Questions and Topics

Have a question? Want to read about a certain topic? Send an e-mail to: Dogcop461@yahoo.com


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Foster Dog Bear (Day 1)

I found out about Bear from 450 while I was working Swing shift last night. She's the one who is guilty of getting me into Hounds. She has a Bloodhound, Buckshot, who I love and want to steal from her. She is also the one I got my beautiful and challenging Walker Hound, Milly from.
 Well, she calls me and tells me there is this 1 year old Bloodhound that came in the shelter a couple of days ago. He was surrendered by his owner's son. His owner recently died. The son apparently couldn't or didn't want to keep him. And if you know hounds, you probably understand, hounds are definitely not for everyone. 450 told me that he failed his behavior evaluation, and he has a skin condition that he needs medication for. What did he fail his eval for? He wouldn't engage the behaviorist. All he would do was stand in the middle of the room and not react to anything.  He was shut down. With no way to rate his behavior from his lack or response, he was failed for Behavior, and would be assess for rescue. That would take time. He would go to a foster eventually.  His second issue was the skin condition. And that will take time and medication. And 450 knew I would say yes to being his foster.
I think this is also a ruse to keep me from eyeballing/kidnapping Buckshot any time soon!
So I went ahead and called the supervisor real quick since I knew he was just leaving or left the shelter and might not answer my call later. He gave me a quick approval if I was going to take him tonight.
When I got back to the shelter, I did the things i needed so I could take a break to check this dog out. when I got to his cage he was a sorry looking dog. He looked like he was a hundred years old, not One year. He barely even looked at me until I opened the kennel door and got a leash on him. His skin and coat condition made him look much older that he was. He wanted out of that shelter though. He practically dragged me to a door to go outside. Once outside he relaxed. I took him to a small play yard and let him get to know me. Then I managed to get him to go back inside the shelter with me. Ne hated it, he kept freezing and scrambling like the boogie man was out to get him. I took him in the temp test room and he just stood there in the middle of the floor. Completely different dog than the one from outside.
I looked up his medical record and his behavior eval. He has Flea allergy Dermatitis. His fur coat looks terrible, thin, crusty and stinky. The behavior eval said just what 450 had told me.
So he was going home with me for a while.
I brought him home late that night. Everyone was still up to greet him and we got him settled in a crate in the kitchen. Other than a couple of whines, he settled down when I house got quiet.
This morning went well. Bear didn't eat breakfast, but that could have been due to all the change and excitement. Since it's my day off, I could spend the whole day with him.
Milly and Hera aren't especially thrilled. They just go over a house guest we had for the weekend. My mother's little male poodle. Now i bring this guy home. Milly thinks he's stinky, as she exhibits by drooling when he's around and just avoids him. Hera thinks he's annoying. He has found her toys that are all over the house and yard. And he wants her to play with him. And he gets too close to the couch when she is laying on it. My dogs are snobs. Which considering Hera is a shelter dog, boy has she gotten spoiled.
Bear has also met the cats. And my cats are completely disinterested. So he ignores them. He tried to chase the chickens, but they're wise the the ways of dogs (thanks to Hera). and I told him No once and he hasn't bothered them since. Then he met the horses. He was shy and I think the horses were more curious than he was. Well, JC could care less, but the girls where interested. I think they though he was a pony . Especially since he's only half the size of Nikka our Mustang.
He sure does like it out here! He has been exploring the barn, the chicken shed and all over the yard. I won't let him out in the horse pasture until I'm sure he's ok and the girls won't try to kill him. And has spend most of the day running inside and outside. I'm beginning to see the puppy in him!