Friday, February 11, 2011

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde



Pictured is CUBAROO. I won't even attempt to guess at his breed. He's just an easy to love beautiful "mutt". To me he has this chill persona. He's very "cool" on the outside but inside he's scared. He has a quiet nervousness about him. He'll strut but don;t let the strut fool ya..his paws are a sweatin'. He's not a needy boy but he will solicit attention, and when he puts his paws on you he has a cat like agility and gentleness that makes it like he's hardly touching you. He's of course on a sensitive stomach diet the poor little stress ball.

I first got to know CUBAROO as the sick easygoing youngin' who got a good F Off from my 13lb Rat Terrier when he was getting a little to familiar for her liking. He kept wanting to play with her and going in to play bows and lunging trying to get her to engage. Finally he relented yes with a little verbal help from me even though did keep walking past her looking at her as she was lying under the counter. I would lay on the big dog bed and if my dog was on it he wouldn't some lie down with me but as soon as she was off he would join me. He was a sweet gentle sickie.

After a couple weeks CUBAROO got back from foster & of course got adopted by a family with some younger kids right away. Hell he was sweet and gentle and just had a quietness about him! Who wouldn't line up for him? Not too soon before getting neutered and heading home CUBAROO showed himself to be a monster with other dogs. So bad in fact, that the family was called and told he would not be good with younger kids. Hmm maybe it was just that dog. Maybe that dog had attitude and deserved it. So a staffer who has a larger sweet older dog who gets along with pretty much everybody felt he'd be a good one to see how easily and often Mr. Hyde likes to come out and "play". Seemingly everything was fine and they were playing and then CUBAROO attacked the other dog from outta nowhere and pulled some hair out. No indication given. I was not witness to it. I HAVE witnessed his barking at and lunging towards other dogs and the whining to get at them but never the opportunity to see him actually interacting with dogs other than the few he met while on foster with me. My dog put him in his place and he did not retaliate and he also sniffed a big yellow lab and moved along without incident.

Then My little man came up to the front office with me. I figured he needed some good people time and a chance to chill out with us. We gave him a rawhide which he hadn't had in a LONG time since he had the sensitive belly. Well didn't little stinker growl at a staffer over it and then bit another while she was petting him while the bone was between his legs. Great now we add resource guarding to dog aggression. Not good. I could feel him get ten steps closer to the green mile! I was scared for him as I know where this leads to and quickly.

A staffer took him home for the weekend to see how he would do in the home again. Maybe it was just the shelter and he would decompress and be ok. As I hear it it, she couldn't even get CUBAROO off the couch with out him whipping around to bite with out even a growl for warning. She brought him back since she had to even have him sleep in the hall.

Time goes by and dogs deteriorate, it's just a fact. Call it the nature of the beast. You're isolated, few or no friends, very little social time and little rest because of all the activity happening all day. I suppose we are lucky more don't don't go crazy faster. I said my goodbyes to my sweet boy yesterday and hope he goes down easy. I love you CUBAROO RIP

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