schnauzer!

Martha is our next foster dog, arriving on Saturday November 21.

Poor Martha was a breeder dog at a horrible Amish puppymill that was forced to downsize due to deplorable conditions.
She is terrified and will need some serious TLC. What some people will do to make a buck! *Grrr*

We don't know much else about her yet, but here's the info off her Petfinder page:

Martha is the silver Schnauzer approx 2 yrs , about 16 lbs More info coming...

I will continue updating as she gets here and we get to know her better...