Bad Dog Parents

What Have We Done

My husband and I are avid dog lovers. That being said, we are not good dog parents. We took in a neglected dog. His name is Ernie, you already know this if you have been reading my posts. He was the sweetest dog ever, that is until he came to live with Gary and me.

He Has Issues

Ernie had many issues when he first came to live with us. He has a thyroid problem; he is on medication for this. His mouth had a massive infection because of neglect. He was diagnosed with stage four periodontal disease. His prostate was enlarged because he was not neutered. He was also anemic, had poor nutrition, and an imbalanced diet. He was given hard food; his teeth were so bad I am not sure how he ate at all. 

We Couldn't Wait

Gary and I took Ernie in sooner than planned because his living environment was not the best. Our Jack Russell we have is 16 years of age and has a dislike for other dogs. So right off the bat we had issues that needed to be worked out. The first week was very stressful. Not wanting to have Ernie hurt any more than what he was already hurting, the two dogs had to be separated. We didn’t know what was truly going on in Ernie’s mouth, other than his periodontal disease. After his first surgery we found out why Ernie yelped when he opened his mouth; he had a chicken bone lodged in his jaw. But I digress. The bone was removed, Ernie also had an open spot in his mouth. One of his sutures didn’t close properly, another surgery was scheduled. He was neutered at the same time.

During this time, we also had a bad experience with a Groomer with Ernie. The poor guy has been through a lot in his 12 years. 

He Bonded with Me

When he came to stay with us Ernie had no choice but to bond with me as Gary was busy keeping Sally away from him. Please take into consideration he came from a home where he was never loved, into our home. It was a 390 degree turn for his little brain. In our defense, I am not sure how this could have been avoided. He went from having no love whatsoever; to being loved. It was a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what Gary and I got.

Ernie is super protective of me. So much now we have a little toothless monster on our hands. It would be funny, but it is not. He is aggressive with strangers, and at times he growls at my husband. I’d say it is a good thing he has no teeth, because that would make our situation ten times worse. He is adapting fine with no teeth in his mouth. However, whether he has teeth or not is irrelevant; his behavior is not acceptable. 

Of Course, Google

What do we do? Google of course. I found a dog training course I am ultra excited about. It is called SpiritDog Training. One step at a time. I’ve gone through some of their courses and am excited to try them out with Ernie. The course is big on sniffing, Ernie does a lot of it. Not only does Ernie have to correct his behavior, Gary and I also need lessons. I can admit when we are wrong. We are bad dog parents. We didn’t do Ernie any favors by pampering him. Now we have to correct and direct him in the right direction. 

It Isn't Ernie's Fault

Ernie isn’t the one at fault here. Gary and I are. He is just being a dog. Ernie thinks he is in charge right now. This behavior is what we have to correct. Ernie has what SpiritDog Training calls CER. Critical Emotional Response-also called Reactivity. Dogs are a lot like people, Ernie has triggers that set him off. For Ernie it is mainly people, he loves other dogs. People he is not so fond of. So, for right now on his walks I’m trying to avoid his triggers. Until I get his treats made, his treat mat is coming from Amazon. The Training course says to avoid triggers. I walk him when I think no other people will be out walking. It’s hard because normally we run into people a lot on our walks. He is getting more aggressive now, so avoidance is a top priority until I’m ready to train.

A Long Journey

My thought process is it’s going to be a long journey. Like I said earlier one step at a time. As of now we are working on him in the house. The loveseat is a trigger for him if we are sitting together on it and Gary approaches. Gary and I did an exercise with him this morning. Gary sat down first on the loveseat, I followed, then Gary called Ernie up. Ernie sat by Gary and was licking his hand. No growling. He jumped down, curled up on his blanket and fell asleep. I gave him an A for that exercise. I think it will be a different story if Gary approaches and Ernie and I are already sitting on the loveseat. This will be our second exercise today with Ernie. My husband is outside changing the brakes on the van. When he comes in it's time for the second exercise.

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Stay tuned for updates on Ernie.

Pray for us all!

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