Hello Everyone!
Hope you had a great week! I am still trying to collect thoughts before writing the next blog. I have so much to say, but then I forget when I sit down! :)
I thought I would talk a little on having multiple dogs in a house. I always had three dogs, it was just my comfort number. It went so well for so long that I never put much thought in it. Before we got Golden retrievers I had Rottweilers. They were so brave and bold, but yet great snuggle buddies at the same time. They were protective and showed us the most unconditional love. Once we decided to switch up on the breeds is when I realized that it was no longer the same dynamics as before.
Once we brought Molly into the pack, everything changed. Amber and Rufus were raised here since babies so they learned to rely on us and look up to use as leaders....Molly however, came here with no structure at all. She didnt look up to us at all....not at first but over the years I had said to myself that Three dogs is too many, and I still feel that we will never have more then Two. Its hard to walk them all at the same time. One of us always has 2 dogs and the other has 1. Giving all 3 attention is interesting too. We have 2 hands and 3 dog heads to pet. So, you gotta get creative and sometimes us a foot for the 3rd pooch! ;)
Molly was and still is a very demanding dog. She barks for attention and she pushes the other 2 out of the way if they are getting attention. We call her Molly gator because for years, she was always biting on Rufus and tearing up stuffed animals and snatching treats out of people hands. She can devour something within seconds so the name Molly Gator fits her perfectly.
So, to conclude this blog I just want to say that sometimes you have to learn from experience on what is right and wrong in life. I have learned a lot over the past 6 years and it will make me stronger in future decisions. There is a lot involved in having multiple dogs at once and its not always easy. These 3 keep me on my toes and definite give me a purpose in life!
Hello Everyone and happy Friday!
I really hope to get back on track next week with more blogging! Its so hard sometimes to sit down and think about what to blog about! I wish I would have started this years ago.....when memories were fresh in my head! For those who dont know me and some are wondering..Molly is 6 yrs old now, and Yes, she is still with us! we could never give up on her! No matter what! Over the years I have learned sooo much from her. I do believe she came into my life for a reason. :)
When Molly was about 4 yrs old, I noticed how she would cling to me differently then the other 2 dogs, It was a different kind of bond. I feel like she finally looked at me as the pack leader and she put her guard down a lot! She was not as tense as she was in previous years. She used to tense up as soon as i would try to rub her or scratch her belly. She growled at me so many times as I would try to manipulate her feet or even try to brush her butt feathers. She would also never look me in the eye. I know thats a sign of submission or low self confidence. I used to try everything to get her to look at me..I would put treats on my forehead and other silly things and nothing would give. She still to this day really does not do it but every now and then I will look over at her and see her looking back at me and I will smile. :)
One of the best things that happened that year....was that she allowed me to groom her without a muzzle. I managed to get a picture of her, almost smiling as she was sitting there as to say....Ok mom, I give up and you win ( this time) ...at least I sure did HOPE that was what she meant! I fought her for 4 years to just let me groom her without a fight and then just one day...she did, just like that!
This bond between her and I is hard to describe. I feel like I formed bonds with all of my dogs in different ways but it was always a natural thing with the other dogs....this bond is one I feel I had to earn, and still earning now. I dont know what I did to get her to change her behavior, but hey...I take anything I can get from her!
here is Molly on the grooming table, no muzzle and it does look like she is smiling, right? ;)
Hello Everyone! I am sorry to be lagging over the past few days! I have been keeping busy with pet sitting and also entertaining the FurKids here at home along with the hubby!
I wanted to take a break and sort of collect more thoughts and move ahead a bit. We all know that Molly came to us with issues and that it seems to be the same issues so instead of talking about the same stuff from year to year and having the story get boring, I decided to move ahead a little. So here goes!
We continued over the years of dealing with Molly and her thunderstorm phobia. We did have a few years of it not seeming so bad, but I am pretty sure it was because I resorted to using acepramazine more and more with her which I know now, and knew along that it was not actually helping the situation, it was a cop out, and easy way for me to deal with it. I am busy during the summer months with pet sitting and was tired when returning home at night, there were so many long nights of staying up with her when storms would rip through in the middle of the night. I had come to a realization that this was just what life was going to be 3-4 months out of every year and it was ok. I figured that there were 8 other months where I would not have to worry.
We took Molly off the medications after about 2 yrs because it was not helping with the real problem, and we talked better meds back then..but I wasnt ready and didnt feel at that time that she was that bad to need a drug such as Prozac. I would just try to be on top of the tranquilizer and/or herbal supplements if need be. I had started trying Benadryl with her and I thought it seemed to help take the edge off at times but then other times it was like she had nothing.
A few years ago, the ThunderShirt came out and it was the "New" exciting remedy...Right? I mean, why didnt i think about it, I could have wrapped her in a blanket and coddled her when she was scared. So, I ordered one for her...what could I lose? I remember the day it came! I was like a little kid on Christmas. Now I just had to wait for a storm to come to see it in action! I put it on her to acclimate her to having it on, she didnt seem to mind it at all, I thought that was a good thing at least! Now......I was ready, but was MOLLY ready? We could only wait.......and see!
I wish I would have known years ago that I would be writing a story about Molly- I would have taken more pictures! ;) Anyway, here is a pic of Molly relaxed and obviously comfy
Good Evening folks!
After the winter left....Spring time was approaching. Molly turned 2 that year and she had been on the meds for some time so we were praying that she would deal better with the storms. I had read so many books and articles on thunderstorm phobias, I was ready..or at least I thought.
I remember coming home from work one day and noticed that the edge of our foyer, the frame was chewed off and eaten. I wasnt sure at first what had happened but I was seriously MAD! I suspected it to be Molly but since I wasnt home I could not say for sure. A week later I was out pet sitting and Elvie called me saying that Molly was freaking out and he didnt know how to control her. He tried going into the bedroom and blocking a gate between the living room and the hallway. Well......she dug the carpet up and chewed a big chunk of it off. I came home practically ready to cry!
I talked to the vet and she suggested giving her a higher dose in the meds and if they didnt work, that we would have to move onto a stronger drug like Prozac. We dealt with many more storms and may more nights of me staying up all night with her. I used the acepramazine a lot that year. I tried to time it and give it to her at least a hour before. I hated using that drug but it seemed to help her although I knew deep down that it wasnt really helping her get over her fears. I was busy between work and pet sitting and I know that there was a lot of guilt on my end that I wasnt working with her enough and I was taking the easy route out by just mildly sedating her. I know that my husband was frazzled and a few people told me that I should just put her down but it wasnt the right thing to do..in my heart.
I tried to take her on walks before storms would come to see if getting her well exercised would help her with the fear. Sometimes she would freak out and it wasnt even thundering...but at least I could not hear it....it was possibly miles away and dogs can feel the barometric pressure and we cannot.
It seemed nothing really worked log term. I tried rescue remedy and supplements. You name it, I tried it......
On top of the storms, I was still having trouble with grooming her. She hated it and I hated doing it. She just had to have the really thick coat that needed trimming at least 1x a month. It was exhausting for us both. A few times I tried taking her to my friends grooming shop to see if it was just her being in the house that caused her to freak out but it was even worse taking her somewhere else so I didnt try that again.
I noticed one day that she was limping on her back leg...and I worried that maybe her hip was giving her trouble. I talked to the vet again and we put her on some anti- inflammatory meds. I also gave her a joint supplement. She may not have like the grooming because it was uncomfortable for her to be on the table and to be moved around. I would have to think about an alternative for her.
I was still determined that we would get past all this.... I am an optimist and so I only think of positive thoughts on almost everything but Molly seemed to make me have a hard time thinking that way, too bad dogs cant talk.....
Here are a few pics after a grooming....She was happy once it was all over
