Jaye Lawrence ([info]wordswoman) wrote,
@ 2008-04-21 07:01:00
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Happy Paws
The scared little pit bull--now identified as a boxer/pit cross--has become a happy, bouncing, playful pup in just two weeks. Eldest Daughter and I both walked her during our Saturday morning dogwalking session; her leaps and bounds were a joy to see.

After all the dogs had a turn outside, we took the newly christened "YaYa" into the MVHS playroom to chase tennis balls and savage some chewy toys. She was in heaven. Talk about the body language of glee! I'm not sure that human beings are capable of that kind of full-body happiness. Alas, we can neither wag nor purr, and I think we're the worse for it.

YaYa is still bony; two weeks of fostering weren't enough to put much weight on her. But her eyes were bright, her sores were almost healed, and I saw none of the cowering behavior that broke my heart when we first met. She is already a dog transformed.

She wasn't on the adoption floor yet, and that's probably for the best. I would've been tempted beyond all endurance if she were ready to go home with someone. The cats would NOT approve.

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[info]maggiedr
2008-04-21 01:53 pm UTC (link)
Our dog is guesstimated to be half American Bulldog and half AmStaff, in other words, no one knows but she's a pit bull mix of some sort. You can see the bully in her quite clearly, but I'd say there could be a touch of lab or even dalmation in there. But I recognize what you mean by body language of glee. When Patsy wags her tail, she can rotate it like a helicopter blade mounted to her butt.

We adopted her a year ago from Underdog, a rescue group, who picked her up from the pound so she wouldn't be put down. She'd been found running loose, but no owner ever showed up for her. Patsy was larger than I wanted, about 55 pounds when we got her and projected to be 60-65, but that didn't seem huge. However, when Patsy gets her crazy face on, she seems as big as a bull. In fact, with her black and white markings, she appears rather cow-like when resting.

Two years ago, I'd have never believed that I'd take in a pit bull of any sort. I totally bought into the bad press and the "Why don't they outlaw those dogs" mentality. My sons worked long and hard on me to change my mind. After months of researching online and watching Cesar Milan's show, I came to understand how unfair (and ultimately useless) breed discrimination legislation is...and I wound up with a bully of my own. Although the cat is not convinced, nor will she ever be 100% onboard with the decision.

Patsy is one of the best dogs I've had in my life, as far as tempermant, behavior, and lovability goes. On the other hand, I fully recognize that she could easily turn into a problem dog, not in a mean or aggressive way, but the usual way that pet dogs get issues. For one thing, she is too big, even though she remained a steady 55 pounds. 55 pounds of Patsy multiplied by ripping muscles, thick neck and chest, and still puppy-like exuberance can actually be downright dangerous. She had a head like a flat-iron and she's impervious to pain. (Cat will testify to this, has left numerous gouges on the dog which Patsy has merrily ignored.)

Without constant vigilant discipline, Patsy could knock almost anyone over, even though the intentions are friendly and good natured. In choosing her as our doggy companion, I have learned a precious lesson that I thought I already knew: When choosing a dog, be sure to choose the right dog for you. Luckily for us, Patsy is the perfect dog for our 23 yr old son. In good weather, he puts her on a dog sled harness, and she pulls him around the neighborhood riding his longboard. He spends a lot of time running and training her, so she'd a great pet. But without my son in the equation, I don't think my husband and I could provide the energy release activities that keep her calm and adorable the rest of the time.

When my son moves out, Patsy almost certainly needs to move with him. Although the chances of him finding a place to live that takes a bouncing bully dog are slim. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Meanwhile, I love Patsy with all my heart, but at the same time, if I get another dog for whatever reason, it will be smaller (and older.)

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[info]wordswoman
2008-04-21 02:36 pm UTC (link)
Awww, what a great face she has! I hope your son can find a place to live where she can go with him.

I think a lot of the dogs at MVHS are there because people chose a dog on its puppy cuteness or the look of the breed, rather than matching the pet to their lifestyle. Especially some of the energetic breeds, like herding dogs, that need SERIOUS amounts of daily exercise to keep them from bouncing off the walls. And it's surprising how hard even a small dog can pull on the leash; a beagle or basset on the scent gets really determined, and without some obedience training could be hard for an elderly person to walk even though they're not big dogs.

There was a beautiful chocolate lab at MVHS this Saturday, and he was so exuberant that even his wagging was sort of painful--it whacked our legs like a whip. I could just picture that tail knocking knick-knacks off an endtable or hitting a small child in the face! But he'd probably make a wonderful pet for a sportsman who would train him and take him on regular outings.

The other surprise, for me? How indolent and lazy greyhounds are most of the time! They're capable of those intense bursts of speed and energy that make them famous for racing, but the rest of the time...couch potato dogs! All the times the greyhound rescue agencies have been at our local Petsmart store, you hardly ever see greyhounds standing up; they are champion loungers and lollers.

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[info]calligyna
2008-04-22 06:44 am UTC (link)
That's great news!

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[info]calligyna
2008-04-25 05:43 am UTC (link)
A goodie from a Vox peep of mine:

http://jaymajor.vox.com/library/photo/6a00c22520c0ff549d00f48ceccc3a0003.html

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[info]wordswoman
2008-04-25 10:45 am UTC (link)
Awwww! That looks SO much like little YaYa! She has a spot over one eye too.

Thanks for the dose of cute. :)

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[info]craftyredhead
2008-05-05 08:24 pm UTC (link)
how about a picture of the cutie pie?

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[info]wordswoman
2008-05-06 02:14 am UTC (link)
Don't have any, sorry--I don't bring a camera for dogwalking.

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