Semi-Feral Dog...ideas??

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RedGlitter
Posts: 15777
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:51 am

Semi-Feral Dog...ideas??

Post by RedGlitter »

A lot of you know I'm in animal rescue. Last year my jerk neighbor's dog had a litter of puppies. The mother dog would come into my yard when I'd be in the garage/ She stopped showing up because Jerk had the pound pick up her and all but one puppy. Said puppy (now Lizzie) was *maybe* a month old and was wandering the neighborhood. I didn't want her to get hurt and I was sure being a puppy, that I could adopt her out right away. So I finally got her when she wandered into my open dog kennel and I quick shut the gate. She was terrified of us from the start. Pick her up, she'd bite. Try to pet her, she'd bite. We took her to the vet once, to get her a puppy exam, soon after getting her, by hustling her into a carrier and picking up the carrier and setting it in the truckbed. Now she's way too big for that.



She continues to live in one of my outdoor kennels. (She has it to herself.) We still cannot put a leash on her as she flips out. Even if we just simply clip it to her collar, and let go, she can't handle it. Tried leaving the leash in the run for her to get familiar with it and she ate it. :thinking:



She is the only one of our dogs who is not spayed. I don't know how to get her to the vet. I haven't asked about tranqs or herbal remedies but I think that must be the only way. I am not as concerned about her spaying as I am about her dewclaws as they are needing to be trimmed or they're going to become a problem for her. She used to let my (late) mom trim them but I have not tried it myself. Lizzie seems happy enough; I mean *I'M* not happy iwith her situation but she does not seem angry or sad. This is the only way of life she knows. She loves bones and chewies but shows no interest in toys so far so I worry about boredom. I am able to pet her on top of the head and around the head and under her chin. If I try to pet her back or anything past her head, she will back away from me and try to become one with the corner. If I approach her in the corner, she will leave the kennel to avoid me. Yet when I go out there, she acts like the other foster dogs and seems excited to see me, and when I open her kennel, she comes up to the door, tail wags, and lets me pet her head only.



So I don't know what to do. She is totally unadoptable at this point. A trainer is out as we only have a freaky militant monster in town who I would never use and a reward system type trainer but I am afraid of frightening Lizzie more or having the trainer get bitten. I feel as if I am being cruel to her because I can't even take her out for a walk! I can't even get her into the big play yard for exercise! Her kennel is not too small for her comfort but dogs need to move around and run and play and I feel I'm depriving her. I've even wondered if putting her down is what I should do and I've had people hint at that but it's anathama to what we stand for! She's not sick or suffering and isn't "cage crazed" so I will not have her life ended.



Lizzie is all black and appears to be a Lab mix but I don't know with what. She has short hair and some black pigmentation on her tongue if that helps. I know the tongue isn't a guarantee of a blacktongued breed but I do wonder if she might have some Chow in her.



What can I do to get her to allow herself to be handled and to tolerate a leash (she wears a collar) and become adoptable? I don't think I will ever be able to get her into a home. :(
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Rapunzel
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Joined: Thu May 12, 2005 5:47 pm

Semi-Feral Dog...ideas??

Post by Rapunzel »

I'm not a dog owner so this is just thinking aloud - but would it help if she had another dog in with her? A bigger gentle dog so she couldn't attack him/her without retaliation but who might be able to teach her his own obedience?

Or would it help if she had a litter? Maybe caring for her own pups would calm her down?

Just a thought anyway. Let us know how it all works out. :)
RedGlitter
Posts: 15777
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 3:51 am

Semi-Feral Dog...ideas??

Post by RedGlitter »

Thanks, Rapunzel.

I never thought about putting another dog with her. :thinking: HMM. I will think on that for a while. I have never even introduced her to the other guys although she can bark along and communicate with them and can see them on both sides of her.



I don't think a litter would calm her down...I've never known it to work that way. But there are so many unwanted dogs here as it is that I couldn't do that anyway in good conscience. Not to mention I don't know what I would do with all the pups. *eep!* :-3



But maybe introducing a dog while they have the kennel door between them is an option....





Thanks!
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Rapunzel
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Joined: Thu May 12, 2005 5:47 pm

Semi-Feral Dog...ideas??

Post by Rapunzel »

I'm glad I could help. :)

I'm just an outsider looking in, so any suggestion I make might be okay or totally cr@p - I can't tell. :o

However, when my brother and I went to school my mother told us to sit next to 'someone clever'. We both had very clever friends and it really works because you rub off on each other. Probably not so good for my friend, but I picked up a lot from her and from my other friends.

Maybe a gentle male dog would rub off on your Lizzie and teach her to socialise a little. Maybe she's lonely looking through the bars at the other dogs but having no *friend* to nuzzle up to and *talk* to. Anyway, good luck with Lizzie and let us know how she gets on. :)
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cherandbuster
Posts: 8594
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 11:33 am

Semi-Feral Dog...ideas??

Post by cherandbuster »

Oh Red :)

Best of luck

Your heart is big :-4
Live Life with

PASSION
!:guitarist





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guppy
Posts: 6793
Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 5:49 pm

Semi-Feral Dog...ideas??

Post by guppy »

Red, you are an amazing woman!! Lizzie is very lucky to have been found by you.

Her life could have been way different. sounds like she is in doggy hilton now. lol.

good luck with her.
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