Monday, August 18, 2008

My foster dog from hell



I had spoken about her before, I was saved from her by an angel in the rescue I volunteer for. I have met and helped thousands of dogs in my life. I was a vet tech through my college years and have owned and fostered many emotionally/mentally/physically damaged dogs so I've met my share. But this one and I, we did not click. I was so ready to chuck her off the nearest cliff it was a good thing Texas is flat boy howdy let me tell you. I have never met a dog that I really just did not like until I met Petter. I was ready to like her, she should have been an easy foster but she wasn't. Nope, she was pure unmitigated hell. We had her for a total of maybe 3 weeks before the woman in charge of the review crew (who lives in CO) had her neighbor's co-worker who was doing some business in Houston change his return flight to fly out of San Antonio instead of Houston, rent a car, drive from Houston, pick up Petter, and fly her to CO. My Knight in Shining Armor, no lie. I never met the man, we had her placed in another temp foster home a week before he came in because I was ready to have her euthanized (she was biting me and my 6 yr old and keeping us up all night screaming, gaaah) and the rescue could have cared less, do not get me started about how good they are about supporting their volunteers, ugh. But it's not like I don't believe that these dogs don't deserve a good home. Petter came to us from a military home. A mom with an army husband that was going to be deployed for 18 months, 3 young children, one with medical problems that had to be hospitalized often. And Petter was a seizure dog that often had to be hospitalized to get her seizures under control. This dog did not belong in a military home that was moving often, that was for sure. The mom had problems letting go of her and I could totally understand that but it was definitely better for all of them, dog and family. Mom was not well versed in epilepsy, I spent some time on the phone with her discussing the disease and she told me about the last time Petter had bad seizures (when they flew back from Germany) and I was like, well, of course, stress, duh. She had no clue that stress caused seizures. I wanted to reach through the phone and smack her upside the head. Well I couldn't and lets face it the woman had 3 young children and one with medical problem so she really did not have the time for a dog with medical problems. What she really needed was to think before she bought the damn dog. If you aren't capable of handling a special needs dog for the love of god don't buy a frenchie. They are a high maintinace breed, trust me, not a mutt breed. These people, just buying it because it's cute, dumbasses. So Petter, why an I rambling on about Petter today? Because on Friday her forever home was approved by the board of directors. A mom that is a vet tech in Nebraska of all places. A home with 2 bosti siblings and no children in the home to harass her and get bitten. FWIW my child never gave her reason to bite her, and yes, my dd is very dog savvy, remember Jaynie is a nutter dog and is special needs. The dd knows what it's like to live with a special needs autistic dog that needs very little excuse to bite. Her favorite show on tv is not a cartoon, her favorite show is It's me or the dog, I may be going to parent hell but my kid will know canid behavior and positive reinforcement training like nobody's business let me tell you. She comes running down those stairs when she hears Victoria's british accent, it's hilarious. "Is that the trainer is that the trainer?" is all she squeals as she comes flying down stairs. So she did get something other than my small ocds it seems.
Anyway Petter is in her new home now, she is happy and I am happy for her. Unlike the puppy mill dogs the end of her long road is not celebrated as loudly as theirs and yet I feel as though it should be. It's as if I feel she was just as down trodden and emotionally traumatized as they were, I saw it in her face and felt it in her heart. I know she was I did see it there and boy was she close to death. She never once had a seizure in my care but she had her blood levels drawn once she made it CO and apparently her Phenobarbitol (anti seizure meds , yeah, sedative, pretty depressive stuff boy let me tell ya about them suckers..) levels were at like 3 times the level she needs, um yuck! Yet you knew she was not happy, she was off, she was not right in the head. Now that I've been on antiseizures at overdose levels I know why she was freaking out and biting and just not the happy camper. While in CO they changed her meds, she did seize a few times but she was an entirely different dog. Happy, content, and just a dog. Lord forbid she get to be a dog! I was happy that she got a chance to just be a dog but still, her journey was not ended, she was not yet in her forever home. It could have been but it was not. So last Friday her journey ended and I am happy for her. Even though the entire time I knew her all I really wanted to do was pop her head off and chuck it across the back yard. Yup, today I am sentimental about the only dog I ever hated. Congrats on your new forever home Petter, have a nice life, glad I didn't end it abruptly, it was a very close one dog.

3 comments:

BITR Country Girl said...

We adopted a Cocker Spaniel in March that has seperation anxiety. So in short I can not leave my house with out her sitting at the door howling until I return.....I'm a slave to this dog apparently. So I feel your pain.

Trailboss said...

I love It's me or the dog. I even watch the reruns. I have learned some interesting things from that show.

MichelleSG said...

It's me or the Dog is wonderful because Victoria is a true positive reinforcement trainer, even with aggressive dogs, which is a rarity. Actually finding a good trainer that will even work with an aggressive dog is a rarity. Unlike that Milan boob who sometimes does positive stuff and sometimes does nasty stuff. You do not want to see what he does with an aggressive dog, he's very violent and inappropriate. He's a butt head and I don't like him at all. If he tried half the stuff he does on dogs in my household I'd put a bullet through his head. He'd at the very least get eaten by my big dog, he wouldn't last a day here.