Timing is key

So since the last update there have been some positive and negative happenings. Our girl Wendsday is now adopted! She had a man from AZ see her and he has two other Weims that look similar to her. Now here Wendsday is the boss lady with dogs even though she is a big tail between the legs sissy when it comes to most other things. Well here came MOMMA "Tyson" Weim the eldest of the adopter's dogs. Wendsday knew better than to challenge Momma dog even though she looked pretty old she definitely told Wendsday who was the boss and how it was going to work. Who knows maybe she told her she'd bite her ear off.
We were all happy to see that Wendsday was agreeable to her station below Momma. Hopefully she will not decide one day that she is Buster Douglas and challenge Momma Tyson. However it goes, it is wonderful to know that someone who is very familiar with the breed will be giving her her forever home. Our girl had not been spayed yet and the adopter had to get back to AZ. Now to be responsible we do not allow unalterd animals to leave our facility so one of our fabulous staffers offered to drive Wendsday to AZ for him after she has been spayed (Wendsday, not the staffer). SOOO glad our girl got out when she did since she had been getting pretty aroused to the point that we had to cover her door to keep her from seeing to much and keeping that arousal up. WooHoo one long termer gone.

Then we have our Shaq Attack who unfortunately lived up to his name. We have had him out on foster with a staffer a few times and he has been VERY good. Not to reactive with dogs and was able to meet some dogs and be good about it. He has been out among people and done very well.
Here in bizzaro world, as I call the shelter that for the animals, his level of stress is rising. One problem is the male Great Dane and him somehow have become arch enemies even worse than Batman and the Joker. Shaq Attack and the Dane got to close one day and Shaq lost his scruples for the moment and went off like a rocket trying to get to the Dane and in the middle of who knows what Shaq was screaming at the Dane our staffer tugged him back and he redirected his arousal on her and bit her arm. The only small saving grace is that he did not break skin. When it comes to redirection of aggression, that is an issue that is looked more kindly upon than any other kind or reason for a bite. A week or so later I was pulled aside and told that Shaq Attack was to be put down for several different reasons which I somehow knew was coming. Instantly I broke down into tears.
This is a dog I have worked with and have gotten to blossom into a lovey, affectionate and sweet companion, and see such quality in him as a pet so I automatically disagreed with this decision. It took me some time and a good conversation from a fellow staffer to get me fired up to fight for my boy which I almost didn't and that made me realize that if I don't keep speaking up for those I feel deserve more time then I must be burned out. So, Thanks NW you helped more than you know. I gathered my facts about his bum knee which is a torn ligament and his behaviour outside of the shelter, his previous info from his relinquishers and got ready to plead my case for my defendant.
I felt I had all the right answers :We've had old dogs with chronic issues and some that can be expensive and they have found homes. We know it's only here in bizzaro world that he is so reactive and his bite from arousal has to be taken w/ a grain of salt since he will not reach that level out in the "normal" world. Just because he's black and older and with a bad knee doesn't mean no one will want him. I always have faith that our dogs will ALL get adopted, it's just a matter of time and if our kids can just hang on to their sanity long enough in this bizzaro world they WILL get their forever home. I pleaded my case to the judge (our Boss) and he is always good about hearing me out. I was prepared for whatever answer was to be given..the main thing was that Shaq Attack got his defense heard. The Judge was kind enough to give a weeks reprieve to show if the protocol that is put into place for him will work to keep him de-stressed enough so as not to reach a point of suffering He is now with people the majority of the time and we work hard at not allowing him to see any of the other dogs in the shelter since that often ramps him up (though nothing like him and the Dane). All the staff is rooting for him and he is loved by many. I had recently found out that I was not the only one to plead for him which brings me joy to hear.
Our boy is doing well in my eyes and all I can hope for is that others see that as well and give him the time he deserves to get his own forever home.
It's all about timing.
2 of our other long timers are doing well. Copper who is a sweet sweet Malamute who used to be really reactive to other dogs but us doing very well with not fence fighting or barking at them as they pass his room. He LOVES to be brushed and also has a very bad habit of peeing on his raised bed. He didn't do this in the beginning when he first arrived but one can never say how stress will manifest in each animal. He's a nut since he will pee on any bedding you give him. He's lucky his fur is cushy enough he doesn't really need it.
Bogenaut is still with us and still doing very well. He was kind enough to let us dress him up in a devil costume with a hat with horns to take a picture and then he was in a hippy costume with black curly wig! Talk about an awesome dog! if I didn't have so many of my own I would snag him up just solely because Halloween is my fav holiday and my boys won't tolerate my nonsense in that area. :) I'll fill you in on a few of our little ankle biters next time.
Thanks for tuning in!