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SHORTSTOP 1 August 2005
Ashley called and said she had this 10 month old Basset / Pit bull mix that needed a foster home--and would I be OK with that. A call had gone out previously for foster homes for adult dogs, as she was losing her foster homes (3 of them were moving into new places that would not accept animals). I said that if she had dog who got along well with Sheila, I'd be willing to take him/her. We'd had part pit bull puppies before so since this one was young, I didn't have any real concerns about taking him. Shortstop had been found wandering the streets in Woodland, so they don't know about his background. He has been in a foster home with other dogs and has done well there, and Ashley didn't think there would be a problem here. There was a problem from the minute I opened the door, with both dogs lunging at each other. "Are you sure about this?" I asked. She said she would stay until she was sure, and she took Shortstop in through the back yard, with Sheila whining and trying to get out (seeming to have forgotten that she could have gone out the dog door). I let her out and amazingly, they started sniffing each other, with tails wagging. Shortstop then went about marking his territory, all over the yard.
After a few minutes, Shortstop and Sheila went at it again and I was feeling less comfortable about this. Ashley broke them up again and Shortstop went to check out Kimba. Now Ashley probably couldn't see it, but I've watched Kimba with other dogs long enough to know that very soon she was going to snap, and given Shortstop's apparent hair-trigger response, he could easily kill her in one bite. But so far things were going all right, though I was feeling less and less comfortable about having him here. When he and Sheila got into it for the third time, Ashley and I agreed that this was not going to be the right placement for him. She also decided that he needed to be watched by the other dog coordinator to see if he was safe to place at all. While she was putting his leash on him again, Sheila slipped by me and into the house, where she sat at the door watching what was going on. I've never seen her do that before. She always wants to be right there where the action is, especially if there is another dog around. Another indication that this was not a marriage made in heaven. I feel bad about it. I really was looking forward to having another young adult around here (one who was unlikely to jump up on the table!), since Sheila and Eddie had gotten along so well, but it was quite apparent that the perfect playmate was NOT going to be Shortstop. So Shortstop is gone and it's just me and the two girls again, until the next time some canine needs a temporary home.
The other bit of news is about the lab puppies--I feel like my whole life is starting to revolve around news about my babies and former babies! Anyway, someone checked them out and said that the blue eyes they have is an indication that they are probably part lab, part border collie, which explains their good dispositions. Those are puppies I look forward to seeing when they go up for
adoption in a couple of weeks., to see if their cuteness and good disposition hold as they
enter their "older toddler" period! |
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"If you turn your beak a little to the right, I can pick up Frasier" |
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Created 7/31/05
Well, I very
nearly took in a foster dog named Shortstop.
He's a strange looking dog. The only thing "basset"
about him is his trunk size, which seems out of proportion with his head. His legs
aren't short, but they aren't long enough to match his head, and his coloring seems to be
pit bull. There is not a hint of basset in his ears.
The sad thing was hearing the latest about Sydney, who
had a hernia operation the day after he came here last time. Apparently, in puppy
play, the stitches came open (I have to admit I was worried about that when he was here)
and so he has had to be re-sutured, wear a belly-band, and be isolated from his siblings
until he heals for well and good. Poor little guy.
