We did it!! Taming semi-wild dogs

The dogs came back tonight about feeding time but when we peeked over the fence and down the road where we could see the black dog coming, he saw us, turned and headed the other way.  Talking to our neighbor behind us, he said that he sees them back behind his property sometimes too.  Someone also dumped a dead goat out on the road by their place!  Ewwww......
 
Took food out for the dogs again tonight.  We'll see what tomorrow brings but I don't feel like we're making much progress.....

I was just mentioning to my husband that I hadn't seen the dogs since Sunday night when the black dog came skulking down the road and lay up under the juniper tree across the road.  We put food in the bowl as we headed out for school/work.  Tonight we saw the red dog sprawled under the juniper but not the black one.  They're playing tag team!  Fed them again but they seem to be more elusive now than before I started feeding them.  Hmmmm.....

I was thinking... do you have an old towel or sweatshirt that smells like you that you could put the food on?  That way while they are eating they're also smelling you and making those positive asociations (purposely mispelled to avoid the spelling ***)?
Glad to hear they're back...wonder what happened on their adventure.

Good idea, Samsara.  That's along the same lines I was thinking.  I remembered how the Dog Whisperer mixes his dogs' food with his hands to get his scent on it and was thinking about at least handling the dry food before putting it out.  The black dog was here this morning, waiting, moved off a little ways but not "his" usual dart for safety when my daughter put the food out.  She was good about making no eye contact with the dog.  I could see in my rearview mirror that it didn't take long for him to come get the food.  On our way home this afternoon, they were both trotting down the road at the end of ours and looked surprised when we drove by, rolled down the window and said hello to them.  The black dog actually had his tail up and looked happy for once, at least until we said something!  They are big hairy beasts!  Their faces/heads remind me of either Newfies or St. Bernard's.

I was hoping their owners found them.

I know, me too....... they were sleeping in the road this morning but by the time we went out to feed them, they had moved on and it doesn't look like they came back for breakfast.  My daughter and I put the bowls on the driveway with t-shirts we slept in wrapped around the edge.  We'll try again tomorrow.  Didn't see them tonight while feeding either.

Can you follow them?  I bet they live nearby.  Maybe their owners were out of town for a few days.  Sounds like they're not that hungry at the moment which means they're getting fed somewhere!

They've been here on and off for about a month now.  My ranch neighbor behind me says they hang out in the field behind him sometimes.  I've tried calling them, giving them commands, throwing treats and they run!!  They seem more afraid of people than cars though because if I drive by, they don't run until I open the window and say something.  I am sure they "were" somebody's dogs at some point.  They were living off a goat someone dumped for a while.  My neighbor said someone dumped a dead goat near his ranch too...... Yuck!  Don't see the dogs yet this morning but sometimes they sleep in the stream area below us and show up around feeding time.

Still working on winning these two dogs over.  I keep moving their bowls further into the yard and put out a water bowl so they don't have to go down to the stream for a drink.  The big black one really enjoys his food.  He likes to lie down with his massive paws on either side of the bowl and eat.  Kelly got within 10 feet of them yesterday because she let Annie out and Annie went running over into field and pretended she was deaf so Kelly had to run her down and when she went around the back of the juniper tree out there, they were sleeping there and weren't quite so scared with Annie there.  When we call their names, they do look at us now.  They are both gorgeous but I'm particularly fond of the black one, Bear.  Something about that big, noble head.

The boys were hanging out in the field in the morning and tonight.  Spooked Rusty when we went out to take out trash but he didn't run very fast or far and his tail was up.  He's the 2nd in command but is less afraid of us than Bear.  Wonder if Animal Control has live traps big enough to hold them?

You know DB has a dog that works as a guard for her sheep and she never touches him except for vet stuff.  He came to her as an adult and he prefers it that way.  But he knows his job!  I think you'll set them back a LONG ways if you trap them.   I think they are bonding in their own way.  Wonder if a stranger came into your yard?  Would they do anything?

Run!  It was neat last night.  I had turned out the living/dining room lights but the lights were on at front porch and when I fed, both dogs came in, lay down at their bowls and ate.  They are huge!  Bear finished and left and Rusty was rooting around trying to find more food so Kelly opened the front door to offer more and he took off..... oh well, was neat seeing them so close.

I'd sure love to know their story.  (have you squeaked a toy at them?  Tossed it their way?)

I KNOW!  Go out with their food, run around and see if you can get them to chase you! []

Funny!!  Yeah, we've tried toys, using our most wheedling, sweet voices, using commands and stern voices, whistling, etc. and they just scoot away, poor guys.  Bear is looking really shabby and muddy these days because since it has heated up, I think he is going down to the stream and lying in the cool mud!  He came really early for dinner last night, the girls spooked him coming in from watering at about 5:30.  I was watching him snarf down his dinner.  He was eating so fast he started to kind of choke, you could tell he had a big wad of food stuck and was swallowing and swallowing...... slow down, guy.  There's plenty more.  If only we could read their minds.......  Wonder if an animal communicator could tell?

Still working on the big boys but making a little progress, I think.  Now when I see them out there, I whistle and call their names and they will stop and look at me as long as they are about 50 feet away.  Any closer and they are uncomfortable unless I'm in my car.  In the car, I can get about 15 feet away.  They are so beautiful.  Gotta remember to take the camera with me so I can get a good close-up shot.  It's taking less time between when I put food out, call to them and then they show up.  Guess this is going to be an exercise in patience.  Rusty was coming down our road yesterday morning as we were leaving, rolled the window down and spoke to him.  He managed to ooze his big body between the rails of the fence alongside the road to get away, silly boy.  Never drops his big flag of a tail!  Bear rarely has his tail up, the serious one.  Interestingly, someone went galloping by on a horse the other day and Rusty ran out from behind the juniper tree and barked at them so I guess they're feeling a little territorial now?