The Saga of Chuck.... Many of you have private messaged me about how I manage so many pups who come from less than perfect backgrounds. Some of you would like to foster or run a rescue yourself. The reality is it is a lot of give and take and learning with each dog. Today is a perfect example... we pulled Chuck from the Gouverneur Dog Pound via a call from Friends for Pound Paws. Dan Moyer kindly brought Chuck to Tim Monroes so he could get a vet health check and needed vaccinations. It is pretty clear that Chuck is very scared and that men have been not a pleasant experience for him. He does not bite but he shows some pretty mean teeth. All day he has either been crated orI have kept him with me on leash in and out of the house. I monitor his dog reactions - any negatives to keep an eye on, any positives to encourage. I had him home by 2 and by 6 he was standing up on his hind legs and letting me pet him all over -- including his feet and head. He let me brush him out which he desperately needed and when I pulled too hard he moved his head fast and could have bit me but didnt. He was just warning me. He was clearly a house dog.... understands furniture and gates and doors and going outside to do your business. He is still scared but has backed way down from the terror of earlier today. On the ride home I gave him french fries (I know its not so great for them) but it is our silly little bonding ritual and we do it with all the rescues. They get McDonalds fries once in their life with us and its on the ride home. It has turned many a scared pup into a friend pretty darn fast. Here are some pictures of Chuck. He is neutered and is somewhere around 4 or 5. He has house manners and clearly loves women -- we will work on how deep his fear of men goes and see if we can fix it. My husband and son are both sweeties and help in this regard. He is healthy and we will be ready to place him once we have better assessed his readiness for family life. Sometimes you cant bring a dog back from a gender fear so you just have to go with a single gender home that is sensitive to managing the fear. Chuck is a love. For the right situation, he will be a great friend. My best guess on breed is pomeranian and chihuahua and some others as well. He has an exceptionally soft coat. He weighs in around 11 lbs so he is our biggest dog at the moment. If you want to foster, contact Potsdam Humane Society or Friends 4 Pound Paws -- both run excellent foster programs. If you want to start a rescue, lets chat -- it can be done but its a lot of very rewarding work and its not a single person enterprise.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 00:19:45 +0000