Mickey...Always an Adventure

Hi Christy,

Thank you so much for meeting up with me and watching Mickey for the few minutes I needed to see the orthodontist.  I guess Mickey did miss me a little because on the way home in the car he felt it necessary to lay across my lap.  It was a first for me:  usually only tiny dogs sit on my lap, but I gotta hand it to Mickey for accomplishing the position while not putting us in danger.  Granted it didn't look comfortable, one back foot in the cup holder, the other hanging off the passenger seat, his waist draped over the center console, his paws jammed into the driver side door, and his nose right at window level to watch out the side.  He didn't try to get up until we got off the off ramp to home, but when I told him to stay down, he did.

I'm very excited that he will be going somewhere that he can play with those like him.  Last night after our walk he decided it was a good time to play, and began a frenzied circuit run around the living room.  I tried to record it on my camera, but it looks like some sort of canine Blair Witch Project with the shaky camerawork, and it's so dark you really can't see him in all his glory.  His victory laps consisted of starting at the front door, around the coffee table, up on the couch, down off the couch, he added the hallway and kitchen in one lap but decided against it after one slide.  He doesn't have much traction with the pads on his paws.  I don't know if it's because they're very dry, but I've seen him slide on a terry towel that's how little grip they have.  So I have to admit I was impressed that on his laps around the living room he didn't slam into a wall or go careening into the piano.

all tuckered out...

I can tell he wants me to play with him like I am a dog, but alas I am not so I think that's why he doesn't play as much.  He wants to get mouthy which is unacceptable (he doesn't bite down at all, just opens his mouth in play and I stop him--terribly un-fun for him).  Give him a dog, and it'd be fine.  This morning we met a beautiful black and white female pit mix.  Mickey was SO HAPPY!  I felt bad for the pit's human though.  She was quite petite and her dog noticed us before she did, and practically dislocated her shoulder trying to get to us.  I was at a safe distance away and said, "He just wants to play.  Does yours just want to play?" 

She responded with, "Yes, but the problem is she weighs half what I do."  (I imagine she was inferring if this turned bad, she wouldn't be able to drag her dog away).  But the two dogs weren't barking, and were just balking to get closer together.  Sure enough once the two got nose to nose, we both let out a sigh to not have struggling canines at the ends of leashes.  Hers was more excited than Mickey was and did almost take her down when she ran in a circle of happiness before returning to Mickey again.  The play ended when she finally had to stop to pee, and I told Mickey to leave her to her business.  He was so happy to have that interaction.  I have to say, it's very nice to be with a dog that I don't worry about his reaction to other dogs.  My only worry is if the other dog seems aggressive because even though he's chocolate lab and pit mixed, if an altercation arose, he'd only be seen as a pit and therefore he'd be blamed; so I am cautious, but never because of him.

My neighborhood is not filled with friendly canines.  People really need to socialize their dogs.  Yesterday we walked down the side of the street we usually don't walk on and it was one right after another:  at the first house two dogs came to the driveway gate and got so barky and riled up that they started a fight with one another...which then led to the next house where two dogs jumped up on the couch in the living room and threw themselves at the window, barking at us on the sidewalk...and then as we got to the third house, THREE dogs in their living rooms all bounced on top of one another and almost torn down the curtains, making utter chaos at us.  Mickey just looked on and didn't make a peep.  So far there's only been two well-adjusted dogs that he could stop and introduce himself to while they were in their yards.

I'm not sure if we'll head out in the car again today or not.  But I really do look forward to seeing where he'll spend the rest of his layover tomorrow.  Give me call and we can coordinate what time and if you want to meet me here or you want me to go to your place; whichever is easier.

Thank you again for watching him for me yesterday!

-stephanie.

Mickey - Night 4

Hi Christy,

I took Mickey out for another ride yesterday, and he's getting so much better!  I admit this pup needs work on social etiquette and how to channel his energy, but he's such a great student it's well worth the effort!

I am secure in saying he knows the command Sit, although Stay is something we still need to work on.  He accepts that he won't be getting food until his butt hits the floor, but it only stays there for about half a second.

I still think this boy isn't four years old.  He gives the appearance of a gangly adolescent pup in that awkward stage of being all legs and un-coordination.  The way he pounces after a toy but doesn't actually retrieve it is also very young.  I know not all male dogs lift their leg every time, but I thought squatting was more of a puppy thing.  When marking he changes it up based on his target, but just straight peeing I thought was lift leg almost strictly.  The other day he did lift his leg, got distracted by someone on the street, and actually turned half a circle, his peeing arching around him while maintaining his balance.  For a brief moment I was adolescent myself and thought, "I wonder if you can teach a dog to draw a smiley face?"

Our trip to the coffee house was great.  He panted the whole way there, but wasn't trying to move about the cabin quite so often.  He realized sitting was the best option.  The way back, he didn't pant at all, and remained seated 90% of the time.

At the coffee house he was calm and although he didn't lay down for most of the time, he did stand and watch people.  He wasn't frantic or tugging at all; he just enjoyed watching all the people and animals walk by.  And the people just adored him.  He got smiles from everyone that passed by, a few "awww's" and some pets on the head too.  He's not eager to meet new people, but he certainly doesn't cower in fear away from them.  Dogs, on the other hand, he really wants to meet.  I know he just wants to play, and perhaps the other dog knows he wants to play, but I don't think all the other dogs' owners know he wants to play when he gets all over excited.

The pictures are courtesy my friend who was kind enough to get some better shots of him since mine are only from arms-length away.

He's getting more into toys now.  He's gotten into destroying the rope toy I have.  I'm impressed that he can tear through the center section and rip sections out.  He's still not into fetch, but at least he's not just eating and sleeping as he was the first couple of days.

He did have two more "accidents" yesterday and it took me by surprise.  The first instance was in the afternoon.  We had gone out for a walk and about an hour and a half later I fed him his afternoon snack (since he needs to gain weight, I've been feeding the usual 2 times plus a small amount mid-afternoon).  Shortly after he finished eating he squatted in the living room.  I took him out immediately and he finished up outside.

I should have learned my lesson but obviously I need more training than Mickey.  In the evening, he snoozed for a couple of hours after our late afternoon walk.  Since it had only been two hours I didn't take him out, but just fed him.  Shortly after he finished dinner, I went into the kitchen to do the dishes and I just had a bad feeling; I walked out to the living and he was laying on the towel I had down, next to a wet spot on the rug.

So the lesson is this:  take Mickey out BEFORE feeding him; even if it's only been an hour or two since he was out, just do it anyway.

Product Plug:  If you're looking for a good pet stain cleaner-upper try Get Serious Pheromone, Stain, and Odor Extractor.  Now that I have three clean spots on my carpet, I'd really like to do the whole room so it matches.  But I don't know if they make it for large area clean-up.

Overall this boy still has a lot of work to do, but I'm sure he can learn all sorts of things.  His brief bouts of enthusiasm between naps is a clear sign he needs stimulation.  I think another dog would be great for him, not just for company but to teach him things about living with humans that only a dog can explain.

-stephanie.

Mickey - Night 3

Hi Christy,

No pics from the night, but a few good tales to tell.

The car ride to the pet store went as well as can be expected.  I think he's definitely picking up on what "Sit" means since I push his butt down every time I say it in the car.  I don't understand why he prefers to stand since it just makes him less stable.

I was worried about him marking inside the store (I went to C & C on Hollywood Way rather than a giant PetCo where I have to assume plenty of dogs have already marked).  He peed right before we went inside on the grass median and then once inside he didn't mark at all!  He was a complete gentleman, not taking down the snack aisle or ripping toys off shelves.  I'm quite proud of him.

A guy that was checking out when I was commented how beautiful he is, and guessed the breed immediately:  "chocolate lab/pit bull?" he asked.  This was the first person Mickey wagged his tail at when meeting.  All other people (all women previously) he only sniffed and carried on without an opinion.  Later in the evening he met my neighbor and wagged for him as well.  I suspected at first that he just liked guys (and might be useful to me in meeting a guy :) ), but I remembered the guy at the pet store was buying a cat toy and my neighbor owns a cat as well.  So now I'm theorizing that he wags at the smell of cats, not men.

We still haven't seen any cats on the street yet.  I actually am very curious why.  The cats in my 'hood are pretty vicious.  The last time I fostered a pit bull I was concerned for her safety as they literally stalked us down the sidewalk and she just stood there staring.  I thought for certain she was going to get her face ripped off.

As for dogs, Mickey's totally friendly.  We've run into a few (all little dogs), and he's friendly and tail wagging all the way.  They look more hesitant than he.  He only raised a paw to the first one we met, I think in an attempt to play, but the little one didn't go for the play.  Each time we walk away from meeting one of them, he lets out a little whine, wanting a bit more time to spend with them.

There are two mean little yappy dogs at the corner house down the street from me.  They've been there forever, and I don't think I have ever seen the old chihuahua not barking.  Yesterday was the first time they were out when we were and Mickey picked up the pace to greet him through the fence (the cocker mix wasn't there, just the old chihuahua).  I was surprised because the old dog actually walked toward Mickey, not barking at all.  They sniffed each other pleasantly through the chain link fence.  My joy didn't last long though.  I noticed Mickey turn sideways against the fence and I knew just what he was about to do right before his back paw left the ground.  I sternly stated, "Mickey, no, don't pee on him!" and gave a little tug on the leash.  Immediately the little dog started barking, called in the reinforcements, and we had to walk away as the two barked at us all the way around the corner.

This morning the little one was out again, and again, he was silent and let Mickey approach him.  He barked for a bit, let us turn the corner and then approached again.  They sniffed politely in silence and this time Mickey moved down to the corner post a foot away from the dog and peed.  The little dog walked over, read whatever Mickey wrote, stepped back, then lifted his leg in Mickey's direction and responded.  Mickey sniffed the new correspondence and added an addendum on it.  I was quite impressed with the negotiations, and thought it would end in a peace treaty, but after Mickey's final plea, the little dog barked us away from his land.

I do think Mickey gets along with dogs, but last night I saw the side of him that probably his fosters saw:  the Mickey on Crack.  It was short lived, but it was like he finally felt comfortable enough with me to let his hair down.  He pounced after a ball, ungracefully ran to me in the small living room, bouncing about in puppy like manner.  I can see how it's fun with the right dog, but it could be annoying to some dogs who don't want to be so exuberant all the time.

He's gaining confidence; in fact I had to pause mid-paragraph as he let out his first bark at a passerby he saw through the window.  I'm not sure what the stopping to jump on me while we go on walks is.  It's not a rambunctious invite to play.  It's like an expounding on his original just turn and look at me while walking.  Now he turns, looks, and rises up to place his front paws on my hips and wag his tail.  I'm trying to discern if this is the equivalent of a body-bump in dog language, a little play invite or something of the sort.

His beginning to play is encouraging.  He's testing his boundaries.  I have pointed out what are toys in the apartment and he's shown little to no interested beyond a five second notice.  I went to take a shower this morning but before I fully closed the door I heard a thump from the living room, I walked in, and found him standing in the middle of the room with one of my hiking books in his mouth.  I took it back, told him no, and showed him the other objects he had to choose from.  He didn't pick them up again.

He is very smart and I have no doubt that with the right trainer he will learn very quickly whatever you wish him to do.  He's totally getting Sit, although in the beginning he thought the command was "Sit" along with the motion of me putting my hand on his head.  He wouldn't sit without the hand movement.  Today he's getting better.  The hand movement was totally my fault.  To try to get him to not eat so fast I've been trying to get him to sit and calm down before I set the bowl down.  Once I get the bowl full, he's bouncing around me on his hind legs, his center of gravity gone, and quite frankly I'm amazed he hasn't tumbled into a wall or hurt himself he gets himself into such a frenzy.  Because of this state of bonkers, when I said Sit, I couldn't reach around to push his butt down, nor had the magic motion I see trainers do with a treat ever work.  Instead I reached for the only thing I could during his dancing--his head.  A friend of mine
can calm her dog simply by placing her hand on his head so the motion was two-fold.  Over just a few times, he got it.  He still eats way to fast, but we're working on it.

I've introduced him to the Kong.  He doesn't seem big on peanut butter, but utilizing the Kong for his food is working.  He figured it out pretty quickly, but it at least forces him to take a little more time when eating.

I'm not sure what it is I'm feeding him (possibly the treats) or if it's the antibiotics, but last night he displayed military grade silent but deadly gas attacks.  No sound is associated with this; it's bio-terrorism at its worst, just a clear cloud of noxious gas that rises up from him and hits you without warning.  I hope to never experience that again.

Good news also:  there have been no accidents (or "on purposes") to report.  I think he understands that it's inappropriate to do so inside and he is holding it longer.  I still don't fully trust him, but I give him kudos for his progress.

I think I'd like to take you up on your offer to babysit for him for a brief time tomorrow if you can.  My orthodontist appointment is at 5:20 in Glendale (Glenoaks and Brand), so I'm wondering if perhaps you could meet me there at 5:15 and just take him for a walk while I'm inside for twenty minutes or so.  Tomorrow morning I need to look at a house, and I'm going to take him with me and see how he is sitting in the car alone for fifteen minutes.  In that instance, I'll park in the driveway, which I'm still a little worried about doing, but I'll give it a whirl.  i definitely don't want to leave him in the car in a parking lot by himself for even five minutes.

Let me know if you think that's possible.  I'll try to get some more pics this afternoon when we go out.

-stephanie.

Mickey - Night 2

Hi Christy,

Just wanted to update you on Mickey:  he's doing wonderfully!  Night 2 was far better than Night 1.  Perhaps it was all the activity for the day, but he slept through most of the afternoon, only taking time out to eat and then pee in the kitchen.  I wouldn't call it an "accident" since I was right there and it was quite purposeful.  I'm trying to work out a system with him that he informs when he needs to go out rather than just squat wherever he happens to be.  I don't think he gets quite gets that peeing is an outdoor-only activity.  This time I stopped him and we went out immediately and he finished up out there, so I'm hoping he got it this time.

He walks great on a leash; perhaps because he's not quite confident yet.  He has a meandering stroll so he doesn't pull.  The few times he has only because he's picked up pace and I can't keep up, I stop him and he slows up.  In fact for the most part the leash is so relaxed, I don't think he always remembers it's there or how it works.  Yesterday when I took him out he'd go to the right around a tree, and then go a half circle.  Rather than letting go of the leash and picking it to the left, I'd follow him, at which point he'd follow me, and we ended up circling the tree a few times before I got dizzy enough to stop.

I think he's becoming more relaxed with me.  This is actually the moment I enjoy best with the dogs--when they finally start to trust me enough to show me who they really are.  As we were walking this morning, he actually just stopped to jump up on me and sort of stand there in a hug.  I don't quite know what he wanted.  Yesterday he'd turn around every now and again to make sure I was there, or give me leave to get ahead of him a few steps to lead.

Going to bed last night was so much easier!  I transferred the giant dog blanket from the couch to the bed.  He hopped up immediately but as I was going in and out of the room to turn off lights and get settled, he had to hop down to follow me.  It wasn't until I was in the bathroom that he didn't bother following, but when I returned to the bedroom found him lying quietly on the bed.

It's amazing to me how dogs seem to know exactly what you want them to do and therefore do the opposite.  Previous to having this blanket, I used towels as blankets, setting them down and asking the dogs to lay on them.  Towels are small, and usually they ended up laying directly next to the blanket with only a paw or their head on the towel.  This blanket covers the ENTIRE bed mind you, so I didn't think I'd have an issue, but leave it to Mickey to find a way out of it.  Once I got under the covers he came up to the head of the bed, leaned at a 45 degree angle on the pillow next to me, and slid down so his entire body was located on the five inch by one foot area of bed NOT covered by blanket.  He doesn't always sprawl; sometimes he takes the tiny-curled up position.  He likes to lean and slide; on the couch he'll walk over to the side pillow, lean and let his body slide down into the couch; I just couldn't believe he managed to have his entire body NOT on the blanket.

He eventually moved and we both slept soundly through the night.  In fact when the alarm went off at 7am, I don't think he really wanted to get up.  I sat up and he yawned and walked over to me to collapse on my lap and get some snuggle time in.  He looked as if any moment he would fall back into dreamland.  I would have let him, but I didn't want him to go that long without going outside.  And sure enough, once we got outside, he walked at a good pace down to his spot at the end of the driveway and peed a good long time.

I think we'll try for another car ride today.  I want to go to a pet store and see if there's any good treat/food toys.  Maybe that will help him to not eat so fast.  He doesn't seem into any toys I do have.  Although after our morning walk I tried to see if the Kong interested him and he pounced after it, but didn't retrieve it and bring it back.  He bounced a bit and then seemed to only want to come over to me and lean into me, giving me big dog hugs.

Even though we had just gone out, he shoved his nose in the front door, and after questioning a few times, I finally decided maybe this was his signal that he had to go.  So we went out quickly, just around the block, and he did indeed have to pee.  We'll work out our communication soon enough.

Any word on the foster situation?  I thought I might pick up some more food while I was toy shopping, but I didn't know how much I should buy; obviously if he's leaving tonight I wouldn't bother buying any, but I still want to get some more toys to have in the house for future guests anyway.

Here's some pictures of him.  I know it's a lot, but he's so sweet and cuddly.  He's gaining his confidence, wanting to sleep by himself at times, but at others, he wants to cuddle up.  One of his favorite sleeping positions which he is actually doing right now as I type this, is the head hung over the couch.  He has the entire couch to himself, and he chooses to lay in a fashion that makes his head and neck fall off the front of the couch.  (sigh)  Silly dog.

-stephanie

Mickey Pics and Progress

Hi Christy,

It's been a bit difficult to get good pictures of him.  He likes to be close to you, so other than being able to take a picture of his eyeball, it's rare that I'm just far enough away to get a good snapshot.  Currently he's lying on the couch and as much as he looks so adorable I want to get up and take pictures, I know if I rise from this chair he'll immediately wake up and meet me half way across the living room to see what I'm up to.

As for the car ride last night, I assume this was his first in the front seat, no?  Did you crate him when you had brought him to his fosters?  Most dogs respond to being in the car by either being okay with it or by getting under the dash if they're scared.  He chose to sit or stand and be scared, and attempt to move about the cabin.  I had to untether him because I was worried he'd get so tangled up he'd break a leg or something, which meant my hand was the only things holding him relatively in place in the car.

Thank you to his fosters for tipping me off about his habit of marking.  We walked my neighborhood first before going inside not just for peeing purposes but so he could get a lay of the land and choose his landmarks so hopefully he wouldn't inside.  It sort of worked.

I counted him marking 7 times in only the first dozen or so feet outside the apartment complex.  We continued around the block and he made his little territory marks less frequently.  Inside, there was only one moment in which I was sitting next to him on the floor when he started to squat and mark the middle of the living room.  I reacted without thinking, smacking him on the rump and saying, "No!".  He stood up and gave me the saddest most flummoxed look I've ever seen a dog have.  I told him not to mark inside, and the look melted into, "Oh no, I didn't know it was bad.  Now you'll NEVER love me!"

So I called him over and told him to just not do it again but that he could be assured I would forgive him.  He hasn't marked since.  The spot he chose was where there was a stain from I think laundry detergent, not another dog; and he didn't mark the one place in the apartment another dog has actually gone.  Strange, but hopefully it won't happen again.

I feel bad for him; I think he'd be much happier with another dog.  He spent most of the evening just standing in front of me, gazing straight ahead.  He wasn't into toys, and still isn't.  However, on our walks, if we see a dog, he cries mournfully, and it's clear he wants to interact.

I think his previous fosters' place was indeed his first experience with a home.  He has deduced that the kitchen is the place good things come from, and has no qualms about sticking his feet up on the counter(he does get down when told to).  He also doesn't back off from the bathroom, investigating far enough in to sniff the tub, and every home-living dog knows that's never a fun place to be.

Going to bed was like trying to put a two year child to sleep.  I don't think it was the crate that upset him before when going to bed; I think it was simply the going to bed.  My aunt gave me a giant dog blanket from Christmas which I had used on the couch but he wanted nothing to do with it.  However, once I put the blanket that fit perfectly over my bedspread, he was happy to jump up.  But he again just stood there, and gazied around him while whimpering and crying.  He looked out the window above the bed, and then jumped down to the floor.  I had closed the bedroom door, and perhaps he just felt locked in.  It took a good half an hour before he settled down, even with the lights left on, before he stretched out next to me and began to fall asleep.

He is part chocolate lab, I have no doubt as when we go for walks, he has the classic Scooby Sniff, the muzzle gently bobbing up and down as if he's eating, when really he's sniffing.  He has his nose to the ground at all times.  But when it comes to sleeping I can see maybe there might some sort of pit-something in him.  He has their uncanny ability to be only 35 pounds and 2 and a half feet tall but when sleeping take up 9 square feet of space in a Sprawl and Snooze maneuver.  I heard a noise shortly after he settled in, and I thought for sure I had a snorer on my hands, but it was only a couple of grumbles.  I realized he doesn't snore; he just has an extremely active dreamland.  He not only growls in his sleep, but on occasion his paws move as if running.

He woke me up at 5:15am, which in all honesty isn't so bad.  It had been six hours since he had gone out, so I took him out and sure enough, he really had to go.  He seemed wide awake, but after ten minutes of me explaining my position of sleepiness, he allowed me to go back to sleep till 8:30.

His fosters were right:  he makes you believe food is the most scarce thing ever to exist.  Last night since I wanted to give him his meds, I gave it to him in a squished up piece of bread which he happily devoured.  I then gave him a cup of dog food which he finished off so quickly I really was surprised that it didn't revisit us; I thought for sure he would vomit immediately.  I gave him one of the bones in the package of treats you gave him.  He hadn't paid any attention to it on the car ride, but now it was good enough for about four minutes, which is how long it took him to consume the entire thing, ending with a giant belch and coming back to me to ask for more.

This morning he ate after our walk and then did the oddest thing:  he peed right in front of me in the living room.  I used the same tactic I had with the marking, but he was less apologetic this time.  When I took him outside to finish, he didn't need to go.  Now the spot where he went is the opposite of a stain; it's the one really really clean spot in the entire living room.

Mickey needs training, but he is a sweet dog.  I wish he could be with other dogs, as I think it'd be far more entertaining for him.  Since he's not into toys, I think that might be his only form of play.  Course he'd need a dog that wants to play with him just as much.

I was going to say that he doesn't sleep much, but in the time I've been writing this, he'd been tuckered out asleep on the couch.  He's had an active day thus far.  Aside from us walking frequently (the more he's outside the less opportunity he has to pee inside), I took him for a car ride to meet up with a friend in Sherman Oaks for a brief walk around the park.  I hoped a car ride during the day would help him like it more.  Initially he couldn't grasp why standing on me while I drove would be hazardous.  I made sure he got the concept before we fully backed out of the driveway.  The ride there was a little iffy.  He panted and moved around and was fidgety.  Quite distracting while driving.  Oddly I think he started to get the command Sit, although it could have just been coincidence that with how many times I said it, that eventually he would want to Sit at the exact same time.

The ride back was far better.  He only got tangled in the tether a couple of times and then somewhere near the 101/134 split, he finally just lay down.  I think he was so wrapped up in the tether it might have been the only position left for him, but either way, he seemed calm.  He wasn't panting, and for a few brief moments, I think he took a nap.

That brings you up to this moment.  Here are the pictures.  I really hope one or two are accurate enough.  If at some point I can get a pic of him snoozing on the couch, I'll send it to you.

I can bring him to his longer-term foster whenever you find one.  I feel bad that he's just going from one place to another, so the sooner he can get in a semi-permanent place, the better.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy my time with him, and hopefully he'll have a good time too--even though I'm not a dog.

stephanie.

One Dog Leads to Another

I had replied to a posting about transporting and overnighting a puppy back on January 14th.  The puppy was adopted by a civilian before the rescue could pull him, so the dog got a home and I lost my transport.  I have been itching for a overnight for quite some time now.  The last time I had an overnight canine guest was back in October.

I told the rescuer, Alexis, to contact me if they ever did find a puppy or need another dog transported or overnighted.  Her organization, The Penny Foundation, pulls dogs from LA shelters (or any shelters across the US but mainly LA since she used to live here), and brings them to Vancouver, Canada to find them homes.  Many times, they already have a home before they leave the shelter.  Alexis acts as a "matchmaker."  There are a lot less homeless dogs in Canada, and not quite of the ethnic variety as we have here in the United States.  So a person contacts her, asks her for a certain breed, then rather going to a breeder, she searches the US shelters, finds the dog, and coordinates the travel plans and adoption. 

Puppies are difficult, and she doesn't do many of those.  She'd rather take the ones on death row first, and seldom do puppies get there.  The puppy transport fell through, and she was on the hunt for another, but in the meantime, she gave my info to her Los Angeles coordinator, Christy, for future reference.

That future is now, only two weeks later.  Christy contacted me about fostering a dog for a couple of days while they found a new foster.  I remember seeing his rescue plea on the boards.  He was a lab mix from one of the  Los Angeles shelters.  Alexis had an adopter in Canada who wanted a lab, so she pulled him, but when Christy picked him up at the vet's office after he was neutered, they discovered he had a lot of pit bull mixed in--too much for the adopters.  But they weren't going to send him back; they had to make do.

He had been in a foster home for all of two days when the fosters called and said it wasn't working out.  They had a black lab mix, and they said Mickey was bullying their dog.  It was their first time fostering, and it wasn't going very well.  Mickey had been a stray and was not used to indoor house etiquette.  He entered the home and started marking everything in sight.  They tried to crate him at night, but he whined and cried bloody murder.  And above all, he was annoying the resident dog.  So, Christy needed to get him out, and rather than send him to boarding while they found a new foster, I said I'd take him in.  She was confident she could find a new foster by Saturday, or if not, maybe he could get on a flight to Canada.  He was going to be sent with a puppy, but the puppy was sick so they had to wait until she was well enough to travel.

With no other dogs in my place, and my ability to take Mickey out every couple of hours to housetrain him, I agreed to take him Monday night after a job interview and taking my friend to lunch for his birthday.  Because I can't leave a dog alone in my apartment, I'm pretty much confined to only a few things I can do when I foster: go to the pet store, a walk around the neighborhood, and the local coffee house.  So I completed my human tasks for the moment, and met up with Christy at the foster's house to meet Mickey.  Christy had offered to bring him straight to me, but I wanted to see Mickey's current situation and speak with the fosters so I had first-hand knowledge of him.

I didn't witness any bullying while I was there, but Mickey did seem quite happy and full of energy.  Their dog was a bit older than Mickey, and I had a feeling the old dog just wasn't in the mood for learning the new trick of hosting a foster for awhile.  I could see Mickey really liked the dog, and I do believe dogs teach dogs better than humans teach dogs, and Mickey had a lot to learn.  But this just wasn't the right teacher or school for him.  He'd have to try to learn from me, and I'd do the best I could.

Christy offered to loan me a crate for Mickey to sleep in but I turned it down.  Not only was it the size of half my living room, I didn't think it'd be necessary.  He'd have to get used to one for the plane ride, but since that could be weeks away, I just wanted to get him used to home-living first.

It took both of us, but we finally convinced Mickey by gentle force to get him into my truck.  I'm sure he was confused on why he was leaving the house.  From his point of view he was having the time of his life: hanging out with another dog and his family, claiming all objects as his, and snoozing on the couch.   What was the problem?

Once I got Mickey's harness tethered in, I turned on the truck, pulled a u-y in the street, and headed off into my adventure with Mickey.

Patience, Pot Roasts, and Life on the Way Up

I've only been back from Christmas vacation on the east coast for a couple of days, but already the driving has begun.  Yesterday I got a call from Patti asking if I could meet a transporter near Gilmore (half way to Bakersfield) to pick up a border collie that she would transport to the rescue near San Diego  that evening.  She was working, and I was not, so I had no problem driving a mere forty-five minutes to meet the transporter then hang out with the dog till Patti got back from work.

This dog had one sad tale to tell.  He was a stray, but had the misfortune of getting hit by a car.  To add to his lack of luck, he was hit by an...actually I don't know what the name is for a person such as this...a human lacking logic and emotion?  This person hit the dog, felt bad, returned to pick up the dog, and then threw the dog over the Humane Society's fence!!!!  I have faith in humanity, I really do, but when I hear stuff like this, I just wonder how these people weren't kicked out of the gene pool years ago.

This border collie was in rough shape, but not as bad as one would think for a dog who's been through that.  He had a few scrapes and bruises, but the main problem was that he was emaciated.  I could feel every bone in his body under his coarse coat.  He had the potential to be a beauty, but right now, given his prior lot in life, he was a "Before" picture in a make-over ad.

He rode in the car just fine and when we got to my place, he didn't even want to go for a walk.  He just stood, not moving.  I couldn't tell if he was in actual physical pain, or if he had shut down emotionally.  He was as tall as the pit bulls I've had, but he weighed nothing at all.  I could lift him easily and carry him to my apartment.

He showed very little interest in anything. I gave him a bone to chew on, and then had to take it away from him when I saw blood on it.  I guess it was too much for his gums at the moment.  Teeth and gums will start to deteriorate if not used often.  He was a slow mover, and as I watched him in the apartment, I still couldn't tell if it was physical or emotional pain that deterred him from moving through space and time.

When Patti arrived last night, I walked him out to the car and tried to give him a chance to pee but he didn't want to move again.  Patti had a good couple of hours to drive and it was just the tail end of rush hour, so I wanted to get him in the car and send Patti on her way quickly.  So after only a few minutes, I picked him up and Patti told me to place him in the front seat.

Have I mentioned that Patti is the most easy-going, non-startled person I have ever met?  I guess you have to be to deal with numerous dogs at one time.  Honestly, she is so patient, I can't imagine her being over-reactive toward anything.  So I guess it shouldn't have come as a shock to what happened next.

Patti was sitting in the driver's seat doing something with her phone (I assumed getting directions or contacting the foster) as I placed the dog in the front seat.  I saw she had plastic bags on the passenger side floor, but that's about all that registered for me before the border collie lunged into the bag.  As he emerged, I said, "Patti, you have a pot roast.  He has your pot roast!"

Like an idiot I tried to get to get it back from him, but this once-motionless dog had come to life in an instant and he wasn't going to let me take his prize.  Patti replied in a disappointed tone, "Oh, I was going to cut that up for my dogs.  Oh well.  Just let him keep it.  It'll give him something to do on the ride."

I gave up trying to get it back, and the meat was a loss at that point anyway.  He had torn through the plastic wrap and was using his back teeth to get chunks of raw meat off the roast with a vehemence and determination he had not shown for anything else before.  I seriously had not seen that dog move that fast all day.  I still had the passenger side door open and he was facing me with the pot roast.  His butt was up and over the center console near Patti.  Patti looked around him, careful to not touch him, and said, "Darn.  The directions are under him.  I could just call for the address again."

I told her she had at least an hour, maybe two, straight down the 5 freeway, so maybe by then he would have moved and the final directions could be retrieved.  I closed the door, Patti thanked me, and I wished her luck and safety for her drive.

I found out from Patti that he spent half the drive gnawing away on his coveted pot roast, but when he had had enough he simply tucked it under himself and lay on it.

If the pot roast is any indication, this dog's life is on the up and up from here on out.  People like the ones who threw him over the fence give humans a bad reputation, and really should be thrown out of society for good.  But it's people like Patti, with their patience and pot roasts, that prove to me there is not only hope for all animals in need, but also for humankind.