Cedar's Meet 'n Greet, Done!

Cedar visited back in early July for an initial Meet 'n Greet. However, due to many factors, his full M&G could not be completed. We believe COVID is no longer a threat, at this time, and the cooler temps are here! We're happy we were finally able to have him back.

Welcome to 4 1/2 yr old Malamute/Shepard X   Cedar!
Cedar is a well known boy who spends most of his days with his mom at the local pet supply shop in town. Many of our visitors already know Cedar from their visit to BearDog Cafe. 

Cedar's personality truly meets his physical proportions. He's inquisitive, full of life and just wants to please. He said a polite, quiet "hello, I remember you." to Lady May, and they stayed outside together while Cedar settled into strolling around the yard soaking in all the scents of the others before him.

Cedar still uncertain if he's going to like it here.
Watching the front driveway gate.

As with all new comers, Cedar wore his halter for the first little while. It's a precaution I always take. It allows me instant control if the need arises.  Before it's removed, newcomers have to demonstrate calm behaviour and reliable recall. When that is achieved the halter is replaced with a long lead. The lead gets removed when a good level of comfort is noticed and I know there will be no attempt to "leave the premises."  If you're familiar with my blogs/posts, and have viewed the photos,  it's easy to determine how long a dog has been here or what his/her behaviours have been like each day, by which type of halter/lead (if any) they have on. Sometimes even old timers are required to wear a lead if they're having trouble staying calm. It can be a safety issue for others as well as themselves.
Cedar passed the lead test in less than an hour.  His halter was removed and replaced by a short lead only, which was removed in no time at all. He stayed right by my side. We spent alot of time in the yard together getting to know the boundaries and checking out who's been where. I was impressed with Cedar's quick comfort levels.

It's obvious to me that his mom has spent a great deal of time training Cedar. Although Cedar is a very strong boy, he is well behaved and very gentle. A definite positive attribute for such a big fella. Imagine what happens to puppies that jump and run wild without proper discipline and then grow to be a massive size and still want to jump and zoom at will!  OMG! Thank you Stella for taking the time to teach this wonderful boy good social manners! 

Hey Lady, got any bigger mats?

 

 

Cedar happily strolling through the yards checking out all the other dog scents. Lead free!

Due to Cedar's size, I knew it was possible for him to be uncomfortable indoors. I made sure to remove any obstacles and clear paths for this gentle big boy before he arrived. It's important for him to feel he has room to roam and turn around.  My house can seem a bit confined with all its gates and separated areas. Cedar was very good with allowing me to lead him through the areas and simply stopped when he wasn't sure.  We spent time going in and out of the house, in and out of rooms and up and down the stairs for a few hours.  I could see his comfort increase and he learned there was room for his big body very quickly.
Then it was toy time!!  Cedar had an opportunity to check out every type of toy we have.  Lady May was quietly relaxing on the porch and not the least bit interested in playing. The toys were up for grabs for Cedar. We checked out the tuff chewer toys, the soft tug toys, rope toys, hard balls, soft balls, squeakies. YES! Squeakies! That was the favourite. Oh what fun we had! Each squeaky has a different tone and we played "music" on them all.

Cedar testing all the different toy types. Finally settled on a squeaky!

We had planned this visit to fall during lunch time. I always like to see the level of comfort around food time and to allow a new visitor to experience eating time. Being an 'only' visitor gives that time to know where, when and how it will happen and makes it easier on visits when there are many others around. When lunch time arrived, Cedar found a station that suited his size and sat patiently while I portioned out Lady May's before his own.

Cedar, so serious. "When does the food come Lady?"

 The time seemed to pass so quickly and before we knew it, Cedar's 4 hour visit was up.

His mom would like him to be able to visit a few times a week.  We are happy to welcome Cedar back for future visits! We know he's going to have fun with many new friends when he's here.
Cedar is already booked to visit us during Hazel's day next week. Yay! What a blast that's going to be! 

Cedar's mom very generously donated 2 delicious tubs full of their very own Gingerbread cookies!
Oh YUM! Thank you so much!! Just wait until you see the smiles on our visitors faces!!

Make sure you say hello to Cedar and his mom when you visit BearDog Cafe in Lillooet!!

I'll get the squeakies ready for you buddy. See you soon.

I'll be uploading photos to Cedar's Facebook Album soon!
Be sure to check it out!