Project "Socializing Noor"

Noor on the sofa when visiting Mads parents and their dog.

 Noor usually lives on an island outside of Tromsø, and therefore isn't very used to being in the city. That is one of the reasons that I have borrowed her so much lately. Plus that I really like having her here. But the most important part of it is to get Noor used to meeting dogs, both pass and greet people she doesn't know, get used to traffic, noises and smells, walking on new substrates and so on. In short socialize her and get her to handle things on her own, away from her pack (she lives with 3 more Siberian Huskies).

Today we have had three dog encounters in one day. One bad, one good and one perfect. The bad one was a Gordon Setter that charged when we passed its house, the Setter was tied up on the porch and clearly didn't like Noor passing by.. Noor was nervous for a while afterwards, but when we came to the spot where we usually play (3 minutes walk from where the Setter was), she had forgotten all about it and happily played with the ball.

A totally unrelated Gordon Setter from the one we met today. This is a very nice Gordon Setter female I took care of during one weekend last summer.

The good dog encounter was with a 10 year old miniature Schnauzer that Noor clearly thought was a puppy. She tried to get him to play, something he really wasn't interested in. She managed to get out of her collar twice during her violent attempts to engage him in playing.. Luckily he was so calm that it ended with them just sniffing each other. A less patient dog would have told her off. Harshly.

The third dog encounter of the day was a 10 year old Flatcoated Retriever. A dignified old lady that obviously commanded so much respect that Noor didn't even try playing with her. She just calmly (well as calmly as a 10 month old Siberian Husky can..) sniffed her and then ended up cuddling with the owner instead.

I was afraid that the Gordon Setter would have set Noor back, but it seems that it hasn't affected her at all. The meeting with the Flatcoated Retriever was really perfect, something I really didn't think was possible considering that just one and a half week ago she started screaming (yes, she screamed, she doesn't bark) when we met a dog.

I really see progress in her every day. It's almost unreal to think about how afraid she was of everything when she came here for the first time two weeks ago. Everything startled her. She was afraid to walk up and down the stairs and she didn't even dare to pee! Now she is at home here in the city. As long as we don't meet dogs she walks around as if she owns the place, and both ignoring other people when told and greeting new people is a piece of cake. Cars, buses, bikes, nothing is scary anymore. She's not even a little scared of the stairs outside anymore, we're still working on the stairs inside, she walked half way in them now tonight, I had to carry her the first half. The elevator is also a piece of cake, she actually seems to like it (even though it could just be the relief of not having to walk down the stairs..).

Noor doesn't need a lot of socialization, that is clear, but she needed what she has gotten. I think she is ready to move back to her pack any day now.. the question is; am I ready to let her go?