And...she's back.

Well, Callie is back.  The trial period was nothing short of a disaster.  

I got a text only hours after they picked her up on Sunday telling me that Calista had had two episodes of "explosive diarrhea."  What?! She had been acting totally normal all day and we have never had any diarrhea issues with her before.  I assumed, therefore, that it was caused by stress.  She is a very sensitive dog.  I had even warned them that she lost three pounds the last time she was away from us and not to be surprised if she didn't eat well.  I told them to let me know how she was doing later in the evening and I could call her vet if need be.  Jonathon and I instantly had lower expectations of this being a success.  A dog that is crapping all over your house is certainly less a desirable companion.  It seemed as if Calista was sabotaging her chance of adoption.  Sigh.

I heard nothing from them that evening and nothing for the next two days.  We were  somewhat relieved, assuming that no news was good news.  We were actually talking as if it were a done deal.  Still, I had a gut feeling that I couldn't shake.  I told Jonathon that I felt like something was wrong and that Calista would be coming back to us.  When it comes to my dogs, my gut is almost always right.    

Sure enough I got a text that same night  "Calista is still very sick and I have had a personal emergency.  When are you coming home tomorrow?"   Being the cynic that I am, I wondered if there really was an emergency, or if three days of an ill dog, spewing god knows what all over their apartment had gotten to be too much for them.   I called immediately, as the words "very sick" worried me.  I wondered why they hadn't called me or the vet if she was so ill.  No answer.  She called me back within the hour.  I instantly felt guilty for doubting them, as there actually was an emergency.   In fact, she had spent the entire day at the emergency room, while her partner stayed home because they couldn't leave Calista alone.   The medical issue that she is dealing with (not really my place to post that specifically) has the potential to be life-changing and our thoughts are with them.  What a nightmare to have that scare and to have the added stress of a sick dog that isn't even theirs was just overwhelming for them.  I could tell they felt bad having to call and tell me that.  Of course I told them that they certainly shouldn't feel bad and I completely understand.  I told them to just leave Callie and all of her stuff at my vet the next morning and I would pick her up there when we got home.  She assured me that they both loved Calista and it was their situation, not Calista's being ill, that changes things.  

I didn't really know what to expect with Callie.  Everyone's idea of "very sick" is different.  I didn't know if she was going to be fine, or hooked up to an IV when I got there!  I was very relieved when she ran out into the lobby to greet me and started dancing around as usual.  Turns out, thankfully, that she checks out fine.  Strangely, she wasn't even dehydrated. I was given some pills to quiet her GI system but that's it.  They could find no reason for that symptom, and it was the only one she had.  How frustrating for this to happen now of all times, with no explanation whatsoever. 

One last surprise came with the last text I received from the potential adopters  "We are going to a few Doctor's appointments next week and are letting this soak in, but we are still talking about her coming to live with us.  We will let you know soon."

What an impression little Calista must have made on them.  I don't know how this will turn out, but I do know that if these good people are still interested in taking her after all they dealt with in their time with her, I would feel 100 percent confident in that adoption. 

Here's hoping...

 We are one dog short this afternoon.  Calista just left for a trial period with her potential adopters!  She will be staying with them while we are up at the cabin for the next four days.  I'm kind of shocked at how quickly this is happening.  I was honestly assuming it would be months before anyone showed interest in her.  Here is how it all went down over the last few days. 

(Tuesday night) 
To my surprise, (surprise being an understatement) before we had even changed Calista's status from "available for sponsorship" to available for adoption", I got an email from the adoption coordinator at the rescue.  Someone was interested in Calista?!  They hadn't heard her whole story so they didn't know about her issues.  Surely if they had, they would have selected one of the 20-30 other "normal" boxers from the rescue.  I emailed them, telling of how sweet and well behaved she is, but not hiding her history or leaving out any of her special needs.  I didn't let my hopes get too high.

 (Wednesday)
The day went by, me checking my email every hour, and I heard nothing in response. Just as I expected.  They must have read my email and went with another dog.  I was disappointed, but not surprised.

(Thursday)
I got a phone call from the coordinator in the morning letting me know that the people actually wanted to meet Calista!  I called them and arranged for them to stop by later in the day.  They had not ever received my email, so they were still a little under-informed when they arrived at our house that afternoon.  I had warned them on the phone that she is very shy around new people and I was actually a little afraid that she wouldn't make a very good first impression.  She typically just hides when strangers come around.  (Since we had to focus on healing her physically for so long, she is far from being well socialized. I have just started to take her to the office since the clean bill of health.)  She wasn't nearly as bad as I expected her to be.  Although she stayed very close to me, she approached them both and warmed up pretty quickly.  They kept saying how gorgeous she is, but were a little apprehensive about how fragile she looks.  We assured them that she is much more strong and agile than she appears.  They stayed for nearly an hour, getting Calista's whole story and petting her.  Of course they were getting mauled by Dixie and Jax the entire time.  Their reaction to the over-the-top affection proved that they are indeed "dog people."  We agreed that to really get to know her, and see if she would be a good fit for their family, (that includes the two of them and an eight pound chihuahua mix) they should take her home for a few days.

That brings us to today.  They picked her and her stuff up about an hour ago with the arrangement that they would keep her until we return from the cabin on Wed night.  If, at that time, they have decided that she is not a good fit for their family, she will come back to us.  There will be no hard feelings.  If, however, they have fallen in love with her, she will not come back here.  Since she is extremely attached to us, the dogs, and the house, bringing her back for only a few days would be selfish.  We don't want to make the transition any harder on her than it has to be.  Instead, I will go to their house to collect my stuff and the adoption donation. At that time, I will say a proper goodbye to my little friend.

I am trying hard not to get my hopes up.  They have made no commitment and anything could happen.  In all honesty, though, I am praying that it works out.  They are the right amount of nervous and asked all the right questions both times they were here.  I think they would be great parents for her!

I will hopefully have an update on Thursday!  In the mean time, keep your fingers crossed for Callie to have a forever home for the New Year!

I'm ready!

Callie easily gained back the three pounds that she lost while we were gone in a matter of days and is doing well.  So well, in fact, that I decided that it was time to proceed with further diagnostics.  With her hip and spinal trauma, we didn't want to waste time and money on tests that wouldn't be necessary if she couldn't live a good quality life anyway.  With the help of one tiny steroid pill, every other day, it turns out that she most certainly can!  She may never be the most graceful of canines, but nevertheless, she can run around the yard and happily play with the others.  So, to the vet we go...again.

This time, it was chest x-rays.  We were looking for an enlarged heart, a mass, or any other abnormalities (different types of cancers will often metastasize to the lungs.) that may point to the elusive "underlying condition."   What did we find?  We found a perfectly normal looking thoracic cavity.  That's right.  Her heart is regular-size.  Her lungs are clear.  Nothing is out of the ordinary.  I was as thrilled as I was surprised.  Add that to the negative heart worm tests and the superb blood work and you have a dog who is, on paper, perfectly healthy.  We have done our very best to screen and test her for anything that could be wrong, covered all of our bases.  Finally, Callie has been cleared for adoption!  I honestly didn't know if we would ever get to this point with her.  There were so many times that I have felt helpless caring for Callie, but we (and when I say we, I mean not only Jonathon and I, but the doctor and staff that treated her, her sponsors who helped with vet bills, and everyone who had encouraging words for me on the pages of this blog) never gave up on her. 

I went back and read the first few blog posts I ever wrote about her.  It was hard to believe, as she has become such a different dog in the past two and a half months.  Here, I have copied the first paragraph that I ever wrote about Callie.  At this time, she was likely within 48 hours of death. 

     "When I first saw Callie, (as I have decided to nickname her) I was a little shocked.  The pictures that I posted yesterday were actually quite flattering.  She looked worse in person.   The shelter definitely down-played the severity of her condition.  As I sat in the parking lot of McDonald's where I met the shelter director, picking the dying fleas off of her recently insecticide-coated body, I actually wondered what I had gotten us into. She stood in front of me, wobbling back and forth on her weak, decrepit legs.  She was a mess.  Her left rear paw was swollen and red and obviously painful.  She tried not to put weight on it, but the other rear leg was too weak to hold her up on it's own.  So, she swayed.  She spread her legs out as far as she could to try to keep her balance and not fold to the ground.  Her head had two oddly shaped scars, one on top, and one between her eyes.  One of her eyes had a clouded glaze over it, resembling a cataract.  And she seemed completely indifferent to everything that was going on around her.  These were my initial observations."  (Sept 30, 2010)

To have her come from near death to adoption ready is certainly a wonderful thing, but she is not a total success story yet.  Of course, she will be welcome in our home for as long as it takes, but she deserves a forever home of her own.  This may take quite a while.  Not everyone is willing to adopt a special-needs dog.  I know there are people out there with room in their homes and hearts for a friend who, through no fault of her own, is less-than-perfect.  I am asking for help in finding the right home for this brave little dog.  She is a fighter.  She has overcome much of her past, but the physical scars remain, telling the story of the neglect and pain that she once endured.  Please, share Calista's story with dog-lovers that you know and spread the word about this special girl needing a home.

Home is where your dogs are.

 No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  Three different trips, a mix of business and pleasure, have kept me extremely busy in the last couple of weeks.  In fact, I have been away from home for 13 of the last 16 days.  The days in between, when I was home, were filled with unpacking, laundry, and repacking.  I kept meaning to post, but I just never got around to it.

The most recent trip was to Las Vegas, for a work conference.  This was my very first time leaving Jax at a boarding facility.  I was a nervous wreck to say the least.  We have worked so hard on him and he has come so far that my biggest fear is him having a set back.  I actually wrote an entire sheet entitled "About Jax,"  describing his special needs, for them to post on his suite door.   I know that it seems a little over board, but I have every reason to be paranoid.  I had an awful experience with a kennel a few years back that ended in a life-saving emergency surgery for Asia.   Dixie and Jax stayed at Arkansas Pet Resort, which is only a couple of blocks from my office.  I got them a 10x16 suite with a doggy door and outside run, a couch, and even a TV.  So what if my dogs' boarding costs more than a hotel room?  It gives me peace of mind to know that I have done my best for them while I'm away. 

Callie stayed at the vet because but we don't think she is quite ready for regular boarding yet.  Even though she loves the other two, and would likely be more happy with them, we were nervous about leaving her alone with them.  They are such rowdy players and she would have no where to lay low.  We were afraid she might get hurt.  It just seemed like the best thing for her.    

We got back yesterday afternoon and went to collect everyone as soon as we left the airport.  Callie was first and she was out-of-her-mind happy to see us!  She was literally shaking with excitement.  Sadly, six days in that environment proved too stressful for her and she lost over 3lbs.  I was a little nervous that she may not eat as well for them, but I didn't think she would do that badly.  They could barely get her to eat canned food.  She looks pretty bad again.  I feel awful and am now questioning if she may have been better off at the kennel.  Does the benefit of her being able to stay with her foster siblings outweigh the risk of her getting hurt?  It's a hard call to make.  Thankfully, she ate a ton when we got home, but those 3.5 lbs are a really big loss, considering how long it took her to gain them.  Poor skinny little thing.

We then went up to get the others.  I already knew they were doing fine, because of course I had called the kennel a few times while we were away.  Still, I couldn't wait to get there.  I was missing them like crazy.  They handled it pretty well overall and even made a new friend, a German Shepherd that goes there for daycare.  I was relieved that everything went well with Jax and happy to see my note posted clearly on the door of their suite;-) 

We spent the evening relaxing on the couch and catching up on our shows, surrounded by three very happy pooches.  We were all glad to be home.

YAY, Steroids!

I think that every one of my dogs, including fosters, have been on steroids at some point for one reason or another.  I have never seen one respond to them like Callie is.  No wonder athletes take these things! (not that I support it, of course) Besides clearly being stronger and more coordinated, she has become a ball of energy!  She does these crazy bouncy circles when we come home, when it's time to go outside, and especially when it's meal time.  Steroids typically increase the appetite, and this has been the case with her.  I have taken advantage of that and increased her food even more.  It may be my imagination, but I think she may have even gained a little weight.  Either way, I love seeing her like this!  It's the best she has ever looked.  She is not yet to the maintenance dose that we are aiming for, but if one medication, that costs only cents a pill, can keep this girl going strong, what a success it will be!

One more try.

This past weekend, little Callie took a turn for the worse.  Up until then she had been doing so well, rarely showing any pain and having no neurological signs.  Then it suddenly all showed up again. 

I took her back to the vet this morning. (By the way, I love this doctor. She is the best.) We still can't figure out why she isn't gaining weight.  All logic points to an underlying condition.  But what is it?! She has the heart murmur, but no symptoms of cardiac disease.  No coughing, no exercise intolerance, a great appetite.  Being a boxer, she is more likely than any other dog breed to get cancer, but her blood work was totally normal.  Of course, blood work can't diagnose cancer, but it can often tell you where to look (elevated liver values may point to liver cancer, for example).  This is just so damn frustrating.  I'm sure glad that she doesn't have to wrap her little mind around any of this.

Since the only thing actually bothering her are her hips, we are treating that condition as the priority.  She needs to be able to run around and play and be happy.  The nerve damage is irreversible, but we haven't completely lost hope.  We are just trying a different course of action.  This time around, high dose steroids.  She got a giant shot of them today (she should feel really good for the next day or two!) and I will give her daily pills, starting high, and tapering off over the next three to four weeks, depending on the results.  Our goal will be to find the lowest possible dose that she can do well on.  Long term steroid usage certainly poses a risk of side affects in the future, but that risk is out weighed by her living a good quality life.

Sadly, this is pretty much a last effort.  We have exercised all other options.  It's very hard to balance being optimistic and realistic at the same time but I'm trying my best.   

Mentally, she lives in the moment and thrives, but physically, she just can't escape her awful past.  All we can do now is make sure that the next few weeks are really great for her and hope for the best.

Thank you.

I don't think that I have ever seen such gratitude as when I look down into Callie's eyes.  I don't know if dogs exactly know what it is to be thankful, but I do know that what she feels toward us is unmistakably that, in it's purest form.  For every meal, for every pet, for every time I say her name, she thanks me.  Just one more of the many reasons I love dogs, especially rescue dogs.  They have such an appreciation for life and for those they love.

Speaking of being thankful, I would like to say a huge thank you to a couple of people who have sent donations to help with Callie's medical expenses.  It was so unexpected, and so very appreciated.   Know that you have made a difference for her and also for me. 

As for an update on her condition, medically, I'm afraid that little has changed.  Although she is stronger, mentally and physically, she just isn't keeping weight on.  You can still see every rib, every vertebrae.  There are still the unanswered questions.

She has certainly become part of our pack though and has made herself completely at home here.  She loves to face wrestle with Dixie on the couch and to run and chase with them in the yard.  I struggle to keep a healthy balance for her.  I do believe that her happiness is critical to her rehabilitation, and she is at her happiest when she is running with them, but she knows nothing of her limitations.  I constantly fear that she will get injured.  Saturday night, we were sitting by the fire (yes. fall has finally arrived in Little Rock) and the dogs were doing laps around the yard.  Callie made a bad landing after a jump and we could see that it hurt.  I put her in the house for her own good, but when I saw the look on her face, it was obvious that being isolated from the rest of us hurt her a lot more than her leg did.  I guess I feel like she needs to enjoy being a dog to have a good quality of life.  It would be different if this was something that she was recovering from, but it's chronic.  Her hip will never be any better, so I may as well let her make the most of what she has.  Dogs are really great at doing that.

Here is how Callie has been spending her time...

Fascinating.

That is what my new trainer called Jax during our very first session (twice!).  I have been meaning to post about our lesson for a while now, as it was two weeks ago, but I have been so focused on Callie's updates, that I am just now getting around to it. 

Basic obedience was put on the back burner with Jax, for a couple of reasons.  Mainly, it was because he had such fear issues that we focused solely on gaining his trust and building his confidence.   You can't successfully train a dog that is afraid of you anyway (I know many disagree, but I firmly believe that intimidation has no place in dog training), so we focused on making him comfortable with people and situations instead.  The other reason is pretty simple.  I just didn't know how to train him.  Although I have trained many dogs, none of them have been deaf and what a difference it makes.  After almost six months, I couldn't even get him to "sit."   

I didn't think that we could get enough personal attention in a group class.  Having participated in dozens of different dog "classes" at different levels, at several different "schools" over the years, I already know everything that they would teach us.  I take the dogs for socialization reasons...and because it's fun:-)  I needed personal guidance this time, someone to teach me to teach him. 

It wasn't easy to find someone willing to help me with him and I honestly grew very discouraged. It hurt my feelings that people didn't feel like he was worthy of training.  I actually had one "professional", whom I was quite excited about, tell me that she would give us 30 minutes (her regular sessions are 60) and if we made no progress by then, it wasn't worth it.  I have been in classes with people who made no progress after 8 weeks!  All dogs, hearing or deaf, learn at different paces. 30 minutes is ridiculous.  Oh, and If I'm not mistaken, this was the same person who asked me "well, are you SURE he's deaf?"  (I felt like saying that I've lived with the dog for the last 5 months and either he's deaf or I'm a frickin moron!)  She told me that maybe he just couldn't hear my voice and recommended that I tried using a clicker!  Needless to say, I kept looking.

I finally found someone, totally by chance, and she is great.  She runs the pet store in our neighborhood and her center is in the basement of the store!  I had actually talked to her many times before.  I had no idea that she was a trainer.  Her name is Colleen. She has over 30 years training experience and has studied under some of the top trainers in the world-people who I have read about in books!  She was born in Alaska, into a family who trained and ran sled dog teams.  She has trained police dogs, Search And Rescue dogs, therapy dogs, specialized aggressive cases, agility, and of course, obedience.  She has pretty much done it all.  Now that she is (in her words) "getting older" she focuses on training family pets.  She also has ten dogs of her own!

She if full of knowledge and I hang on her every word. She thinks that Jax is fascinating (did I mention that?)! I knew Jax was extremely sensitive.  She agreed and told me that we don't ever want to overwhelm him or stress him out with training.  "Sit" seemed to be the thing that made him the most nervous.  We will move at a very slow pace with him while overcoming his obstacles.  She gave me a few things to work on, and when I think we are ready, we will go back for another session.  No pressure. No time constraints.

We had been working on sit, exactly the way she showed me, once a day, everyday.  Last week, I was eating a sandwich and he came up, looked me in the eyes, and sat.  He had figured out that it was the behavior that I desired and he always got rewarded for it.  His big success came when we weren't even trying.  I was so proud of him.  That was my first short-term goal for him and he didn't disappoint. 

He is a very smart dog and I have high hopes for him long-term.  I would love for him to become a certified therapy dog.  Can you imagine how great it would be to bring him to visit with deaf children?   Dogs need to pass a series of tests to become certified, and they are not easy, even for dogs without disabilities.  I won't be disappointed if we never get to that point, but it is something to reach for.

One step forward, two steps back.

We had our recheck appointment yesterday and the results were not so good.  

First of all, my heart sunk when she hopped on the scale and she had gained only three pounds.  I knew our progress was slow, but it was even less than I had expected.  I feed her more than I ever fed Jax or Laila when I was fattening them up and she is a way smaller dog than either of them are.  This is worrisome.  With normal blood values, she should be gaining steadily.  There may be another underlying condition.  I am going to add high-calorie canned puppy food to her diet and see what happens in the next two weeks.  I'm hoping that she was just so physically damaged, that it's taking longer with her.

Secondly, my suspicions of an old injury were confirmed.  The x-rays revealed that she has had a broken hip.  There are multiple fractures that were never treated and have fused together improperly.  It nearly brings me to tears thinking of the pain she must have been in for so long after that happened.  Not to mention, this injury is certainly over a year old, and she had her last litter of pups only six months ago! It disgusts me. She was nothing but a puppy-making machine to that awful woman, no matter her condition.  Although it can not be proven by x-ray, there is a possibility of some nerve damage with that injury as well, which may be the cause of some of the weakness in the hind end.  The x-ray also showed an abnormality in her lower spine, possibly an infection.  We are treating her with antibiotics for that, as well as some Glucosamine and anti-inflammatory drugs for the hip.  Time will tell if either of those will help.  She will never be a runner, but many dogs live happily with bad hips their whole lives.

Another new discover was a heart murmur.  They didn't hear it last time, likely because her heart rate was so slow.  Now that she is stronger, the murmur was very audible.  Not all murmurs cause problems.  However, boxers are prone to heart diseases, particularly Boxer Cardiomyopathy (hello, underlying condition). This is a disease that is very familiar to me because nearly a year ago, my Asia died of an uncommon form of it.  The problem is that without extensive (and expensive) testing, there is really no way to determine if her murmur is indicative of this.  She could live normally for years with Cardiomyopathy, but eventually, it would be the cause of her death.  Maybe when she was 4, maybe when she was twelve.  You just don't know.  The drugs to treat it would be life-long and are very high-priced.  We are not going to do anything for the murmur at this time.  She shows no typical symptoms of heart disease.  We want to see if she gains the weight.  If she doesn't, then we may be forced to accept that her body is working so hard to take care of her heart, that the rest of her body is unable to thrive. 

I'm sure some people wonder if we are going too far.  She has so many problems.  She is now taking seven pills a day.  I assure you. Callie's well-being is my first priority and if I thought for one minute that she was suffering, I would let her go.  Although she is in rough shape, she doesn't know it.  She feels good and is happy.  She is loving life.  Until yesterday, I wondered if she had actually bonded with us.  I got my answer when I picked her up from the clinic after work.  She was so happy to be "home" that she was smiling the biggest doggy smile ever while she bounced around with the other dogs.  She deserves a fighting chance. We are doing the right thing. 

That said, I know that her not making it is a very real possibility.  If, in the end, that is the outcome, I will have no regrets.  If these are her last days, at least she is getting to feel happiness and love and is a part of a family. 

Slowly but surely.

Callie improves daily, physically and mentally.  Her body condition is still far from normal and had you not seen her 2 weeks ago, you would be appalled at how skinny she is.   I was hoping she would be further along physically, but slow and steady is all she can take.  Still, I can't believe the changes.  Tonight, she had her first  (probably her very first ever) bath.  She did great.  I'm sure she knew that she couldn't possibly get out of the tub anyway,  but she never struggled and even seemed a little relieved.  It was like she was letting part of her old life go down the drain with the dirt.  Which, by the way, there was a ton of!  Boy was she proud when she got out and dried off.  She scrambled around the yard faster than I have ever seen her go.  In the dim evening light, she actually looked like a normal dog for a while.

She has really taken to Jonathon.  She is the first foster that hasn't been afraid of him in the beginning.  She is also doing fine with the other dogs.  She has snapped at Dixie a couple of times, but never anything to worry about, she just wanted her to back off a little.  Females tend to be that way toward other unknown females, particularly in boxers.  They have both picked up on the fact that she is fragile and even Jax is careful around her for the most part.  She really wants to run with them, but she falls down so often that I don't let her for fear that she will be trampled.  Some day.

We go in for her follow up vet appointment on Wed morning.  I'm anxious to see how much weight she has gained.  Thankfully, she has four sponsors!  I don't know how much money there is or how far it will go, but I already have the okay to get x-rays done on her legs.  Now that she is stronger, it is evident that there is something wrong with the left rear one.  We think it might be the hip, even nerve damage.  I think that at some point she had an injury, possibly a car hit her or she was kicked, and it was left untreated.  If it is surgical, the rescue will have some decisions to make.  Some orthopedic surgeries can cost over $2000 and that is a lot of money to spend on one dog when so many others need help too. 

If she can get back on her feet, she will make a great family dog.  She seems pretty smart and is definitely eager to please.  She loves to snuggle and doesn't seem to care what you do to her.  She has a gentle nature about her so I'm sure she would be good with kids.  This is thinking WAY into the future, but I hope she gets there eventually. 

Here are some new pictures!

Shining!

Her coat, her eyes, and her personality! 

We have made so much progress over the weekend.  The high-calorie foods that we have been feeding have been working wonders.  She is gaining strength every day.  Her dull, dry, lifeless coat is now beginning to shine like a healthy dog's coat should.  Her eyes are no longer glazed over either.  She is very alert and present now.

I think that the rescuing shelter did the best that they could for her.  I really do.  Most shelters would have euthanized a dog in that condition upon arrival.  But it just was not enough for a sick dog.  She was living outside in a community pen with a dozen other dogs.  I think that she was throwing up her food and they weren't noticing.  Any hungry shelter dogs would eagerly gobble up a recently eaten and expelled meal without a second thought (sorry to be gross, but it's true).  That is why she continued to get worse even though they saw her eating.  I honestly don't think she had 48 hours left in her when we got her.  Her body was rejecting the food and her vitals were all low.  Now that she has the meds she needs to keep the food down, her digestive system is up and running.  Her temp is normal, which means that her blood is circulating well again.  Her medical problems are mostly pointing to malnourishment so far. 

Oh, and most importantly...she tries to play with us now when we take her out to potty.  It's pretty pathetic looking, but she is feeling well enough to be happy and initiate play!  She is learning to be a dog!

A good day.

I feel like Callie is a day to day case, so I will do my best to post her status frequently.  Thank you for all of your well wishes and prayers for this sweet girl. 

Today was a good day.  The medicines and pro-biotics are working! She is keeping food down and it shows.  Her spirits are higher.  She was strong enough to spend some time awake, and even come out of the guest room for a while.  She is learning quickly that being around us is a good thing and we no longer need to have food to get a tail wag!  She even cried for us a little tonight.  It was the first time I had heard her make a sound. 

Cautiously Optimistic...

First, a correction to the information in the last post.  The 11 dogs that were surrendered were only the first group.  The next day, the lady was back with 20 more.  It was a full-blown puppy mill operation. 

When I first saw Callie, (as I have decided to nickname her) I was a little shocked.  The pictures that I posted yesterday were actually quite flattering.  She looked worse in person.   The shelter definitely down-played the severity of her condition.  As I sat in the parking lot of McDonald's where I met the shelter director, picking the dying fleas off of her recently insecticide-coated body, I actually wondered what I had gotten us into. She stood in front of me, wobbling back and forth on her weak, decrepit legs.  She was a mess.  Her left rear paw was swollen and red and obviously painful.  She tried not to put weight on it, but the other rear leg was too weak to hold her up on it's own.  So, she swayed.  She spread her legs out as far as she could to try to keep her balance and not fold to the ground.  Her head had two oddly shaped scars, one on top, and one between her eyes.  One of her eyes had a clouded glaze over it, resembling a cataract.  And she seemed completely indifferent to everything that was going on around her.  These were my initial observations.

When we got her home, we didn't concern ourselves with dog introductions.  It was clear that she was in no shape to be around the others.  Instead, we made up the "guest room" for her.  As I showed her the dog bed, and she looked at me expressionless, I realized that it was likely the first time she was ever given a soft bed to lay on.  Perhaps the first time she was given a quiet, cool room to sleep in too. 

In the morning, we realized that she had thrown up her dinner and I couldn't convince her to eat breakfast either.  My worries were increasing.  Our appointment was at noon.

The looks on the faces of the vet and techs told me that they shared my fears.  This is one sick dog.  Dr. Butler immediately listened to her heart and discovered that her heart rate was extremely slow.  Her body temperature was low as well, which was hard to believe on an 84 degree day.  That told us that she isn't getting very good circulation.  We did a full blood work-up, expecting to confirm the worst.  To our surprise, the blood work came back pretty normal, especially for a dog in her condition.  Good news.  Under the light of the scope, the doctor discovered that the cloudy eye was caused by a scar on her cornea.  I assume it happened at the same time as the rest of her head injuries.  That is actually good news too.  She can see out of it, and unlike a cataract, it won't get any worse.  As far as the rear legs go, there is little that can be done diagnostically until she gains some strength back.  Unfortunately, it could be neurological, but, it may just be extreme weakness and muscle decay from lack of nutrition and being cooped up in a kennel her whole life.  If she starts to gain weight, and is still lame,  X-rays and more testing will need to be done.  She is too sick to handle the antibiotics for her swollen foot, so that will have to wait too.  Dr. Butler found a couple of small masses that will need to be biopsied and removed, eventually.   The list just goes on and on.  Before we get to that point, we need to get some weight on her.  I have a few different medicines and some vitamins to help.  She needs to make it through the next two weeks.   When we go in for our recheck, they will be able to give a more accurate long-term prognosis. 

If she can make it through the physical disaster that she has become, I think she will be a great dog.  She isn't really afraid of people, just unsure.  She doesn't understand affection.  She doesn't back away, she just stares.  She has a blank look on her face almost all of the time.  I know her personality is in there somewhere, she just needs the chance to find it.  There is a quote that I read just the other day, referring to what becomes of dogs forced to live in cages for long periods of time.  It's from the new Book "The Lost Dogs" , by Jim Gorant, which is the complete story of the Michael Vick dogs. 

"They are no longer Kinetic, but each is simply potential energy now, a possibility, a hope, a dog waiting to happen"

That is Callie.  She is a dog waiting to happen.  We will give her every opportunity.  She will be made comfortable here.  No matter the outcome, she will never go to bed hungry or thirsty again.  She will be loved.

Introducing Calista.

Our new foster baby arrives today.  Her name is Calista.  She was taken from a "breeder," along with 11 other small dogs when the "breeder" could no longer care for them.  Although it appears to me as though she never did.  Her rescuer, ironically, is originally from Forest Lake, MN!  She runs a shelter up in a small town called Leslie, about two hours north of Little Rock.  Her and I talked only briefly on the phone this morning, but I could tell that if we lived closer together, we would be fast friends.  Like me, she was initially shocked, and now just angry at how dire the situation is for so many animals in this state.  She tries her best not to adopt any dogs out within AR and works with other rescuers in MN to try and get the dogs to a State where people have a better understanding of how to properly take care of their pets.  She and I are meeting today at noon. 

I am told that Calista has gained 10 pounds since she was surrendered, but she is still very weak.  She also appears to have had some head trauma in her recent past.  God only knows how that happened.  She has severe food aggression toward the other dogs (no surprise there) but other than that, is a friendly girl.  I'm anxious to meet her!

Inspiring story

I wish I could make a difference like she is.  Whether the law passes or not, she is getting a clear message out to the law makers and making thousands of people aware of a major problem.  Good for her! 

Here is the link...

http://www.tonic.com/article/chained-to-doghouse-on-steps-of-state-capital-to-save-abused-dogs/

Long Road Home.

On Saturday morning, long before sunrise, we were awake and getting Laila ready for the long trip to her new and final home.  At about the same time, John and Mary were getting ready to leave Minneapolis to meet us half way, in Kansas City.  After some early morning play time with Dixie and Jax, we loaded up, coffees in hand, and headed North.  It rained hard for quite a while, through most of Arkansas.  (I thought it was kind of weird because it was also raining really hard when we first picked her up from the shelter back in July.)  The rain slowed us down a bit, but Laila slept soundly from the minute we pulled out of the driveway. 

We got to Kansas city shortly after noon and the weather there was awesome.  We met at a beautiful park, and actually both pulled in at exactly the same time.  Re-introductions went perfectly.  Although their initial time together last month was brief, I could tell that Laila remembered them both right away.  We talked for a while as Laila got showered with affection...and presents!  Then John and Jonathon went to get lunch...BBQ of course, it was KC!  Mary, Laila and I found a nice spot in the shade to hang out while we waited.  Lunch was soooo good.  With great weather and great company, I would have stayed all day, but we had other dogs to get home to, so we had to get on the road. 

I can't actually say that it was a bitter-sweet good bye.  There really wasn't a bitter part.  Of course, I shed a few tears, as she has been my constant companion (I called her my shadow) for the last 2 months, but I couldn't be happier about how this whole thing turned out.   Some people even seem to think that I had it planned the entire time...

 

Here are some pictures from her big day

Group hug!

Saying good bye.

 

 

Modeling her new coat for those MN winters!

First Family Photo!

It has been a long road for Laila to get to where she deserves to be in life...HOME.

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Do you remember?

Last night, Jax awoke from his snooze suddenly, as he ususally does being deaf.  But this time he was breathing heavily and had this extremely sad and confused look on his face.  He sleepily stumbled directly over to me, climbed up onto the couch and burried his head in my chest.  He just looked pathetic.  I held him tightly and he calmed down and went back to sleep pretty quickly, right there on my lap.  I wonder.  Did he dream of his "other" life?  90 percent of the time, he seems to live in the moment and is the happiest boy in the world.  But every now and then, he does something that makes me want to ask him if he remembers his past. All of the "experts" have different theories on whether or not dogs have the mental capacity for long-term memory, and how long it lasts.  It's one more thing we'll never know for sure I guess, but I'll always wonder. 

This was a less extreme version of the night terrors that he had for at least the first week that we fostered him.  He used to wake up, trembling so hard that I first thought he was actually having a seizure!  These panic attacks lasted several minutes, sometimes nearly a half an hour.  I would wrap him up tightly into a blanket and sit with him until he came back.  I say that, because it really seemed as though he was somewhere else and that there was nothing that could comfort him.  As he began to trust us, the nightly episodes stopped for the most part and the ones that he has now are nothing in comparison.  It makes me sad to think about his old life and that he may still have some of those bad memories haunting him in his sleep.  At least now, he seeks out comfort in us and all he seems to need to recover is a nice long hug from mom. 

New tail. New name. New beginning.

It has been a very busy couple of weeks here, which is the reason for the lack of updates.  We were lucky enough to have so many of my favorite people visit over the last two weeks!  For most, it was their first time meeting Jax and it was every one's first time meeting Emily!  I admit that I was a little nervous about how they would do with so many new people.  Turns out, I was worried for nothing.  Both dogs made new friends.  Of course, Dixie enjoyed the company too, as always!  I was very pleased with the way that my recently fearful dogs not only accepted, but thoroughly enjoyed all of our house guests.  I was a proud mom/ foster mom.

Anyway, Emily is doing wonderfully.  Her surgeries (yes, she had two!) went well and she is nearly fully recovered.  She was spayed with no complications.  The tail-tip amputation that was suppose to be done to remove the large hard ball of scar tissue on the end of her tail turned into a full amputation.  She now has a boxer-length cropped tail.  This was not done for cosmetic reasons.  I was actually fond of her long tail.  It was to ensure that the suture site would be able to heal without re-injury caused by either banging it against things, or, (and more likely) her chewing on it.  Unfortunately, recovery from that surgery was painful, but she is feeling much better now.  Her new tail is still hairless and pretty funny looking, but we are hoping that it will look better when the fur grows back.

Now the exciting news... Emily is no longer Emily.  Her new name is Laila.  Why the name change?  Well,  you can't have two Emily's in the same family...now that she is a permanent member!

No. No. No. We are not second time foster failures!  She has really thrived in our home, but she is ready for a home of her own- her forever home.  I am so happy to announce that Laila will be moving to Minnesota!  The Beerling family visited us last week and fell in love with her.  They are adopting her!  I can not think of a better place for her.  She is sure to be loved and spoiled for the rest of her life.  I'm so relieved that they are also willing to take on her heart worm treatment.  I know she will have the support that she needs and the quiet resting place that is so critical during that time.  This dog deserves a wonderful family, and they deserve a wonderful dog.

We are planning Laila's move for mid-September.

Peace has been restored!

After a stressful period of baby gate separations and pack walks, Emily has decided that our dogs mean no harm and are no threat to her. She wasn't aggressive, only scared.  Her growling from behind the fence slowly turned to just cautious curiosity.  She would watch as Dixie and Jax chased and wrestled and I guess she thought it looked like fun.  She soon began wagging her tail and whimpering, as if to tell us "I'm not sure what they are doing...but I think I should be doing it too!"   After a couple of successful one-on-one off leash play times with Dixie and Jax individually, all three got together and it went very smoothly.  Now they are a pack, and my house is paying the price!  Don't get me wrong, keeping three big dogs apart was not easy, and I'm glad that it's over.  But now they are like a tornado!  All three are very rough, very vocal, players.  It's hilarious.  I just wish the hot weather would ease up so that they could safely take their games outside!

Unfortunately, the gates can't come down completely yet.  Emily's play times have to be limited.   Because she is heart worm positive, her poor heart is working much harder than it should have to.  Our dogs could play all day, and Emily can't resist joining in the fun (what a change!).  I feel awful separating them now, because I know she doesn't understand why I am keeping her from her new friends.  She stares at me with her big brown eyes and you can see in the picture below that she has the sad look down!   It's for her own good though so I stand my ground.  She will begin her treatment the first week in October.  Six weeks later, I am hoping for a completely healthy dog.  Emily obviously has an incredible will to live.  I am confident that she will make it through this risky treatment.  The hardest part will be the doggy "bed rest".  She has to stay calm throughout.  Only leash walking, and very limited at that.  In our house, that will be a challenge.  She will have to be left behind when we do our fall hiking and there will be absolutely no playing.  Ideally, she will have her forever home by then.  People are, however, very hesitant  to adopt a dog with heart worm because of the uncertainty, so I'm not holding my breath.  If someone were willing to undergo the process with Emily, they would get a lifetime of loyalty and love from her in return. 

Next week Emily will be spayed.  Going under anesthesia with a heart condition definitely makes the surgery a bit more risky than normal.   I'm a little bit nervous about it, but the vets think that because of her young age she should make it through just fine.  I hope they are right.

Last Chance Highway

There is a new show on Animal Planet called Last Chance Highway.  I watch pretty much all of the rescue shows on animal planet, but this one particularly interests me because it is filmed very close to home.  It is about a group of people working together who live around the Memphis area.  They rescue animals from Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas, where tens of thousands of animals are killed each year, and transport them up north where animals are more protected by the laws and people are more responsible pet owners.  They go to available rescues, or directly to new homes.  Little Rock is one of their biggest pick-ups.  I have personally had two of my foster pups go on this venture (Little Willie and Little Johnny).  The show typically follows a couple different dogs from initial contact to new home.  At the end of each show, they film the truck delivering the animals to different cities, after traveling over 1000 miles. (They make that drive every single week, by the way, each time carrying over 100 dogs.)  The parking lots are filled with families waiting for their new dogs.  They all cheer when the truck pulls in.  The are so happy and excited when the dogs are carried off the truck and handed over to them.  I cry every time.  It's awesome to see. 

Anyway, the show really inspires me.  Check it out if you like the reality TV scene! 

Happy Mutt's Day!

Today is Mutt's day.  Some of the best dog's I have ever had the pleasure of knowing are mutts.   Although some people (not my kind of people, mind you) will argue that the mutt is a "lesser" animal than a purebred dog, one who has loved a mutt will certainly disagree!  Each unique and special, their diversity makes them invaluable.  You may never see one prancing proudly around the show ring, but a mutt is every bit as loyal and loving as the most expensive pedigree.  So, all mutts, and those who love you....Today is your day.  Cheers!


Some of my favorite mutts....

 ASIA.  (2002-210)  My most treasured canine friend.  She is at the rainbow bridge.

DIXIE.  Our chipmunk chasing, treadmill running, spit fire.  She keeps us on our toes.

MISSY.  (1993-2010)  The best friend of my best (human) friend Bonni.  She was also Asia's very first doggy friend.  She is at the rainbow bridge.

COOPER.   My mom's baby.  He was a Christmas gift from Jonathon and I eight years ago.

 JERSEY.   Emily and Pat's first dog together.  Isn't he a handsome boy?

                                                     HAPPY MUTT'S DAY!!!!!

The first days...

 Tue morning:

We picked up Emily last night, from the Osceola animal shelter.  We drove almost six hours round trip and it was intermittently storming the entire time.  That sucked.

The lady that met us at the shelter was actually one of the people that responded to the original call when they picked her up.   She was a wonderful person  who had obviously formed a special bond with Emily, after saving her from certain death.  She showed us some other pictures of Emily that were just as awful as you could imagine.  She couldn't stand up and had to be carried in a blanket to the truck.  When they gave her food and water, she could only throw it up, meaning that her poor body had shut down.  It's a miracle that she is alive.  

By the time we got home, it was 10:30 and our dogs had been in their kennels, with the exception of about an hour, since 8:00 in the morning.  Needless to say, they had some energy.  Doggy introductions didn't go as well as I had hoped for.  It was late and raining and, well, I could go into details, but this post might get really long so I will some it up.  Complete Chaos.  I will say that poor Jax was so overwhelmed by the two females that he literally projectile vomitted in the midst of the whole thing.  A dog vomitting has never been funny, or cute to me before, but that was both.  My poor baby.  He just couldn't wrap his innocent little head around what all the fuss was about. 

Wed morn:

Yesterday was slightly better with the dogs.  Dixie and Jax are very in-your-face kind of dogs.  They are extremely high energy and playful.  I don't think Emily has ever been socialized with other dogs.  She is pretty aloof and indifferent to them on leash, but gets very uneasy if they actually approach her.  I wouldn't say she is dog-aggressive, just fearful and overwhelmed, which can lead to acting out.  We are working on it by walking as a "pack."  She does really well on walks, as she gains confidence walking along side the others.  Walks are tough right now though.  The temps are well over 100 degrees and the cement is too hot for their paws.   I really hope she and Dixie can get along.  I don't want to have to send her away.

Other than the dog issues, and a fear of men,  Emily is close to perfect!  Physically, she has improved drastically and is just a beautiful dog.  She has plenty of scars, but they will continue to fade.  She is extremely well mannered and respectful.  (I am honestly a little embarrassed that this dog is so much more well behaved than either of my own!!)  I brought her to work with me.  Within minutes, she settled down beside my desk and went to sleep.  It's as though she has been coming here for years.  She is completely good with our office cats (even JD, who has always HATED dogs, is totally at ease with her).  She is potty trained and walks nicely on a leash.   She follows me everywhere.   She knows sit, come, and, as I just discovered this morning, fetch.  It really makes me wonder how she got in her situation.  I know I'll never know for sure, but I have a strong feeling that somebody loved and trained this dog once.  How did her world get destroyed?  I wish she could tell me.

She only has a few issues to overcome.  We will continue to work on her with the dogs, and I plan to bring her to work with me everyday.  We have an office full of men who will be nice to her.  She also needs heartworm treatment and spaying.  The vet will determine if she is strong enough for either of them yet when we go in this weekend. 

Jonathon leaves tomorrow for a week and I will be on my own with the three of them.  I think my "pack leader" skills will be tested to the extreme.  I tend to be a little over-protective and nervous.  I'll need to be a lot more calm and assertive, as Ceasar would say. 


Available soon:  One almost perfect dog...any takers? 

Introducing...Sweet Emily

Well, if you have talked to me lately, you know that I have been miserable with stress.  The robbery was just the last straw for me.  I feel like I have been a complete crazy person in the recent weeks.  So, fine time to add one more thing, right?  Probably not, but I just couldn't say no to fostering Sweet Emily.  The rescue recently reached out for someone to please take her in, and after I saw her picture, I just couldn't stop thinking about her.  My stress, I decided, is nothing compared to what she has been through. She is currently in a shelter near Memphis, where she has been since late June, when she was seized in an animal cruelty case.  I know very little about her, other than she is in desperate need of rescue.  Oh, and that she is a very "sweet" girl.  As you can see by this awful picture (which, as a warning, is quite disturbing) she was in dyer condition when she was taken from the owner.  I am told that she was infested with fleas, full of sores from laying on the hard cement, and so weak from malnourishment that she could barely stand.  She is doing a little better, according to the shelter (the second picture is her now, almost a month after the first pic) but she is sick, and they can't give her all of the help she needs.  Transfer arrangements are being made with them.  We will pick her up within the next week or two.  

Look into those sad eyes, and you'll know why I just couldn't get her out of my head.

Bark in the Park

The rescue had it's summer picnic fund raiser on Saturday.  They had BBQ, games, and a small silent auction.  Great idea...if it were in October!  It was soooo frickin hot!  Although it was at a nice, big, beautiful park, everyone and their dogs were gathered under the pavilion, which made it a pretty tight quarters.  We met a couple of people who recognized Jax from the rescue's website, and I recognized a few dogs too. Dixie met a 200+ pound English Mastiff and was, in a word, terrified.  She embarrassed me by leaping first over, then under the picnic table all while doing a half whine, half bark.  What a commotion.  Afterward, a sympathetic woman walked over to us and said to Dixie "I would have done the same thing sweetie.  That dog is HUGE"  That made me feel a little better.  Jax seemed to handle the event pretty well.  He took it all in, very curious, but never over-excited or anything.   Despite the misting fans, and plenty of water, 103 is just too hot for us.  We were there for less than an hour before taking the dogs...and me, home out of the heat!  I hope they made some money for the dogs, and maybe even got an adoption or two.

I managed to get one cute picture while we were there.

Jonathon took this one.  I guess that hour was a pretty exhausting one!  Dixie, Jax and I all crashed on the couch right away, happy to be back in the central air.

Forever Home

I am happy to announce that Jax has found his forever home!  An application came in on him over the weekend.  It was a decision that I struggled with to the point of laying awake at night. I have so enjoyed watching him evolve from a sad, scared, dog that didn't know love, to the happy, confident, loving creature that he is today.  My first experience fostering an adult dog was all that I hoped it would be.  It is his time, however, to become an official member of a family.  I really think that it will be a perfect fit.  The couple lives in Little Rock.  They have another dog (important to me since he needs a pair of ears), and no kids (just as I had hoped for).  They are the kind of family that will spoil him as he deserves to be spoiled, after knowing such pain in his short life.  They are aware of all of the extra responsibilities that come with him and are committed to fulfilling them.  They know that he will never be able to be an off-leash dog.  They know that since he has no pigment, he will have to wear special sunscreen whenever he is outside, for the rest of his life, and that he will need to be checked for skin cancer regularly. They understand that he has special needs, but it doesn't matter to them.  Jax will be happy with them, I am confident, for the rest of his life.

Here is a little more information about Jax's family...They are about the coolest people ever!  The husband's name is Jonathon.  The wife's name is Leslie.  The other dog's name is Dixie. 

Yes. We are, what they lovingly call in the rescue world, a "foster failure." 

This decision was not an easy one to make.  I was torn by guilt.  I made a committment to save dogs.  I can't stop after just one.  So, we will continue the foster program.  What is one more dog in the house?  Right?  There was a time that we had 2 ferrets, 2 dogs, 2 birds, and a cat!  Now that was a house full!  3 dogs is nothing! 

I know that you are all thinking "I knew they couldn't do it."  And, it would seem that you are right, but I will disagree.  It isn't that we can't do it.  I don't think that we will have this experience every time we give up a foster dog.  Of course, each one will touch our lives, and hearts, but Jax is special.  He came to us at a special time.  I didn't think about it then, but I now believe that we, or at least I, needed Jax to come into our lives when he did.  I was in the midst of a sadness so deep that I could barely function, grieving Asia.  Although two months had gone by, I cried every day.  Giving a second chance to a dog in her honor was a small distraction from the pain.  I felt proud to be saving a dog, and although I wasn't ready for new dog to join the family, I was happy to have him there.  Jax and Dixie were instant friends and she had a renewed happiness that we hadn't witnessed since Asia passed.  She needed him too.  One experienced foster mom from the rescue advised me that these things don't happen by accident.  Maybe she is right.  At that time, Jax needed someone to help him, and we needed someone to help.  The day after we got him, was his designated "last day."  Had we decided to foster any later, he may not be alive.  It just all fits. 

Or maybe this is just my way of justifying keeping the guy because he is so damn cute!  Believe what you will.  He is our dog now, and I am confident that we made the right choice. 

Runaway Jax!

Wow!  Has it really been over a month since my last post?!  I have two excuses.  First, I have been incredibly busy and stressed out.  Work has been insane this spring!  Second, Jax has become such a "normal" dog now that I don't feel like I have as much to report!  I'll do better.

Last week, while Bonni was visiting, Jax took the opportunity to give me something "exciting" to post about.  It is a story now, maybe even a little funny if you were an onlooker, but I can assure you, at the time (and Bons will agree) it was a nightmare! 

Scenario-
 Bons is getting packed up because she is leaving for MN later that afternoon.  I am home on lunch break and am taking out recycling, while advising an employee over the phone (damn multi-tasking).  I am not out the door but 2 seconds when I hear a beep and the dogs fly past me on the front steps!   Jax had opened the door and let them out that quickly!  We have known for a while that he has a talent of open the inside doors but he has never opened this one.  It's a heavy, outside door that he had to turn the handle and pull toward him at the same time.  My heart sinks.  One of my worst deaf-dog fears is happening.  What followed is somewhat of a blur.   Bons is outside almost immediately, as she too heard the security system beep when the door opened.  Dixie is interested only in "going bye-bye" and hops willingly into the car.  Jax is so excited to be out that he turns and heads down the street.  Bons follows him while I run in to grab leashes.   I get Dixie on a leash and we run down the street as fast as I can to catch up with Bons and Jax.  Poor Bons is running in a sundress and no shoes down the middle of the street.  I give her my car keys as I reach her and she runs back home to get the car.  I don't know how long we can keep up with him on foot.  He is one fast dog, and did I mention it is about 96 degrees outside?  My only thought is not to let him out of my sight.  If that happens, he is lost.  Right now, he is just loose.  A lost deaf dog is usually a gone deaf dog.  He has no clue that I want him to stop running.  He turns around to see us frequently, but has no intention of stopping.  There is a moment of hope when he sees a squirrel and chases it up a tree, but I can't get there in time.  He is darting back and forth across the street checking out every yard.  Luckily, all the yards in my neighborhood have fences so he can't really get into the backyards.  I get so close, he and Dixie have touched noses a couple times, but I just can't reach his collar.  I am running down the street, red-faced and screaming to him, pleading to him, to come back, but he can't hear me.  He has no clue what a dangerous situation he is in.  I lose sight of him for a second and a feeling of hopelessness comes over me.  Dixie is watching him vigilantly and knows  that he has gone behind a shed.  Thank god!   Bons is back with the car and she is following me down the street.  We start running up to people's carports to try to trick him, by making him think we are going into their house.  I don't know how much time is passing, but as the two of us and Dixie are on this chase, we are causing quite the stir in the neighborhood.  Passing cars are watching us, and every dog in the vicinity is barking wildly.  Suddenly, I am in someone's carport and I notice a padlock on the ground.   Their gate is unlocked.  Without a thought,  I open it and Dixie and I walk into the fence yard, motioning for him to join us.  He stares at me, hesitating.  I am praying that he follows us.  Nervously, he walks through the gate and I lock him in!  The relief I feel is enormous.  He is now extremely worked up, as he can see that we are all scared.  There are dogs barking at us from all three connecting fences.  Bons takes Dixie to the car and after a couple of minutes, I am finally able to grab him while he stops to pee.  The second I have the leash on him, he seems totally content again, oblivious to what all of the fuss was about.  We get in the car, all of us panting like crazy! 

When we got home, we were hot, sweaty, naseated, and in a bit of shock.   I remembered throwing my phone on the ground at some point and I also managed to lose a leash along the way but I didn't care.  Jax was safe.  Thank god that Bons was there to help us.  It wasn't a one person, one dog job!  Thanks again Bons!  Dixie seemed to know instantly that it was no game and that Jax was in trouble.  She was so good.  She knows that he is a little different than she is and really compensates for it.  Bons and I were very proud of her. She has matured incredibly since he arrived.

This was a total wake up to one of the risks of owning a deaf dog.  I let my guard down for one second and that is all it took for a near disaster to happen.  You have to be 100% aware all of the time.   It's not just like having a hearing dog that you can just call to when they accidentally get out into the yard.  The world is a dangerous place for him to be loose in.   It would have killed me if anything would have happened to him. 

New knobs and locks, and the addition of a screen door on the way! 

Jax's first hike.

We love hiking and spent the majority of weekends last fall and winter exploring different places around the state (there are some very beautiful places in AR).  We hadn't been on a hike since we lost Asia.  It was certainly one of her very favorite things to do and I am happy that she was able to spend so much time hiking with us during her last months.  We had planned for a two-day backpacking trip for the end of our hiking season, and had even bought supplies.  The trip never happened because we had no interest in going without Asia.  Instead the gear got put in the back of the attic, out of sight, out of mind.  I didn't think I would ever want to hike again without my faithful trail partner. 

Early Sunday morning we decided to take Dixie and Jax to Pinnacle Mountain.  It was a tough hike for our first one in so many months.  It's less than 2 miles round trip, but the mountain is steep, and the trail (which after the halfway point is just boulders) is quite strenuous.  Probably not the smartest choice for a dog that has just recently been exposed to leash walking!  It was a much different experience hiking with Jax.  Communication and trust are obviously pretty important when you are on a mountain, and connected to each other with a leash.  Asia was a seasoned pro, and would never make a move that would endanger her, or me.  Jax doesn't really know his limitations, and communication is tough with a deaf dog.  Not to mention that he is far from graceful!  At first I worried that we were going to overwhelm him, or that somebody might get hurt.  (Okay, I know that the moms read this and are starting to worry right now.  Relax. We are careful hikers and very protective of our dogs.  We would not have continued at the first sign that any of us would actually get hurt).  I guess his instincts kicked in, because when we got up to the top half of the mountain, he really started concentrating.  We weren't totally in sync, but at least he never did anything dumb.  I was impressed.  We made it up pretty quickly and the view from the top is awesome.  It was a beautiful morning and there was a nice, strong breeze.  We took a couple pictures and after some odd looks from another hiker, had to explain why we were both waving our arms in the air like crazy people (we were trying to get Jax to look at the camera)!  He was fascinated watching the vultures circling above.  When he is focused on something, it's very hard to get his attention!

We passed several people on their way up the mountain as we made our way back down.  This type of exposure is great for him.  He was very curious, but a bit skeptical of the other hikers.  Of course, he couldn't hear their friendly "Hey doggies!" so he watched Dixie's reactions and trusted me to keep him out of harm's way.  There was only one time that he did a full-blown, butt-wiggling tail wag.  At the very bottom, we passed a little boy who must have been about four years old (who, by the way, was no way in hell making it up that mountain!).  I was very happy to see the way he reacted to the child!  Overall, he did really well on this outing.  I was proud of him.  I have a feeling, however, that this was our last hike until after summer.  It just gets too hot from this point on.

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I thought about Asia while we were up there, and I'm sure Jonathon did too.  The last time we'd stood on that mountain top, she had been with us, tongue hanging out, enjoying life.  I felt a little guilty being there without her, but I'd like to think that she was with us up there that morning too.

                                     Asia and I,  Pinnacle Mountain Top, Feb 2009

Simple pleasures.

( FYI: Jonathon hates the name Ajax, so we now refer to him as "Just Jax"...this is funny if you are a Will and Grace fan like we are)


This weekend, Jax became completely obsessed with a tennis ball.  Pretty simple, but it's a step up from his previous favorite toy...a Country Crock butter tub.  Anyway, he carried it everywhere and entertained himself with it for hours on end.  He invented games like 'put the ball at the top of the treadmill and catch it before it rolls off the end' and 'push the ball under the couch and then cry until someone gets it for you'.  At one point it landed in and became stuck in Jonathon's slipper.  He was frustrated at first, but soon decided that instead of trying to get it out, he would just carry the whole thing around.  We could have helped him I suppose, but it made for some cute pictures so we took advantage of that instead!

You may think that a game of treadmill-tennis ball sounds easy, but obviously it can be quite exhausting...

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