12/16/10 Rocking Horse has really come out of her shell now. She likes to run around the house more often. She is even brave enough to drink from the water bowl that is in the kitchen. She is really good with the family. Still growls occasionally towards my boys but at the same time she allows them to love on her. She loves to sit on the couch with me or the kids and cuddle right up against us.
When she wants my attention she barks at me sometimes. She loves chewing on strings, cloth, my clothes. She has been sleeping in bed with me for a few weeks now and settles down right away and goes to sleep. She loves to sleep under the blankets by my feet.
She does well in her crate during the day while I'm at work and the kids are at school. She has not had an accident in the crate in a very long time. She still however, has accidents in the house.
She is a very sweet and loving dog. I still feel she needs to be in a home with no small children. She can still be nervous and be very skittish to loud noises and sudden movements.
Foster Update 11/20 - Rocking Horse is making some more progress with her nervousness/shyness. Since her last update she is now beginning to get down off the couch and go look for me. She will run back and forth from the kitchen to my bedroom as fast as she can. Once she finds me she takes back off and either runs to the couch or runs to the other end of the house. It's very funny to watch. She has also begun wagging her tail in excitement to see me when I come home from work.
She still cowers and runs when she is very nervous. She seems to be ok with me, my daughter, husband, and my mother. For some reason she does not like my two teenage sons. She will growl at them upon occasion. Something that she has never done before. My boys still try and love on her when she allows them but for the most part she isn't fond of them. (Maybe it their wild hair.)
I have started letting Rocking Horse sleep with me in bed from time to time and she seems to enjoy it. She takes a while to settle down but once she does she is right up against me or under the covers.
Rocking Horse has developed into a really sweet and playful dog when she is not nervous or fearful. It has been a joy to watch her come out of her shell. She has gone from hiding under her blanket to sprawling out on the couch like she owns it. She is such a sweetie-pie. She just needs a home where the new family will be patient and kind and work with her at her own pace. I do not suggest a loud or busy family or one with small children. She gets frightened easily by loud noises and swift and fast movements.
Foster Update 10/27/10 - Rocking Horse has warmed up to me some. She is still very nervous and skittish towards my 3 teenagers and occasionally my husband. I feel she would do best in a home where someone can be with her most of the time.
She will curl right up next to me on the couch now, but does not like it when I try to hold her in my lap. She is too nervous and scared for that. She sometimes plays with me by pawing and chewing on me. She likes to chew on toys, my clothes, her towel, and leash.
She does not like to be put down in open spaces. She cowers, trembles, runs and hides when I put her on the floor to explore her surroundings. She stays up on the couch all day long until she goes to bed for the night in her crate. Due to her fear of open spaces I feed her on the couch. I put her food in a small dish along with a small bowl of water and feed her 2 times a day. She will run and hide when I put her down in the kitchen to eat.
She does get a long well with my dog. She is not potty trained or crate trained. She will have accidents in her crate occasionally. She sleep through the night in her crate. She is a very quiet dog. She is not yip yap-pity at all. She occasionally barks if she feels I've left her alone for too long and sometimes barks in the morning when she is ready to get up for the day.
Even though she is a shy/fearful dog she has never bitten any of us. My kids and I love on her all the time and stick our face in her face kissing her on the head and cuddling with her. I keep a leash on her at all times so that it is easier to catch her when she does try and run. When I had first brought her home she kept jumping off the couch and hiding behind it. The leash made it easier for me to gently pull her out from behind the couch.
Rocking Horse needs to be with a family that can spend and lot of time helping her with her social skills. She will need a family that can be patient with her. I feel she will do best in a quiet home with no small children where the family can work with her at her own pace. She has a lifetime of love to offer to the person who will allow her the time to adjust and trust.