January 9, 2010

After a Behavior Team meeting at the Erie Avenue Location, I went over to the Hunting Park shelter were Leo lives. He was already out in the yard with Megan, and I was told that he'd gotten into some trouble.

There are 3 fenced dog runs in the yard where we can take the dogs and allow them to run and play off-leash. However, Leo, the escape artist, manage to get out of the first one. So they moved him to a different one. He got out again. They moved to the third one. He got out AGAIN! Now, granted, these dogs runs aren't the most secure, but I've never heard of one dog escaping from all 3 in one afternoon!

So, since he had had some exercise already, Megan and I took him back into the empty office we used last time. We practiced some more of "sit, and "down." We also practiced more "touch," and he's beginning to hit the target (my fist) no matter if it's in front of him, to the side of him, or over his head.

We also tried to figure out whether he's really deaf, partially deaf, or just has selective hearing. We still aren't 100% sure. He doesn't react when I click my clicker right next to his left ear. He only barely reacts when it's clicked in his right ear. He jumped when I dropped a metal bowl on the bare floor (but he could've reacted to vibrations in the floor), and he also heard a mouse squeaking under a treadmill in the room.

And we also discussed what would benefit Leo. He definitely needs more exercise. Part of the Pen Pal program is "signing out" the dog once a month and taking him an off-site location (away from the shelter). I plan to take Leo to an enclosed roller-hockey rink near my house where he can run around and play fetch, without being able to escape.

We also feel that it will benefit him tremendously to be neutered. I'm also going to update his Petfinder bio, with a new write-up and pictures, and include my email address as primary contact for potential fosters or adopters.

We may also try to contact rescues to see if they will take in Leo. Megan is going to contact a rescue that recently took in another of ACCT's "hard-of-hearing" pit bulls, Kirby.