B.S.

Okay, so my new foster dog is crazy.  Cute as a button, but absolutely nuts.  After less than 30 hours with her, I have experienced a frustration level higher than I have with any other foster dog yet.  She is certainly not to blame, so I try to hide the frustration from her as best I can.  She is just a victim, having only lived the life of a "breeding dog."  She has absolutely no idea how to act in a home setting.

Her name is Bindi Sue (B.S).  I assume that she is named after Bindi Sue Erwin, daughter of the late, great "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Erwin. 

Here is what I know about her background.  She is 15 months old.  She is from southeastern Louisiana.  She was owned by a breeder who, although she is extremely tiny for her breed (only 35lbs and not even very underweight), decided to breed her.  Thinking that it "didn't take" because of her size, the breeder decided that she was no longer a commodity and dumped her at the shelter.  In actuality, she was pregnant.  She miscarried in the shelter.  When a dog miscarries, an x-ray should be done, to make sure that all of the pups were delivered.  Needless to say, that did not happen and she had dead puppies inside of her for weeks.  She is very lucky that she didn't die from becoming septic.  They finally spayed her and removed what was left of the bodies from inside of her.  All of that time, our rescue was trying to arrange transport to spring her from that shelter.  Once we got her, she was taken to the vet immediately.  She tested positive for about every intestinal parasite in the book, as well as heart worm.  She was temporarily placed in boarding.

Ironically, she was not the dog that I was suppose to pick up at the picnic last weekend.  They contacted me and said that they had a more "challenging" dog and they wanted to switch foster and dog match ups.  Of course I said it was fine.  I assumed she would be a medical challenge, or a severely fearful case, like Callie was.  I can handle those dogs.  Nope.  She is a behavioral challenge. 

Last night, she kept me up all night whining and crying.  That is pretty normal and I expected it.  She was in a new place and was clearly nervous.  I got up with her several times during the night to let her out.  Her anti parasitic medications are causing her to have diarrhea.  Again, I can deal.  What I can't deal with is how she leaps all over me, scratching me with her cat-like sharp nails.  She runs in circles around me and jumps into the air and I can not catch her.  It may sound funny.  Let me tell you...at 3am, it's not.   

This morning, after adequate outside time with the others, I put her in the crate in our master bathroom. I left for work.   I had a meeting with a potential client about an hour away.  On my way back to work, I stopped home to let her out to potty.  I worried that she may have had an accident in her crate.  Instead, I found that she had destroyed the wire crate (the crate that is meant to hold dogs up to three times her size!) and got out.  She was then loose in my bedroom.  She made an absolute mess, including pulling everything off my vanity, jewelry and all.  It was a disaster area.  I was shocked at the situation.  I am  very lucky she didn't kill herself trying to escape from that crate. 

This dog needs some serious training.  However, the dilemma is this... Next week, she starts heart worm treatment.  During the very dangerous heart worm treatment, she needs to stay completely calm (huh?) for 30 days.  Her heart rate can not be elevated.  That means, no heat, no play, no anxiety, no training.  Leash on at every minute.  Now, I have crate trained dogs pretty quickly in the past, but I have never had one so determined to get out that she would physically harm herself trying.   The crate clearly causes great stress and I can't take that chance.  Crate training will not be an option in the time we have.  So, it seems that once she starts treatment, she will have to be with me 24 hours a day.  I imagine this will put a crimp in my (luckily almost non-existent) social life;-)

There is one more unique aspect of this particular foster.  She already has an approved adopter and a forever home awaits her.  She is with us only to get through the very risky heart worm treatment and get healthy.  Basically,  another person's very sick dog's life is in my hands.  No pressure there.

Pictures to follow.