Josie Update, the Resilience of Dogs, and a Rant

Josie continues to amaze us with her transformation. In less than a week she’s gone from being scared and shy to outgoing and playful. She jumps into our laps for hugs and kisses at the mere hint of an invitation. She loves toys, is very playful, and has discovered the joys of romping around with another dog. And although her previous owners reported that she constantly soiled in the house, she has not had one single accident since she’s been here.

Josie wasn’t abused, but she was neglected. It won’t take a lot of work to turn Josie into a first rate companion. Some life experiences with patient guidance and a couple of training classes and she’s going to be an awesome dog for someone.

The main thing I have learned from nearly 20 years of fostering dogs is that they are incredibly resilient individuals. No matter what neglect or abuse is in their background, they focus not on the horror or hardship of the past, but on the joys of the present. “Love the one you’re with.” is surely their motto. We can learn a lot from shelter dogs.

But why the heck does Josie have to be in the situation she finds herself in, where her future, quite literally, depends on a couple of strangers she’s never met determining if she can be safely adopted out to another home? There are a lot of reasons why people have to relinquish their dog to a shelter. But tell the truth, damn it!

People don’t realize that when they cover their embarrassment by spinning the story to make relinquishment the dog’s fault---saying the dog’s a biter or can’t be housebroken or whatever---that they’re putting the animal’s life at stake. A shelter or rescue can not adopt out a dog with those problems and many won’t make a determination for themselves and just take the owner’s word for it.

No rescue group would take our foster dog Jack, for example, because the owner called him a biter. He wasn’t, but he got tagged as one anyhow. Rescue groups should know better, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Thankfully CCHS has people who can recognize the story doesn’t match the animal’s behavior. They also have the skills and resources to make their own determination. In just the last four months we’ve had three foster dogs that supposedly had behavior problems (Sam, Jack, and Josie) when, in fact, they were very nice dogs who had owner problems. That’s why it’s important to give these dogs an objective evaluation and chance to show their true personality.

Jack’s Gone Home

The latest word we have from CCHS is that Jack has been turned over to his new owner and will be on his way home in a few minutes.  We enjoyed having Jack stay with us. We’re sure he’s going to do well in his new home.

Jack’s lesson to every dog owner is to carefully check for medical problems when your dog’s behavior changes in unexpected ways. That can be anything from suddenly having housebreaking accidents in the house to having a short temper. Dogs can’t tell us when they don’t feel well, and it’s up to us to recognize there’s a problem and provide the necessary care.

Jack on TV

Jack appeared with CCHS’s Clay Foley on Clay’s “Pet of the Week” segment on WICD news. Thanks, Clay!

http://www.wicd15.com/newsroom/features/pet_week/videos/vid_129.shtml

Jack Needs a Home

Jack Needs a Home from Tom Schaefges on Vimeo.

As part of my resolution to do more video this year, I’m making a video update for Jack this week. But I also realize that many people check this blog while they’re at work, or have slow internet connections. So even when we post a video update, I will also post a written summary.

Jack’s ear infection has cleared up and it’s no longer painful for him to have his ears cleaned. Harriett’s able to look after his ears on her own, and he no longer pees when it’s time to check his ears. The infection must have been incredibly painful for him. We’re glad it’s been cleared up, but his new owners will have to check him every now and then to be sure the infection doesn’t come back.

Since our last update Jack had a “dog intro” at the shelter. When a potential adopter already has a dog in the family, they have to bring their dog to the shelter to meet the new one before the adoption is finalized. The staff at the Champaign County Humane Society (CCHS) wants to be sure the dogs are compatible before sending the new dog home. Unfortunately, although Jack did great during the intro, the other dog made it clear she wanted to be top dog in a one-dog household and nixed the adoption.

Jack has really settled into our household. He’s a very good dog. We’ve covered his good points before…housebroken, playful, calm, wants to be with people, good with other dogs…just the type of dog many people are looking for. If you know someone who’s looking for a really nice dog, please tell them about Jack. He may be going back to CCHS late this week. Please spread the word about him. He deserves a permanent home with a loving family.

Jack Update

Jack has settled into our daily routine. We’re very happy to report that he’s very easy to live with and is an all-around good boy.

Except for Austin, who holds the family Speed Eating record, the Base Pack eats as a group. I started including Jack in the group a couple of days ago and he politely waits his turn while I put a bowl of food down for each dog. The dogs eat just a few feet apart and it doesn’t bother him a bit. Yesterday I fumbled and wound up spilling a full bowl of kibble all over the kitchen floor.  Jack just stood by with the others and waited for us to clean it up. No frenzy. This isn’t a dog who gets overexcited.

His ear infection is improving, though he still pees a little when he knows it’s time for the treatments. On the other hand, I barely have to hold him while Harriett cleans and medicates his ears.

Jack will be with us for a little while longer so we can keep working on his ear infection. If you, or anyone you know, is looking for a calm, friendly dog with good house manners, please consider Jack. You can get more information about him or arrange a visit by calling the Champaign County Humane Society. Ask to speak with Michelle.

Jack

Jack is a 4-year old Flat-Coated Retriever mix. He was relinquished to the Champaign County Humane Society (CCHS) because the children in his previous family did not get along with him. I mentioned in a previous post that the Shelter got slammed with incoming animals the two weeks before Christmas, so Jack is staying with us while we check out his temperament.

Jack’s got a lot of good things going for him:

• He’s housebroken.
• He knows some basic commands, like “Sit”.
• He comes when he’s called.
• He’s crate trained and goes in willingly and sleeps quietly through the night.
• He gets along great with other dogs.
• He sits in the treat line with the other dogs and takes treats politely.
• He waits his turn while we put the food bowls down at feeding times.
• He doesn’t try to steal food.
• He craves attention and contact with people.
• He’s very playful. He likes to roll and frolic in the snow.

Jack is suffering from the worst ear infection we have ever dealt with. It’s so painful that for the first four days he peed a little from fright if he thought you were going to do anything to his ears. Although Harriett only wiped the outer part of his ear with a cotton ball, it came out bloody and full of dark gunk. He’s on antibiotics and steroid-based ear drops.

Five days into the treatment we’re getting to the point that the cotton ball is staying cleaner and he’s not as afraid of the cleaning and medicating routine. We’re hopeful that we can start getting the deeper infection cleared up as the pain is reduced and he gets used to us handling his ears.

Jack is a good example of why it’s important to check for medical causes when there’s a behavior change in a family pet. Many times changes such as urinating in the house or growling or snapping when touched in a certain way are due to an underlying medical problem. A dog or cat that starts to act “strange” should always be taken to the vet for an exam.

In Jack’s case, his ear infection was causing so much pain that he would not tolerate handling his ears. Think about it…where do you touch a dog that approaches you? Many people pet the dog and scratch its ears. Since he can’t say, “Hey, man, my ears really hurt. Would you mind not doing that and scratch my back instead?” he would pull away and his intention could be misinterpreted.

If you’re interested in Jack you can get more information by calling CCHS (217/344-7297). Ask to speak with Michelle.