Thursday, January 28, 2010

QUITTERS


Yep, that's what we feel like...QUITTERS! Mitzi's time with us ended last Saturday after 4+ months of us desperately trying to give her love & teach her that it's not OK to urinate in our house, on our furniture, on our clothes/shoes, or anywhere else indoors for that matter. *sigh* The poor, sweet thing just did not get it. Her psychological issues ran too deep & we had to give up on her. We made the long journey to Costa Mesa to return her to the rescue group from whence she came. SORRY MITZI....we loved you, but you were just too much for us.

It has been several days since her departure. I'm not sure what's more sad...the fact we had to give up or the fact that the house is so peaceful, calm & relaxing now that she IS gone??? I never realized how much of my time she consumed, even when I was not home....she was always on my mind. She was always on Mike's mind. The non-stop flow of urine coming out of her was always bothersome & we had high hopes that in time, it would pass. Now that she is gone, I am so much more relaxed when I am home. While sad to send her packing, I feel free again.

Mitzi is no dummy -- she learned to "sit", "stay", or "go lay down in your bed" with relative ease in recent weeks, but she could not stop urinating anytime she was happy, nervous, scared or insecure. We treated her like gold & yet, she could not stop. Medically, there was nothing wrong with her. We had the vet examine her to make sure. We were told it's common in dogs that were abused & she may or may not get over it in time --- and we should invest in dog diapers, which we did...to no avail.

Frankie is adjusting, although he appears to search for her at times. I'm sure he once again loves being the center of attention. He also loves getting to be indoors more often. When Mitzi was there, we tried to treat them equally, which meant he was banned from the house during daylight hours to be in the yard w/ Mitzi. I think he hated the lack of human contact no matter how much he liked to wrestle with his little canine pal. Our hope is she finds a permanent home with someone that is more tolerant -- although, I think we had the patience of Saints in dealing with her, maybe she still needs more??

Farewell, little Mitzi-Mae.....best of luck to you! May you have a happy life wherever you land. XOXO

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Q&A

I have no recent shopping adventures to post about.....trying to watch the budget lately. So, I thought I would take a quick moment to try & find out where YOU like to shop (not that many peeps read this blog, but what the heck?). Tell me your top 5 stores & why you like them. Who knows?? Maybe it will inspire ME to find new places to shop!

Happy Shopping!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Patience is Running Out



What is one to do with a darling, scruffy little mutt that has suffered through SO much when their patience begins to run out? Mitzi was adopted in October, most unexpectedly....and despite our best efforts, the submissive urination just won't end. We have to keep her outdoors most of the time. When indoors, she has to wear doggie diapers -- yes, they really DO make those!

It's rare one of us can step outside to greet both our pooches & Mitzi remains dry. She's happy to see us -- it's not fear by any means, but she makes a huge puddle. If something startles her (which the simplest of things do), she makes a huge puddle. If she is frightened or intimidated, she makes a huge puddle. It's not fun & I do not appreciate changing doggie diapers daily. *sigh*

We did tons of research on the subject of submissive urination in dogs. In the dog kingdom, it stems from insecurity and is their way of showing the dominant force RESPECT......I'll tell you what -- respect me LESS and urinate on my floor LESS, please. The urination happens indoors and outdoors. We have followed all the rules & it goes nowhere. Surely in 3 months, SOME improvement should be seen? We see it in other areas with her -- she's intelligent, she's loving -- but the pee-pee thing, she is not getting over & it sucks! We are trying every trick, every recommendation & it's not getting better. We have had her evaluated by the vet to make sure there was no medical issue. She's fine there.

It's not all bad.....Mitzi-Mae is very loving & sweet, although she has had some barky, nasty moments at home when new people come to visit. Not cool, but easier to understand than the urinary problem. She has gradually slowed down with her eating, knowing no one is going to steal her food, as what may have happened her 10+ months in a rescue shelter with 20+ other dogs. She gets along well with Frankie most of the time -- but he does get annoyed with her when she steals his bed. I know there is a smart dog in there somewhere.....

We have fleeting moments where Mitzi is a "real dog", meaning her tail is wagging, the ears are cocked ever-so cutely beside her tiny face & she's running & jumping in the yard.....then, you just look at her & fear comes over her....the tail goes down wraps up under her female parts, the ears slick back in terror & she cowers, often with urine flowing out. It's horrible. It's sad. Her prior owner surely did not treat her well that she has SO much fear. He or she must have been a real stellar human being for beating up on an 8 pound pup! Makes me sick.

I feel like a quitter if I return her to the rescue group, but honestly, I don't know how much more I can tolerate. Maybe she needs someone who is home more & can work with her more often than I can? She's darling & funny & loving....but such a handful & seriously, our patience is wearing very thin for keeping her for the long haul, I'm sad to say. *sigh* Stay tuned........but if anyone has the time & patience of a Saint, by all means, give us a call & perhaps we can work out a transfer??? We need help. I don't even think the Dog Whisperer could fix this tiny creature....