The Stud Muffin has landed

Meet Owen, the little 18-month old rat terrier from southern California. You may recall seeing Owen over on another New Rattitude blog where he first stayed after coming up here to Washington. Since Owen's transport came in about a week before Lucia went home, Julee took him until Lucia went home and my foster spot opened up again.

Owen is a sweet, loving little boy who I suspect spent most of his life on the streets. He is learning basic house manners but there are signs that his life before he got a New Rattitude was not very pleasant. Even after a week under the devoted care of Julee, he is underweight and parts of his fur feel very rough. He reacts to reflections in the mirror, and he attaches very strongly to a person and doesn't want them out of his sight.

This isn't terribly unusual though. Strays on the streets of California live rough lives, and it can take them a couple weeks to settle in and start to feel secure in foster care. Owen is getting that time now with lots of structured time as well as learning clicker training.

I've also started him on a raw diet with a variety of protien sources, veggies,and supplements to put some weight on him as well as improve his overall health. He's got a ravenous appetite and his desire for food is strong enough that it is an obvious stressor for him. Once he realizes that he doesn't have to scavenge and compete for every mouthful I have no doubt he'll settle down.

He is quite smitten with the girls though, and while Sappho isn't fully comfortable with him yet, Maya has already played with him. Since up until last Thursday he was a fully intact male he still has some hormones in his system and so the girls are giving him lots of discipline when he starts acting like a rowdy frat-boy!