Callahan

As suggested, here is a new thread introducing Callahan.

I always wanted a basset hound since I was about four years old. My uncle had two, and I felt like they matched my personality very well above all other dogs I've ever met. So after many, many years, I finally felt like I was able to care for a dog both financially and time-wise. After going through all the rescues in the San Francisco Bay Area, I came across Callahan at South Bay Purebred Rescue in San Jose. As soon as I met him and took him for a walk around the pet store where I met him and his foster mother, I knew we had finally found each other. That was nine months ago. He was four years old, 42 pounds (underweight), recovering from heartworms, confused, scared, and in general a wreck.

Callahan gave me a run for my money since day one. I would literally step outside the front door, close it, and he would bark constantly. Because the foster mom said he didn't bark that much while alone, I hadn't planned for the problem. I, and he, was lucky enough to find a wonderful trainer who came over, evaluated him (and me), and told me I couldn't leave him alone until we were sure he didn't have a separation phobia. A long story shortened, he spent the next two weeks in doggie day care while I was at work, whereupon the trainer verified he didn't have a phobia but separation distress after getting feedback from our daily alone-time training. From there on, it was four months of constant work with him, starting with leaving the house for ten seconds and working in increments up to hours. I began voice recording him from the start while alone, and he would bark for long periods of time (hours) before the dog walker came in and after she left. He also pulled on leash like a locomotive and would try and chase every other four-legged creature. I am happy to say that Callahan can be left alone for seven hours (I usually don't leave him that long if I can help it) and not make a peep aside from the occasional bark when he says howdy to the mailman, neighbors, or passing dogs. He also heels very well on walks and is doing much, much better at not trying to chase other animals. The work with his chasing is paying off, and many times he now looks up at me and gives off barks to let me know what he found. That's his breed, so bark away!

He settled in well in California, and then we made a big move to New York. As predicted and prepared for, he regressed quite a bit with the move, but once we got back on a steady routine of exercise and seeing the same new people, he settled in within two months. He's not allowed on the couch, and last month he started getting on the couch when I'm gone where he can perch and watch out the window while lazing. This is what he started doing in CA when he became content. So I'm very happy for him. While I'd rather he not stress his spine anymore than I can control, I'm happy he's found that special spot on the couch that allows our time apart to pass in relaxation. He is now at a prime fifty pounds, healthy, and "the fittest basset hound" his vet has every seen. He is also featured on a full page photo and bio in the recently released coffee book Project Dog as the representative of a rescue purebred basset hound. His old, well-missed dog walkers urged me to enter him in the project, and lo and behold he was chosen! We are very happy and look forward to participating in the online community.

Here's Callahan from November. This is his first time every seeing snowfall:


And some shots from the Bay Area:




This is a long post, but I hope you enjoyed it.

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-An eager, vocal, crook-kneed Spartan sweeping away the morning dew.

MollyMcFrecklesMom

Nice to meet you both! Callahan is a handsome guy and you seem to have done well by him. Good for you

My Winston has separation anxiety, but not from me...it's our other basset Molly. If she leaves, even to potty in the yard (no fence and I can't handle both on a leash at the same time), he howls and barks. Molly must make fairly regular trips to the vet for blood work and I fear leaving him while we are gone. I make sure my husband is home to calm him if need be. But he's young and a work in progress.

Good luck with your guy

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Michelle - proudly owned by Molly (21 mos) and Winston (14 months).

Molly McFreckles' World:
The adventures of a Basset Hound living with Addison's Disease and a baby brother named Winston

DaniyPatito

Such a cutie, I love the picture with the snow!

Orion

What a handsome and lovable boy! Such an expressive face and we are big fans of the freckles, too. Lucky guy to find what sounds like an ideal home, he'll have you trained in no time!

Swimming-duck

What a cutie. You guys have really been through a lot. It sounds like you've done so much to work with him and help him to be happy!

Annie714

What a handsome guy!!! Welcome! Keep the pictures and stories coming

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Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

loopylou

He's so handsome - and what a lucky boy to have found someone who really cares about him. Congrats!

Wworm

Callahan! Welcome & wish you were still here to say hi in person, well in basset. Wow, you are well-loved & we r so happy to hear where you are now w/all the training and separation issues mostly behind you.

can you send us a link to the book? would be great to check it out.

also, can you tell us how your peeples recorded you (voice & video?) when they were away? (haha, to be able to tell that you were on the couch while u were gone). i'm just in my crate but my person says it might be interesting to see what i do in there when my peeples r away.
--Worm

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see what the Worm is up to: http://bassetworm.blogspot.com/

Callahan

Thanks for the warm welcomes! I've passed them on to Callahan who promptly rolled onto his back and whacked me in the eye with his front paw (his way of insinuating belly-rub time).

Thanks. We do miss our friends back home, but Callahan's a hound of the road. He had a blast on the drive over here and I'm sure will brag of all the states he's smelled and sights he's seen.

I mainly used a digital voice recorder that is usb compatible to record him (Coby cxr190-2g - about $35 on newegg.com I think). I upload the audio file to the computer and open it using the freeware audio editing program "Audacity" so I can visually see the sound waves for major spikes of barking. It's very handy to see his progress and how he reacts if I leave certain toys out or use certain treats in his Kong bone and ball. I've also used a digital camera to video record him for short times, but that was only for the first month or so of having him. As for knowing that he gets on the couch: the hair. I have a leather couch and I've always made sure there's no hair on it before I leave. Last month, I came home to hair on one side and dried drool on the armrest. I leave the front blinds up about a foot, and the couch run perpendicular to the windows so the armrest makes for a perfect perch to look out. Now when I leave the house, I look at the window from the sidewalk to see a comical Callahan atop the armrest watching over the street. Such a sight every time I leave makes my day start well. But when I get home, he waits by the door and doesn't even think about getting on the couch, almost like he has me fooled.

Here's the link to Project Dog. Callahan made the website front page when the photos flip through! The design of the book is very interesting with a AKC-papered purebred on one page with a rescue purebred of the same breed on the other. The purpose is to not only celebrate dogs in general but to promote rescue dogs.

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-An eager, vocal, crook-kneed Spartan sweeping away the morning dew.

Barney'spal

Callahan...I can definitely see why you were chosen for the book!!!

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Properly trained, a man can be a dog's best friend.