Lost pet commercial break

Stay tuned for more tales of Nightmare! We will be right back after these messages...

Did your dog run away from home or got lost while roaming off leash? We all know these kinds of stories and it is very likely that if you are a dog owner, this has happened to you once or twice.

What can you do to make sure Fido does not take off on its own?

First of all, prevention. Yes, it is better to prevent than to solve a problem. Here is the recipe for success with a safe doggo:

• Ask your vet to microchip your pet or to register you on the pet's chip if you are not the first (responsible) owner. The microchip helps rescuers identify and contact the owner of the pet, if the pet is lost. It is a small implant and is very easy to insert, with little pain to the animal. Some countries require it by law and it is also the sensible thing to do. Tags on collars also work, but if your pet slips out of the collar, it will not be of too much use...
• The leash is dog's best friend! The majority of lost pets are those walked without a leash. There are far too many dangers and temptations in today's modern world, from traffic to other animals. Unless you are in a safe enclosure, using a leash is highly recommended.
  
  

  

  Extensible leashes... for that extra bit of freedom, without cutting on the safety.

• Sometimes, even the leash is not enough, as we have reports of some dogs slipping out of their collars or harnesses in fear or excitement. Avoid going out for walks during loud events such as fireworks shows or lightning storms. Use a harness rather than a collar and make sure it is not loose. And always, be mindful of your surroundings.
• Don't ignore your pet during walks. Do not tie up your dog in front of a shop while you go in and don't lose touch with reality (while chatting with someone or using your phone). It is very easy for the pet to get in trouble or even get stolen.

If prevention didn't work, act quickly and efficiently. Search for your pet yourself (mobilise a  small army of friends and family too if necessary). If the pet is out of sight, make use of those networking connections. Ask for help with the search on your social media and post ads on lost pet sites (rewards are always a good incentive). The classic poster is always useful, but takes time to produce and "publish" in the neighbourhood. Always check the "found" sections of the lost pet sites and don't lose hope. If your pet is found by nice people and taken to a vet, the microchip (or collar tag) is your best bet of getting your furry friend back!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Traumas and phobias

Continuing our Nightmare tale...

Where we last left off, we had just taken in the anonymous (back then) black dog in our home.

My husband said he would set up an inflatable mattress and sleep in the kitchen with her, while I would nap in the living room with Aschiuta.

Easier said than done, for my side at least. I kept tossing and turning, wondering what we were going to do. I was afraid the dog would be reckless or traumatised or not potty trained (actually that was the least of my concerns). I had all sorts of concerns, a new one on each side of the pillow.

In the morning, I decided to work from home and stay to take care of the dog while Scorp went to work.

First things first. The dog would need to go out and do her business, so she would get into the routine and not leave us any "presents" inside the house.

However, there was a problem that had shown up the night before when trying to bring the new dog home. The dog absolutely refused to go up the stairs. She climbed the few steps leading to the front door of the building and up to the first landing and then she simply tried to back up frantically, as if she were being hurt by the stairs. My husband had to carry her in his arms all the way to the 5th floor.

Now, I have myself been a dog carrier for a long time, carrying Aschiuta in my arms all the way to the vet when she was smaller or even lately, to pretend that I wouldn't let her make paw prints on the freshly washed floors, I would carry her up the stairs. But even that is only until the 2nd or 3rd floor.

The new dog was larger than Aschiuta, I would not be able to carry her up and down the stairs. Luckily, the elevator had been installed and working (most of the time), so we rode the elevator. She seemed almost used to this means of transportation, which makes me believe she had used it before.

She seemed to understand what the walks were for and left some "presents" for me to magically make disappear. I took her 3 or 4 times the first day, because she took so long to do anything and didn't do everything all at once.

I kept her shut in the kitchen while I worked and visited with her during breaks. I felt like a new mother and also a nurse. Because, besides the staircase phobia, our new friend also had a serious health problem... an infected wound on her forehead. But more on that later...

Bad booboo on such a sweet face...

Introducing... Nightmare

We have been having a nightmare for almost a month now. A collective nightmare? Well, sort of. Every night? Yes, with a break for a few days. What kind of nightmare? A very dark one, but also very kind and loving. Huh?

Nightmare is not a bad dream (although she does have her turbulent moments), she is a dog. I always say she looks a lot like Aschiuta, but bigger, blacker and furrier. They have similar body shapes and they both have pointy ears. They are even alike in their behaviour, friendly and always willing to give you a hug and a kiss if you let them.

I met Nightmare one night outside of the supermarket across the street, munching on a tray of sausages. I let her be, but when I went out of the shop, she came to sniff my shopping bags. I pet her a bit and tried to shake her off, but she followed me to our building.

If you are familiar with the strays that occasionally get food from people, they develop a friendly but pushy personality, along with the beggar eyes (which Aschiuta also had when we first saw her). This trick often gets them food, especially if they know where to stay. They also get a lot of meat and bones, to the point where they become picky eaters and won't eat much else. Nightmare was one of them.

I had no meat and knew she must have been full from the sausages she had eaten earlier, but thought I would try with a couple of jam cookies. Some dogs have a sweet tooth (Aschiuta sure does, but she only gets a few morsels), but the black stray would have none of my cookies. She just wanted to be pet. So I gave her some rubs and eventually went inside, leaving her in front of the door.

That same night, my husband came home from his darts match and called me from downstairs.

"Lavi, there is a very sweet black dog out here. She is so loving and I'm sure she is lost or abandoned. Please, can we take her in, at least until we find her a home? I don't want to leave her out here."

I eventually gave in, thinking that there would be a lot of trouble. How would the new dog behave? How would she get along with Aschiuta?

We also had another major problem... We had to leave for Brasov soon and stay for a few days for a darts tournament. We usually took Aschiuta with us, but what about the new dog?

Stranger in a strange house...