Sweet Honey-dew

Two weeks ago I received a phone call from a representative from Hiawatha Valley Humane Society regarding a pit bull mix. Two dogs had been confiscated from a neglectful situation where the man was not providing proper care for them. In fact, when the county sheriff first stopped by to investigate the property, all the dogs had to eat was ketchup and Cheerios. Both dogs were emaciated and very under weight. One dog, a pointer mix, was taken into the humane society, but the second dog, a little pitty mix, was not allowed due to a recent ban on all bully breeds at their facility. Bans are not a good solution and are discriminative, but that’s another story.

I was contacted to see if I’d be willing to take this girl into MN Pit Stop. The first step was to assess her and check for any aggression issues. A week later after she was spayed, vaccinated and micro-chipped I went to meet her. Honey, as she appropriately named for her color and sweetness, was being fostered by a rep of the humane society whom also does not agree with the ban and wanted to offer support. During Honey’s week stay there, she was exposed to numerous neighborhood dogs and young children, all of which she did fine with. Things were looking promising! I always use the ASPCA’s SAFER assessment to assess dogs prior to agreeing to take them into the rescue. A dog showing any people aggression or a high level of dog aggression will not be accepted. Honey scored very well, she received ones on every item of the assessment. The previous foster mom had nothing but good things to say about her as well. Honey’s only vice it turns out, is traveling in vehicles. She becomes panicked and looses all inhibition. If given the chance, she chews everything in sight and very quickly. The half hour ride home was a lot for her. I crated her in a hard-sided plastic crate and covered it with a dark blanket. This seemed to help her anxiety a bit, but I could still hear her obsessively licking and trying to chew the sides of the crate. Behavior modification here we come!

Once I brought Honey home, it was time to introduce her to the three cats. Cats, what cats? That seemed to be her attitude; Honey didn’t bat an eye at them and displayed absolutely no prey drive. Emma was the next concern but the girls, through a proper a dog-to-dog introduction, did just fine! Over the past week, we’ve started to work on foundation behaviors and basic manners. Learning to say “please” by sitting for desired objects, food and attention. She is being tethered and crated for short periods of time, even while I’m present, so that she learns to settle and not be under foot. Finding treats she was interested in was a bit challenging at first. You would think a starving dog would eat anything, but no, she wouldn’t even take roasted chicken! Freeze-dried beef patties by Stella and Chewy’s and Natural Balance turkey rolls were the ticket! Honey’s recall is great and she sticks close by, so I’m able to let her off-leash to romp with the other dogs. She retrieves well, which makes playing Chuck It a fun way to burn off some energy. Honey acts and looks a lot like a puppy still, even though it’s apparent she’s had a litter of puppies and looks to be roughly 12-18 months old when assessing her teeth. She is small, petite and hasn’t filled out much, but this could be do a variety of reasons…runt of the litter, malnourished, having pups when she was still a puppy herself? Who knows? I hope that now with proper care and love, she’ll fill out and grow into her ears.

If you or anyone you know of are interested in adopting Honey, please contact me through email or phone 507.494.0325.