Thor Update

Thor says:

So far I am pretty happy in my new home.  There are amazing things here.  I have been really good and not chased any of them.  Well, except for one chicken.  I got scolded for that so I haven't done it again.  I get to spend a lot of time in the house in my kennel.  It has food and water so I'm ok with that.  I haven't had to go potty in there.  I did get in trouble for going potty in the house, though.  But that was partly my new master's fault.  She didn't leave me outside long enough...I didn't think it was all THAT cold.  Since then she has figured out it is okay for me to be outside by myself.  I like that.

Annabelle and Thor

There is another creature in the house here.  I like her.  She doesn't run from me or try to scratch me.  I think we will be great friends.  She seems a little upset that I am in this kennel.  At first I thought it was because she felt sorry for me.  Now I find out it is because she wants to be in here.  Apparently it was her house before I got here.  It seems like every time I go outside and come back in she is IN my kennel.  But she doesn't eat my food so I think she is okay. 

Newspapers?  I thought it was a toy.

There were these newspapers on the floor of my kennel.  I'm pretty sure they were put here solely for my entertainment.  I love tearing them to shreds.  They make such great noise.  Then I have a lot of fun scattering them around.  After I get them all arranged just right, I go to sleep and they make a great bed.

So far Thor is working out well.  He and the goats had a staring contest in the beginning, each wondering what was the story.  He doesn't chase the turkeys or the chickens and this morning he went into the goat pen with me and there were no incidents.

He was obviously abused before and training will be a challenge although he appears to be a smart dog.  He is adamant that no lead will be put on him and we are just now to the point where the collar is okay.  He stays right with me when I am outside with him and waits patiently outside the bus or the chicken house while I do chores.  I did find Pete stuck up a tree when it was bedtime one night.  He was too high in the tree for me to grab him (and at 20 pounds he probably would have broken my wrist had I tried!) but eventually he found his way down.  I think he ran up the tree because he remembered previous encounters with canine creatures and not because Thor chased him there.  Betsy is not afraid of him, but Thor is afraid of her and has great respect for the other cats, even when they run from him.  EmmaPatches has her nose out of joint because he is in the house, but she is adjusting.  You can see her annoyance if you check out her expression below.

The only problem I foresee is the highway.  I'd like to be able to leave Thor outside unattended most of the time, but that will take a lot of additional training.  Too bad it isn't springtime instead of fall...it sure would be nicer weather for training!