Skinny has been with me (his foster mom) and Bella (my hound) for a little over a week now, and boy is he coming along. I wrote on his first blog entry that he's very afraid of men. But he's been giving men more of a chance--looking to me for assurance and comfort. It's a great sign--he bonds very quickly and he's open to having his mind changed!
Just this morning in the hardware store he wagged his tail at a man passing by and stood close (looking up with those gorgeous big eyes) hoping for (and getting!) a pet. He allowed a male clerk to scoop him up and coo to him. And he let two boisterous little kids give him a pet. He didn't seem too happy about it, but he didn't complain.
He's not a very vocal boy, in the way I think of dogs being vocal (ie all manner of barking and howling). But he does 'speak' and it's hilarious. He's got a lot of different sighs to show various levels of contentment or disappointment. He does cry a little at times when left alone--but he stops within one or two minutes (and it's not loud enough for neighbors in my thin-walled building to have heard him). Snuggling remains his favorite activity (with naps a close second. He's over the moon when he can snuggle and nap with his person). The other day he was camped out on top of me on the couch, just staring moonily into my eyes, when Bella scampered in. He made this funny little noise--a sigh that I translated as "Aw man, we were having a moment!"
While Skinny has played a bit in the snow, he's wasn't particularly excited about Snowpacolypse. When it's freezing out, he'd much rather do his business and get right back on the couch. (I wish he'd teach Bella the joy of a quick walk.) In the thick of the recent blizzards, he came downstairs and, upon my opening the front door and letting in a blast of the cold air, turned tail and walked back up. (Smart boy.) When he's out playing and ready to go home, he just turns to go. Worried he'd actually wriggle out of his collar in his eagerness to go back home, I started putting a harness on him.
He does enjoy a nice walk, but if it's too long (maybe more than half a mile) or fast, he gets tired--he is seven after all. He's earned his nap time! (He does keep trooping along.)
He loves a good bone, and when left alone, he doesn't mistake non-bone items (the couch, the trash, my shoes) for bones. In other words, he's not a chewer, a rummager or a destroyer.
He loves to wrestle a bit with Bella--the attached picture is of Skinny and Bella taking a play break--but he mostly wants to snuggle.
He does get nervous--though less and less--and when he does, he'll start to shake and need sweet talk and comforting. But more and more, as he realizes that he's safe --and warm!--and loved, this sweet little boy is really blossoming.
If you're looking for a quiet snuggle partner, Skinny James could be your boy. If you don't like snuggling (I hear there are such people) or moony canine love, he's not the best match.
