Selene

 I am pleased to introduce Selene a 4 ½ year old 11 pound Maltese with a soft white coat that has lovely  waves in it.   

Selene came into our care from a life in a puppy mill breeding for profit.  As with most mill dogs Selene was extremely shut down and fearful of human contact.  It took her a long time to venture out of her crate and not skitter when approached.  She had obviously not had good interactions with humans and was extremely fearful.  I put a trail lead on Selene for the first several weeks to make it easier to catch her to put on her leash or pick her up to minimize her anxiety.  Even though she no longer needs the trail lead she still skitters away when approached but only a foot or two.  She does a low grumble which immediately stops when I touch her.  Not sure if it’s out of anxiety or nervousness but I think it may be her defense mechanism to voice her uncertainty.  Lately I have begun to wonder if it’s becoming a game on her part to tease me.  I look at that gleam in her eye and wonder if she’s thinking, “Gotcha mom, made you come and get me”.  Definitely will have to work harder on her recall training.

For her first 2 weeks with me Selene was fostered with an older laid back male Shih Tzu.  He was a great example for Selene as she observed me holding and petting him.  It was a slow process to finally be able to lie down beside her on her dog bed and pet her a few times. Picking her up and cuddling took a while but she accepts cuddle time well.  Sometimes after our bedtime walk we have cuddled and Selene has fallen asleep with me quietly for an hour or so.  I have slowly introduced a few dog friendly neighbours to hold her.  Selene usually trembles for about a minute and then relaxes.  She is just learning that people will be kind to her and hopefully her fears of people will continue to lessen.  Her new family need to be patient with Selene in order to continue to increase her comfort and confidence with humans.  She has absolutely no trouble with dogs, and is quite fearless when meeting dogs much larger than her.  Selene wants to be friends with every dog we meet on our walks.

She took to walking on leash fairly quickly with my other foster as guide.  She rarely pulls unless she sees a dog she wants to meet or a favourite rock or tree she likes to pee on.  We go on a pack walk once a day with my neighbours 2 dogs which she looks forward to.  Selene thrives on being outdoors and displays joy and confidence on her walks in the neighbourhood and at our local conservation area.  We usually do a total of 6-7 km daily on 4 walks.  Her morning walk is usually the longest for almost an hour.  At times I almost have to run to keep up with her as she bunny hops and runs happily.  She just can’t wait to start the day outdoors.  When at the conservation area we have done up to almost 5 km.  She travels quietly in a crate in my suv but she’s a bit nervous when I put her in and take her out.  She never seems to tire and is always eager to go further.  Selene is an energizer bunny.  Mind you she crashes and curls up and sleeps when we get home.

Selene is fully house and crate trained.  Her crate is always there for her as needed.  She now spends more of her time on one of her other beds around the house.  Selene is a very quiet dog and is never underfoot.  If I’m busy in the kitchen for a long time she will pop her head in to check on me and I usually stop to cuddle and give her attention.   Selene recently found her voice and made excited little squeaky noises when she met up with her new favourite male dog friend.  Although he’s much larger than Selene she eagerly greets him with wiggles and jumps up to touch his nose.  She has actually barked when we had to go on our way.  Guess she was voicing her displeasure to me.  Her spunky personality is beginning to emerge as she has gained confidence and is comfortable in my home.  Selene is a very sweet natured dog.

I have bathed her which she wasn’t too happy about and the blow dryer frightened her so I just wrapped her up in a towel and warm blanket and cuddled her to get her as dry as possible  and then let her air dry.  Selene tolerates but is not fond of being brushed. 

Selene has shown no interest in toys but I have noticed that she moves toys from one of her beds to another. In the evening if I’m watching tv or reading, Salene will lie in her nearby bed and just watch my every move.  She’s quite content to just curl up and be close to me.

Selene has met my friends cats a couple of times and doesn’t show much interest in them.  On our walks she basically ignores wildlife.  Squirrels, chipmunks and even foxes have crossed our path with no reaction.  Selene is being fostered in a quiet country community and has encountered large trucks and motorcycles, again with no reaction.

Selene would benefit from being in a quiet neighbourhood and household.  I don’t have a fenced in yard but she has enjoyed being on a long line outdoors watching me work in the garden.  Teen children who wouldn’t be overly noisy or an adult only home is recommended. The key is she needs a quiet and peaceful home without a lot of activity or visitors.  Although Selene enjoys her alone time I feel she would benefit from not being left on her own for prolonged periods of time.  Ideally someone who works from home or who can come home on the lunch hour.  Selene would be fine in a home with another laid back dog or on her own as long as she had opportunities to interact with other gentle dogs daily.  Dog parks tho will NOT be suitable for her as she will be terribly overwhelmed there.

When Selene came into our care she required a major dental and now has only 5 teeth.  This in no way is an issue.  I put a bit of warm water on her kibble and give her very small treats, some soft and some crunchy which she has to work at a bit.  I recently introduced treat puzzles to Selene.  At first she showed little interest and only took one treat to her bed.  I soon realized that when I left the room she quickly completed the puzzle and ate all the treats.  She just wanted privacy.  She has been able to solve level 3 puzzles.  Selene is a very bright dog.

Selene only recently started accepting treats from my hand when practicing recall.  We have only just started and this will need to be reinforced.

Selene has been a delight to foster.  She has come so far but still has a long way to go.  Her new family will need to be patient and not be frustrated when she skitters away from them.  She is so worth the effort.  If you are the family that love going on long walks and being outdoors and are willing to be patient with this sweet dog please consider Selene as an addition to your life and home.