Scared Shitless....
Yesterday a lady came in with two adorable little 6 week old jack russel pups. I cooed at how cute they were and the lady, half sarcastically, half exasperated said, "Yeah, cute." I looked at her funny, and she told me how the puppies "weren't supposed to be here." When her female went into heat, she immediately did the responsible thing and went and got her male neutered, so as not to have to contend with puppies. The NEXT DAY after the dog returned home from being neutered, he mated with her female and got her pregnant. Then she laughed and said, "they took the bullets out of the gun, but forgot the one in the chamber!"
Then she went on to tell me how evil her male dog is. "He's not social... at all. Dogs, people, whatever, he's terrified." I told her I would love to work with him, and that she should bring him in, to which she laughed with that "you sure about that?" way. I assured her I was prepared for whatever would happen.... Well I wasn't exactly prepared, but it worked out anyway...
I was just about to leave for lunch when I heard a dog barking hysterically by the front door. I immediately realized that must be the dog in question. As I approached, I realized he was so scared, he was expelling his bowels! (That's the polite way to say he was spewing liquid shit all over the place)
I grabbed the leash from the lady, so her and her son could start cleaning up the mess, and the dog slipped his collar! So the lady grabbed the dog and picked him up so we could get the leash back on and he didn't bolt either out the door or toward other people and dogs in the store. At which point, he spewed all over her too! The lady was so good natured about it though. She was actually appologizing to ME! She says to her son, "Um, Dennis, cleanup on aisle... ME!"
I grabbed a Gentle Leader, the staple for any dog that is nearly impossible to handle, and put it on him while he was in her arms. At that point, he started to settle down, as he was more concerned with wtf was on his face than what was going on around him. Then I went for a walk around the store with him, leaving the owners at the front of the store. Within 10 minutes the dog was panting heavily, but laying on the floor next to the son, watching the world go by. Dogs, people, etc. He was too exhausted to care and actually relaxed. He's nowhere near done, but it proved to the family that there was definate hope for this scared shitless dog. Sometimes, even with the disgusting parts, my job is so rewarding!
Then she went on to tell me how evil her male dog is. "He's not social... at all. Dogs, people, whatever, he's terrified." I told her I would love to work with him, and that she should bring him in, to which she laughed with that "you sure about that?" way. I assured her I was prepared for whatever would happen.... Well I wasn't exactly prepared, but it worked out anyway...
I was just about to leave for lunch when I heard a dog barking hysterically by the front door. I immediately realized that must be the dog in question. As I approached, I realized he was so scared, he was expelling his bowels! (That's the polite way to say he was spewing liquid shit all over the place)
I grabbed the leash from the lady, so her and her son could start cleaning up the mess, and the dog slipped his collar! So the lady grabbed the dog and picked him up so we could get the leash back on and he didn't bolt either out the door or toward other people and dogs in the store. At which point, he spewed all over her too! The lady was so good natured about it though. She was actually appologizing to ME! She says to her son, "Um, Dennis, cleanup on aisle... ME!"
I grabbed a Gentle Leader, the staple for any dog that is nearly impossible to handle, and put it on him while he was in her arms. At that point, he started to settle down, as he was more concerned with wtf was on his face than what was going on around him. Then I went for a walk around the store with him, leaving the owners at the front of the store. Within 10 minutes the dog was panting heavily, but laying on the floor next to the son, watching the world go by. Dogs, people, etc. He was too exhausted to care and actually relaxed. He's nowhere near done, but it proved to the family that there was definate hope for this scared shitless dog. Sometimes, even with the disgusting parts, my job is so rewarding!
posted by a_dog's_life at 7:16 PM
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