Maui’s path to success started by taking one step at a time. He came to Doodle Dandy Rescue on June 1st - a 3-year-old Labradoodle, suffering from severe separation anxiety, a fear of everything. Maui had no crate training, and resource guarded people, food, and toys. Mr. High as a Kite came with his own stash of drugs, Trazodone, Fluoxetine (Prozac), and Alprazolam. He was being rehomed because his owner said she hadn’t been able to leave her home for any length of time over a 3-year span due to Maui and his reaction to all.
Getting Maui ready for his future fur-ever would take one step at a time.
Step 1: DDR found the perfect foster for Maui, an amazingly loving and patient couple willing to do the work necessary one step at a time.
Step 2: Decompression would be the first key to turn in Maui’s journey for success. It took a full week before the foster was able to introduce Maui fully to the resident pup. Again, one step at a time.
Step 3: Maui’s foster needed to find a baseline for the medication Maui was on, what was he truly taking and how much was necessary? How would Maui react and behave once the medication was removed? This was done by a process of elimination, one step at a time.
Step 4: Crate Training. The goal was for Maui to go in and out of his crate of his own free will. Training consisted of placing Maui in his crate next to the bed on the first night, then slowly as he improved, move the crate 1 foot at a time away from the bed. There were nights when they could only move the crate an inch or two as trust came slowly. This training stopped as step 5 suddenly took over!
Step 5: A huge setback for Maui, as now he only had 3 paws to accomplish all his steps! One month into training, Maui slipped and fell. The worst case scenario became a reality, multiple fractures to the ulna and a dislocation at the elbow, and tendons torn. Amputation was deemed the most humane and reasonable approach. The vet bill ran into thousands. Two days later, Maui returned to his foster, now a tripod. Maui would need to go back to step one of his training. Taking one step at a time would now need to be learned with 3 on the floor instead of the normal 4. Maui, with a leg up on all, had a secret weapon: resilience!
Step 6: Maui was back on the medication the foster had so carefully weaned Maui away from, plus added medication now for pain. Three-legged Maui would quickly learn to walk, negotiate the stairs, and jump on the couch. After only one day, Maui wanted to play fetch with his beloved ball. Maui’s fosters earned their angel wings as they took one step at a time with Maui once again.
Step 7: Maui was ready to restart his training. Next step, desensitization training! In 5-minute increments, Maui’s foster would walk around jiggling keys, then added in walking back and forth to the front door. After this was the big step of turning the knob to the front door. Finally, Maui’s foster would sit in the car outside her house increasing the time away from Maui minute by minute. Slow but a necessary step to take.
Step 8: As Maui's stitches came out and tapered off medication, the goal was to leave him alone in the home for 45 minutes consistently. 3 weeks after the accident, 25 minutes left alone, Maui was found quietly relaxing, sitting on the couch. Maui finally learned to have peace in his life taking one step at a time.
Step 9: Time to find Maui the perfect fur-ever home. Maui would need a home willing also to take one step a time, understanding his anxiety, his resource guarding, and his 3-legged handicap.
Step 10: On August 28th, Maui found his home! Taking one step at a time, facing challenges and setbacks, Maui with his much-loved ball, had found his forever home. Jointly, with Doodle Dandy Rescue, their amazing volunteer team, medical and training experts, the loving and patient foster parents, and finally generous donations from Doodle Dandy Rescue's angels, Maui had completed his ten-step program becoming the most amazing Doodle of all!
