People - UGHH!!!

I've had a very long and frustrating day, with a bit of a happy ending.

I would not believe this story if I didn't work with the woman and know both her and her son. Last night her son and his friend were stopping at a variety store to get cigarettes when they saw this man with a puppy outside. They were oohing and awwing over the puppy and talking to the man when all of a sudden he starts talking about how he has to kill the puppy - he never said why, just kept going on about how he had to kill it. The friend said she'd hold the puppy for a few minutes to try to calm the guy down and he took off in the other direction yelling, "His name is Fort and he needs his second shots!".

Neither the friend or my coworker's son could take the puppy in because their apartments/roommates won't allow dogs, so they were up all night with it and just exhausted. I offered to take the puppy in to see if it had been stolen (unlikely) and get it into rescue. So at 3 pm the neighbour of the friend dropped the puppy off at my work where we all came out and cuddled and awwed over him.

He's a big, beautiful boy - 4 months old (he's just starting to loose his puppy teeth) with paws the size of my hand. We've already taught him to sit and wait at the door until we open it, not to get up on the couch unless invited and walk on a leash without pulling - he is one smart boy. He hasn't had an accident inside here yet (he did at the other lady's house), he's gone outside and peed four times.

We haven't decided yet if we're going to keep him or get him into another home. There is already a waiting list for him if we decide not to keep him but he'll be staying with us until mid July at the earliest anyways - we want to get an idea of his temperament and get some training on him first.

We were planning on getting a big dog at some point in the near future but wanted to wait until we move into a bigger place. He's doing fine here so far - he's very mellow pup. Tomorrow we'll be taking him to the vet to be scanned for a microchip and weigh him, we'll talk to them and set up an appointment for him next week for his shots.

I really don't understand how someone could do that to their pet and to other people though, I'm glad he's with us now and in a good place even if he doesn't stay here permanently. It's just so frustrating!

That is just so very very odd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But thank goodness they were there to take the puppy. Or maybe he did it because they were there? Who knows. Either way - thank goodness he made his way to the right home, and at least he doesn't appear to have been previously abused.

Yes, I feel the "people...ugh" feeling quite often, unfortunately. It's great that you are doing so much for the puppy - there should be more like you in the world and I am proud to have met so many great helpful animal lovers on TCS.

Today I overheard a woman go off on how she will be giving up her cat for being depressed and peeing all over the house. Another lady tried to reason with her and tried to tell her about options but the cat owner was adamant.

I'm glad they were there to get the puppy away from him!

He... has to kill the puppy?!



Who says horrible things like that! If you can't keep the puppy just take it to a rescue, don't say things like that! I'm glad he ended up with you and I'm sure he'll find a good home no matter where he goes from there.

That is frustrating!! My mother ended up with our dog Abby when she was in the dollar store of all places!! These kids were carrying her around and started asking people if they wanted her because the one kid's mom said she had to live outside. Then mom noticed the whiskers on one side of her face and above one eye had been burnt off!!! She couldn't have been more than 10-12 weeks old at the time!! Abby has been with us since like 2001 and this STILL makes me so upset!! I was just at my Mom's today and she is still the sweetest girl! But she is not good with small kids (she does ok with mine and my nephew; the ones she knows) and to be truthful; she has nipped at several of our dark skinned friends. My step-dad is Puerto Rican so it's not like she isn't around a variety of people regularly; but we just think it goes back to that. That she can actually remember that!! We do keep her supervised around the kids and she will gladly go upstairs if she is stressed by them being around. It's just not right....

One of the main reasons I can't stand most people

Sounds like this little guy was MEANT to be with you!

Originally Posted by Kailie

One of the main reasons I can't stand most people

Sounds like this little guy was MEANT to be with you!

Click to expand...

AMEN KAILIE!!!!!
One of the big determining factor for me --if I'm going to like a person or not--is HOW they treat or feel about animals!!
I think Fort found his way to you for a reason!! Thank you for taking care of him and loving him. Enjoy!! Your plans on getting a doggie may have just been taken care of

I'd like to that guy!!!! I am thinking he really wouldn't have killed the dog, was just preying on anyone's emotions so they would just take the dog. What a nut case and could have been reported to the authorities. .

I think this might be your new dog . Was this meant to be!!! So nice of you to take this dog in and he sounds like a very, very good boy. Good luck with your decision

Thanks everyone

I have some pictures of him but Mike had my card reader last night and I'm not sure where he put it... so I have to wait until he gets up to get them on my computer.

He had a pee and poo accident inside last night, but they were completely my fault. He did well in the crate, just a little bit of whining and barking BUT no noise complaints from our upstairs neighbours (they're horrible for complaining, they do it when we're talking too loud too) and our building manager that lives beside us didn't even know. I saw her this morning and she just loves him but said that he's too much dog for her, lol.

In spite of how he got here, he looks like he was well cared for - his nails are trimmed (recently), his ears are clean, no fleas, maybe a few worms but overall a very healthy looking puppy. I think that maybe that people that got him thought he had something wrong with his back legs (he sways when he walks) or he just started growing too much, or maybe the guy that had him at the variety store got rid of him that way because someone was threatening to kill him, or he bit someone, who knows.

I feel angry at the person that did this too him, but I also feel sad for them. I really don't understand how they could do that, but I also wasn't there when it happened. Maybe it was out of necessity.

No matter what happens, he'll have a good home. It looks like even if we don't keep him he won't have to go through rescue - there are TONS of people interested in him that we know personally.

We really do want to keep him, but we weren't financially prepared for adding a puppy right now. I told Mike that we'll keep him for sure until the end of July to get a bit of training on him, find out his personality and get him out of the teething phase. So he has until the to start bringing in some more money per month. He is also aware of my rule of last in first out if something happens that we can't train out of him. We really aren't set up to crate and rotate here, so if he starts attacking our dogs for no reason he'll have to go. So far, no problems though.

Day two for new pup:

I woke up at 8 am and rolled over, planning on going back to sleep, when I remembered we now have a puppy, lol. Freaked out a little bit because I didn't wake up 4 hours earlier to take him out to pee, but checked on him in the crate and it was dry. Took him for a little walk down the block, he peed and pooped, then we came home. Went to take the doxies out right after we got back, but they were still asleep with Mike on the bed so I just left then. Attempted to have a nap on the couch, but puppy was having no part of it so I entertained him for the next 3 hours until Mike and the doxies decided to get up.

Feed everyone and took them all outside, puppy started peeing as I was leashing everyone us but I got him stopped and he continued outside - good boy! That was his only accident today

After everyone was fed and the puppy was taken outside again (and pooped), we loaded them up in the car to go to my parents house to celebrate father's day because my parents were in another province visiting my sister for it. Doxies spent most of the day tethered to the back deck where we were all hanging out but the puppy got to go leashless because he actually listens and stays close, lol. My dad actually volunteered to watch him while we had to slip out for a few minutes - that was surprising considering he "hates" dogs. He seriously adores this puppy though, I keep telling them that they need to get another dog and volunteer to watch it when they go away, but they keep saying no I just remember how they were with our old dog (collie/shep mix) and how happy they were then - a lot less stress and healthier, I think it would do them good but I obviously can't force them to do it and they will when they're ready.

Puppy is so well behaved in the car, he literally just sits there or lays down - not a peep out of him.

Got a call today too from the lady that I work with who's son got the dog. He saw the guy again today and got some more info. He's from a little of 11 pups, the rest were black, got him at 8 weeks old from Kijiji. Doesn't want the dog back at all, but gave his phone number and said that he was eating Pogos and hotdogs. That explains his poop consistency and how swollen and hard his belly was. It's already noticeably smaller and you can see just how skinny he actually is. So far, not going to call the guy because I really have nothing to say to him. Took puppy to the vet too, forgot to have him weighed but no microchip.

When we got home everyone was out for a bit, then we had to go to the store so we brought puppy with us and put the doxies in the crate. When we got home we left the doxies in the crate so the puppy could have some alone time with us, around 10:30 took the puppy back outside to pee for the last time and then put him in the crate so the doxies could have alone time. No peeps from the pup after about 2 minutes, however he's going to outgrow that crate in a week or so. Pup also lost his two center bottom teeth today and the top two are loose.

Everyone is happy so far and I think we have a good routine going. Everyone gets alone time, puppy is getting very good about going outside but doesn't give warning when he has to go - no sniffing, no circling, just goes, so I take him out every hourish or right after I've noticed him drink a lot. He goes poop within 5 minutes of eating and it's getting firmer! Also figured out that if we do decide to keep him it's going to roughly double our food bill, so not as bad as I was thinking.

Mike is a bit annoyed that the puppy is so bonded to me right now, but I pointed out that I've been the one taking him out most of the time and that I'm the one that got up 3 hours early to take care of him this morning. I work tomorrow morning until 1pm, so Mike will have quite a bit of alone time with him.

Leiki (cat) is not too fond of him, but seems to like cornering him in the hallway knowing that he is scared of her. She'll hide in the kitchen and then hiss and spit at him if he gets close to her, or she'll run up to him and then hiss and spit. She has calmed down quite a bit so far and can actually be in the same room with him without freaking out - unless he gets too close to her, lol. She did this with our dogs too when we first got her.

Still no name

And now for the pics...

Dumping all of his food onto the floor (with socks that he pulled out of the laundry, lol)



All stretched out on the couch I swore he wouldn't be let on.





Fluff face



Paw vs Hand



Stop flashing that thing at me!



Too cute



Sitting on my lap - he thinks he's a lap dog... which may be a problem in a few weeks, lol.

That's a very sweet-looking dog (I can't imagine someone throwing him away), but yeah, he looks as if he's going to be BIG!

I didn't want to post this before because I didn't want anyone to try to change my mind, lol.

Mike and I had a long discussion the other day and decided to place this boy in a new home. I knew I was right when I went into work yesterday and got talking to the woman that helped rescue him - the guy that dumped him has been calling the girl quite often but she's refusing to answer. It was then that we decided to get him out of the city - I would hate to place him somewhere here only to have the guy recognize him and steal him, hurt his new owners or something like that.

He will be going to live with a new family in a city just over an hour away. He will have another golden to play with there and two older kids as well (10 and 13). They just lost their 17 year old dog a few months ago and have been looking since then, they just could find the "right" dog. The rescue that I used to work with put me in touch with them. They know the circumstances that he came to me under and are fine with them, they also know that he more than likely isn't purebred and that he's going to be a HUGE boy. They're coming in the morning. I'm going to miss him but it's going to be better for everyone this way.

Mike is having a bit of a hard time with it, but we decided that in the fall or winter we'll get another ween instead of a big dog (for now) that he can raise himself. He already has names picked out and the colour that he wants, lol - we'll be getting another longhaired standard, female, either black and tan/cream or red. While we could get one now, we're going away in a few weeks and the rest of our summer is pretty busy. We're planning on moving in October and that's when our show circuit ends too, so this will give us the summer and the fall to move, get settled in and get our new baby without the stress of trying to housebreak and train without everything else going on. It's also easier for me to take time off in the fall/winter than it is in the summer, so that will be a bonus as well - I'll take my last week of vacation when the pup is ready so at least one of us will be here for a week to get things started.

He's fast asleep in his crate, with no idea of the big day he's going to have tomorrow. I made sure to pack all of his things up after he went to bed so that he wouldn't be confused (and in my way, lol).

Leiki has also been hissing and spitting at him quite a bit, although it has calmed down some. So I think everyone will be happier with this solution and it will be easier on here as well because the pup will be A LOT smaller and will be in an ex pen for the most part for the first few weeks unless under direct supervision.