Timid rescue sheltie
- Thread starter squall
- Start date
He has been loving the snow 
It also helped give me a safety net for letting him off the leash. He can't run quite as fast in 14 inches of snow! But he did very well. A few new pictures coming soon. The same link should work, I'm going to upload them to the same folder.
Also, as for the location, I live in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of nowhere central Ohio. About an hour and 15 minutes or so east and a little north of Columbus.
It also helped give me a safety net for letting him off the leash. He can't run quite as fast in 14 inches of snow! But he did very well. A few new pictures coming soon. The same link should work, I'm going to upload them to the same folder.
Also, as for the location, I live in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of nowhere central Ohio. About an hour and 15 minutes or so east and a little north of Columbus.
SheepOfBlue
Premium Member
It sure looks like he is settling in more and more though 
take4roll10
Moderator
I love the video of him jumping in the snow. He looks like he's having a blast!
Mally's Mom
Forums Enthusiast
He looks happy running in the snow. His coloring is beautiful. His fur looks like it is silky. It looks pretty good. I am happy he is settling in. Are he and the cat still possibly becoming friends?
Well, I figured it was probably high time I posted an update here, considering it's been nearly a year now since my last post.
Apollo has done a great job of adjusting over the last year. In my last post I had just given him a try off the leash. Well, as time went on, I gave him more freedom and he usually did well, as long as I was with him.
When spring came, he got some free running in my parents' back field, and loved it. Eventually I tried to teach him how to fetch, with varying degrees of success. At first, he was scared that I was going to hit him with the stick, but eventually he got the idea of chasing it - and occasionally picking it up: rarely returning it to me. Still, he seemed to enjoy playing "chase the stick."
At this point I could let him go outside on his own without fear of him not returning. My family members still had trouble sometimes, as he wasn't around them as much. (My brother was usually at work, and my parents were in Arizona until April or so.) One night I got a phone call when I was visiting my girlfriend at college (her school was about 45 minutes from my parents home.) Apollo had gotten loose, and couldn't be found anywhere. I came home, and my brother and I canvased the 25 acres of property my parents own - through the trees, down by the pond, back in the other side of the woods...on a rainy, muddy and rather miserable night. He was nowhere to be found. I got in my car to drive down the road and look for him. As I started down our gravel road, he came running up. I opened my car door and called to him and he came right to me. I picked him up and sat him on my lap and drove back home. Mud all over my pants and shirt from his filthy little body. He got a bath.
I think he got loose a couple more times before he became used to my brother and parents. Almost always he was found near the neighbors or our pond. I think he just wanted exercise and to run, as he never tried to run away when we found him.
At any rate, in May I got engaged, and started looking for a house. I bought one with a nice sized back yard (for being in town) and with a fence. The gate was broken, but we fixed it. (There is another huge story that could be told about the things we had to do, but this is a story about Apollo, haha.) In August, I got married, and moved into the house, along with Apollo. He has really enjoyed having a yard that he can go running in all he wants, as fast as he wants, for as long as he wants.
He loves my wife, he jumps up and down whenever she gets home from college. I suppose he's always happy when he hears the garage door opening when I get home, but I'm not inside to see him. He usually does some jumping when I come inside as well.
Gradually he came to realize that it was OK to play with the toys I kept giving him. He chews on them, and will sometimes chase them if I throw them. He now loves treats, like a normal dog. Maybe it's hard to understand, but for a long time, he wouldn't eat them.
Apollo is still pretty quiet for a sheltie, but every so often he will let us hear his voice when he's excited, or he wants us to let him back inside. I'm just glad he doesn't seem to be afraid to bark if he wants to. A big thing considering how long it took him to bark for the first time. I don't remember how many months it took, but when he first barked, it was so cute. I believe we had him tied up while we were outside playing croquet. He was watching and wanting to be a part of the fun. My wife (though still my girlfriend at the time) told him if he barked we'd let him off the leash. Now, he didn't just immediately bark when she said that, but a few minutes later he did. So we gave him his promised freedom and he was happy.
In December my wife and I took our delayed honeymoon/vacation and went to Arizona by plane for almost 2 weeks. I was quite uneasy about leaving Apollo for so long, but I figured it might do him good to spend time with someone else, and find out that even if we're gone for a long time, we are coming back. We took our trip, he stayed with my brother at my parents' house, and everything went fine. He didn't try running away, and it sounds like he was happy. When we came home, he was especially clingy for a week or two, but we've all settled back into routine.
There's not too much else to tell. He still gets scared of lots of unexpected noises in the house. He runs to another room as fast as he can if there's laundry in sight. He definitely still has some fears, but he's come a very long way. Currently he's passed out beside me on the couch, looking happy as can be about having a Lazy Saturday.
Edit: Sorry for the super long post. Feel free to skim, or take napping breaks.
Apollo has done a great job of adjusting over the last year. In my last post I had just given him a try off the leash. Well, as time went on, I gave him more freedom and he usually did well, as long as I was with him.
When spring came, he got some free running in my parents' back field, and loved it. Eventually I tried to teach him how to fetch, with varying degrees of success. At first, he was scared that I was going to hit him with the stick, but eventually he got the idea of chasing it - and occasionally picking it up: rarely returning it to me. Still, he seemed to enjoy playing "chase the stick."
At this point I could let him go outside on his own without fear of him not returning. My family members still had trouble sometimes, as he wasn't around them as much. (My brother was usually at work, and my parents were in Arizona until April or so.) One night I got a phone call when I was visiting my girlfriend at college (her school was about 45 minutes from my parents home.) Apollo had gotten loose, and couldn't be found anywhere. I came home, and my brother and I canvased the 25 acres of property my parents own - through the trees, down by the pond, back in the other side of the woods...on a rainy, muddy and rather miserable night. He was nowhere to be found. I got in my car to drive down the road and look for him. As I started down our gravel road, he came running up. I opened my car door and called to him and he came right to me. I picked him up and sat him on my lap and drove back home. Mud all over my pants and shirt from his filthy little body. He got a bath.
I think he got loose a couple more times before he became used to my brother and parents. Almost always he was found near the neighbors or our pond. I think he just wanted exercise and to run, as he never tried to run away when we found him.
At any rate, in May I got engaged, and started looking for a house. I bought one with a nice sized back yard (for being in town) and with a fence. The gate was broken, but we fixed it. (There is another huge story that could be told about the things we had to do, but this is a story about Apollo, haha.) In August, I got married, and moved into the house, along with Apollo. He has really enjoyed having a yard that he can go running in all he wants, as fast as he wants, for as long as he wants.
He loves my wife, he jumps up and down whenever she gets home from college. I suppose he's always happy when he hears the garage door opening when I get home, but I'm not inside to see him. He usually does some jumping when I come inside as well.
Gradually he came to realize that it was OK to play with the toys I kept giving him. He chews on them, and will sometimes chase them if I throw them. He now loves treats, like a normal dog. Maybe it's hard to understand, but for a long time, he wouldn't eat them.
Apollo is still pretty quiet for a sheltie, but every so often he will let us hear his voice when he's excited, or he wants us to let him back inside. I'm just glad he doesn't seem to be afraid to bark if he wants to. A big thing considering how long it took him to bark for the first time. I don't remember how many months it took, but when he first barked, it was so cute. I believe we had him tied up while we were outside playing croquet. He was watching and wanting to be a part of the fun. My wife (though still my girlfriend at the time) told him if he barked we'd let him off the leash. Now, he didn't just immediately bark when she said that, but a few minutes later he did. So we gave him his promised freedom and he was happy.
In December my wife and I took our delayed honeymoon/vacation and went to Arizona by plane for almost 2 weeks. I was quite uneasy about leaving Apollo for so long, but I figured it might do him good to spend time with someone else, and find out that even if we're gone for a long time, we are coming back. We took our trip, he stayed with my brother at my parents' house, and everything went fine. He didn't try running away, and it sounds like he was happy. When we came home, he was especially clingy for a week or two, but we've all settled back into routine.
There's not too much else to tell. He still gets scared of lots of unexpected noises in the house. He runs to another room as fast as he can if there's laundry in sight. He definitely still has some fears, but he's come a very long way. Currently he's passed out beside me on the couch, looking happy as can be about having a Lazy Saturday.
Edit: Sorry for the super long post. Feel free to skim, or take napping breaks.
Toffee's Mom
Forums Sage
OHHH
that is a GREAT update!
it is so cool to see it like in a time capsule.. back then I bet you didn't dream about ever trusting him off leash or taking random treats!
Congrats on your wedding, too!
Feel free to post more often than once a year, too
LOL
Now there is a feelgood story if I ever heard one, good stuff!!
that is a GREAT update!
it is so cool to see it like in a time capsule.. back then I bet you didn't dream about ever trusting him off leash or taking random treats!
Congrats on your wedding, too!
Feel free to post more often than once a year, too
LOL
Now there is a feelgood story if I ever heard one, good stuff!!
Haha. Thanks, yeah, I meant to post more often. But things just kind of seemed to be really busy this year! Always something going on. Rather life changing things at that.
This year, I'll try to post more. I'm hoping to eventually get Apollo some Agility toys. He is very fast, and makes turns so quickly, I think he'd love to do some Agility. He may not be ready for crowds, I'm not sure, but I'm certain he'd enjoy it at home.
One thing I forgot to mention, we took him for a few walks at the park, to get him used to other people, which he seemed to enjoy. Back in September or so, there was a historic festival in town we took him to walk through. He did great with all the busy crowds, and everyone kept wanting to see him and talk about their own shelties, etc. He was a big hit, and I think he really enjoyed the extra positive attention.
Now of course, it's snowy again, and he likes that...but I'm ready for spring myself!
This year, I'll try to post more. I'm hoping to eventually get Apollo some Agility toys. He is very fast, and makes turns so quickly, I think he'd love to do some Agility. He may not be ready for crowds, I'm not sure, but I'm certain he'd enjoy it at home.
One thing I forgot to mention, we took him for a few walks at the park, to get him used to other people, which he seemed to enjoy. Back in September or so, there was a historic festival in town we took him to walk through. He did great with all the busy crowds, and everyone kept wanting to see him and talk about their own shelties, etc. He was a big hit, and I think he really enjoyed the extra positive attention.
Now of course, it's snowy again, and he likes that...but I'm ready for spring myself!
SheepOfBlue
Premium Member
Cool to read so much good news
Calliesmom
Moderator
that is a good update- thanks for checking back in and letting us know. sounds like a busy but very good year for you. glad that your wife and Apollo also get along so well 