It's been a week

It's been a week since we took Rex and he's settling in nicely.  I haven't heard the first word about Linus but I really don't expect to hear about him. It's been a relief since he's been gone.  I feel bad for the little dog but after living with me a month, there was still no trust and no security. I hope that now he has a fenced area where he doesn't have to approach or interact, he will have more success. I hope he is more at ease now. I am also hoping that this person will end up keeping him and incorporating Linus into his doggie rehab programs. Linus is dog friendly and unassuming with other pets. He should fit in nicely to a multi pet home. And since this guy was interested in adopting a pit bull - perhaps Linus will fit that bill.  I have my hopes.

The Dog Swap

Well, the other rescue came through. Their deal was for our rescue to consider a dog in the local shelter and then that dog's advocate (who couldn't take him home due to cat aggression) would take Linus and "rehabilitate" him.  We loved the other dog and he's up on our pages as Rex. A fat headed young American Bully whose owner is in jail and not getting out anytime soon. He's a super chunk but has a great temperament and good with other dogs.  But he is really really young so that could change.

So after we pulled Rex, I got the call about Linus. I honestly think all of the dancing around regarding meeting up this week was to make sure we took Rex. Now I totally understand that some rescues can be wary of the turn and burn but we are not like that.  We already had an idea we would like Rex (pre a prelim eval on tues) or we never would have agreed to the swap.  

Yesterday afternoon I took Linus to his new foster home. Carried him through his house and put him in the backyard.  As predicted, the new foster home was not able to pet Linus as he retreated to the back of the yard.  He did manage to get his fingers sniffed as he made a close pass when playing with the other dogs.  It's going to be a long haul for Linus if he can ever make the bridge ( I am not confident). Either way, he's safe in a secure fence and does not need to worry about meeting anyone new.

I wonder still about the impact a potential placement will have on the breed and will always hope for the best.  I am not sure at all that Linus should not have been humanely euthanized and that may be what happens in the future - at least he will have some happiness in a yard before that happens.  The lesson here though is that when pulling a dog, make sure your expectations are clear from the starting gate and two organizations collaborating on the same dog may have different opinions in the end. If you feel your goals may not be in complete alignment - it is best to make sure that there are no shared custody arrangements.

Sad and reflective

It's been sad dealing with Linus. He may get a stay of euthanasia though in that the rescue that originally pulled him may take him back. We never transferred him officially so he technically still belongs to them.  They've made a bargain for us to look at another dog in the shelter and if we take that dog (all of the if's there) then they will take Linus.  Honestly, not sure how I feel about that but it's not up to me.  Linus has had a sad hard life and while I certainly feel bad for him and hope he can be successful somewhere - I can't help but worry about the impact an adoption could have on the breed. I truly don't feel he is a good example at this time.  He certainly could prove me wrong and blossom.  I probably wouldn't feel so conflicted if he was a different breed of dog. His behavior seems almost typical of a used up hound dog. You know, one of the ones you find on the side of the road in eastern NC that have all but given up the hunt.  Wary and nervous, they don't want to make friends but they are so alone they don't have a choice but to trust you just a little.

It's been a tough month and I've been sick with a summer cold twice already.  Which is why it's 12:43 in the morning and I haven't gone to bed yet. I'm all hopped up on cold medicine and can't lay down without choking on my own spit.  Too many dogs, too many animals really, not enough time in the day and I wish to hell I could find a house that I want to buy.  I do think it will seriously reduce my stress to have Linus safely in another place and out of my frame of worry.  Out of sight, out of mind and hope for the best.

Changes are in store for work as my manager put in her notice to move to a different department.  That will make life interesting to say the least.

Linus bit me

Linus bit me yesterday, not the first time but this is the first time that he really meant it and really tried to hurt me.  He broke the skin and I have a bruise. It's not bad, just the back of my hand where he managed to pull up some skin and pinch really hard to get me to let go of his foot.  I was retrying a behavior he did from the other week....when I thought he had something stuck in his pad and looked at his foot. That day he closed his mouth over my hand and bit down, hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to break the skin or make me let go.  I was trying it again but going to use the "uhuh" words to see if he accepted correction.  Well, half of the time he does and half of the time he will bite the hell out of me.  Seems like when he's had enough and feels he needs to pull away, a panic reaction sets in and he can't control himself and other times when he's more relaxed (and there can be just minutes in between) he tolerates it.  But tolerates not without some pulling and a definite head and shoulder turn away from me to let me know he's really uncomfortable.

Sadly, this brings and end to the Rosebud diaries since I am not going to personally keep this dog and I don't have endless resources to rehabilitate him.  Now that he has bitten he is no longer able to be rehomed.  I know that would come as a surprise to some as many rescue groups give biting dogs a second chance.  Because of his breed, the liability associated with biting and the sheer numbers of homeless dogs, we don't feel it is the right choice to take the chance that he wont' bite again.  We know that once he has bitten, he is more likely to do it again.  My concern all along was once he started to gain confidence that he would potentially become a fear biter.  He just seemed to have been too roughly treated and probably had a more delicate temperament to begin with.  I do think there's been a head injury in his past because of the way he holds it and because of the way he searches for fallen food as if he can't see it. He makes wide strange sweeping motions with his head because he can't locate what he's looking for on the ground.

Weird biting -the Linus diary

The weird biting behavior is back and it's a happy weird biting but that does not make it a positive behavior.  I'm going to go sit outside with him in a little bit and see if I can videotape it.  Saying ouch makes him quickly recoil but then again any loud nose or fast motion makes him scoot away.

It's when he's happy and trying to initiate some type of contact and it maybe a play behavior but I'm not sure.  I'll sit down on the steps and he'll come over wagging, moving forward and backward, back and forth, touching my leg, not touching, touching, then nuzzling (kind of strange) then when he gets bold enough he will open his mouth and start nipping at me and biting at my legs.  It had stopped for a while because I got to the point before  of just getting up and going away, not inviting that kind of interaction.  But then he needs to learn to interact with people.  So how do I encourage interaction but not this kind of interaction. He's making contact but in a really inappropriate way.

Off to sit outside with weirdo.  On another note, he managed to get out of his second harness this morning after breakfast and when I came outside after getting dressed, he was curled up asleep in the bush by the porch - not tethered to anything.  He is clearly not going to ever leave someone's backyard if he can find himself in one as I have no fence and he makes no move to leave a 15 foot area in front of my porch (but not actually on the porch or near the door) - makes looking for dog poop a necessity before walking to my car or anywhere within 15 feet of my porch.

#$@%^$#@

!@#$%^&*%$#

I truly think that Linus is trying to kill me some days.  He has such a frantic dash when he feels "freed" from the trees, he will whip against my legs with the cable and turn to whip in the opposite direction when he hits the end.  One of the reasons I had him on a harness so he wouldn't injure his neck. with that thing.  I try not to touch him at all and get him to do it himself (just following me with my averted eyes)  but some days it's just impossible as he won't cooperate - dashing in the wrong direction to practically clothesline himself.

I am just really frustrated when he hurts me.  It's not his fault, he is just such a freaking pain in the ass and is making no discernible progress. I just don't think he will ever be a pet dog and it is very sad to look at him day after day and know that he is on the fringe of society like a feral or wild dog. I think at best he will be a yard companion for another dog - but who the would pick a pit bull to be a companion for another pet?  I wouldn't want him to go as a companion for another pit bull just because of the risk he would get hurt.

My legs really freaking hurt from the cable burns and bruises.  I'm getting too old for this.

The Quincy diary -

My mother would like to rename Linus "Quincy". I still think of him as Rosebud and I don't think he will ever bloom. he had a great night Friday playing in my parents yard with Ringo. He just loves to be free in the yard. Free to back away and avoid people if he wants and to take treats if he feels like it. They (the parents) managed to get in a pet once or twice but that's all he would allow. Met another friend on Sunday - a male person, shorter in stature but very upright posture and he would not make friends. Came forward to get a treat but did not allow petting.  

I keep him on a cable to do his business and sometimes I think he's trying to kill me. He will wrap himself around a tree and when I try to extricate him, he acts like a freaky ass and bolts to wrap around my legs the minute he gets a free foot or so. The other night I had to literally pin him to the ground and unwind my legs so I didn't bust my ass. My legs have plenty of cable burns. He really needs a fenced yard and grass so he can come to terms with his own problems on his own timeline without being forced. He is not getting better. He does like to rush up behind me and put his nose the back of my legs. His way of making contact that is safer than approaching from the front.  

He whines, he barks. He's unhappy in the crate but happier there than loose in the house. Happiest outside but starting to want company but not company enough for petting. Just company to look at. Again, if he had his own choosing, he would be tearing up a backyard with another dog - humans be damned. At least he is now crate trained and does not use the bathroom in it.  

He does not have bite inhibition. Friday night I grabbed his paw when he was licking it (the last time he was displaying licking and chewing his pads, he had a thorn). He pulled away and when I wouldn't give he nipped my hand. But then I put my other hand around on his collar. Repeated the paw pick up on Sunday and he very slowly and firmly bit down on my hand to let me know to let go.  

Just don't know where to go from here with him. I am not sure he will ever be ready to be a dog.