ACD Mom
12-08-2006, 10:37 AM
I wanted to take a moment to share my ACD's story. It could have turned out much differently for her than it has.
Kitty was surrendered to our local humane society this past June by her owners. They claimed she had bitten a child but did not elaborate on the circumstances under which the bite happened. She had been kept in an outside kennel and had several scabs on her head and several ticks on her body. She also has an old injury to her ear with massive amount of scar tissue that the vet determined was probably from fly bites. :( Her owners also lied about her being spayed, which we only recently discovered when she came into heat. :mad:
I began volunteering at the humane society in August and Kitty had been there for nearly 3 months. She was beginning to become 'kennel crazy'. Afterall, she is a cattle dog and to have her in a cage for roughly 22 hours a day did not bode well for her temperment or her adoptability. She had quickly become a favorite of all the volunteers for her sweet and endearing personality when she was out of the kennel. She would flop over for belly rubs, give kisses or just lay at your feet in the sun.
Kitty had two things working against her; the bite history and the fact that she was labeled 'dog aggressive' by shelter staff because she growled and lunged at other dogs that passed by her kennel door. Hmmmm...barrier aggression, from a cattle dog, that's been kenneled for 3 months? SHOCKER! She began growling at people that came to her kennel door and nipped an unsuspecting (and very stupid) potential adopter who opened her kennel door and walked in with his own dog, backing Kitty into the corner. :mad:
Having a history myself with cattle dogs I immediately knew that if Kitty did not get out of the shelter soon, she never would. The shelter manager confirmed my fears and told me they would give me one week to find a purebred rescue group to take her or she would be euthanized. :(
I spent all weekend making phone calls and found ACD Rescue of Michigan with a gal not far from my house that agreed to take her. Kitty went to rescue in late August. She flourished at her foster home, getting along well with the three resident dogs as well as two additional rescues. She was adopted once and returned after two weeks because she didn't show an interest in playing with the other dog in the home. They weren't NOT getting along, Kitty just chose not to play with him. She went for a potential meet and greet to another home with nine children. WHOA! Over stimulation! She growled and hid from the kids that came rushing at her with arms wide open.
I had seen Kitty often since she'd gone into rescue. Jan, who was fostering her also has a horse ranch and I began boarding my horse there. I knew her potential and after the second incident decided enough was enough. Kitty came home with me. I can't imagine life without her. She fits wonderfully into our family and has no problem with my children who are both dog confident and dog savvy. The rules were laid out for them and there have been no problems. Kitty is housebroke, doesn't need to be crated and loves the cat. She comes to work with me at the doggy daycare and plays in the daycare when I'm back there, or lays at my feet in the lobby when I'm working the front desk. She greets everyone that comes in with a butt wiggle and a flop over to ask for a belly rub. Everyone adores her.
Yes, this is the child biting, dog aggressive, adopter nipping, MISUNDERSTOOD cattle dog that was days away from certain death.
Kitty was surrendered to our local humane society this past June by her owners. They claimed she had bitten a child but did not elaborate on the circumstances under which the bite happened. She had been kept in an outside kennel and had several scabs on her head and several ticks on her body. She also has an old injury to her ear with massive amount of scar tissue that the vet determined was probably from fly bites. :( Her owners also lied about her being spayed, which we only recently discovered when she came into heat. :mad:
I began volunteering at the humane society in August and Kitty had been there for nearly 3 months. She was beginning to become 'kennel crazy'. Afterall, she is a cattle dog and to have her in a cage for roughly 22 hours a day did not bode well for her temperment or her adoptability. She had quickly become a favorite of all the volunteers for her sweet and endearing personality when she was out of the kennel. She would flop over for belly rubs, give kisses or just lay at your feet in the sun.
Kitty had two things working against her; the bite history and the fact that she was labeled 'dog aggressive' by shelter staff because she growled and lunged at other dogs that passed by her kennel door. Hmmmm...barrier aggression, from a cattle dog, that's been kenneled for 3 months? SHOCKER! She began growling at people that came to her kennel door and nipped an unsuspecting (and very stupid) potential adopter who opened her kennel door and walked in with his own dog, backing Kitty into the corner. :mad:
Having a history myself with cattle dogs I immediately knew that if Kitty did not get out of the shelter soon, she never would. The shelter manager confirmed my fears and told me they would give me one week to find a purebred rescue group to take her or she would be euthanized. :(
I spent all weekend making phone calls and found ACD Rescue of Michigan with a gal not far from my house that agreed to take her. Kitty went to rescue in late August. She flourished at her foster home, getting along well with the three resident dogs as well as two additional rescues. She was adopted once and returned after two weeks because she didn't show an interest in playing with the other dog in the home. They weren't NOT getting along, Kitty just chose not to play with him. She went for a potential meet and greet to another home with nine children. WHOA! Over stimulation! She growled and hid from the kids that came rushing at her with arms wide open.
I had seen Kitty often since she'd gone into rescue. Jan, who was fostering her also has a horse ranch and I began boarding my horse there. I knew her potential and after the second incident decided enough was enough. Kitty came home with me. I can't imagine life without her. She fits wonderfully into our family and has no problem with my children who are both dog confident and dog savvy. The rules were laid out for them and there have been no problems. Kitty is housebroke, doesn't need to be crated and loves the cat. She comes to work with me at the doggy daycare and plays in the daycare when I'm back there, or lays at my feet in the lobby when I'm working the front desk. She greets everyone that comes in with a butt wiggle and a flop over to ask for a belly rub. Everyone adores her.
Yes, this is the child biting, dog aggressive, adopter nipping, MISUNDERSTOOD cattle dog that was days away from certain death.