A Shelter Dog's Tale

15 years ago

Do I Go Home Today?

My family brought me home

cradled in their arms.

They cuddled me and smiled at me and said I was full of charm.

They played with me and laughed with me and showered me with toys.

I sure do love my family, especially the girls and boys.

The children loved to feed me, they gave me special treats.

They even let me sleep with them - all snuggled in the sheets.

I used to go for walks, often several times a day.

They even fought to hold the leash, I'm very proud to say.

These are the things I'll not forget - a cherished memory.

I now live in the shelter-without my family.

They used to laugh and praise me when I played with that old shoe.

But I didn't know the difference between the old ones and the new.

The kids and I would grab a rag, for hours we would tug.

So I thought I did the right thing when I chew the bedroom rug.

They said that I was out of control, and would have to live outside.

This I did not understand, although I tried and tried.

The walks stopped, one by one; they said they hadn't time.

I wish that I could change things, I wish I knew my crime.

My life became so lonely, in the backyard, on a chain.

I barked and barked all day long to keep from going insane.

So they brought me to the shelter but were embarrassed to say why,

They said I caused an allergy, and then they each kissed me goodbye.

If I'd only had some classes, as a little pup.

I wouldn't have been so hard to handle when I was all grown up.

"You only have one day left." I heard the worker say.

Does that mean I have a second chance?

Do I go Home today?

(Author Unknown)

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Comments (3)

cat_mom
15 years ago
*sniff* :-(
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mazer415
15 years ago
here is my dogs story,
I was born in a rral area of Northern California, the kids in house teased me unmercilessly, as did the parents. At about 3 months old, I could not take it anymore when on New Years, they tormented me with fireworks. I headed off down the street just going where my body would take me, I only wanted far far away from the the torture and pressure. A big truck came by and a man got out and scooped me up from the side of the highway I been walking on. He put me in a cage, and then put me in a bigger one. I was freezing. The place where I was in the cage had no walls, and in the middle of winter I had no brothers or sisters or even a bed or towel to curl up on to keep warm but I was not being tortured any more.
One day this person came and looked right at me. She came every week for three weeks - I was in a lottery and people had to come and see me to see if I was a good fit for their house. Finally I was picked up and placed in this lady;s arms, I went for a long car ride (over 40 miles) and then had a bath - then I had to have another bath right away....I was pretty dirty.
Since then I have a wonderful life, I am cool when it is hot, warm when it is cold, I get to walk and ride in the car all day EVERYDAY, and play with my friends. I have aunties and uncles and loads of people love me. I hurt my legs twice and had to have 3 surgies and my mom took care of me for all of them, then I broke my toe and she helped me through that as well. I am now 10 years old, everyone thinks Im a puppy - I love that. And I love leaning out the window at the parking lot and barking at unsuspecting people, I like watching them jump and scream. I have the best life I could ever hope for, and my mom even tells me all the time, that I was a smart dog for running away as a puppy. The only ting I hate is having my picture taken, loud noises and going camping...
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Poor buddy. :( The first thing I would suggest is a vet visit, just to rule out pain. I know you said he's on Rimadyl, but maybe he needs an increase or a change in meds? Also, it's not uncommon for older dogs to develop anxiety, even if it hasn't been an issue for them before. I have an anxious dog, and he avoided the backyard for a while (was terrified of it) -- I have no idea why, but something small must have spooked him and he associated the backyard with the scary thing (loud noise? bee sting?). And the move alone might have been scary -- my brother has a dog who wouldn't leave their sectional voluntarily for days after they moved into a new house, because it was familiar there and she was anxious about the new place. Both dogs in my examples have gotten past their fears (though both tend toward anxiety still). There are a number of things you can do for anxiety, including medication. I'm not a fan (at all) of Cesar's, and I think your instincts are good. Gently encourage him, with lots of high value treats (hot dogs, cheese), to move further. Don't pressure him at all, and don't correct him if he doesn't move forward (I wouldn't use a leash; it should be totally voluntary on his part) -- just a ton of encouragement and lots of treats if he tries it out. It can take a while, so don't get frustrated. And if he wants to stay at the bottom of the stairs, so be it. ETA: Sorry, just reread your post indicating that he's not hugely treat motivated. Is there something he'll work for? A great toy? Lots of verbal praise? Tugging? Something rewarding. I would really try to let him work it out on his own. Sorry I can't be of more help with rugs, but I think they're a great idea for an older dog. Good luck! This post was edited by StellaMarie on Tue, Apr 23, 13 at 13:20
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runsnwalken
15 years ago
very sad, some people ought never to have pets
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A Shelter Dog's Tale

Comments (3)

cat_mom

mazer415

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