Rocking With The "Rock"

ROCK THE INCREDIBLE PITTIE NEEDS REHABILITION/DOG-ON-DOG AGGRESSION

 

 

UPDATED: 07/12/2015: Rock found a home for about one month, however the owner's brother was very allergic to him.  He was back with me and happy as always for a few days.  I found a wonderful group of young, responsible people (two guys and a young women who are roommates), who adopted him today. The woman, Candace, was incredible.  She is all too familiar with the breed and took control immediately.  She is planning to work with Rock-Rock with a very calm dog, at a distance, to free him of his dog-on-dog aggression.  In the interim, he is having the time of his life with the two guys and Candace.  He is getting a ton of love and shared a chicken dinner with them tonight.  I absolutely loved them all....wonderful young people.  I know in my heart that Rock is happier than a butterfly that is free to fly, play and land wherever he wants.  All donations to the dog trainer listed below have been returned.  I have faith that Candance will rid him of this disorder.  He's the perfect dog and everyone who meets him falls in love with him.  Always happy, fully body wiggle and tail going a mile a minute.  <3 JM

 

Updated 06/27/2015.  With my pulse at 479 this morning, I was out of options and needed to send Rock back to his owner.  He was going to surrender Rock to a shelter in Allentown.  I knew that being in a shelter, with wildly barking dogs and sleeping on a concrete slab and having to poop where he sleeps would have not only confused the shit out of Rock, but it would have probably destroyed his soul.  His owner knew it as well. Shelters are like the human version of a prison to dogs.

I spent this morning crying and was having terrible pains in my stomach.  I did not sleep last night as I was only thinking of how Rock would handle this today. 

 

My friend was at the front desk at the shelter and asked to surrender the dog.  He was turned down.  "We are full," the receptionist said.

 

"Well, what am I supposed to do with this dog?  Dump him off somewhere?" My friend countered.

 

There was a young couple, 30ish, filling out an application to adopt a dog.  They were there, that very day, at that very time and were fully prepared to pay an adoption fee and take a dog home with them. They overheard my friend and inquired about the situation and about Rock.

 

The conversation was taken aside from the front desk and my friend told them Rock's story.  They asked to see him.  Rock was in the van and they were absolutely thrilled to meet this fully body wiggle, tail wagging little guy. 

 

My friend, a very intuitive man and a great judge of character (after spending 30 years in corporate human resources), told them he a bit wary of them taking Rock without really knowing them.  They happily offered to take him to their home. 

 

He followed them. Their home was fine, they have a fenced in back yard.  Rock immediately peed on their rug (he did that with me too, but never did it again). as if to say, "My place!"  My friend watched their reaction carefully.  They didn't blink.  Very cool. They just cleaned it up. 

 

Phone numbers and emails were exchanged.  They offered to have my friend and his grandson come back whenever they wanted to visit Rock.  They too fell in love.

 

I spent two months with Rock.  I'm not so sure why this happened so soon after losing Layla.  But Rock brought me so much laugher and much needed love.  He totally interrupted my work on "Ghost," but it's difficult to type when a dog is putting his nose under your arm and pushing it off of the keyboard as if to say..."Dude...pet me."  Maybe I needed a break from "Ghost." Maybe I needed a cool roommate for a while.  In any case, I'm glad he and I crossed paths in life.  Always nice to meet a soul mate.

 

My heart is warm.  I have a really good feeling about this.  Thanks to all of you who donated toward the training fund I set up.  If you want your donations back, I think Lehigh Valley Dog Training can accommodate you.  I personally donated but am leaving mine in place.  Perhaps that $100 can at least go toward the fee of someone else who is in need. 
 

 

I can be reached at joanne08301961@gmail.com <3 <3 JM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After losing Layla (see blog, “Layla You Got Me on My Knees”), my house felt empty.  While working on “Ghost; The Unseen Disorder of PTSD,” Layla would often give me the incentive to take a much needed break and hang out with her near the Delaware River, which is my back yard. The day after she passed away, I could not stand the quiet in my home.  I ran away from home....just like a little girl. I spent the day with a friend and was finally able to come home and face my demons.

 

Many of my friends urged me to get another dog but I waited and wanted destiny to take its course in my life.  Well destiny came in the form of a Pit Bull named Rock-o, whom I call Rock.

I have a friend whose daughter got Rock as a puppy in 2013.  He was only a few months old when she asked her father to take him. Rock thrived for a year in her father’s home. He was living with two Labrador Retrievers and doing well with interaction with them

A year later, in 2014, his daughter wanted Rock back.  My friend reluctantly consented.  During the year this woman had him, leading up to May 2015, Rock was not socialized.  He was mainly in his crate.  Socialization of any dog needs to take place consistently for the first two or three years of a dog’s life.

In May 2015, she could no longer care for him and once again took Rock to her father’s home.  Things had changed in that very formative year for this dog.  He was no longer dog friendly.  In fact, he showed extreme aggression (through a fence) toward the two Labradors with which he once lived. My friend simply could not keep him. 

He knew how heartbroken I was over losing Layla and called me.  He asked me if I could take Rock until we could find a home for him.  I absolutely wanted to help and Rock was immediately brought to my home with his food and his crate.  He has been in my care for over a month.  He has dog-on-dog aggression, which can only be eliminated by a professional.  I’m okay with basic training, but I know my limits.  Rock really needs a pro to help him overcome this side of him.

I’ve been fostering him for over a month, while we look for a home for him, and have gotten to know him well.  He IS a rock. He just an awesome dog!  He’s eager to please and is an extremely personable dog.  He’s all love.  But if he sees or is near another dog, he becomes Satan.  It’s a completely different side of him that comes out of him, but I believe it’s a very small side of him.   

99% of the time he is funny, warm and affectionate.   I can stick my hand in his mouth comfortably. He understands and obeys come, sit, paw and, while retrieving a ball, leave it….as in drop it.  He is fully leash trained, housebroken and crate trained.  

He is an extremely easy pet to train as he responds exceptionally well to positive reinforcement. He’s affectionate and loves to have his neck scratched.  If he’s not playing in the yard, he’s a total sofa potato. He loves to have his own special toys (Kong).  He loves rawhides and puppy treats.  Upon greeting someone he does a full body wiggle with his tail in full wagging motion.

Rock is rarely crated under my care, but there have been times when I’ve been gone a full day (7am – 5pm) and he was fine.  He snuck a tissue off of the table (his favorite…YUK) and his guilt was evident in giving me the “Denver the Guilty Dog” show of upper teeth.  I did not let him see me laugh after I chastised him verbally for that one.  In fact, I had to leave the room because I was laughing so hard.

Last week my landlord, a wonderful man, came to see me and brought his Pittie, Mudflap with him.  Mudflap is thirteen years old.  That meet and greet was as terrible as the attempt to reunite Rock with his former Lab buddies.

Clearly my landlord was upset.  He loves Mudflap and is very protective of him. 

The sad fact is that he gave me my choices; either I leave or Rock leaves.  He is my landlord and I have to respect his wishes, no matter how vehemently I disagree with him in his assessment of Rock.   

While I've been fostering him and working with him, my friend and I contacted every local possible rescue, foster and Pit advocate we could find.  We were completely shut out by each and every one.  Our local shelters are “Kill” shelters and we knew they would euthanize Rock if he were to be surrendered.  The shelters in Eastern Pennsylvania actually make one sign a form giving them permission to perform euthanasia if they feel it’s necessary.  They certainly are not professionals and they euthanize Pit Bulls like crazy around here.   Then we started with national rescues.   We were ready to drive him to New Orleans to surrender him to Villalobos.  He and I were both adamant that Rock is an awesome dog and that he deserves a good life.  Villalobos also turned us down. 

I’m completely miffed.  Exactly what do these hundreds of 501 (c) 3 organizations do if they do not take in rescue dogs?

We are out of options, except for one, which is rehabilitation.  Lehigh Valley Dog Training is an incredible outfit that offers a comprehensive program to eliminate dog-on-dog aggression.  The fee is $800.  I do not have $800 and I know of no person who will give me $800 to spend on a dog.   I think Rock’s life is worth $800. 

As my last resort, I set up a Gofundme page for Rock.  I’m asking for $2400 in donations, which will be sent directly to Lehigh Valley Dog Training….not to me. The remainder of the $1600 would cover the cost to save two more dogs.  I’m sure there are others in my position.  They might need to relinquish a dog….they trust the shelter won’t kill the dog....and the shelter does.

Funding the training of two other Pitties with dog-on-dog aggression would save two other lives.  I have spoken to the owner of this organization who is an amazingly awesome, intelligent and well versed woman.  She will screen the financial situation of someone who applies for the two other grants we are trying to raise.

I hate asking for help.  I always have.  I’m a giver, not a taker.  But in this situation, I’m reaching out for help to my blog readers and their friends.  Pitties get a bad rap.  If I cannot raise this money for Rock, very simply, he will be euthanized.  A wonderful, loving soul will be snuffed out. 

Please share this blog and please donate.  Every penny helps.  This is the link for donations: Please help Rock  You can read more about his story on that site.  If you are unable to donate, please put out the word that he can also be placed in a well screened and loving home where he can be the one and only.  He really is an amazing companion.

As always, peace and love to my readers.  God bless our Military and those with PTSD and Depression.  “Ghost” will be an incredible book that will hopefully be of some help to everyone!!!