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I used to have a little cattle dog looking dog whose name was Knox. The first time I met him he jumped right up in my lab and kissed my face. I loved him right then and there. I took a picture that day. He was a very fearful dog. I found out quickly he did not like loud noises, children or other dogs. He wasn't great on the leash but he was small enough, at about 25 lbs, to stop him easily enough. Eventually I got a Gentle Leader and it made a world of difference for him. He loved our walks.  He had atopic allergy issues. One time I had to shave him down, he looked pretty funny for a while.  I had a cat at home and while they didn't get along all the time (once the cat scratched his cornea because he didn't get the hint and leave him alone, once the dog bit the cats ear hard enough to leave a tiny notch that remains to this day) but they at least tolerated each other most of the time.  Sometimes they would play.  Knox would sometimes get in the mood to cuddle though he usually preferred to be left alone. When I would cry, he would jump up on my chest and kiss the tears away.  Know had a lot of anxiety problems. Separation anxiety and many other triggers. I took him to Dr. Melese, a vet behaviorist in San Diego. Drove a couple hours and spent I think 4 hours consulting with him, then follow up phone calls. It helped a lot with some of his issues and I felt like I made his life more comfortable through meds and training. He went on 3 different meds. Over time, Knox started to get used to me. I think maybe when I first got him, for the first few months, he was afraid of me. But once the fear went away enough for him to gain some confidence, he started to slowly get more agressive with me. If I dod something he didn't like he would growl and possibly try to bite. A few times he did bite me seriously enough to draw blood. One day last year I was sitting in a reclining chair and he jumped up on my chest. I was petting him and he for some reason decided he didn't like it so he started growling. I knew I had to be careful getting up from the chair. He snapped at my face. If he had made contact he could have really hurt and possibly disfigured me. Between this and his life of anxiety and stress, I stepped back and thought about things. Eventually I came to the extremely difficult decision to euthanize him. I had tried so hard for him and he tried too. But I just couldn't give him the life he deserved. Because of his anxieties with other dogs and children I felt like a farm life wouldn't suit him. I couldn't take the fear of rehoming him and having him seriously hurt a child or adult. I had the vet come to my house. I held him and we gave him a heavy sedative. He fell asleep in my arms, then they placed his catheter and put him to rest. I will never forget this dog and everything he taught me about animals, fear, and love. I'm a veterinarian and I have taken things I learned from him to give people ideas on how to train their dogs and what medications to use, I also got interested in Fear Free practice thanks to him. I hope I see you again some day, buddy, even though I don't really believe it. 
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Apr 19, 2020 22:05
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| # ¿ May 8, 2024 18:48 |
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