Taffy's in training

[Michael Romanos]

Well Taffy, the seven month old renegade Pem arrived at my front door for a two week restoration visit today. I borrowed a large crate to house him. He was very excited and Taylor's smells were thick and just everywhere. So he left a few spots of urine before he was swept up and placed in the crate along with a couple of toys I dug out of Taylor's disused toys basket and a large raw carrot. THe first thing I did when Taffy's elderly owner had left was take Taffy and Taylor for a 2.5km walk in drizzly conditions. Boy wasn't Taffy a handful to start off, with the small, lightweight chocker chain and lead I usually reserve for conformation shows. But I worked a different approach: Taffy and I walked ahead of Taylor and my son Nathan and Taffy then soon picked up the idea and moved remarkably normally, keeping in line with me and not pulling. He got plenty of praises. Not a bad start at all. His owner only feeds him with dry food so consequently he is a little more weighty than I would like and I plan to wean him into the kind of dinner Taylor usually gets - which is a mixture of kibble, fresh meat, dog roll and brown rice. I had Taffy sitting and staying a little - I am going to work on this every day. Apparantly he never gets combed or brushed because he strongly objects to it. We'll see about that. Before he came in the front door I towelled him down, paying particluar attention to his feet - and he took all this in. That's good.
More on Taffy later.

[Michael Romanos]

One gigantic plus with Taffy is that he is friendly with every person and dog. He is very alert and gives everything a good looking over. He is not yappy but will cry a little when he wants attention or more attention.. He looks for people and dogs to make his acquaintance.

He is the worse mannered Corgi I have ever met. He'll grab at anything that resembles food, pick anything up while walking past on the lead down the street - and won't give it up without a fight. He'll rip into anything that looks like a bag. He demolishes his food as though he has never eaten for a month. His meals last seconds and a large biscuit is consumed in a blink. Taffy is a shark out of water. It's all to do with the way he has been treated by his owner. No Corgi should be naturally as badly mannered as this. When he drinks water, he slurps it so a lot of it goes everywhere - never had a Corgi of mine do this.

I groomed him today - apparantly his first ever - and I was very pleased to manage a proper grooming session with just the comb. I daren't use the brush just yet. But for the most part Taffy not only accepted the combing but liked it - except when I concentrated on his 'trousers' - his fluffy white parts at his rear end. I back-combed this area to get out any knots and loosend up his hair. He put up quite a little battle and gestured to bite me several times - but never did. Afterwards he looked much smarter and I sat him down and tied him to the gate and he watched Taylor getting his daily groom. I guess his owner has grabbed him roughly too many times from behind and that's why he is very touchy about that area been handled.

Last night I had him on my lap and I turned him over and rubbed his tummy and chest -and I guess that's probably the first time anyone has done that. He was a bit dubious at first but then really lapped it up. When I did it again a second time, it was no problem. If I did that to Taylor with merely my little finger gently scratching slowly and methodically, he would close his eyes tight in ecstasy. But Taffy kept his eyes wide open.

[KatC]

Michael, How is Taffy going to handle going back home after all the loving and caring he is getting from you? Will his owner cuddle him and rub his tummy ? Do you think perhaps that he could stay with you forever in the Romanos household. The names Taylor and Taffy sound exactly right together.

[corgimom]

Michael,

It is great that you are doing this, but I second KatC's suggestion. Maybe you could keep them both because when you return him to his original owner, it will be back to the same old routine for the two of them. It is the owner that needs to get some training, needs to change his ways, and needs to learn how to handle a dog in a kind manner.

linda

[darci]

I couldnt agree more.

Owner training is a must.....

[Chip's Mom]

Michael

You are very kind to be helping this little one out. Hopefully, it will work out so you can keep him. It will be very hard for him to return to his owner after he sees how he should be treated. Do you think it may make him harder to handle by his owner?

[corgimom]

At least Taffy is getting a break from his owner, maybe it can be for good. That would be a big task for Michael to want to take on. I wonder if Michael's significant others would not be too thrilled with Taffy taking up residence with them.

It would be great if Taffy's owner could see all that is going on in Michael's house and how Michael is handling Taffy in a positive way, but I don't think that is the case; therefore, when the owner gets Taffy back, the owner will not have learned to change his own ways in dealing with the dog.

linda

[Michael Romanos]

I'm afraid I'm not into Corgi rescues. Taffy is cute like any Corgi pup is, but he has not got a patch on Taylor for looks or in gentlemanly demeanour and my next Corgi which might be three years off, will need to be as good if not better than Taylor. Taffy may very well be too far gone for him to be any kind of Mr Perfect. I gave him a pig's ear in his crate and when Taylor ventured too close, Taffy let him have it. Lucky there were wires inbetween. Taffy is obviously suffering from anxiety and it all comes out in the open when food is concerned. I put him in the kitchen with large thickish cardboard boxes as a barrier but Taffy bites his way through these even when I'm practically breathing down his neck . I am continuing to get him to sit and stay and come - and this is improving. Tonight for dinner, I'll separate his food out in different saucers to try and slow his eating habits down a fraction. Drying him down is getting easier and he's a little less worried about me cleaning his back right leg in particular.
He's got a very high octane of energy and if allowed to, he would frap regularly. I think this is one of the things he was doing at his own place and the owner not understanding what he was about. Anyway Taffy is getting plenty of exercise with four walks a day.

If the owner doesn't reform his treatment of Taffy, then there will be no hope for the Pem to have an enjoyable life and to be able to cut down on his stress and anxiety. Taylor doesn't like Taffy but he puts up with it all and generally Taffy has not been a direct annoyance to Taylor since their first encounter.

I've had to cancel my going on my son's school trip to a pest-free wildlife reserve because I can't leave the pup for that many hours during daytime and I didn't go to the second day of agility because the weather and mud was not conducive to a puppy looking on from a crate. Anyway, Taylor and I got so muddy on the first day that I was quite pleased with an excuse not to go again. Agility meets in winter in NZ should always be staged indoors.

In answer to Katc - If I had another Corgi along with Taylor I'd choose a completely different sounding name because it is so easy to confuse similar names.

[Cardiguy]

Michael, have you tried to communicate with Taffy's owner about how Taffy should be treated and, if so, what was his response. I gather he is somewhhat open minded because he agreed to give you a nominal amount of money to take Taffy. Maybe if he could watch you interact with Taffy for a couple of hours before he gets Taffy back it might help.

[Michael Romanos]

Cardiguy - that's a good idea - to show the owner Taffy's newly acquired interaction skills. I'll plan to do this. But first I'll need to have something really concrete to show his owner when he gets back from his Corgi-free holiday. Don't worry I am not going o mince my words too much when I meet with Jack again - he's got to change a whole lot. This morning I took both dogs down to a large grassy reserve which has all weather tennis courts. I let Taffy off his lead and boy, did he enjoy that. The first thing he did was rush down to a fairly large stream and plunge in. He's never been free to run around a park before or go in any stream. The first episode might have been a shock to him. But after he got out following a few swimming strokes, he went in again a few minutes later. So he is a naturally born water baby. This is probably half the trouble - he's very energetic, needs plenty of outlets and is not getting them up until now. Anyway his running around through wet grass had laid-back Taylor joining in the fun. He was effortless to 'catch' - I just had to call him over. He took great interest in the tennis been played. I must take down a tennis ball with us tomorrow.
He ate his cereal and milk this morning with a great deal more aplomb than previous.

First thing his owner needs to do is to make his meals an enjoyable occasion- just like we humans would wish it upon ourselves. Secondly, his owner needs to walk at the pup's pace and to take him daily (if possible) to parks for off lead experiences. Taffy is a go getting Corgi and needs to feel exillerated.

[Michael Romanos]

I'm pleased to report that Taffy is making some good progress. He is a very hyperactive Corgi - so he needs far more exercise than the average 7 month old Pem. He sits and stays far better and longer now. I am now doing a series of these commands before any food he gets. Again it is a way of trying to slow his eating habits. He is now not grabbig harshly at my hands and the sleeves of whatever I am wearing. Nor does he almost bite my fingers off when I hand him a tit bit. He just loves to be placed on his back whilst lying on my lap and chest and having his tummy and chest rubbed. His head goes to one side and he very nearly closes his eyes now. Something I'm certain he's never had before. He also likes to cuddle up his face into mine - so he's not all bad news The only mistakes in the house so far are a couple of little drops of wee on his very first two minutes of his stay - but I am very viligant about this aspect. He comes when called - and is actually better at this than Taylor who I've allowed to have a lot of leeway in this regard. I've met one guy who says he and his wife who live on a large block of land in a semi farming area, would love to have Taffy if Taffy's owner doesn't want him. But I really want to reserve this couple for a pup from Taylor and Zara because I know they would offer an ideal home. I'll ponder this over - afterall it should be much easier to find good homes for untainted pups at eight weeks rather than a seven-eight month old hyper Corgi. What do you think.

[KatC]

If it transpires that Taffy's owner does not want him back, then I think this is a wonderful solution. These people sound really nice, and it would be a much better life for Hyper-Corgi. I am sure everyone on this Forum would be so happy for Taffy to be in an understanding and loving home.

While I agree that it would be great for this couple to have one of Taylor and Zara's puppies, the fact that they know of Taffy's shortcomings but are happy to adopt him outweighs that. I am sure you will have many good homes only too keen to have your puppies.

[corgimom]

Michael,

I agree with KatC, if these people know of Taffy and how he behaves
right now and are willing to take him, that would be a wonderful thing for him if his owner is willing to give him up.

Hopefully, this would be a "forever" home for him and not one where
they thought they could handle Taffy and then decide he is too much
for them.

Linda

[Cardiguy]

I agree with the last 2 posters. If this couple wants Taffy, then you should give them Taffy instead of a new pup. A new pup is much easier to place then an 8 mo old, and if you have found a potential home for Taffy, place her there. Do the right thing if Taffy's owner doesn't want her back.

[Michael Romanos]

Taffy went home last Friday afternoon - a much happier Corgi than when he first arrived. I gave his owner, Jack a complete rundown and I gave him five pages of handwritten material. Jack never asked after his Corgi even when he phoned to come and collect him. When Taffy saw him there was no "hello here I am" from either of them. Jack said he loved Taffy and I told him that it was ok for a man to show love for his dog and heap praise on him and pick him up and give him lots of cuddles. I told him for every negative ( such as NO) there should be a positive, so that every encounter finishes on a high(positive) note. I showed him how to calm down Taffy and all the little things he can now do. I told Jack not to punish Taffy with smacks and hits, never grab at him from behind. I think this might test Jack a little because he is inclined to smack - if even lightly and for little reason. I told Jack that Taffy was hyper and needs lots of exercise - especially off-lead in a park. I showed him what food he needs to be happy with and how to feed him. So I phoned Jack later in the evening and he told me that Taffy was definitely a lot more reasonable and calmer and happer than he had been. Long may it last.