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| Joshua |
My son only remembers Joshua but they never bonded. Joshua was "old" by the time my son understood what a good friend a dog could be and Joshua just thought my son moved way too quick. Soon after that my son started asking for a dog of his own. I wasn't ready for another dog, it was too much work taking care of Joshua in his senior years, so I compromised and we rescued two cats, Boo and Shadow. This was my first foray into cats and it took some getting used to. They didn't always come when called, they didn't wag their tails when we got home for the day and they were just all-around goof balls, chasing each other, jumping to the top of cabinets and being nosy. Joshua wanted nothing to do with them, they also moved way too quick when all he wanted to do was sleep. They are good cats, very people-friendly and when it suits them, enjoy our company and each sleep with one of us at night. I still think they're kooky, but in a loveable way.
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| Shadow & Boo |
Getting the cats appeased my son for a while. And I have to admit, they are more appealing to me than a lizard or snake (no offense to any reptile owners). In that time Joshua passed away so we were solely a cat home. It was nice for a while not having to worry about letting the dog out and cleaning the crate out. But something was missing. The cats, as wonderful as they are, simply are different from a dog. My son began to ride the bus home from school and we began to give serious thought about adding a new member to our family. My son and I discussed and agreed that we would BOTH have to like the dog and the dog would have to like us. My son would have to help with its care, walking it, picking up the poop, etc. The search in earnest began. We would looked online at the Humane Society of Northwestern PA, the A.N.N.A. Shelter and Because You Care and began to visit on the weekends. We met several dogs, but either we didn't agree on the dog or the dog showed no interest in us. I promised my son that when the right dog came along, there would be no doubt, we would love it and it would love us. Then one day it happened. We were at Because You Care to meet another dog. Unfortunately (or fortunately) that dog wasn't a match for us. On a whim we decided to meet Gizmo. They brought him into the meeting area and he came right over to us, wagging his tail and wanting to give us kisses. I think we knew right away we wanted him to become a member of the family.
We began the adoption process at Because You Care which started with an application and a check for the adoption fee. The adoption process was then explained to us. It wasn't a take-your-dog-home-see-ya-later type of process. They checked your vet and personal references. They came to your home and you had to show them where the dog would be inside and outside, have a post, fenced yard or run set up and they talked to you about your daily schedule, other pets in the house, all with the goal of ensuring the animal was going to a loving, safe home AND would work well with your life-style. You could tell the staff at Because You Care really wanted the adoption to be successful, for everyone to be happy. Also, part of the process was they didn't cash your check for the adoption fee until after the adoption was finalized. They aren't just after your money.
We got the call a couple days later that we had been approved for the in-home trial. My son and I were very excited, nervous, but excited. We went and got food, a crate, treats and toys for Gizmo. We picked him up on a Friday after work and the fun began. The first night and next day Gizmo was calm, ignored the cats and liked to sit on our laps. However as he became more comfortable with us and his surroundings it all changed. He showed aggression towards people coming into the house and barked at everything when outside, people walking, cars and bicycles passing, other dogs, leaves, you name it, he barked at it. When inside he would bark at everything when looking out the windows, started chasing and barking at the cats, grabbed and chewed socks, shoes, paper, anything that wasn't up high or in a closet. He also began to try and take food off our plates when we were eating on the couch. After a couple days of this my son and I were at our wit's end. I called Because You Care and explained what was going on, what the behavior was and we were considering giving Gizmo back. She shared with me more about Gizmo's history, that he came from a neglected, possibly abusive situation, that the prior owners called them and stated to come and get the animal or they were going to shoot him. Because You Care jumped in and rescued him immediately. She asked for us to be patient and recommended I speak with a dog behaviorist about Gizmo where they could evaluate him and provide guidance on how to work with him. I agreed to try this approach. My son and I were dedicated to try and make it work.
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| Gizmo |
I began talking with Kel Ertl at Compatible Canine Companions. I shared with her Gizmo's behavior and asked for help. She explained a lot about the terrier breed, none of which I really knew (shame on me for not understanding prior to adopting) and possible reasons why he was acting out. I agreed to bring Gizmo out for an evaluation and to have her help my son and I on training techniques. Of course when we met Kel, Gizmo was on his "good" behavior, even when he met Kel's own dogs. We learned several techniques on what to train on and how to accomplish it. It was a very positive session and very glad we went. I'd recommend working with her if you have negative behavior in your dog that you'd like to see reduced or eliminated.
My son and I began working with Gizmo and found he's a smart, little guy who picked up on basic commands like "sit" and "down" quickly. We're currently working on "give it,", "stay" and come. The "give it" command is a must have with him. If a closet door is left open or clothes on the floor, he will find it in a split second and go. He is still requiring a treat for "give it," but that is much better than chewed shoes and socks. However, he seems to have a stubborn streak, not unlike my son :-) or maybe it's just his terrier instinct, when it comes to people-food on a plate and the darn cats. Many f-bombs have been dropped so far, but I'm working on that too, lol. Luckily the cats have their safe, dog-free places to go and Shadow is not afraid to chase Gizmo, which he thinks is a game. Boo has learned to just lie there and let Gizmo sniff and play, he'll tolerate Gizmo for a bit then gets up and runs away. The cat-dog relationship is still evolving and we're still working with Gizmo on the "leave it" command to draw his attention away from the cats. I believe we're going to need a new plan of attack for the food situation. He shows no food aggression when it comes to his dog food. Since it's just my son and I, we eat in front of the TV (no judging, lol). The little booger is quick and yesterday got my taco off the plate and all over the chair. Not a good night. It's times like that we force ourselves to remember where he came from, remember his positive traits and understand how we can help him become a better doggie. I'm not going to lie, it's challenging.
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| Gizmo |
Not only are we working through the behaviors, Gizmo is a very active dog, if you couldn't tell from the above comments. It's a characteristic of the breed and the fact he's not even a year old yet, his birthday is coming up at the beginning of December. As I think back, I remember Jack and Joshua in their younger days, both were active as well. I lost a couple pairs of shoes and jeans to Jack and the corner of a dresser and half an aloe vera plant to Joshua. Gizmo is just a youngster still. We keep him exercised by walks, playing with him outside, taking him to the Humane Society's Dog Park for exercise and socialization and playing with him inside, fetch down the hall is a favorite. He's extremely agile and loves to bounce. If I had more time and we work on his commands, I could see him as an agility dog, he's flipping fast! Even with all that, he has energy to burn. We are toying with the idea of getting him a doggie friend he could play with. I waffle back and forth about this idea. Jack and Joshua got along wonderfully with each other, they would play, groom and sleep next to each other as well as having bonded with me. There are lot of things to consider, that I'm mulling over. I want to be sure we do what's right for the dogs and what's right for us, so no one ends up miserable. We are looking for a calmer dog who likes to play and will also bond with its humans.
Why am I sharing my experience with you? Honestly, I went into this with rose-colored glasses, thinking that we'd bring a dog home and everything would just...work. I did no research on breeds and didn't have a full understanding about their possible history and how it may affect their behavior. I just knew we were ready for a new family member and that we wanted to rescue. I can't say enough good things about the experience at Because You Care and Compatible Canine Companions they have helped us through the transition. When you're ready to adopt, I'd recommend:
- Work with an organization that understands the rescue & adoption process and can provide guidance if things aren't perfect, one that isn't simply out to place as many animals with families regardless of the fit and collect a check.
- Do research on different breeds and understand which ones may work well with your lifestyle.
- Be prepared to spend time training away bad behaviors and reinforcing positive ones.
- And most of all, be honest with yourself and whether you're ready for a new family member. If you're not, there's no shame in that, it's better you figure it out sooner rather than bringing a dog home for a few months and figuring it out then.
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| a.k.a. Bat Dog |
If you have an adoption story you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.
Website References:
- Because You Care
- Compatible Canine Companions
- Humane Society's Dog Park
- List of Erie Dog Parks
- List of Erie Rescue Groups
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