Errin Paddywack
Well-Known Member
Background. My friend, 82 but you would never know it, took on a rehome collie around 2 years ago now. She had just lost the dog she used to do Hoopers with and previously agility. The people who owned Tess originally had her from a pup and make a lousy job of her. Mixture of over stimulation and crating her too much I believe. At some point she started biting them. I suspect they had never trained any manners into her. She was sent back to the breeder who placed her with a good behaviourist who had her in her own home. She settled well here and they worked on her dog aggression (mostly fear) and also traffic phobia. This was a dog who had been bred specifically to be a pet and no working lines in her at all. All the other pups in the litter were perfect, no problems.
I went with my friend to see her and we both loved her. Took her for a walk to assess her and my friend decided despite her being younger than she wanted she would take her. What none of us had thought about was where my friend lives, very busy road, secondary school at the top and a junior school too. Lots of traffic including school buses. This all freaked Tess out and she was rushing at the front window then coming back and going for my friend. Took a lot of work but now she is 99% better. She can also now walk her past other dogs in the street where before she used to react. Happens rarely now but she still if she goes over threshold will come back at my friend and bite her arm so it is still there but so much better. Apart from this she is the sweetest cuddliest dog who loves everyone and adores her mum. She has achieved all her Good Citizen awards and was doing well.
Now the problem. Just over 3 weeks ago my friend had taken her for a walk and stopped to talk to someone who reported that she suddenly just dropped and hit her head on the pavement. Currently still in hospital but not good and being realistic/pessimistic I cannot see her making much of a recovery. Tess is in the local rescue kennels who are excellent and to start with she was fine but is now not coping. Too many dogs barking, even out in one of the paddocks she cannot see other dogs but can hear them and she is getting more and more stressed to the pont she cornered one of the kennel girls the other day. She is now in a kennel with run attached and basically alone for 23 hours a day. She is used to being with my friend all day and meeting lots of other dogs when on walks so this is torture for her. I keep feeling I should volunteer to foster her but I have 14yr old who is getting wobbly and just wouldn't cope with such as active dog. Not sure I could cope with her as she is now either. The big fear is that even if my friend does eventually get home Tess is going to come back worse than when she first had her. Friend has two sons but neither would or could take her on. She needs an experienced handler and a very quiet life.
Just feel so upset about this such a sad thing to happen.
I went with my friend to see her and we both loved her. Took her for a walk to assess her and my friend decided despite her being younger than she wanted she would take her. What none of us had thought about was where my friend lives, very busy road, secondary school at the top and a junior school too. Lots of traffic including school buses. This all freaked Tess out and she was rushing at the front window then coming back and going for my friend. Took a lot of work but now she is 99% better. She can also now walk her past other dogs in the street where before she used to react. Happens rarely now but she still if she goes over threshold will come back at my friend and bite her arm so it is still there but so much better. Apart from this she is the sweetest cuddliest dog who loves everyone and adores her mum. She has achieved all her Good Citizen awards and was doing well.
Now the problem. Just over 3 weeks ago my friend had taken her for a walk and stopped to talk to someone who reported that she suddenly just dropped and hit her head on the pavement. Currently still in hospital but not good and being realistic/pessimistic I cannot see her making much of a recovery. Tess is in the local rescue kennels who are excellent and to start with she was fine but is now not coping. Too many dogs barking, even out in one of the paddocks she cannot see other dogs but can hear them and she is getting more and more stressed to the pont she cornered one of the kennel girls the other day. She is now in a kennel with run attached and basically alone for 23 hours a day. She is used to being with my friend all day and meeting lots of other dogs when on walks so this is torture for her. I keep feeling I should volunteer to foster her but I have 14yr old who is getting wobbly and just wouldn't cope with such as active dog. Not sure I could cope with her as she is now either. The big fear is that even if my friend does eventually get home Tess is going to come back worse than when she first had her. Friend has two sons but neither would or could take her on. She needs an experienced handler and a very quiet life.
Just feel so upset about this such a sad thing to happen.
. It may come to nothing yet but at least I will have tried. Seeing the way my friend is at the moment I think it would have been kinder if she had died. She has always been so independent and still driving all over the place to catch up with friends at events and down to south coast to visit one of her sons. She used to walk miles with Tess. Very good agility instructor too and sorely missed at our club where we are rapidly running out of instructors. It has really brought home to me how fragile life is and how things can change in a split second. One good thing may come out of this, I am being kicked out of the lazy rut I had got into, something mere willpower wasn't succeeding in doing.
