Colleen and I were recently away for a week in Maine to attend my grandfather's funeral. He would always say to "do what is right."
During this time, Colleen and I were finally able to sit down and talk and make some decisions. We have decided that Ranger needs a home with more room to run and play. He needs a fenced in back yard and maybe another dog to play with, although that would take time-he doesn't appear to be socially accepting of other dogs, which is also quite contrary to what BARCS told us.
BARCS was so good when we got Ranger, and yet, so horrible now that we are trying to get assistance in fostering/re-homing. They e-mailed a very generic response, asking questions which I already answered and told us to try re-homing ourselves. I am very disappointed in BARCS. We love Ranger with all of our hearts and want him to go to the absolute right home, which just need a little bit of help going through the process. BARCS has completely taken their hands off the wheel and told us their shelters are full and they wouldn't be able to take him back and they didn't even entertain our idea to foster.
Colleen and I feel absolutely horrible that we have to give Ranger up, but it's not about us. He has to be able to live his best life, and so does Feisty. Right now Feisty is not happy in her own home and she's been around for ten years. We are both working 50+ hours this week so we aren't sure when or how this will all take place, but we'll figure something out.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Friday, August 2, 2019
Shake
Ranger is such a smart boy! Every night before bed he sits and we work on shake and he gets a treat (very small Trader Joe's Beef Liver treats). Then he gets one more thrown in his kennel so he will go in and go to sleep. We've been having to use the kennel less and less as 'timeout,' which is obviously a good thing.
Anyway, tonight Ranger did his actual first shake where he basically pawed at me with one paw, then with the next. He did such a good job! I tired to replicate for Colleen, but it wasn't going to happen.
Anyway, tonight Ranger did his actual first shake where he basically pawed at me with one paw, then with the next. He did such a good job! I tired to replicate for Colleen, but it wasn't going to happen.
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Poop
Ranger goes poop a lot. I know no one wants to talk about poop, especially me, but this needs to be shared. Since we don't have a fenced in backyard, Ranger has a long leash. Today he pooped once and Colleen picked it up. Then she went inside and he pooped twice more. Then he dragged his leash through it, big time. In my silly thinking, I decided that to more easily clean the leash, I was going to let Ranger inside and wash the leash off with the hose. I let Ranger inside and he immediately jumped on the couch and left a poop print. Apparently he had also stepped in it. So now I'm frantically trying to get him back out of the house while calling for Colleen to help. Luckily he didn't track much in and we were able to immediately clean up the mess, including the couch, floor, blanket, pillows, leash and Ranger himself. It's always a crazy day with this boy.
Monday, July 22, 2019
Heat Wave
The last two days have been absolutely unbearable. Yesterday (Sunday) was the worst. My car read 114 degrees and it actually felt much hotter than that while at work all day.
Poor boy boy (Ranger's nickname because... obviously) is excited to go on his walks and then about a mile in he is totally done. We usually do two miles twice a day as well as in between breaks when we are home.
We have to be careful of when and how to take him out. We don't want his paws to burn on the asphalt and obviously we don't want Ranger or ourselves out in the heat of the day, but we also don't want to deprive him of exercise. We've been short on walks this week because it's still be around 90 degrees at 8 a.m. I even got up at 4:30 the other morning (because I wasn't sleeping anyway) and it was 80 degrees with a feel like temperature of 86. At 4:30 a.m.! Unbelievable.
Boy boy gets a little crazy when he hasn't had much exercise. He does 'zoomies' all around the apartment then jumps and lands in your lap for a finale. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler and I can't wait! 🥵🔥🔥🥵
Poor boy boy (Ranger's nickname because... obviously) is excited to go on his walks and then about a mile in he is totally done. We usually do two miles twice a day as well as in between breaks when we are home.
We have to be careful of when and how to take him out. We don't want his paws to burn on the asphalt and obviously we don't want Ranger or ourselves out in the heat of the day, but we also don't want to deprive him of exercise. We've been short on walks this week because it's still be around 90 degrees at 8 a.m. I even got up at 4:30 the other morning (because I wasn't sleeping anyway) and it was 80 degrees with a feel like temperature of 86. At 4:30 a.m.! Unbelievable.
Boy boy gets a little crazy when he hasn't had much exercise. He does 'zoomies' all around the apartment then jumps and lands in your lap for a finale. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler and I can't wait! 🥵🔥🔥🥵
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Disheartened
Colleen and I have doubted ourselves and Ranger since day 1. Basically as soon as we got him home, he went crazy. He was super excited and had lots of energy and he still does every day. Last night was hard for both of us as Colleen had a hard day at work and got off before I did so she had to deal with Ranger. On top of all of his energy, Feisty (our cat) threw up and she had to clean that. Then she had to feed that animals and take Ranger for a walk. By the time I got home, tensions were high and she was probably at her wits end of dealing with everything. We became upset with each other and again, talked about the struggle of pet ownership. We said we'd talk about it later, as we always do when it comes to talking about Ranger.
Today, I decided to try our hand at the dog park. The staff at the shelter told us that Ranger was great with other dogs, but they didn't know how he would react with cats. Ranger and Feisty have actually laid on the same bed together. He just sniffed her and wagged his tail and she, of course, hissed and ran away after a minute or so.
I'm not sure if the shelter staff lied about Rangers ability to get along with other dogs or if he didn't want to be on the leash today inside the dog park or what, but it did not go well. There was one other dog in the dog park. He was off leash. I kept Ranger on leash to see how he would do. When the dog slowly approached to say hi, Ranger acted as if he wanted to fight the dog. It's hard to tell what's going on from behind the leash, but Ranger made a couple of lunges and barked at the slightly bigger dog. He did stop for a moment and let the other dog sniff his butt, then he went back to crazy mode and tried jumping around again. As we attempted to leave the dog park, another small dog was waiting to enter. We left and they came in. We started walking along the outside of the fence back to the car and Ranger lunged at the fence, barking and biting at the fence, aimed at the little dog.
Needless to say, I am thoroughly disappointed with what just happened. I want a dog that can play well with others, not one that tries to attack other dogs. I honestly don't know what to do here. I'm going to call the shelter to see what they say and Colleen and I need to have a serious talk.
Without a fenced yard for him to play, and taking away the option of a dog park, Ranger is restricted to walks.
Today, I decided to try our hand at the dog park. The staff at the shelter told us that Ranger was great with other dogs, but they didn't know how he would react with cats. Ranger and Feisty have actually laid on the same bed together. He just sniffed her and wagged his tail and she, of course, hissed and ran away after a minute or so.
I'm not sure if the shelter staff lied about Rangers ability to get along with other dogs or if he didn't want to be on the leash today inside the dog park or what, but it did not go well. There was one other dog in the dog park. He was off leash. I kept Ranger on leash to see how he would do. When the dog slowly approached to say hi, Ranger acted as if he wanted to fight the dog. It's hard to tell what's going on from behind the leash, but Ranger made a couple of lunges and barked at the slightly bigger dog. He did stop for a moment and let the other dog sniff his butt, then he went back to crazy mode and tried jumping around again. As we attempted to leave the dog park, another small dog was waiting to enter. We left and they came in. We started walking along the outside of the fence back to the car and Ranger lunged at the fence, barking and biting at the fence, aimed at the little dog.
Needless to say, I am thoroughly disappointed with what just happened. I want a dog that can play well with others, not one that tries to attack other dogs. I honestly don't know what to do here. I'm going to call the shelter to see what they say and Colleen and I need to have a serious talk.
Without a fenced yard for him to play, and taking away the option of a dog park, Ranger is restricted to walks.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Food
Obviously you have to have food ready when you bring a dog home. The shelter, BARCS, gave us a five pound bag of what they were feeding him (Advance Science Diet). This food is very expensive and very hard to find so Colleen and I ventured into Petco where we found Purina Pro Plan Chicken dog food. Ranger picked it out himself and it was reasonably priced. The ingredients looked good, so we picked up a 50 pound bag. First mistake. We should've started with a smaller bag!
BARCS also provides the first check-up with a vet for free through VCA Animal Hospitals. Ranger had his first check-up the second week we had him, and the vet was very impressed with his health. He was about 5-10 pounds underweight and I discussed several things with her, including severe itchiness after eating. As I expected, Ranger (and most Pit bull breeds) are allergic to poultry. His food was no good for him. We have since switched his food to another brand without and poultry or poultry by-product. Unfortunately he didn't do well with this food either as it gave him diarrhea. Thankfully we got a small bag to try this time. We are now on our third bag of food that is made by Purina, so it should hold up well in his intestines, and has no poultry whatsoever. Fingers crossed! If you're thinking about getting a dog, be prepared to make a few changes. It's kind of trial and error when it comes to finding the right food.
With Ranger, he became red on his belly, underarms and elbows, as well as being continuously itchy. Always keep an eye out for new lumps, red spots, sores, etc. on a new pet. Ranger is the type of dog that won't tell you something is wrong until it's too late.
We are happy to report that Ranger is currently up to a healthy weight, and maintaing that weight and he is having 'normal' poops. Yup, you get a dog and your life now revolves around talking about poop.
BARCS also provides the first check-up with a vet for free through VCA Animal Hospitals. Ranger had his first check-up the second week we had him, and the vet was very impressed with his health. He was about 5-10 pounds underweight and I discussed several things with her, including severe itchiness after eating. As I expected, Ranger (and most Pit bull breeds) are allergic to poultry. His food was no good for him. We have since switched his food to another brand without and poultry or poultry by-product. Unfortunately he didn't do well with this food either as it gave him diarrhea. Thankfully we got a small bag to try this time. We are now on our third bag of food that is made by Purina, so it should hold up well in his intestines, and has no poultry whatsoever. Fingers crossed! If you're thinking about getting a dog, be prepared to make a few changes. It's kind of trial and error when it comes to finding the right food.
With Ranger, he became red on his belly, underarms and elbows, as well as being continuously itchy. Always keep an eye out for new lumps, red spots, sores, etc. on a new pet. Ranger is the type of dog that won't tell you something is wrong until it's too late.
We are happy to report that Ranger is currently up to a healthy weight, and maintaing that weight and he is having 'normal' poops. Yup, you get a dog and your life now revolves around talking about poop.
Training
I never thought that I would ever be the proud owner of a Pit bull. They are given such a bad reputation, but it's not the dog, it's the owner that determines how the dog will act. Ranger had two previous owners and neither cared about him. The second time Ranger was rescued, he was found roaming the streets of Baltimore. He had a microchip and the owners were contacted, but they didn't want him back. It was obvious that neither cared for him or took the time to train him.
Our first walk took over two hours (we only walked about a mile). Ranger would pull, I'd stop, make him wait and then we carried on. When he was good, he got treats. In only a matter of days, Ranger was already getting better at learning how to 'heel' or to not pull on the leash while walking. It took a toll on my shoulder and only then did I remember a gentle leader. I purchased one and while he hates it, he walks so much better now. A gentle leader goes around the nose and hooks to the leash on the underside of the chin. It is similar to a halter for a horse and pulls the nose downwards towards the chest if the dog starts pulling while walking.
After about two or three weeks, Ranger was doing so well at walking, we tried our hand at running. I like to run about two miles a day, two or three times a week. He did very well and we've been able to increase our runs. We did a 5K in 90 degree heat one day (we both had the energy) and when we got home, he was tired and calm for about five minutes and then went into crazy mode again. I was exhausted and had a hard time dealing with him. Ranger gets, as Colleen calls it, the 'zoomies.' He runs in circles around the couch and coffee table again and again until he finally jumps on the couch and tries to bite the pillows. These are the times when he needs a 'time-out.' We use his 'kennel' (a large metal crate) as his time-out zone. The adoption experts say not to use the crate as punishment, but we don't have many options. It's either that or outside on the leash where he will continually bark so he goes in the kennel for five minutes, calms down, and can come back out and join us. This has worked very well.
Ranger is still learning the words 'no' and 'drop it.' He likes to bring you things that aren't his, pillows, blankets, shoes, and refuses to let go. I'm sure his previous owners played tug-of-war with him, which is actually a horrible thing to do with dogs. We still have to pry his mouth open to get our items free, but he's slowly learning. When adopting a dog, you have to have all of the patience in the world, especially if you get an older dog that already has bad habits. Luckily Ranger is only a year and three months old, so we still have time to correct his 'flaws.'
Our first walk took over two hours (we only walked about a mile). Ranger would pull, I'd stop, make him wait and then we carried on. When he was good, he got treats. In only a matter of days, Ranger was already getting better at learning how to 'heel' or to not pull on the leash while walking. It took a toll on my shoulder and only then did I remember a gentle leader. I purchased one and while he hates it, he walks so much better now. A gentle leader goes around the nose and hooks to the leash on the underside of the chin. It is similar to a halter for a horse and pulls the nose downwards towards the chest if the dog starts pulling while walking.
After about two or three weeks, Ranger was doing so well at walking, we tried our hand at running. I like to run about two miles a day, two or three times a week. He did very well and we've been able to increase our runs. We did a 5K in 90 degree heat one day (we both had the energy) and when we got home, he was tired and calm for about five minutes and then went into crazy mode again. I was exhausted and had a hard time dealing with him. Ranger gets, as Colleen calls it, the 'zoomies.' He runs in circles around the couch and coffee table again and again until he finally jumps on the couch and tries to bite the pillows. These are the times when he needs a 'time-out.' We use his 'kennel' (a large metal crate) as his time-out zone. The adoption experts say not to use the crate as punishment, but we don't have many options. It's either that or outside on the leash where he will continually bark so he goes in the kennel for five minutes, calms down, and can come back out and join us. This has worked very well.
Ranger is still learning the words 'no' and 'drop it.' He likes to bring you things that aren't his, pillows, blankets, shoes, and refuses to let go. I'm sure his previous owners played tug-of-war with him, which is actually a horrible thing to do with dogs. We still have to pry his mouth open to get our items free, but he's slowly learning. When adopting a dog, you have to have all of the patience in the world, especially if you get an older dog that already has bad habits. Luckily Ranger is only a year and three months old, so we still have time to correct his 'flaws.'
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