The Nell Chronicles
The Story of My (Possibly) Hearing Impaired, Dumped, Rescued Dalmatian
The Story of My (Possibly) Hearing Impaired, Dumped, Rescued Dalmatian
I will tell Nell's story, by using the emails that I had sent to the Dalmatian lists.
May 19, 1999
Very Scared Dalmatian Spotted in My Area
I had a woman stop by my house today, with news of a very scared Dal near the school. She had tried to get this dog, but could not. She knew that I had Dals and came to me for some help.
I drove up to look for her. I stopped and spoke to several people in the area, and a few had seen her in the vicinity, looking very lost and confused. I spoke to a man across from the school, who was cutting pine tree branch tips. He had not seen her, so I pulled into the school parking lot, and was about to go in to the office to ask about her, when I saw her at the far end of the parking lot, sniffing around some cars.
I tried to toss a few biscuits near her, not at her, but she was too scared.
She crossed the highway that runs in front of the school. The man who was
cutting branches tried to get her to come to him, but all he did was scare
her off to run back into the trees/forest. I continued to search for her, to no avail. The area is forest, not much undergrowth, but to the northwest is a high ridge, and there are cougar, bear and coyote in the vicinity. I left Dulcie's flyers with quite a few people in the area, and asked that if they see her to call me. I told them this dog was NOT Dulcie, but a different Dal that I felt I had to help. One of those with the flyer and the notice of this dog was the ACO's wife. (They live not far from where this dog was last seen.)
She is a female adult, and is much more lighter in her spotting pattern than Deva or Fannie. The school principal had seen her earlier in the day behind the school. I told him that she was right out front when I saw her, and was now across the road and towards the ridge. He will call if she is seen. The guys at the transfer station had seen her earlier that day, and will also call if she is seen. I plan to let them know tomorrow that I saw her, as by the time this all happened, they were closed.
Several others in that area were alerted about her...so I am hoping that with others watching for her someone will call. I know that stray bear and cougar have been trapped near that same area and relocated, and I will contact the game department..but will they help trap a lost dog?
I hated giving up the search,and I am hoping she will come back to the school area. The poor girl is so very very scared and confused. Please say a prayer for her safety...and that she gets help from someone, if not from me.
May 20, 1999
Small Steps in a Positive Direction
I think I made a little progress already. I took some dog food, canned cat food (turkey and giblets), hot dogs (turkey again) and biscuits out to the school. As I was speaking with the secretaries, they said she was across the road just then, and pointed out her head, looking around from the base of some trees.
I went over, and walked around a bit, and there she was under a pine tree, between a gravel road along the highway and the highway itself. I tossed a few pieces of hot dog her way, and then set some food down on the road. She was not interested, but began walking along the highway to the northwest.
I crossed the road, began following her, and managed to direct her
back to where the food was. She ate the canned food and the hot dog,
then walked off in the opposite direction maybe 15 feet or so. I sat
down upwind from her, and just waited. She eventually came back to where
the food was, and stood there and barked..and barked...and barked. I spoke quietly to her, and just sat there, making no effort to try to approach her. I was surprised to see her begin to take steps toward me..she continued barking, but her tail came up a bit and she was wagging it slightly. At least it was no longer tucked between her legs!! She continued for a while to move a few steps at a time, closer and closer...then she moved off a bit into the trees, but not really "away". There was no more forward movement...just the constant barking, which sometimes drifted into a bit of a mournful howl.
I told her that her people were not coming back..I think someone dumped her across from the school, thinking she would find a home with one of the kids there.
I got up, spoke to her, then walked back across the highway to use the bathroom in the school. I had set the can of dog food and the can of cat food down by the front wheel of my Bronco, and when I came out, she was eating out of it!! She had followed me, and I am HOPING she now knows that my Bronco is where the food comes from. I spoke quietly to her, and she went back across the highway, not looking at all for traffic.
As I was crossing the highway, I was watching the traffic, and heard a few crows making a ruckus..when I got across and looked, she was no where to be found..she is very very fast! I put out a bit more of the cat food and broke up another hot dog, and moved off to sit and wait. She did not show back up, so I walked back into the trees, looking for any sign of her. I finally gave up and came home..but will be back when I pick my son up from school in an hour. I will take him out there with me and see if we see her again, and see her reaction to a child. I want to wait just a bit before I take Deva out with me, but that will be my next step.
I am pleased that she at least has her tail up, and that she is taking steps towards me rather than away. I hope that this does not take long to gain her confidence. With her crossing the road back and forth, I fear for her safety. Tonight is a school concert..eek..my son will want me there, but there will be sooo many cars...my thoughts will be on this little dally girl, not on the concert. Ah, shoot..now I have to figure this one out. Say a little prayer that she remains safe. (I did have the principal make an announcement at the concert that this dal was across the road, and for people to be aware of her. He mentioned to the parents in the audience that there was a dalmatian across the road, and that if anyone owned "him" to please get him.)
May 21, 1999
Catching the Wild Dalmatian
I am back for a rest. I desperately need a nap. I walked out to her spot after backing my Bronco up towards her spot from the end of this road. I darn near walked on top of her...I had to make some motions to get her to notice me, and immediately walked away with a plate of food, and set it down, then went back to my usual sitting spot. I stayed there for a while..she finally came to eat, then she walked off down the road some distance to lie by a pile of old wood/brush. Okay, now I have two spots marked where she will rest. She stayed there for quite a while. I sat there and read, checked on her now and then..but stayed away. Finally... I HAD to pee and badly. (I made the mistake of taking a cup of coffee with me.) I got in the Bronco..she began to come back. I waited...gotta pee gotta pee gotta pee...but I wanted to see what she would do. She stood and barked/howled..so mournfully...but then went to the spot where I had been sitting, and sniffed around for some time. Then, she came up to the back of my Bronco! Right up to it! I rolled down the window and got a good look at her..she has nearly black ears but a bit of white on the tips, so she is not patched. (Patched Dals have a .06% chance of being deaf..so the odds of a patched dal being deaf are very very very low..I am no expert on deafness in Dalmatians, but recently read this statistic from a study on deafness in Dals.)
I lost sight of her..I looked in the passenger side rear view mirror and
she was at the back of the car on that side.. and then came back to my side.
I moved out of the car slowly..she moved off maybe 5 feet or so..then
continued to about 15 ft. away..but turned to look at me. I crouched
down, but she said "nope." Moved off more, back to her soft spot under
the pines. I decided to leave it on a fairly positive note.I went to the school, as the buses were arriving and I needed to get Glen and his sax, and one driver asked if I was looking for the Dal. I told her I had been sitting there with her all afternoon...she parked the bus and came up to me as I was going in to the school. I told her that I was with her off and on since I first heard, and she told me she was SOOOOO glad that I was working on this. Word will spread, I hope, so that bus drivers will slow down there and be careful. I told her how frustrating it was that so many people were trying to capture her, that is was making it harder for me to gain her trust..but that I would not give up and that I also was trying to get the Game Dept. to help me out in capturing her.
I do not feel I have much time here..not with her living along the highway, and not with so many people out there who can chase her in front of traffic. It would be nice if I could wait and wait and wait and gain her trust slowly, day by day..but I can barely sleep at night, worrying about the bozos that zoom by in their monster trucks..and of course, tonight is Friday night..time to get to the Brick in Roslyn and start to party for the weekend. I worry so about her.
I am not very active on the lists or boards as this is taking up so much time. I hate to leave my email, even the dalmatian networking, but that is how it is for now..I cannot bear the thought of the danger this poor girl is in. I get up, feed and water birds, wake up with some coffee, let dogs in and out, in and out, feed and water them and I am off...I am behind in laundry and housework, along with everything else but, oh well. I must get this dog!
She is not as heavily spotted, nor as thin, as I first thought. She has nearly solid ears, and she has quite a few spots, more so than Dulcie, but less so than Fannie or Deva, and none run together. I honestly believe she is deaf, as she does not respond to car horns or a soft voice...yet on occasion I have seen she pricks her ears when I "kiss" from a distance..so that leaves me wondering. Deafness would surely explain much of her fear and wariness...and confusion. It breaks my heart to hear her bark and then hear it go into a howl. Tears spring to my eyes picturing that now.
I have got to get help, I must get this dog. There are small humane traps at the feed store for skunks and coons...I don't know that they have them for animals her size. And I don't have time to order one. I doubt that animal control will have one, I don't know....I have not heard from him nor seen him around, but his wife does know about this dog. I am pretty sure Steve of the Game Dept. will help. I intend to let him know that if this girl gets in front of a car on that highway, and someone swerves to miss her, that they could swerve in front of a car or bus with school kids in it...she MUST be caught and the sooner the better!!
George is getting lots of phone calls up at Village asking if I know about
her. He just tells them I am working on her. Glen doesn't want
her here..he wants a pug and if I get her, that means he won't get his
pug. I keep telling him it may be some time before a pug comes
here...and I am well aware that when I get my little Nell here at last,
that there is a good chance she will not be leaving. Dogs like this are
very very difficult, if not impossible, to place. I am a bit amazed at this challenge..this is my first actual hands on rescue of a Dal, and it is about the worst case scenario you can put together...the terrain, the openness, the fear she obviously feels, the likelihood of her deafness, the highway, the idiot drivers, even the fact that we only have a weekly paper so I can't make a plea to have people leave her and watch for her as they drive by, and let me gain her trust. How can it be any worse? But you know me..."Persistence "is my middle name.
Better run for now..I am hoping to hear from the Game Department. If he doesn't call soon, I will drive back over to his house.
Keep Nell in your thoughts and prayers. Her name comes from the Jodie Foster/Liam (Hubba Hubba!) Neeson movie of a few years ago.
May 22, 1999
The "Force" Was With Me Today!
Nell is here! I got her!!
It was definitely more of a surrender than any kind of "capture".
Right now, she is in a large crate, til everyone settles down. I am still shaking. I can't believe it! I did not go to sleep til after 5 a.m., fretting over her. I was saying heavy duty prayers to God, to St. Francis (my lifelong bud!), to Mr. Ed, Rin Tin Tin, Dr. Doolittle and everyone else I could think of..and I asked Dulcie to help me help her too. And yes, I did ask that the Force be with me today! I even wore a Dalmatian T-shirt that my son Glen spotted at a thrift store, for good luck. I kept thinking last night of Yoda's words, "There is no try, only do!"
I went out to her spot, took food and the black t-shirt I slept in last night, and a fresh coffee can full of water. She was no where to be found. (Geez, it sounds like a kennel in here right now!) I was very worried, as there were many "weekend warriors" camping in the area, with a lot of motocross bikers, horseback riders, and I could hear someone firing guns off in the hills. I sat for a long long time, with so sign of her anywhere, and finally decided to alert some of the campers and horseback riders who were closeby.
I went to one group of people and gave them a flyer, asked that they
keep their eyes peeled for her, and that if they had the chance to talk
to anyone, to ask that they not chase her at all. I went to another small
group, and gave them my last flyer...and they said that the next group had a
dal there..so I asked for the flyer, which they gave up happily, saying
they would not forget the heart on Dulcie's shoulder. I walked over to the group of young people, and asked if they had a Dal there. They said yes, that this dal had shown up last night, and slept near their truck..but there was no response to anything they said to her. I walked over and there she was! She looked up at me, wagged her tail, and let me pet her!!! Her eyes told me she was ready to come home.
I asked them to hold her there, as I had a slip leash in my car..they said that she was not going anywhere, and I started off..then heard, "She's following you!" Sure enough, I looked back and she was right on my heels. She let me pick her up, and I began to carry her to my Bronco. At one point, she started to struggle and gave me a snap...I set her down, held on to her, calmed her (and myself!) down, walked a bit more, found a piece of baling twine. I got that around her neck and led her to my car, opened the door, and she hopped right in! The second group I had talked to offered their congratulations in getting her.
I drove back to the first group of campers and let them know that I got her..she sat next to me, pleased as punch to be in the car, not upset at all. She sat there, watching everything going on, then curled up beside me.
I thought I should first find someone to call George and tell him to crate Deva and Fannie and to clear the way to bring her inside, and I stopped at the house where I had spoken to a woman and her husband on the first day I was searching for her. The man there was elated that I finally got her, and I went in his garage to call George and tell him the good news myself.
It is quiet now...I put Deva and Fannie outside for a bit. Now I need to introduce them slowly...the others have sniffed and greeted her, but she snarls at the two Dals.
Okay...she is safe now. Now what? :oD
May 23, 1999
Settling In
Nell is settling in fairly well. I will be taking her to the vet in the morning, and getting her checked out. I doubt she is spayed yet, and she will be. Most definitely!!! (I wish more people would spay and neuter their Dals. There are thousands upon thousands being put down across the US and Canada, and far too many do NOT get the help that Nell managed to get. A good breeder will ALWAYS take back their pups, at any age, for any reason, so that the pups they bring into the world will never end up in a shelter, or God forbid, dumped as Nell was. Nell is one of the lucky ones, but things are not in the clear yet. She and I will be learning sign language together, and everyone in the family must learn at least the basic commands as well.
She must also get along with Deva and Fannie. Our family here has a lot to
learn in dealing with a deaf dog. I noticed that she seemed to feel the
vibrations in the house when Glen was stomping up and down the hall, so we
need to stomp in the house upon approaching her, so as not to startle her.
Nell has already been startled by George, when he came in behind me. She is
very protective of me, stays right near me, and does not want to let me out
of her sight. I seriously doubt that I will be able to place her in a
different home. So, it looks like I have a third Dalmatian! And Glen and his pug dreams? He cuddles with her, and she with him...he is begging me to let Nell be his dog. (As I recall, he went through this when Fannie came to us as well.) It strikes me as funny, as he was against the idea of another Dalmatian here until he laid eyes on her. It was love at first sight! Nell seems to have taken a great liking to him, as well.
Nellie Bellie, Puddin 'n' Pie
May 26, 1999
Nell is doing well. She sees the vet this afternoon for checkup and shots...and I will make the appointment for spaying. She may have some hearing, but not much. I am certain she is deaf for the most part.
I joined the deaf dogs list, ordered a book on deaf dogs, will stop at one of the college bookstores to see if they have a book on sign language. I would rather not make up my own signs, but use standard ASL. I think it is best for the dog, in case of theft, loss in an accident, etc.
She does much better around Deva and Fannie when we are outside..Fannie
tries to entice her to play but she will have nothing of that as yet.
Poor Deva sits near me, with a toy dangling from her mouth, begging Nell
to play, with such a pleading look in her eyes. When Nell is sitting next
to me in the living room, she will watch Fannie and Deva play, and this
gets her a bit excited..but she doesn't yet seem to understand the
concept of "play" and what "wrassling" is. I have to keep her checked so
she doesn't try to jump in and fight.Nell has attacked both Deva and Fannie in the house....no bloodshed, but very noisy and upsetting...she is getting better about not doing this so much, but it is a lot of work to prevent any of this. She is constantly by my side, and will not let me out of her sight. Fannie avoids her as much as possible, but Nell will start growling at my dear velcro dog, Deva, when Deva tries to come near me. I tell her no, I sign "no!", get a mean, ugly, disapproving look on my face, and ignore her til she calms down. Deva will sit next to me, and I won't pet Nell til she accepts Deva near me quietly.
I am trying very hard not to screw up..I would rather take things very slowly in small positive steps than screw up even once negatively. Last night, Nell was in the "dal spot" behind me on my chair. (Deva or Fannie are usually there, but they have been "ousted".) Deva was nearby, on the loveseat, so I got up to cuddle with her there. Nell came over, and Deva just sat near me..I was on the front edge and she was more or less behind me, cuddling close. Nell came over, got up beside me, and layed down next to Deva!! I thought it was a very very big positive step, that she did not chase Deva off! Deva was even able to give her a few licks on the top of the head and the ear...with not a sound from Nell! (Deva is such a "mother" when it comes to the other dogs!)
Again, last night, all three Dals were swarming around me, and Nell was growling a bit..Deva gave me the impression she was trying to act as peacekeeper between Fannie and Nell. If and when there is an argument between Nell and Fannie, Deva is right there to comfort her dear "twin", licking and reassuring her. If I can use Deva as a "bridge" to get Nell to accept the other Dals, I will...getting Nell to be as accepting of Fannie will be next.
I took some pics of Nell outside yesterday, as we FINALLY had some warm
weather over the past few days. I am working on getting pictures of the
three Dals together, but haven't been able to yet. (Yesterday was Dulcie's
fifth birthday...God I miss her so!) Nell is a sweetheart. AND
she is housebroken, thankfully. I will be posting her on all my lost and
found sites as well, though I don't have much hope that someone is
looking for her.I was advised to not allow her around my other dogs yet..but in my situation, that is not possible. I have weighed the risks, and feel the important thing is to get her to accept the other dogs, and get to know us and our routines. The only way to keep her "separate" would be to crate her in an open sided crate off the living room, which is where she sleeps, but that is not really a separation...she would do nothing but bark at the others, and they would return the "favor". All humans present would hate me.
I am expecting a clean bill of health today. I am hoping that I am not making too many mistakes with her. I have such a hard time believing this is the same dog who was so terrified of people....I hope I got the right one, and that there is not some other Dal over there who is still scared and in hiding!!
Nell's Vet Visit
May 27, 1999
I think Nell may actually hear *some* tones..but will plan to get her BAER tested later. (I had to get my son's sax fixed and she didn't care for his testing of it when we got home. Nor did she care for George's rendition of a crowing rooster.
Nell went to the vet yesterday.
While waiting for our turn, I explained to a few others there that I had just found her across from our school, and that I had only had her for a few days. One woman mentioned someone up in Cle Elum who had been looking for a long time for a Dalmatian...Of course, I told her that was my Dulcie and that I was still searching for her. I had dropped off a flyer at her dog kennel many many months ago.
Nell got her shots, but Dr. Mike had to muzzle her to examine her. I
don't think she likes men too much. He thought she was in very good
health for being out on her own and for having gone through what she
did. He wants to wait for her immune system to kick in before doing any
more, including the spaying. He could not feel or see any spay scar. (I
wasn't holding my breath on that one.) She weights around 47.5 lbs. He
was amazed that she was so attached to me so quickly, and before we left
he asked how I caught her. It was more of a surrender, I think, than a
capture.He clapped his hands loudly and sharply one time from behind her, and Nell flinched..so he thought that she definitely heard that. I find it is softer, higher pitched sounds that she does not seem to hear at all. So, she may not be totally deaf.
I ran into the college bookstore before leaving town, asked if they had any books on sign language, grabbed the dictionary, paid and ran back to the car. I set a record for myself..in and out of a bookstore, (and one book only!) in less than five minutes!! And no one to witness the event!! (It may never, ever happen again!)
Nell just let me know she had to go out. I use a sign for "out" that is like the fingers walking through the phone book. The one time I could have gotten a good photo of the three spotted girls together and I left the camera in the house! (Darn it!) They get along great outside, and on our way out, Nell made a partial play bow to Deva! She is still a little grumbly in the house, but little by little she is accepting the other dogs. She is very possessive of me, and I am trying to discourage so much clinginess, and am trying to encourage time spent out with her spotted sisters outside.
The other dogs seem to be cooperating. Cheyenne (Aussie mix) will walk right up to me and brush against her side, but otherwise ignores her. They don't make a big deal that a new dog is here. I appreciate that. ;o)
A little while ago, both Deva and Nell were on the bed here, sleeping.
They were not quite touching, but that is a big step in the right
direction. Last night, I sat between the two of them, and when I got up,
they stayed lying next to each other, and Deva's head was touching
Nell's rear. Deva is much more interested in becoming friends with Nell
than Fannie is. I suppose I should say that I know integrating a new dog this quickly is not the best way to go about it. In my situation, though, I do not have a place to isolate Nell, and this is strictly *my* way of doing things. I do not foster dogs because I am not set up for that. I have lived in this area for seven or eight years, and this Dal was not planned...I had no intentions of adding another Dal, and this is the first one in all this time that has been dumped in this area. So, maverick that I am, I am doing the best I can given the situation. I don't want to recommend this or give the impression to anyone that this is the way to do it. It is working for us...but there are never any guarantees it will work for everyone.
I put an ad in the paper. Very simply stated, "Found: Dalmatian. Please describe" with my phone number. I wonder how many calls I will get?
Yahoo!!!
Later, the same day...
Nell played! She played with Deva AND Fannie...they had a rousing game of chase! Back and forth, up and down the yard, over and over, racing around the garden, then a minute for a water break..then back to PLAYING!!! Nell did it! First time!! I am soooo excited!! Yippee! Hurray! She actually played!! With both dals! They had FUN!!!!
Gentle Leaders and Play
May 28,1999
I am planning to get Nell a Gentle Leader head collar. She walks fairly well on a leash, but hopefully having a Gentle Leader will look like a muzzle to some people, and they will not approach her too quickly or without asking first for permission to pet her. (This is a must for parents to teach their children, as some dogs will bite or snap if a child is not careful.) Not all dogs are friendly with children.) I do not want to take any chances with Nell.
She was REALLY playing with Deva this morning..wrestling, boxing, muzzle biting (gently) and playing king of the hill above and below the bed. I had had serious doubts as to whether or not she would understand what play is, but I think sitting with her on the sidelines while Deva and Fannie did their rendition of WWF wrestling may have done the trick!!
I feel I should apologize if this is old hat stuff to those who rescue
and if this is normal. I might be a bit over exhuberant, but I am just
amazed that she is coming around as quickly as she is. I thought this
would be a very long slow process, and that it might not work at all. I
had even had doubts, when I first saw how scared she was out on the
highway, that I would be able to get her before it was too late. I
certainly did not expect such a "surrender" to occur. I have to be careful what I think. I had wanted another Dal, was wishing for a way to adopt a rescued Dal, when Fannie popped up..and something told me SHE was the one that I needed to adopt. Then, people have said I do so much for rescue..and I DON'T!! I keep saying all I do is the networking and education when I can. I don't do the hard stuff..the going to shelters, the fostering, the visits to shelters where I have to see so many dogs of all kinds who so desperately need a family/person of their own, not to mention the Dals that are invariably there in any shelter at any given time..and I have said those fateful words so often.."I wish I could do more"!!
And Nell shows up...
June 19, 1999
I just added the pictures to this site. Do you see something special about Nell? Something, say, on her right shoulder? I sure do....
July 27, 1999
I was tickled pink at the latest development. I was on the computer (doing yet more Dalmatian rescue networking and trying to get caught up on email, when I heard a couple of dals playing behind me. I turned to see none other than Nell and FANNIE "wrasslin'" on my son's bed!! I had expected to see that kind of play between Nell and Deva, or Deva and Fannie...and I was overjoyed to see that at long last, Nell and Fannie were wrestling!! I feel that Nell has FINALLY made her place here totally and completely in with the rest of the pack!! Oh Happy Day!!
July 29, 1999
Today was an emotional day for me. I needed at last to just lie down and have a good cry. I stretched out on the bed, and I was immediately joined by two dals...Deva and Nell. (We finally got some hot weather here and Fannie was trying to stay cool in the living room.) Deva lay down by my legs, and rested her head on the back of my thigh. Nell came up to my head, and was very very worried about her Mama...she has not ever seen me cry like this. She licked away my tears, and did her best to comfort me. That went on til she swiped the inside of my mouth with her tongue! (eeewwww..) Then she curled up beside me, and rested her head on my shoulder and arm, gazing into my eyes. I rested and dozed for a bit, til my headache quit...I think a Dalmatian kiss is the best thing to cure whatever ails you, whatever aches are in your heart! Gotta love 'em.
UPDATE
July 28, 2000
My son, the dog trainer!!!!! A MAJOR breakthrough has occurred!
Nell has a lot of issues. The past year has been difficult, even though she and Fannie have gotten along much better. She has still been a bit obstinate, bossy, grumbly, and sometimes aggressive. (No bloodshed, but she would sometimes attack the other dogs for what seemed to be no reason.) She has been a pain in the you-know-what the entire time I have had her. Poorly bred, not socialized, and she wanted to kill Fannie and Deva when I first got her home. We got that killer act worked out of her, but she has still been a pain. Deva has been the only one to get close, licking her head and ears..but Deva is the "mommy dog" to all.
She has been grumpy and pushy for the entire time I have had her...to the point where it has been extremely frustrating to live with her. We always seem to have to walk on eggshells with her. She has the ability to make life miserable for all of us...to the point it has been in the back of my mind that I was not going to live this way for the next ten years. (She has had some major problems and with her unpredictable aggression, I would not rehome her.)
As I have added Dals to the family, Glen (who will be 12 very soon) begs to let the new one be "his" and his alone..and I say we can share them. I have told him he can have Nell as his own as she loves him so much. They have been growing closer lately. She loves to cuddle with both of us, but he has the energy and the flexibility to wrestle with her, which he was doing on the bed the other day. They were wrestling like a pair of puppies.
Well, then another miracle ocurred. Nell started playing that night just a bit with Derby! Just a bit, and Derby was not quite sure what was up. This was new to him as well as to me!!
Lazarus has been here since Memorial Day, and he has been low man on the totem pole. He gets picked on a bit, (not hurt, but he just gets bossed around a lot) but right now, as I type, he is in the living room wrestling with Nell!! Nell has been playing, wrestling with Deva, with Derby, with Derby and Deva at the same time, and is now wrestling with Lazarus and Derby...not only has Nell had a major breakthrough, but Lazarus has as well!!
My God..I credit my son with teaching her the joy of wrestling..something I can NOT do. (I can throw balls, play tug with a rope toy, walk, cuddle, but wrestling is beyond me, and I have not allowed roughhousing with Nell due to her grumpiness...my mistake?) She is a changed Dal, as is Lazarus..he finally is accepted as a playmate by ALL and not just someone to boss around by the older Dals! (He's done okay on a one to one basis, but this is the first I have seen him play with a group.)
It sounds like a herd of horses in my living room but I am just too thrilled to put a stop to it so soon.
My son, the dog trainer!!! (Now, if he could get Grizzly to stop barking at every leaf that falls!)
Happy day! Happy Dals!
Very Sad News
On September 18, 2000, I took Nell to my vet for the final time. With tears in my eyes, I post the news that I had to email to my DalRescue list and the Dal-L list as well as some friends.
Today, my precious Nell went to the bridge.
She was becoming more and more aggressive. She has attacked every one of my dogs and some have been very scary. Nell seemed to not be able to help herself. Last Thursday evening, she attacked my little tiny Peke, Ping. Glen and I immediately rushed over to get Nell off her, and Ping cried and cried. I do not doubt that if we had not been there as quickly as we were, she may have been killed. Later that night, after a time out and after she calmed down, she attacked Lazarus, and even later, went after one of the cats in Glen's room.
I called Mike, my vet, the next day and talked to him extensively. One of the things I told him was that I believed this was genetic, not due to past abuse. He said that he was glad to hear me say that, as so many people believe that all it takes is love and training.
He printed out several pages from one of his books for me on Canine Aggression. He said we could try drugs, but there was no guarantee. And, the best thing would be to separate her, which is impossible here. I can't keep her crated constantly, and don't have any rooms (other than the bathroom) with doors. I have several cats that hang out in the bathroom, including an old crippled cat.
One of the suggestions in this literature was to use a gentle leader and use corrections, but to do that, I would have her on a leash and tied to me, which would put her right back into that protective/territorial aggression she first had when she would not allow anyone near me. Nell's had nearly every type of aggression there was..food aggression, dominance aggression, territorial aggression, protective aggression, interdog aggression with every dog in the house, and idiopathic aggression..the idiopathic aggression being the most difficult to deal with, as it is unpredictable and explosive.
She has come a long way in many respects over the past year and a half. She got over this Dalmatian focused aggression, where she wanted to kill Deva and Fannie. She learned to play with them and the other dogs. She would sleep with them during the day and play, and Deva, being the mother to all that she is, would often lick her face and ears. But, for no reason, Nell would go off. All she had to do was hear a dog approach and she'd go into attack mode. There was no challenge, and she could not recognize any signs of submission. Often, the attacks were so sudden, no one had time to offer those signs.
When she first came here, she would growl at George if he tried to come into the kitchen if I was cooking or doing dishes. She got over most of that, but I've never felt I could trust her around other people. Even though she loved both George and Glen, she would rush the door, snarling and growling that God-awful growl when they would approach this door. She would stop just in time, just short of attacks. But we've all been walking on eggshells.
She attacks full bore..she cannot control what happens, and could not adjust the intensity to the size of the dog..she'd go with the same intensity at the smaller dogs as the bigger ones. My biggest fear was that she'd someday go after Ping..who is all of 7.3 lbs.
Nell recently attacked while Glen was playing with a dog on the living room couch. She had been on the landing, and for no apparent reason, went into one of her rages. She's bitten Glen once, when he attempted to break up a fight..not enough to break the skin, but it hurt. She once bit me, the same way, breaking up another fight. I knew back then that I was facing the inevitable, but we kept trying.
I tried rescue remedy, valerian, giving her timeouts, more excerise outside. Nothing seemed to work and the attacks were getting more frequent and still very unpredictable. She would be playing with the dogs and then someone might make the wrong move...she'd give a warning growl that meant she meant business...back off! But it was hard on the other dogs to know just what would set her off...
I had suggestions of all kinds of tests..cbc, thyroid, etc., suggestions that she might do better in a single dog home. One Dal rescuer offered to take her...but none of those were options. I do not believe her problems were physical in nature. I am still convinced she is out of the litter from three years ago, as she is the spitting image of that bitch, except she did not have that Dal's curly coat. That dog, Annie, and her deaf son, Al, were deemed vicious and dangerous by the county after many complaints and after Al killed a neighbor's yorkie. Annie was terribly dog aggressive, and while Al had not exhibited dog aggression before he killed that little dog, he did end up killing it. I couldn't wait til that happened....and did not want to wait to see if she hurt my son.
I think that some friends just do not understand (through no fault of their own) that some Dals can not be saved, that some Dals are indeed aggressive by nature. I did not want to drug her for the next ten to twelve years, as to me, that would only be masking the problem and not curing it. On the other hand, there are friends who most certainly do understand that my decision was the only right one. I had to put one of my precious Dalmatians to sleep, and they know how very difficult this was to do.
I could not ever feel comfortable in rehoming her..that was out of the question. Mike agreed. I know that the DCA guidelines, and many other rescue guidelines, state clearly that aggressive dogs are not to be rescued, sold, rehomed, adopted out...so what was I doing? I had tried everything I could, within my means. It was not enough.
I read the material that Mike sent home with me over the weekend. And I still felt the only option was to put her at rest, to give her peace. She no longer has any demons haunting her. She knew love from me and George and Glen. She learned that Dalmatians were not her enemy, that other dogs could be her buddies. She learned to play and to cuddle with me and the dogs. She would sometimes have cats rub against her legs, so she knew cats were not to be hated. She had good food, a warm house, comfortable bed...but nothing helped when the demons took over.
Nell went to the Bridge with her eyes focused on me, and I kept telling her that I loved her and that she was a good girl, a good dog. George had taken Ping out of the room for her final moments at my request. (She had a slight fever and some diarrhea this morning which Mike thought was stress related..she is still traumatized by this attack.)
We thanked Mike as we left, and he came over to the car and told me not to give up on rescue...that there were too many good Dals who needed homes . I won't be giving up, but won't be rushing out to fill the void she leaves.
We brought her home, and before taking her out behind the house to her grave, I set her down under the apple tree and let the dogs outside to say good bye to her. Deva, Lazarus, and Fannie licked her face.,and they all sniffed her for a bit. I wanted each of them to have the chance to say good bye to her. After a few minutes, we took her through the back gate and down the slope behind the house, and we placed her in her grave. I also buried the remaining ashes from Natasha (those that would not fit in her urn) and Sam's ashes too. (Natasha was my almost 12 year old Borzoi, who went to the bridge Mar. 15, just before my Dad's death, and Sam was my 13 year old Lab mix, who went to the bridge on June 28.) She is not alone and is in good company even in her final resting place.
I am sorry for the length of this..I know it has taken a long time to read and you can well imagine how long it has taken to type it.
The dogs are subdued and seem sad. They lie down with me and there is a sadness in their eyes, especially with Deva and Lazarus. I have an ache in my heart that will be long in leaving. I miss her so much already, but I know in my heart that she needed this peace.
Godspeed, Nell.
September 25, 2000
Ping is doing well. She has recovered from this attack, and shows no fear with the other Dals. Life is much more peaceful but I still ache and miss my Nell. I still look for her, still "count the Dals" as they stream out the door in the morning, and it is hard to stop at only four. Her bed is still in her crate, as well as her food dish. It's been a week now and I have not been able to move either. Fannie was in there once, lying on Nell's bed, but I've only seen her there the one time.
I feel so very bad for all the turmoil that I put my dogs through. There were advances, and there were setbacks...Nell would always revert back to the grumpiness and the growls and seemed to often have a hateful attitude towards the other dogs.
Sunday, we all had a gift given to us. Nell was outside with me and the rest of the dogs, and she was having a ball...running, body slamming, playing chase and tag with the other Dals. She was a happy, carefree, laughing Dalmatian for just a little while...she looked and acted like all Dals should look, at all times. It was a gift...it was not going to change my mind to do what I had to do, but it meant that I could remember her this way. The other dogs could also hopefully remember her as a happy Nell. I could not bear to bring her in to the vet in anger later on, along with a bleeding, possibly dying or dead dog or cat. (We live 30 miles from my vet, and there are no full time vets in our town, no emergency clinics... I could not risk my other critters' lives any longer.) She was becoming more and more aggressive, more unpredictable, with ever increasing frequency.
That weekend, too, I was missing Natasha with an extreme intensity. I kept "feeling" her and would sometimes "see" her out of the corner of my eye. I wonder now if she knew that I was having a tough time with this decision..was she letting me know that she was still with me, even though she's been gone for months? Or did she come back to help Nell cross to the Bridge? Nell could not stand for me to be out of her sight. She couldn't even stand for me to be on the other side of the fence...I worry so that she won't understand why she is not here with me now and I want to believe that Natasha DID come back to help her cross over.
Oh the tears that are falling now!!!!
I want people to know about this Dalmatian. Dals CAN be aggressive. It can happen with rescues, backyard bred dogs, pet shop dogs and even happens to very well bred Dals. Dalmatians were bred to be guard dogs back in the horse and carriage days. They were not just ornaments. They had a job to do, and that was to protect the horses, the carriages, and the occupants therein. Breeders have tried to breed out this aggression, but it surfaces in the occasional Dal. It is heartbreaking.
The new Disney movie will be out this Thanksgiving, in just a few months. Disney's portrayal of this breed is one of a cute, cuddly dog but the reality is that this breed is NOT for everyone. There are problems in the breed, and deafness and aggression are just a few of those. They can have allergies, and can form life-threatening urinary stones. They need exercise and early socialization and training. They must be members of the family who choose them.
Nell gave me warning signs and red flags right from the start. I know she DID hear but don't know that she had total hearing in both ears. She was not deaf, as I had originally thought. But, she seemed to shut down under stress, she had tremendous amounts of fear and she'd snapped at me when I first picked her up. There were red flags all over, but I could not see them as such...or did not realize that she would be a dog who could not be helped.
I do not want to discourage the RIGHT people from adopting a Dal, especially a Dal doomed to die in a shelter. If people adopt from rescuers, the personalities are checked out and can be a bit less risky than adopting from a shelter. I have three shelter Dals here now who have wonderful temperaments..though Fannie had been labeled aggressive and not good with kids. She pulled out of it and it is a testament to her temperament that she handled Nell's problems as well as she did, choosing to avoid Nell and her tantrums rather than revert fighting her. In some ways, I feel worse about putting Fannie through what must have been some very bad memories when Nell would go into her rages.
July 26, 2001
Please read this page. This is a tribute to a dog named Max, by my friend Gerard E. Trigo. Max, too, had some insurmountable problems, and with much heartache, Gerard and his wife Cheryl had to make the same heartwrenching decision.
Godspeed, Max.
click here for sad news
Deaf Dog Sites
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If you have a deaf or hearing impaired dog, you might check out these sites.
Where to get your dog BAER tested
Deafdogs.org
Deaf Dogs Webpage
White-linked Deafness in Australian Shepherds (Explanation of deafness)
More links on Deafness and Dals on my links page
Save The Dals of Southern California Deaf Dog Resources
Two sites for learning American Sign Language (ASL)
Deafworld.org
Deaf Connection
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Last Update: July 25, 2001