Plan B Forum

I found her out at Beaver Creek Park, the gorgeous, mountainous county park (largest in the country) fifteen minutes south of town where everyone goes to camp and recreate.

I took Jenny out for a swim this afternoon, as it was VERY hot and sticky. Then we rode way up into the mountains up a logging road on the Rocky Boy's Rez, to where the trees are old growth and you can almost feel the spirits of free Indians past.

On our way back home we stopped at one of the lakes to swim again, and there we found this little girl. She hobbled up to say hello - clearly injured, but very friendly. I first checked her back foot, but it was fine. After some coaxing I loaded her into Reva the Rav, with the idea that I'd take a ride round the lake to various campsites to see if anyone had lost a dog. First folks I found said they'd been camping there all week and had seen her fall from the back of a truck ( ) going by on the highway that runs through the park. They'd been feeding her and were arranging for a friend to come out from town to take her to the shelter.

So of course, she came home with me.

I fed her leftover roasted chicken and disguised half an aspirin in one of the pieces. She must be in pain, but she's sweet as you can imagine - affectionate and very calm (probably calm because she's injured, and in pain - she looks like a pup, not a year old, I'd bet). Her fur's a matted mess at the back, but I can't bear to brush or bathe her while she's still in pain.

I've tried calling my vet, but she's not home at present. I'm guessing since the pup's been in this shape all week, she can manage another day or two if necessary (we don't have any official 24 hour veterinary service hereabouts).

Any thoughts, suggestions for interim care?

Am I going to end up keeping this dog? Is she going to be my living reminder of this special community?

She would have to be so damned hairy!

She's beautiful [!], looks part Australian cattle dog ...and lucky to be in your care.

She may just be exhausted, and being in a safe place will do her a world of good. When you can get to a vet, he can check her for a microchip, which may tell you who her irresponsible bastards oringinal owners were, and possibly how to contact them.

If she has no chip and you still wish to find her owners, put out flyers with her pic near the site.

After that... she's all yours.





Wha'cha gonna call her?

Oy! You know me too well, loCA!

I was thinking maybe Little Bear, after the Bear's Paw Mountains, which is the range that runs through the park and the Rez. Or, Cree - after the Chippewa-Cree, whose reservation it is (Rocky Boy's) just south of the park.

eta: Oh wow, I just did some research and was reminded that the Chief of the Cree was called Little Bear! Chief Rocky Boy was chief of the Chippewa, when the two landless tribes were given the same reservation to share by the US government in 1916.

So I guess Little Bear?

The dog looks like a Blue Heeler. They are renown for copiously shedding their winter coat. Barney is a Red Heeler and I can atest that it isn't a color related phenomenon.

If you are unable to see any wounds or insertions on or between her pads the try and keep her as quiet as possible until you can see a vet.

Blueys are also renown for their loyalty.

However, they do require a lot of exercise (when well). They are a cattle dog, as Lo identified, and they are highly intelligent. They get bored easily if not stimulated and challenged.

You will find no dog more dedicated to you if you can manage them.

Do they howl, Hen?

She howled once when I was trying to coax her over to the truck - I figured she was anxious. I haven't had a howling dog since my blue tick coonhound, Gus.

I'm falling in love with her from here. Who could resist that face?

Good luck to Little Bear, but she's had the good fortune already to find ya, so fare thee well to both a yeZ!

Who could resist that face?

I know, huh? She has sweet brown eyes, too - she gazed on me adoringly all the way home from the park. Jenny's nose was a bit out of joint, so I had to keep reminding her we were being charitable and she was always going to be TOP DOG.

I've looked at some Blue Heeler info and she does seem to have the coloring, but not quite the right head shape and not the stand up ears - so, another mutt.

I like mutts.

bigskygal wrote:Do they howl, Hen?

Nope.

They can be taught easily to do things on command. Barney will only bark when someone rings our doorbell or knocks on the door, or enters our garden.

Well...advice from my vet: Having fallen out of a vehicle on either pavement or gravel, she probably has abrasions, though hidden under all that fur. She's concerned about infection in any cuts or scrapes. So if you can, wash her. (If it's hot and humid, she'll probably welcome getting cooled off.) She suggests a high-volume, low pressure wash in lukewarm water, ideally with something like a dish sprayer.

Okay; first thing tomorrow I will get her into the clawfoot tub for a nice washing up; I predict four or five handfuls of hair will get pulled from my drain trap in the process.

She looks like a very sweet pooch who's recovering from a nasty ordeal....It sounds like some heartless creeps abandoned her...

So long as your other dog gets along with her, I think it would be great if you could keep her. So long as you have the space, it's always good when you can have more than one dog so they have each other for company when their humans aren't around....

...any more pics today?

A howl is usually a call to the pack; beagles do it so damn much because they were bred to 'call' when they'd found something ...and just finding you, is reason enough to celebrate.
Little Bear was probably trying to give one last call to reach her family;
"I'm here, where are yooooooooou???"

...oh well, I'm leaving with this nice lady!

I dog-sat a blue heeler for about 8 months. He looked more like this:



Great dog. Whip-smart, very protective of the house, and could wear your arm out fetching a tennis ball. Everyone in 2 blocks knew the dog by name and were all his friends. He wasn't used to a leash before I arrived but in two days he was heeling beautifully.


yrs,
rubato

Definitely have the vet scan for a chip, but it sounds like you may have a new resident. The name suits, too. She looks like an Aussie Shepherd mix to me. Aka, united nations dog, or mutt. If you keep her and are really curious, You can buy a do at home dog DNA test kit (you have to send the sample for results) for about $50.

bigskygal wrote:Okay; first thing tomorrow I will get her into the clawfoot tub for a nice washing up; I predict four or five handfuls of hair will get pulled from my drain trap in the process.

Maybe too late, but try to do it during the hottest part of the day...she will learn to associate a bath with, "Hey, I'm not overheated anymore."

Highly recommend a drain cover ($3 at Wal-Mart), the kind that goes OVER tyhe drain in the tub. Makes hair removal much easier.

As with dogs from other working breeds, the Australian Cattle Dog has a high level of energy, a quick intelligence, and an independent streak. It responds well to structured training, particularly if it is interesting and challenging. Although not aggressive it was bred to bite, and owing to the strong attachment it forms to its owners can be protective of them and their possessions. It is easy to groom and maintain, requiring little more than brushing during the shedding period. The most common health problems are deafness and progressive blindness (both hereditary conditions) and accidental injury; otherwise, it is a robust breed with a lifespan of 12 to 14 years. Australian Cattle Dogs now participate in a range of activities beyond the herding they were bred for, including competing with their owners in sporting events and working as assistance dogs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_heeler

Barnum is a Heeler/Kelpie cross, he shows all of those characteristics. Unfortunately, as described above, he's also gone blind.

I didn't end up bathing her; my vet said they would at the vet hospital this week if necessary, and I should avoid anything that causes her to move around much, like the slippery tub floor (no extra set of hands here to hold her steady).

So she's going in tomorrow morning and will stay at vet hospital for the week while I'm at the MCAA summer meeting at Big Sky. Vet will do X-rays and let me know how bad things are in terms of prognosis.

She (pup) walks fairly well, so I'm guessing no broken pelvis. But her back left leg is bent inward at a very awkward angle and must be fractured. Because it's been some days since injury, it may need more complicated resetting.

I'll take another photo to post. She's scrawny, but that's not my fault! I'm feeding her regular, but not too much as I don't want her to get sick. I'm guessing she's a Rez dog, because she didn't get this skinny in one week. I'll have her checked for chip, of course.

She's sweet and lets Jenny be boss, so she might be a good pal for her if we get to keep her.

What do folks think about dogs in the back of open bed trucks at high speeds? I saw last night in reading online that this is a polarizing issue.

The other thing I saw yesterday was a pickup bed full (a dozen or so) of shirtless teenaged boys speeding through the park, boys standing up & horsing around. Teen driver. I think that's nuts. Am I just crazy?

Dogs don't know how to ride in pickup beds instinctively, and even a well trained dog can get thrown under certain conditions - then they are likely to be seriously hurt or killed, and become a dangerous projectile threatening vehicles behind. I think dogs should ride inside.

bigskygal wrote: What do folks think about dogs in the back of open bed trucks at high speeds? I saw last night in reading online that this is a polarizing issue.

The other thing I saw yesterday was a pickup bed full (a dozen or so) of shirtless teenaged boys speeding through the park, boys standing up & horsing around. Teen driver. I think that's nuts. Am I just crazy?
.

Nope, that's very dangerous and illegal. A law was passed in California that a dog riding in the back of a truck, has to be leashed, or crated.

Many dogs do seem to enjoy it, just like they like sticking their heads out the window, but they don't know how dangerous it is.