Ava Is Barely Saved From Euthanasia

It is hard to explain how things work out in life at times and in Ava's case it is almost mind blowing. In the early part of June she was snapping and nipping at my friend's ankles and feet as he tried sitting on the couch. The more he tried to get her to stop, the more aggressive she got. I yelled "Ava Crate" and off she went. Yet the sound of her barking was indescribable and shocking.

A week later I had a close friend be my dog sitter as I was going to be gone overnight but back home early the next morning. Before I could even leave the house, Ava was in the "attack mode" literally and had jumped up on this small older woman, nipping her (a hard pinch) in her lower back. Again as she tried to get away slowly, Ava became more hostile and aggressive. If you would have heard her, you would have been shocked at her full out attack mode. Again I yelled "Ava Crate" and off she went inside.

I shut the crate door telling my friend to keep her there no matter what until I get back in the morning. She later had her husband stop by to get Ava from the crate, out into the yard, through the shed into the garage for her overnight stay. Anytime she saw my friend during the day, she had gone crazy in the crate in the attack mode.

She wasn't done. A perfect dog as usual from June 26th to July 12th because nobody was here except me and the crew. Nobody around the fence until the late afternoon or early evening of July 12th. My neighbor was not even at the fence but in her yard with her small dog, picking up stems in her back yard. 

Ava was at that fence within seconds from the patio door in the attack mode. A sound I had not heard ever until June 7th when she wanted to bite my friend's ankles and feet. (later told that was her DNA for protecting her herd and he was a predator to her)

After getting her to stop, as my neighbor ignored her and walked back inside her house to help me ... I went to a website of a local "no-kill" shelter and filled out a form to surrender her to them. They had a large network of foster's for their dogs waiting for adoption. They have found homes for all kind of dogs by the 1,000's every year. But it was Saturday night and they said at the bottom of the form if it was an immediate request to email them.

I did and got this reply within a minute after sending my email ... "We are unable to take a dog with these attack behaviors. You should contact your vet about humane options"

Euthanize?

Was that what they were telling me?

If you would have heard her each time she was in the attack mode, you too would have considered that option. She is only going together bigger, more protective and stronger. To the point of possibly biting someone. Not me but a friend, a neighbor etc. I could not allow that to happen.

Sunday morning I am at the VCA Emergency Vet downtown. The same vet, almost a year ago, that sewed up Ava's cut leg on a July 4th weekend. But this time I am there to have her euthanized. YES, that is how bad it sounded when she was in her attack mode EACH TIME I heard it.

Long story short .......

As we waited for the place to open I was second in line behind a young lady that grew up with German Shepherds. She understood my story as Ava laid on the sidewalk between us and slept. She also was a vet tech and works at a doggie day care/boarding business. "I know of a guy that might be able to help her. Ex Army and is a certified dog trainer plus he owns two shepherds he rescued from the city shelter."

For a few seconds I thought about that but I was set on euthanizing Ava. I had watched a video recently of Ceasar Milan train a vicious German Shepherd. He never shows what he did when he takes the dog to his facility. I did not know if Ava was even trainable or not.

Ava had an angel that day save her life.

I don't know if it was the lady I talked to outside the front door of that vet, or the veterinarian that refused to euthanize Ava. Until I could show her "an aggression analysis and bloodwork lab numbers from my regular vet" ... she flat out refused to do what I wanted her to do. Euthanize Ava. 

I came home, actually happy that Ava was making he return trip with me. As soon as the dogs and hounds were settled and also happy that Ava was back home ... I sent a text to the lady I met, asking for her friend's name and phone number, to train Ava.

All of the photos up to here were taken by him at the end of our two hour training session right here at home.

The first hour was just him training me. No dogs in the same room with us. With a four page handout, I was instructed to take notes. He demonstrated how to square up in front of her when she was in the attack mode. The amount of information is a whole different blog post. The training I was to do, was too simple to even believe but "it gets rid of aggressive behavior". He did not even have to see her at the fence when someone was close. 

After a little time in the backyard with Ava, following his instructions with her wearing a collar with a short leash to correct her, she was great. It did not take long for him to say that was enough. She was good to go.

Bottom line .... she is a fast learner, "she loves you" and she passed the final test of him pounding on the front door, then ringing the door bell as he enters the house, walking towards her trying to get her to respond aggressively. By the 3rd attempt I did not have to correct her and she did nothing but sit beside me with leash and collar on, in the entry of the kitchen as he walked inside and all the way up to her without her responding, then getting a small treat.

Last night my neighbor was unexpectedly in her side yard trimming some hydrangeas while Ava and Watson stood quietly at the corner of the fence watching her. When I called them they both came running to come inside. I will discuss in my next blog post what he did to stop her aggressiveness. 

Normal morning activity as it is already into the 80s so early in the morning. 

She is only protective of me and the crew when she is at home ... not on a walk, not at my friends house visiting ... just here. 

A beat up dog bed shared by all, different parts of the day but at night it is all Watson's. He will also let them know, it's his for the night. 

It has rained almost every night for a week after midnight, plus some afternoons. I finally cut my yard inside the fence but I had the Toro mower set as high as it would go.

Why can't all dogs be like Henry?

Or Walter?

Due to the immense heat just last week that magnolia was completely dead, like the brown stuff you see. I hid it under my patio chair out of the sun's direct sunlight and continued to water it if it didn't rain ... it has come back. 

Yes Cletus really did try to lay down in the crate with Walter until Walter growled at him.

So he found his quiet space, far corner behind the whiskey barrel. 

Why no blankets inside the crate? They, Ava and Walter, dug them out of the crate to enjoy the cold plastic floor ... too hot for any kind of blankets. 

It's going to be nail cutting day today for the dogs and hounds. The trainer told me how to use clippers without showing me. I was taking too much time to be careful and need to be quicker, faster. I'll soon see if that works. 

A lot of thunder and lightning on Saturday. 

It was New Beef Femur Bones last Thursday ... they all enjoyed them with no fighting. 

Things are good here in "the tropics" of Southern Indiana.