Kennel Cough

Finn is becoming a part of the household.

The girls have accepted him without any problems. Even when he taunts Meadow by hoarding her toys. Even when he lays in Maia's favorite spots. Even when he persists in coming between me and them as I try to pet them (a really bad behavior I'm working hard to extinguish). He pushes the envelope, certainly. But then he always follows the pushiness with a completely submissive roll onto his back, as if to say, "Hey, I was only kidding!"

Finn has kennel cough. I took him to my vet on the Tuesday following his Friday arrival. By then, in addition to the snot-encrusted nose, he had the "cough" part of the disease. The first time he coughed - Sunday morning at 2:00 am - I awoke with a start, thinking he was dying. For three days, he'd have periodic bouts of coughing, lasting a good five minutes each time. Then the cough mostly ended, but for a couple of days, any time he got really excited - like when I'd come home - a new round of coughing would start.

He seems to be past the coughing now, but his nose still produces mucousy snot.

I reluctantly admit that his arriving with kennel cough has made bonding difficult. Was he ever going to be healthy, be the running companion I was seeking? The vet pointed out he had all his adult teeth, so not only wasn't he a six month old puppy, the absolute youngest he could be was seven months and he could be as old as 18 months. This has not been a good "rescue" experience from my perspective: sick dog, questions about his true age. Finn forgives me for being cautious about him, and gently seeks attention from me regularly.

I just hope his cough doesn't spread to the girls.

Finn and I will bond, eventually. It's just so different than bringing home a small, cuddly puppy. There are things that have already shaped his personality that I can only wonder about. Who knows what other illnesses he's had, or how long (or often) he's had kennel cough or something like it?

Finn's energy levels steadily increase, which is good. I've been so concerned about his overall health, given his lethargy and cough. The vet said his lungs and heart sounded clear and strong. I don't take him on many walks yet, because I don't want him spreading his cough to the neighborhood dogs we would otherwise greet. And running? Hardly - despite my hope that he and I would start running short distances together from the get go.

But Finn is FAST when chasing the ball in the yard. He can easily beat Meadow to the ball, so I've taken to tossing it in a way she's most likely to get to first. If Finn does beat her to it, she lets him take it without argument. He'll then trot somewhere, proudly, and lay down with the ball between his feet. I encourage Meadow to take the ball from him, then - she's very cautious about doing so - because I want Finn to learn that in this house, toys are shared. He also needs to share with other dogs, if he's going to be a good dog camp dog.

We're working on obedience. Finn wants so badly to please me. What a switch from training Malamutes! But it's clear he's had some harsh treatment in the past, because as soon as I try to correct him with my "ah ah!" growl, he turns into a submissive pile of mush, rolling onto his back, which makes it very hard to return him to the sit or down position I was asking him to stay in. I'm just not used to such a needy, attention-seeking dog; this is a rather large attitude adjustment for me. I'm working especially hard with Finn on "come" because even though he spends most of each day being my shadow in the house, when I call him to come in the yard, or even inside, he stands or sits stock still and just looks at me, almost as if he's afraid of the command. With treats, he's fairly reliable. Without, he's not there yet. And while he seems to recognize his new name, he doesn't respond to it by coming to me immediately.

Time. And thankfully, he's food-motivated.

When I work with Finn, he and I are inside; the girls are outside so they don't interfere. Even then, they watch through the window, upset that Finn's getting treats and praise and they're not. Sometimes I have the girls work with us, figuring that Finn can learn by watching them. Let's hope.