My Little Lilly

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YMMV
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by YMMV »

So adorable! Almost like 2/3 year old running around while you are trying to put the diaper back on. Come back!
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

I need some encouragement about Lilly. Mike has just given up on her & ignores her. She doesn't like men. She reacts badly to "Daddy" in any conversation. There are specific things that have happened that makes me worry about her. She has a high prey drive ("they" did reveal that), she goes into kill mode to small animals. Trying to groom her is very hard & we have a day planned that involves a muzzle, of which I feel bad about. She has "stinky chin." which I try to keep as clean as I can. She reminds me of a two year old child in her reaction to cleaning her face. We are so bonded that there is no way I could give her up & the thought of it leaves me in tears. I feel that she has been passed on to owner after owner. I have told her "Lilly go bye-bye" and she knows what it means, she just goes into a corner and deflates. She has heard "bad Lilly" too many times in her past - that is an instant deflation. When Lilly & I are together we seem to communicate, when we are alone or in the forest. I was pulling thistles north east of our creek yesterday & moved off into a clear area, less than a couple of minutes later a dead tree came crashing down and lodged itself in the dirt, close to where I was at. Lilly came running to me from across the creek. I need to know I am doing the best I can with her. She does give growls, she does hide in her special places to be safe. I do love her and forgive so much of which is not her fault. She is just an innocent Chow girl.
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TyChowgirl
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by TyChowgirl »

You are doing the best you can. She was broken long before you and know that things would be different if you had gotten her at a younger age or been one of the first to intercept her. You can't make a chow do anything, as they have to want to do something do go through with it...that being said, it may take time for her to accept Mike. She may just want to do it in her own time. I'm not sure if there's anything Mike can do if he doesn't want to meet her half way either. Positive reinforcement is the only thing I can recommend...and time. If she has her places to feel safe, part of me feels like she shouldn't and the other part of me says let it be and respect her turf, but then that's letting the hermit side win. Is there a special food she loves? Can you feed her those treats with a brush to slowly associate that with brush time? I have to wonder if perhaps she would do okay with a less damaged companion to help bring her out of her shell and show her that most of what she gets upset about is no big deal, a model if you will. Just know...you are giving her so much more than what she had, another real chance, and while she may regress and seem to not know it...she knows...and she is forever grateful. I just think she forgets herself sometimes.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

I need to do an update on Lilly, but will do that at a later time. I am thinking of changing her name. I think she has bad memories as "Lilly." She seems to like the name Sweetie Pie. I know this is silly but I was discussing names with her last night.... ok..... very silly. I was trying names on her; one was Abby - she really didn't like that - then I called her by her name and she seemed to want to get away & go to bed. Then I called her Sweetie Pie and her tail just went a-wagging, she came up to me as happy as you please.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Judy Fox »

That sounds like a good idea! :D
If she likes it - why not. \:D/
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Re: My Little Lilly

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I wish I had a picture of Lilly several days back. She has been taught to "go" in the woods. I went out into the clearing and there I saw a little pile of "go" in the grass. Lilly had just come down from the porch. All I said was "Oh Lilly why? You are to "go" in the woods." She turned to go back up the stairs to the porch, she had her back legs on the ground and her front legs on the first step & she paused to put her head down on the step. She stood like that for almost a minute. The poor dear. I remember feeling just like that several times in my life, feet on the ground & head down, waiting for the boom to drop. When we got back into the house she went in back of the infamous chair. I told her everything was ok and smiled at her. She immediately left her "safe" place and came to me. All was well, not to dwell, she is after all,an "in the moment" kind of gal.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

My purpose to post about Lilly, now Sweetie Pie, was to give a story and insight of what it is to rescue a Chow. It hasn't been easy & I did consider rehoming her. But as I wrote the add, I was able to use it as a cathartic for me to continue to have her as my girl. As I wrote, I had to consider all options for her and they were few. I am sure Sweetie Pie went thru a lot of negative circumstances. She acts as if she has PTSD.

This is what I wrote: Free to appropriate home. I have to part with my five year old pure bred female cream Chow. Lilly must go to a woman only, with no children or animals. Lilly is skittish (barks and growls) with strangers. She requires an owner with lots of patience and understanding of the Chow Chow breed. Lilly does have the propensity to bite, and has attacked me once. She has a strong prey drive for small animals. She loves “home” and does not stray. Lilly was not taught the basic commands although she is smart & intuitive, and knows some commands; “go home,” “hurry,” “go for a walk,” and others. She does “sit“ for treats. Lilly doesn’t react to thunder or gun shots & she loves the wind and the snow. Lilly doesn’t like loud constant noises or sudden movements, She prefers the quiet. She does not like or cars or car rides. She is not fond of grooming, but does take a bath nicely. She can be very sweet in the right environment. We have tried to give her a good home, but she does not trust men. We adopted her on Christmas day last year and have tried to work with her. Unfortunately, we were not made aware of certain behaviors. Whom ever adopts Lilly must realize that Lilly is not a normal dog with normal actions and reactions. I do not know what Lilly went through in her past. Despite my husbands kind attempts to get close to her over these last eight months she does not respond well to him. It breaks my heart to have to part with her, as Lilly and I have developed a strong bond, but I have to do what is best for Lilly & our family. Lilly would not do well in a shelter environment & there must a promise not to place her in a shelter. I believe it would break her heart. I have presented Lilly’s short comings as I believe I have to be truthful. Lilly weighs 40 lbs. She is up to date with her rabies vaccination and has been spayed.

I cried during & several days after I wrote it. I couldn't part with her. I can't part with her. We are not going to give up on her. Mike decided to ignore her for a couple of weeks. He is now giving her head rubs and has his own name for her "Ham Chuck" from the movie "Green Berets." She is growling less and has more tail wags than ever before, & she is reacting to "come," and a few other commands. She is trying to play. Playing isn't easy for her. A few days ago I was petting her and I cautiously tried to roll her over on her back so I could give her a belly rub. She gave a low growl but didn't react. I was able to give her a nice belly rub. There is lots of work to do with this little Chow girl. I do love her & I am not going to give up on her.

She is my Sweetie Pie. The way she was discarded has to have left scars on her total being, and those scars have to be healed with love.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Judy Fox »

Bless her - poor little love - maybe it is just as well you don't know what she has gone through - you might get too angry. :)
I think she is a lucky little chow chow lady to have found somebody with the patience and love to deal with her. :D
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

After my melt down with Sweetie Pie, aka Lilly, we started to relax with her. I taught classes in Project Self Esteem when my kids were young. It was positive re-enforcement. I am working on that with my Sweetie Pie. It is working. I tell her good girl when she does something good and when she does something "bad" I don't dwell on it with her. Chows are in the moment. She is enjoying the summer, but all the burrs & seeds are getting into her fur. She does let me brush her until she is tired of it. I am looking forward to the winter, she loves the snow & we don't have to worry about the bears when we are hiking. She is very calm right now. Our son is coming up for a week before he heads for Hawaii, his next duty station. I will have to tell him that Sweetie Pie does not play (well with others) and to ignore her until she accepts him. We are looking forward to seeing our son.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Laura »

I so admire you for sticking with Miss Lilly and I am saddened that she is a damaged soul and not exactly the chow girl that I know you and your husband were dreaming of. I can't imagine being bit and having to be afraid it may happen again when all you want to do is shower her with love and take care of her. I do like your idea of positive reinforcement and ignoring the negative. I am no dog trainer but l do read a lot about Dog Town and how they deal with severely traumatized dogs and those with all kinds of behavior issues and they seem to follow that philosophy with a great deal of success with everything from Vick dogs to puppy mill survivors. It's all about building trust and building on the positive and ignoring the negative. None of this 'show em who is boss' business that so many speak of. I wish you luck and my hope is that your relationship will grow and flourish as time passes.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

There has been so many positive changes with Lilly & I need to update soon. I just wanted tell you all that I got my first purple kiss from her a few minutes ago. Made me want to cry out of happiness! Love my Lilly.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Cocoa »

\:D/ \:D/ \:D/ Wonderful news, I can't wait to hear the update!
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Laura
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Laura »

Awwww I am so glad. I was worried because we haven't heard from you in a while.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Judy Fox »

Oh brilliant! =D= \:D/ \:D/ Purple kisses are so precious. :D
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

I am hoping to make a good post worthy of Lilly. She is a beautiful girl. No one would doubt her chowness. She is pure chowness. When she "hurries" she looks like a Chow Chow you would see in the AKC dog shows. Her gait is impeccable. Her mane is fluffy and full. She just doesn't like to be groomed. She is a sloppy eater. I have to pick up little bits of food around her dish & she expects it. Water goes every where when she drinks. I have a towel under her food & water. She has smelly chin & reminds me of a 2 year old child when I try to wash her face. But even with all that she is so photographable. I have to say she has behaved lots better lately. Our son was up for a few days before going to his next duty station. She barked and growled at him at first but all in all she accepted him. His friend flew up to visit & then drive back to San Diego via the coast. Lilly would not accept him. She continuously barked & growled at him. We had to use the muzzle on her (it was the first time to use it as a deterrent & I was upset about using it) but it worked. Her barking & growling stopped. Sometimes Lilly is so good with Mike and then there is a change & she growls and barks at him. She does love his head rubs and back rubs and does come up to him. I think she just finds him too big and too loud at times. Lilly loves to be around us when we are busy with chores, stacking fire wood, working in the garden, she tastes the mint leaves, stevia leaves, beans, peas, everything that is edible. She loves walking with Mike & I as a pack. Sometimes she follows Mike (I am a bit slow) sometimes she is out in front. Best if all she loves to help me when I cook. Her tummy is more delicate than Tess' so I have to be careful of the little treats I give her. Lilly's killing spree is over. She still hunts mice, and other varmints, but the deer are more comfortable with her. She chases them just so far. Sometimes a buck stares her down and she knows best that it is not to push it. Our deer Peanut still rests in the clearing. Lilly loves to sit on the porch at night (night comes early now in the north country). We sit on the porch and listen to the night sounds. I even got her to look up at the sky to see the stars (one of the things that Tess & I did together). Autumn is in the air and winter is coming close behind, she senses it. Winter & snow is Lilly's & my favorite time. We don't have to worry about the bears. Lilly goes where I go. She follows me closely & sometimes I follow her. Lilly has found her forever home.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Cocoa »

I am so glad to hear the Lily is doing so well. I guess sometimes these things just take time. With all of her past experiences (whatever they may have been) and the infamous chow memory, she probably just needed to test you for awhile and has now decided you have passed with flying colors. =D= =D= So happy that it all seems to have worked out at last.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

Having a dog in your life should provide you with great joy and companionship - not extra burden or an endless source of frustration, as is so often the case....
Jammyjoy

For those of us who have adopted rescue Chows, we know from the beginning that it is a chance we take when we bring the a rescue into our lives & our homes. We take the good with the bad, hoping that we can make a difference in a Chows life.

I was told that it could take a year for Lilly to change for the best. It's been nine months & we have seen improvement. Sometimes she has what I call a temper tantrum (growling & barking) & we have learned how to handle it. When our son was up here, he felt sorry for her because "she could have so much fun being happy." She has her happy moments. She tries to communicate with me and when I get it right she makes a little jump out of happiness. She was a wonderful imagination; the TV is another window, there is a strange dog that shows up behind our dining room window every night and we have to shut the blinds to get rid of it, she saw a face in the sunflowers last night and thought is was a big bad monster.

I accept Lilly's companionship with whatever frustrations arise. I am not sure it will be endless. I have taken her into my heart. She has taken me into her heart also. Lilly is a work in progress, what ever happened to her before us is in the past and we all have to work it out.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Judy Fox »

What a lovely way of putting it.
Eventually all your differences will have been sorted. She will get used to Mike's bigness and now, as you say she likes his back and head rubs.
Bless her. :D
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

Chewbacca's voice was created by the original films' sound designer, Ben Burtt, from a mix of recordings of walruses, lions, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers in Burtt's personal library. The individual recordings were mixed at different ratios for Chewbacca's different utterances. One of the most prominent elements in the voice was a black bear named Tarik, from Happy Hollow Zoo in San Jose, California
Lilly has learned to "play." Her "play" is running. Sometimes we run outside, she likes Mike to chase her going this way and that, she rounds the garden, rounds the flag pole, goes under the porch and runs to the right side of the steps then to the left side of the steps, rounds me. Sometimes we all run around the dining room table, she takes a detour in back of the infamous chair then out again. One of those play chasing days, she went up the stairs to the loft, rounded the bed then back down the stairs all the while making this wokie noise. It was the funniest noise. I had heard her make it before & Mike has echoed her. The noise was really loud and & I asked Mike if he was making the noise - "no," it was all Lilly. Was wondering if anyone else's Chow makes that wokie noise? It was too funny. :lol:
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Re: My Little Lilly

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Lilly & I had been out walking last night. I came in and left Lilly on the porch. She likes to stay out a while in the evening. Heard her bark & looked out the window & there they were, (BEARS!) a grizzley mom & cub on our driveway. Lilly made a little charge down the stairs, but she was came in easy enough when called. Just about 10 minutes prior Lilly & I had started down our road but she didn't want to go very far. I was just starting to feel it was safe to go back in the forest.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Laura »

How is Miss Lily doing? I always look for your posts and have been missing them. Hope all is well!
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Re: My Little Lilly

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I feel Lilly is doing good. She is becoming more affectionate with me. She loves to rub her head on me lately, yesterday she completely circled me with her head rubbing. Today she did it again before we went out for a walk. I am ending my night early today & will write more soon. Days have been quiet but I do have a few stories.
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Re: My Little Lilly

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I am wondering where did my cranky little Chow girl go? & where did this sweet little Chow girl come from?? Lilly has mellowed. The change began on the day of the night of the full moon. Lilly started her day with a hug from me and then went over to Mike to get a pet. No "big" growls, no problems. She still makes low growls when she protests, i.e. getting her face washed, checking butt (only if I am standing). She still doesn't like some of the clothes Mike wears, making him look really tall (he is 6'2'). We are still working on grooming, I get a few minutes in most every day. She is a sweetheart.

For about a month she was concentrating on the field mouse population. She would get up in the middle of the night to prowl our porch. We caught a mighty few from her mouse alerts. Thank goodness she doesn't feel the need to go out in the middle of the night lately, but will follow me to the stairs when I have to get up in the night & wait for me at the top of the stairs until I come back to bed.

We have had some really thick fog for the last week. It rolls in and never leaves. Sounds get muffled. Lilly & I have been staying close to the cabin. In the middle of the day we may walk in the west section of our woods or take a walk to the creek. Our neighbor north of us & 1/2 mile away has 4 dogs. They do bark. It was in the evening a few nights ago Lilly was pausing to listen. The dogs were barking. Lilly looked to the north, gave a deep long growl & a bark, as if saying "Stop barking! I am enjoying the quiet." Lilly (we) love to listen to the night sounds, the quiet sounds.

We took her to get her nails clipped a few days ago at our vet's. They are so kind there. I had to put the muzzle on Lilly. I feel so bad for her, but can't take chances of her biting. She was really good. Mike carried her in & they took her right away. We both held her while the tech clipped her nails. Lilly first buried her head in my chest, then we switched sides & she put her head against Mike's chest. While we were watching the nightly news that night, Lilly climbed up (with us) on the sofa and laid on Mike's lap.

I know that she may have lapses, & I still take caution, but we have come a very long way. I use the "no" word rarely now. There are lots of "good girl" & "good Lilly."
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Me & Tess »

I may post more on My Little Lilly site, but it seems that I will be posting more comments on other topics.

My Lilly is such a sweet girl now. She loves the hugs I give her, it is like her morning wakeup coffee, hugs make her day; full on body hugs, hugs with her head against my bosom, hugs when she is curled up. She does still protests when she is being groomed & we take it slow. I got a very low growl this evening when I was cleaning her eye. She didn't wrinkle up her muzzle & that is a big improvement. She does have some matting and we are working on it.

We have started longer walks now that the bears are going north to Ten Lakes & Glacier. We feel safer in winter. We had lots of snow several weeks ago, but all has melted. The snow hides branches and debris & cushions our walks. We were in single digit temps for weeks. Now it is getting into the teens. She doesn't like to go out without me so we make five outings a day, rain, snow, wind or sun. Each outing is 20 minutes to 30 minutes but we will gradually get back to our longer walks. She will now walk on our road but she is cautious. She still doesn't like to ride in cars, but when I "go to the store" she has to go out on the porch and watch me leave. I am hoping one of these days she will decide that riding isn't so bad & I am hoping that someday I will have her next to me in the trooper. She does like to greet the car when I get home & goes thru all the "I am happy you are home" antics. When we had the snow on the ground she did zoomies. She is learning to play. But her favorite pastime is trying to find field mice & barking at squirrels.

Lilly is with me constantly. Where ever I go she follows, she likes to lay in the kitchen while I am cooking. Poor thing though, I can't deviate from her diet. It is just too cold to give her butt baths. Mike asked me if it gets on my nerves that she stays so close. It doesn't, I am a mom to two grown children and they were always with me when they were little. I guess it is a "mom" thing.

Mike & Lilly are still at odds, although she is letting him pet her more. He gives the best head & butt rubs & she enjoys them. He is trying. The only person she likes/loves is me. She has been better with strangers (to her).

Having Lilly has softened my feelings of loosing Tess. I can now comment on other topics, which I couldn't before. The hurt was still in my heart. Every once in a while something will strike me and there are still tears for loosing my dear Tessie.

I have a message to those who are thinking of adopting a Chow: Don't give up & have patience & forgiveness. The full back story is never given. You don't know what they have gone thru in the past. You give them a new beginning & it may be hard & frustrating at times but you have to "hang in." Chow owners are very special people, & understand & give good advice. If anyone has problems with their new Chow, please visit this forum & ask. You will get a good education. Sometimes answers will be blunt but please don't take offence, advise is given with a good intensions.
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Re: My Little Lilly

Post by Laura »

I always love your updates. I am so glad she is doing better and my hope is that she will soften with Mike over time as well.
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