Goodbye, Cowboy

Day 1 with Cowboy

Farewell Family Photo

It's official: Cowboy is on his way to Jersey City! Tomorrow he will finally get to meet his forever family thanks to See Spot Rescued and Friends of DeKalb Animals. Drew and I watched him board the FODA van this afternoon along with several other awesome foster families who said their goodbyes as well. No tears yet for either of us, but I know they will flow later tonight. I feel the usual fracture in my heart that comes with saying goodbye to a beloved foster, but it's SO worth it to know Cows has a wonderful future waiting for him.

We had Cowboy for three months to the day. Out of all our foster dogs so far, his departure left the most noticeable void. While it's nice to be back down to four dogs, it feels a little quiet. Cowboy wasn't at all rowdy, but we definitely feel his absence. He's such an awesome dog. I'm super excited to see his adoption pictures and hear how he does with his new family. The FODA van will arrive in NJ tomorrow and Cowboy is scheduled to meet his new family three hours afterward. Of course, I will post a happy tails update with photos from SSR.


I don't really have too much to say, oddly enough. It's different this time around...I feel bittersweet, but at peace. Cowsy will be missed around here, no doubt, but it's his time and we are so happy for him. Pickles will miss his incredibly patient playmate and Oliver will miss his laid back buddy. Bunkin and Flea will surely miss Cows once they realize it's now up to them to entertain Pickles 24/7. I'm sure when we turn out the lights tonight it will feel eerily quiet with his giant crate standing empty in our bedroom. We'll miss hearing his "moo" noises as he drifts off to sleep, stretches, rolls over, etc. We'll miss his big long poker face and his dashing good looks, but most of all we'll miss his heart. Ok, now I'm tearing up a little. We love you, Cowboy! You'll always be our #1 Moo Man Pokey Face!

¡Ay, Chihuahua!

Hello, play with meee!!

Chihuahuas. Everyone knows I love them and I’m not put off by their often unpredictable personalities.  I will be honest here: I’m a bit hesitant to write this post because I don’t want to harm Pickles’s reputation and chances of adoption, but at the same time I want to stay true to my blog’s purpose. In case I've strayed from the main purpose, I began this blog to share both the joys and the challenges of fostering. I don’t want to abandon that simply for the sake of diplomacy.

I had a tough day yesterday as a foster mom and as a Chihuahua lover. The day began with a super exciting message from an awesome rescue group who wanted to meet Pickles. We jumped in the car and drove to the shelter. Pickles did great with the first two ladies who met him, but my heart sank when he bit the third rescue lady. No physical harm happened; fortunately, the lady wore a heavy leather jacket that protected her skin. Unfortunately, that promptly ended Pickles’s meet and greet.

I smile when I sleep!

I’m writing this to vent my frustration and discouragement, but also to share my love for this little dog and hopefully get people to see what I see: a good, sweet, loving boy who is still learning to trust and is desperate to find someone who understands him. Pickles is not a vicious dog and no one is claiming that he is. I don’t want to seem as though I’m ok with the fact that he bit the rescue lady or making excuses for his behavior. I just want to promote awareness of a Chihuahua’s emotional plight in hopes of breaking through the barriers posed by reactive behavior and behavioral labeling.

I'm super cute, squishy, & snuggly!

I know you want to play!

I wanted to cry the whole drive home, but I couldn't. I could only think about how I could have better prepared Pickles for the meeting and how I can help him going forward. Clearly, Pickles needs more work. That’s on me. Prior to the meet and greet yesterday, Pickles had never experience a group encounter since we brought him home from the shelter. Perhaps that’s why he lost his cool when the third rescuer approached him. Everyone used good body language; no one ran toward him or shoved hands in his face. He might have just been overwhelmed by meeting a group of new people all at once or felt protective of me. Then there’s the environmental factor. While we didn't go inside the loud shelter, the parking lot and grassy areas are still full of crazy dog smells and strange stimuli. Even if Pickles didn't recognize where he was, he knew he was in a foreign place. Finally, I was really nervous about the meet and greet. I’m sure Pickles sensed my anxiety and fed off of that. All of these factors can be very stressful for a dog, especially a dog who is still learning how to properly socialize. Pickles just wasn't ready. I haven’t equipped him with the socialization and coping skills he needed to do well in that situation.

I have so much love to share, can't you see?

Chihuahuas are tough little dogs to crack. Any dog can be “mean”; Chis aren't naturally nasty just like Pit Bulls aren't naturally vicious. They simply respond to stress in ways that are often inappropriate because of their insecurity. Size has a lot to do with it, “fight or flight” has a lot to do with it, and under-socialization has a lot to do with it. Pickles needs more work, more time to learn how to trust, and more time to learn how to respond to everyday occurrences. He’s not mean, he’s not hopeless, and he’s not unadoptable. He is simply a work in progress. So what do I do next? I keep working with him until he gains confidence and understands that he doesn't have to be so afraid all the time. Pickles is a cake-walk compared to Flea; I can do this. He can do this. We will not give up. I know I’m a crazy Chihuahua lady, but I know I am not the only one. I will work every day to make people see what I see in Pickles and we will find his perfect match. I know he or she is out there somewhere.

P.S.: Thankfully, Pickles is feeling MUCH better since my previous blog post. His cough is still kind of lingering, but it is greatly reduced and he really feels good. He says thanks for all the pawsitive thoughts!

Pickles: Kennel Cough

Well, poor Pickles is still really sick. His kennel cough is full blown. The poor little guy can't take a single breath without coughing. Kennel cough is a really common virus dogs can catch in stressful shelter environments and other community boarding settings. It's akin to bronchitis. The cough usually resolves itself within a few weeks, but when a dog is compromised due to other health issues it can complicate and lead to pneumonia. Pickles came to us underweight and with hookworms, so these issues haven't helped him.

I know it's really hard to watch and unpleasant to hear, but please take a minute and watch this video of poor Pickles trying to cope with kennel cough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB1aWvYYAcc It's different from reverse sneezing. If your dog is coughing like this, please take him/her to the vet.

Pickles is almost done with his antibiotics for the respiratory infection, so the cough will likely have to run its course. It's super tough to watch him struggle and be so miserable, but he is eating and seems to understand that rest is best for him. He's spending most of his time in his crate, but he is able to sleep without coughing so he doesn't seem to mind. Every now and then he finds enough energy to play with Cowboy for a few minutes, but we are trying to keep him as calm as possible so he doesn't go into a coughing fit. I've been mixing a little honey in his food and trying to get him to drink chamomile tea to soothe his throat. Even though he feels awful and can barely breathe, Pickles is still so full of love and sweetness. When he sits in my lap, he'll nudge his nose under my hand asking me to scratch his head. Then he'll just drift off to sleep and I can see how relieved he is to be safe and comfortable. Pickles is available for adoption once he's healthy. If you're interested in adopting this little lovebug, please email jsmartinez@dekalbcountyga.gov