[matese]

Sounds like a fantastic start. I have a rescue yorkie, he was 2 1/2 yo when I got him. He wasn't an abused dog he was a surrender, he didn't know how to pay with toys. I bought a huge selection of various toys because I didn't know what he had or what he liked. He didn't play with anything not even a ball and all dogs love balls. Every day, throughout the day I would take a different toy and tease, entice him into play, nothing. I had him about 2 1/2, 3 months when one morning he just grabbed a toy and started flinging it around the room lol, same with the ball, now he loves all his toys. With some dogs that have never known toy playing it just takes some time and encouragement from their humans. As far as resource guarding, if he lets you take the toy and doesn't growl or show teeth I don't think that's what he's doing. Do you take the toy and entice him to play with it or do you just take the toy and lay it on the floor? How is he with food, when his food is in his bowl and he is eating, can you pet him, touch him, go near him while he is eating?

I had my boy about 6 months or so before I bought him a bully stick, at first he didn't know what to do with it, when he realized he could chew it, he went at it lol, I would tell him good booooyyyy. I noticed if I went within 3 feet of him he would stop chewing, his body would tense up, I realized then he had never had anything like that so I just let him be and kept telling him "Cody's bully stick what a good boy" . When I wanted to take his chew away I would go in another room, call him in to give him a treat, then I would sneak in the other room and remove the chew. I never took it away from him while he was chewing it. Over a period of a month when he had his chew I could tell by his body languish he was comfortable and knew I was not going to take it from him, then I started to pet him a little while he was chewing always telling him what a good boy he was. It took time for him to know I wouldn't take that chew away. We are a team for a bit over 3 years now, I can ask him to drop it and he will, he knows he will get it back.

With these rescues every thing is done in "baby steps". We don't know what their past was like, what they went threw, how they were treated, how many homes they lived in. The greatest thing we have to do is to have them trust us, gain confidence in us and bond with us. This may take some time depending on the dogs past experience with humans. Every thing is done in baby steps, slow and gradual.

Chaka sounds like a smart lil pup, and has started to bond with you, and that's a good sign. I would start some basic commands before the family returns home, sit, come, down, stay, most important command is "drop it" and "leave it". Short training sessions 5 to 7 minutes 3 or 4 times throughout the day. High value treat rewards, praise like crazy when he gets his command right. Teach only one command at a time, when he knows that, then teach a 2nd command, always give treat and happy praise when he gets it right. When he knows 2 command teach a 3rd, then you can incorporate all 3 commands.

When the family comes home, please, make sure your daughter does not lunge, grab, runs at the dog. Young children move very fast and this may / can scare some dogs. Please keep us updated on Chaka's progress.