Cody and Shadow

Dogs in Atka run free. Cody and Shadow have both lived on the streets, so I know they're capable of running free safely, but they haven't done it while also having a loving home. One of the things I've had to do is train them to be Atkan dogs.

There are no animals on the island that pose a danger to humans: no bears or wolves. Dogs only face one danger: humans on ATVs. Fortunately, ATVs make a lot of noise, and most dogs are smart enough to get out of the way. However, most of the dogs are Cody's size. The foxes on the island are not a danger to them. If Cody *had* to, he could take a fox in a fight. Shadow? Little 9 pound frou-frou poodle? Not so much.

And then there are the eagles. I've had people tell me that eagles don't want dogs; they want fish. And then someone else would say that I need to keep an eye on Shadow lest an eagle carry him off. I couldn't even figure out who to listen to! I finally decided to follow the advice of one guy who seems to know what he's talking about. He said that as long as the salmon are running, eagles won't be interested in a dog. If the eagles start to go hungry, better hold onto Shadow!

For the first day or two, I walked both dogs on leashes. I figured they needed to learn where "home" was. Once they seemed to know that, I started letting Cody off the leash, staying outside where he could see me. His "rule," just as it was in China, is that he has to respond when I call him. He learned that he just needed to show me where he was. I would say "thank you," and he would go back to what he was doing. He went farther and farther at each walk. Finally, he was gone long enough that I wanted to go back home without waiting for him.

There are 3 doors between the outside and the living area of my house. The first door opens into what is essentially an airlock, shielding the rest of the house from wind and rain. The second door opens into sort of a mud room, with shelving for winter wraps and a big chest freezer. The third door opens into the living room/kitchen. I went into the house, leaving the airlock door open so Cody could get in. In theory, he would bark to alert me to his presence. Apparently he didn't get the memo on that part. He will enter the airlock space, and then just wait. Or leave because I don't open the door right away. I usually hear him enter, but not always. We're still working on that system.

Shadow wasn't happy about being left behind when Cody would take off for parts unknown. I know that I have a responsibility to keep him safe, but he's also a dog. I have some responsibility to let him be a dog. I started letting him off the leash, but following where he went so that he was never far from me. It turned out that he didn't want to go far off anyway. The world is big and scary when you're little! He would start to follow Cody, but turn back toward me when Cody got too far away from home. Shadow also seems to understand that he's outside for potty purposes; he comes in as soon as he's done, and he doesn't try to come in before he's finished.

Both boys are well on their way to living the doggy dream. They have as much freedom as they want, plus meals, soft beds, and all the tummy rubs they can handle!