For my wonderful followers, you must know how much I love my furkids. I mean heck, my blog is named It's a DOG TAG Wife Life, and not just because we are military. The pups and the kitty are everywhere, so we know that I am pretty attached to them.
Well, something happened today and I'm really upset about it. Little D, our boy dog, has issues. We've known about them basically since the beginning. He has, what they believe, is fear aggression. It sucks, yes. But he's also unbelievably territorial and crazy protective, especially of me. Part of his problem, we think, is that he was abused by a puppy. I adopted him when he was a week shy of 1 year old. So I really don't know everything that happened since we never got to talk to his previous owners.
His story is he was adopted out to a single lady, who had a part time job and it seemed like a perfect fit. Not long after having him, her job changed and she was crating him, boarding him, and leaving him for long periods of time. So she gave him to her son's college-aged friend. This guy, I think, is where the problems started. He left Little D locked outside, in a fenced in yard, with no one to play with. Just left him out there. We also think he was abused, because he is afraid of some of the strangest things. The oven scares the crap out of him, so do flashlights. He runs away from them. But vacuum cleaners, he'll bark and bark, and sometimes try to nip at. Not the person with it, the object itself.
Anyway, Little D got out of the fence and animal control picked him up. He is micro-chipped and he was still registered to the original rescue he was born into. They went to the pound, found him covered, dirty, and miserable, shaking in the back of his pen. He is brought back because it is against their rules to give him to someone else. So he's in a home. Unfortunately, they owned a boxer (not a rescue, like Little D) who was the same age, roughly the same size, and even more dominant. They got in scuffles, provoked by the boxer. When I first got him, he had a deep gouge in one ear and a scraped up nose. So he moved to a different home in the rescue. But they were a terrier home, and once they got terriers, he got moved. This kept happening, so he moved another 3-4 times. And finally I got him. And he's my little lovebug, to me (and the hunny). We've taken him to training and done everything we can to quell his, uh, craziness. He's the most obedient and smartest dog I've ever known. At home, he's also the sweetest and just wants to cuddle up with you. He is protective and dominant, but at home, he's great. He does amazing with Little Girl, you'd think that they were from the same litter.
Fast forward. He's always barked and growled at dogs, oh and people he doesn't know, ESPECIALLY men. But we took him to daycare, starting about a year an a half ago, to get him socialized and also so he could get exercise. I worked an hour from home, and wasn't about to leave my baby in a crate for 10-11 hours a day. That's just cruel. Last April, I got a job 6 minutes from home, so I was bringing him twice a week. And he did great. They love him there and understand he's a little, well, different. He has cage aggression, so when he's in his cage and someone he doesn't know comes by, he'll bark and bark. But...when you open the door, he comes out, wagging his tail, happy as he can be. Then, we got Little Girl, and they go every Monday. Well, I don't think so anymore.
As I mentioned yesterday, Little C is going in for surgery tomorrow. When I dropped the dogs off this morning, they suggested that I bring Little C in to get fluids and to make sure that he's strong enough for the surgery, since he has hardly eaten in two weeks. They suggested this evening. Well, I worried all morning, so early this afternoon I called to ask if i could bring Little C in early this afternoon (I take a late lunch). As I'm talking to them, their office manager tells me "Well, Little D, is alright but I have to tell you something." Oh my God, I think, What happened? "Well, during play group today, he decided it would be fun to bite a new lab puppies neck. Don't worry, both dogs are fine, and when the kennel attendants ran to him and told him to stop, he did, but we had to take Little D out of play group." Oh, ok. Sometimes Little D DOES get carried away when he plays, especially if he's been cooped up a lot, like he was this weekend (I'll explain in a little bit). Both dogs were fine, so I thought, you know, they took him out for the day, just to calm him down.
I went to drop off Little C for fluids and tests and stuff, and asked "Is Little D out just today, or permanently?" And they told me it was for good, at least for now. I am heartbroken. I know my little guy isn't perfect, but they've had him there for over a year and a half, I would think that this is definitely an exception to how he normally is. Usually, he plays really well. He loves going, his little tail goes nuts when I tell him we're going to "Visit his friends." But now, I can't. If I take him to doggie daycare, he'll sit in his cage, and be walked on a leash just a few times a day. What good does that do me or him?
I understand that they're trying to protect the other dogs. But he's played with many of those dogs for a long time, and has always done really well with them. Now, because a new dog is in the group, my dog is being kicked out. To be honest, I'm not sure he really "Went after" or "attacked" the other dog. He just plays hard. At home, him and Little Girl grab each others neck's all the time, it's how they play. Sometimes he just gets overzealous, especially if he has a lot of energy.
But, to be fair, he did have a rough week last week. The hunny had a friend over who Little D doesn't know, and the hunny tried to introduce him, and I guess Little D went after him. For starters, I don't like Little D to be introduced when I'm not there. I've got a really good handle on him, and also, I know what his triggers are so I can prevent them. But he was introduced while I wasn't there, and I don't think it was done quite right.
Then this weekend, the hunny's parents were at our house. Well, his mom HATES dogs. Especially Little D, because he barked at her once (because she came in the house while he was sleeping and scared the pants off of him and me). So anytime they come over, I have to keep the pups in their crate. Well, his parents were up Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. At one point his dad went over to talk to Little D, and he barked like crazy at him. This is unlike him because Little D likes his dad. I think Little D felt like he was being teased since he wasn't actually being let out of his crate. Little D has a fair amount of energy (not a puppy, but he is part lab & is energetic) so when he doesn't get to go outside a few times a day to run around, he gets a lot of pent up energy. That's usually when he plays really hard. Sometimes we do separate him and Little Girl, but not because they're fighting, they're playing, just super super hard.
I have a feeling he had pent up energy and was playing a bit too hard today. I know my dog. He doesn't "attack" without provocation (and they said he did it out of nowhere). Also, he does well with almost all dogs (just not really dominant ones and we know in seconds). Especially if they had been playing fine prior to that. So I'm really upset about this. Like, trying not to cry. I feel like someone just told me my kid is the playground bully and isn't allowed to go out to recess anymore.
And the hunny is REALLY upset. He thinks I should go in there, find out what really happened from someone who was out there at the time, tell them how upset and disappointed I am, and not bring them back anymore. He doesn't even want to take them there for medical care he's so mad. I won't do that because I really like the vets. But if Little D isn't allowed to play, I won't bring them. There isn't a point. And I'm not going to bring Little Girl if Little D can't go. I do understand their side, but I also feel like I have to stand up for my pets, especially since I know how he is. I would think after a year and a half of being in this playgroup, they'd know how he is too.
Ok, I'm done. I'm just very saddened that this happened. I know he's a little nuts sometimes, but he is the sweetest dog when home, I just wish he could be like that everywhere he goes.
