[Folmes]

Baltic Winters Sled Dog Association: Rescue Round Up

This boy was found running around a construction site with no tags or microchip. He was close to starving to death when we found him. He's very skittish when there are a lot of other dogs or humans around him, so he may not do too well on a large sled team, but he may do just fine on a smaller one!

owner;; » Asterous «
full name;; Swing Me High
call name;; Carter
age;; 5 Years
gender;; Male
colour;; Ticked Copper
genotype;; kk/aa/Bb/DD/EE/gg/iiii/sx/TT
have all the tasks been completed?;; Complete

[koushi.]

I am claiming my Baltic Husky!
full name;; Swing Me High
call name;; Carter
tasks;;

Task 1 - Welcoming your new dog home - Incomplete/Complete

It was about three-thirty or so when Carter was brought to my lodge. I was getting the empty pens ready when I heard a loud knocking on my door. "Coming!" I called as I wiped my hands on a spare towel and making my way back to the living room and finally to the wooden door. I grasped the brass handle and pulled it open, revealing the person who had knocked. It was a stout man with a very distinct uniform, his brown hair swept neatly behind his ears. As my veiw panned down to his hands, i saw he was holding a leash. Attached to said leash was a sight that made my heart tighten in my chest. A tiny scrap of red and white fur looked up at me from the porch. He was skinny and frail, ears pinned down against his skull. He was practically hiding behind the rescue worker. I swallowed and looked up again at the man. He smiled. "Aster, correct?" I reached up and pushed my glasses back up my face before nodding. "Yep. That's me." I said, smiling. The worker reached and put the leash in my hand. "This boy has been through quite a bit. They said he was found running around a construction site." He said with a heavy sigh, watching the dog at our feet sniff my feet cautiously. The dog whined before sulking back to the rescue worker. I nodded, "He will taken care of. Thank you so much."


I shut the door after the man left and stood there watching my new dog sniff around the house, well at least as much of the house as the leash would allow him. I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear and slowly began to walk towards the pens, tugging gently. The dog whined, trotting behind me with no urgency. His dull brown eyes looked up at me and I felt sympathy claw up my gut. "I know bud, I know." I coaxed him softly as I finally got him into the pens. The pen was quite large with a small doghouse nestled in the corner. A water and food dish sat along the sides, accompanied by a quilt and a couple of stuffed animals. I gently nudged him inside and released him from the leash. He immediately retreated into the doghouse. I stood and watched the doghouse for a long while before I finally thought of a name that I felt suited this broken shell of a dog. I decided the call him Carter, a name I felt complemented his small personality. I smiled as his little nose peeked out from inside the doghouse. My little Carter Boy. My pride, my joy, and my next major project.
word count; 465

Task 2 - Bonding - Incomplete/Complete

The next few weeks I was focused on nothing more than showing Carter that I meant him no harm, and that proved more difficult than I'd thought previously. I would come in to feed him and give him water and he'd hide in his doghouse. I saw nothing but a flash of red and white fur each morning. Though, I always felt that his intelligent eyes following me around the pen. I would talk to him as I worked, but I wouldn't try and touch him. I was always in and out of the barn where the pen was doing little things like cleaning or making sure everything was in line. As I did that, I wouldn't really pay attention to him, but out of the corner of my eye I could see him poking his fluffy head out of the shelter and then he would immediately hide away again if I turned to look at him.

This behavior was normal to me, but by the fifth or sixth week he turned it around. When I came in to feed him one morning, and he was sat against the farthest wall from the food dish, watching me intently. I payed no mind to him and continued my routine. After a few more days, Carter had gotten fairly used to me and would come closer and closer, but never too close that I could touch him. His intelligent eyes were still fixed on me as if he was deciding whether I was a friend or an enemy. I began to toss him treats as I was in and out of the barn as a subtle tactic to show him I was not here to hurt him. He would just sit there until I left, and then eat the treat. Another few days later and he would finally move around while I was in his presence, sniffing around the pen or pawing at the stuffed animals. I was overjoyed at this accomplishment, but I also knew that the hardest was to come. Convincing Carter to let me touch him, and trying to get him into a harness.
word count; 355


Task 3 - Gaining Confidence - Incomplete/Complete

I decided that after eight weeks of having my carter that it was finally time to get in the pen and persuade the still jumpy dog to let me touch him. So I grabbed my bag of treats and slowly approached the pen. Carter was lounging by his moderately full dog dish and was watching me with a somewhat curious look. "Hey bud. Pretty nice out, eh?" I mumbled, taking a seat at the front of the main gate. The dog across from me flicked his ears before sitting up. I tossed my braided hair over my shoulder before I took a treat out of my bag and held it out to carter. "Want one? They're nice and tasty." I smiled as to reassure him. Though I felt like a complete nut. Carter cocked his head to one side as if he was considering my offer over and over in his brain. I kept on smiling and holding the treat out. He whined and kneaded the ground, and I could tell he was unsure. I exhaled rather loudly before tossing the treat his way. The treat landed a few inches away from him. Carter dipped his muzzle toward the treat and walked over to it, without any hesitation. I raised an eyebrow as I realized that I finally had my way to gain confidence.

I repeated the treat tossing many a times over the course of the hour, almost making a trail of bread crumbs for Carter to follow. Each time, the snacks would land closer and closer to me until I tossed the last treat and Carter was only a few inches away from my face. So I held my last treat in the palm of my hand and urged him to eat it. He stared at me for a long while before cautiously taking the treat out of my hand. I felt a burst of pride as I felt his tongue on my hand. "Good boy, Carter. Good boy." I murmured, tentatively stroking his head. To my amazement, he let me! He let me! Now, the only step left was training. That was going to be my biggest challenge yet.
word count; 365


Task 4 - Training - Incomplete/Complete

Finally. After two months of owning Carter, it was time for him to get his position on a sled team. Over the course of the two months I've had him, I'd noticed how much coordination he had. He was very good at navigation, but wasn't as strong. "You'll be my swing dog." I decided as I led the bright and alert husky outside and into my training yard. I looked down at Carter and I couldn't help but smile. He was nothing like the scared scrap of fur and bones that was given to me by the rescue worker. So, we got to work. Since Carter was my only dog at the moment, I decided to ask a favor. He let me borrow a few of his dogs, not too many, as Carter hadn't been socialized yet. The dogs stood in their respected position, but there was a swing position just waiting. I quickly grabbed a harness from a nearby bench and crouched down beside him. Carter eyed me cautiously, shifting his paws. I sighed and rubbed my hand along his spine, speaking to him softly. "You're alright Carter Boy," I coaxed him, rubbing behind his ear. "You're okay. You're okay."

The next few hours were spent coaxing and getting Carter comfortable with being so close to other dogs. I took my position on the sled, gripping it tightly. Every so often during the training he'd look back at me, and I'd nod at him. It was important to get him comfortable with the other dogs so that when I got maybe a few more dogs for the team, he wouldn't be as nervous. I ultimately decided that I wasn't going to have many dogs. We worked hard from about five in the morning, to eight in the morning. It went surprisingly better than I'd originally expected. That night I let Carter into the house, almost like a reward, and I watched him doze off by the fireplace in the center of the living room. I watched him and knew that he knew. He was home.
word count; 349

Task 5 - Your choice [optional] - Incomplete/Complete
[your task 5 goes here]

[koushi.]

Task 1 complete.
Task 2 complete
Task 3 complete

[koushi.]

All of my mandatory tasks have been completed ^·^