Three years ago today Matty and I drove down to Toledo to fetch home a replacement dawg for Emery--RIP. The fam had met the prettiest little JRT at an Ohio Burger King the week before and decided that we wanted to adopt this sweet little bitch from Planned Pethood.org She would be responsible for getting Jarvis (our wire hair JRT) out of the funk he had settled into since his German Shepard Roommate had gone on to the big sleep.
We should have realized that this dog was gonna be a problem from the very beginnning. First of all, we got horribly lost by the Toledo Zoo turnpike. Secondly she whined all the way home (and hasn't really ever stopped since that 45 minute trip) and third... well I will never adopt an adult dog again. The ladies told us we were her third home. JRT's are notorious high energy dogs, that was okay-- we were a high energy house. Issue after issue arouse with "Bree"; she came named that way--it worked for us as we are all huge LoTR fans. She would NOT stay in the yard. We tried a cable hooked into in the ground. The kind that was one of those corkscrew things? We already had it from Emery--it was his "to go" tie out--kept a 150lb shepard in line should work for her little 18 lb ass right? NOT. She dug it out and jumped the fence. Petey installed an invisible fence. I trained her, very carefully showing her the flags and following the advice on the video. It took her less than a day to figure out all she had to do was leap through .9 seconds of zap and she was free. That was a huge waste. She learned how to open the screendoors. She terrified the cats into banishment (They had previously gotten along fine with both Jarvis and Emery). She got picked up by the cops twice. She has a huge prey drive. She has been returned by neighbors so many times I really can't count. She has gone to marching band practice with Matt. She went to football and wrestling practice just for fun-- I guess. She just recently went for a swim at the pool by herself. She goes through pencil thick chewies like my Dad goes through Winstons. Bull tendons last a day. Goat hooves seem to be a bit longer lasting. Jolly balls last about a month till they start to look white trashy and need to be replaced. She needs to be walked at least a mile (if not 3) per day or she chews on herself! Can you say anxiety issues? This dog has more needs than a newborn human.
Planned Pethood wanted me to write an article about our "success". I didn't return her in the 90 day trial period. I laughed out loud. If I had written an article they prly would go under! No one wants to hear about this insane dog. I ended up starting an email conversation/therapy with her previous "foster" mom Judy. Who ...as time went on... confessed several things including that they knew she was an escape artist--from TEXAS! Every couple of weeks I would shoot Judy an email saying Yay! No escapes. Then Bree would escape. Finally, that relationship dissolved. She suggested Rescue Remedy. Well that didn't work.
Bree is terrified of thunderstorms. She can jump at least six feet straight up. She has gotten skunked twice. She can climb trees. She digs like a demon. She wants desperately to kill small fuzzy things. She is so fast. She can clear four blocks in 12 seconds. I know I have timed her. However, we can't play with other doggies at coursing or agility games because she picks fights and won't come back when she is called. I did discover that she is perfectly trained in obedience....IF YOU HAVE STEAK OR CHEESE! She *chooses* to behave-- when she feels like it. Three years. Anybody got a horsefarm that needs a rat dog? She is free.
