the doglog archives #5

excerpts from my notes when i walked dogs at the local pound

I got in after 9:00 today, but many dogs had jet to be walked. Some of them were unknown large and strong ones, and despite the fact that I did not know if they would get out at all, I wasn't in the mood for a fight of brute force, so I skipped over them.

Charlie had a hold on him for a potential adopter, so I took him out and tried to focus on his behavior to get him ready. He was doing fair with commands and recalls, but on the way back from the long run, he started fighting with his leach and bit and pulled at it. I managed to get him redirected to a ball after some amount of struggling.

After that, I took out Boss Lady, a five-month old black with white tips pittie pup whose family didn't bother to teach her to be good and realized that they couldn't handle that destructive puppy energy. She was excessively jumpy and mouthy, doing her damndest to chew the buttons off my coat, and had no respect for the leash at all. I could only hope to burn off some of her energy and keep her at arm's length, since she wasn't very strong.

Talbot still hadn't been out, so I took him last. His sheet was marked to say that he was not that well-behaved and a puller, but he responded to my commands quickly and spent a lot of time getting cuddles.

Vaska actually got adopted from his foster home. Shy went out as well.

january 26, 2012

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31 May 2018 22:02

the doglog archives #4

excerpts from my notes when i walked dogs at the local pound

Shadow went home over the weekend; for lack of a fallback easy dog to take out, the day has been exhausting.

I took Rylee out for a longer stroll down Hamilton and back. It was a windy day, and she froze and checked back over her shoulder at me whenever a particularly strong gust swept up the street behind us.

Wren was kenneled not too far away, so I took her out since she was so small and seemed easier to handle. As it turned out, she doesn't understand what leashes are for, and kept choking herself rather than chill out and walk nicely. We went to the small pen in the back so she could have a break and mess around a little; Martha was in the long run and teased her through the fence.

Charlie was still around, so I took him up to the long run to get some good leg stretching done. He is starting to get used to me and learning recalls well, though sometimes he can't help tackling me to say hi instead of sitting nicely.

Kong needed to go out, and there were few chill dogs left, so I took him out as a test to see how I could handle an ostrich. He was by far the hardest dog I've handled due to his strength and lack of leash manners. I took him up to the small pen and hoped to le him burn off energy before taking him back, but he still yanked me all over the place. He doesn't really know his name or how to listen to humans, so I don't know how good his chances are of going home.

Emilio, a rather massive GSD/chow, has been marked as an escaper. Shy, ad new girl, is an IG/JRT in one of the small crates, who tail-tucked and barely looked at me but cautiously approached the door. A pair of hound puppies are in the pen, and they clamor constantly for attention, though they're a bit nippy. Talbot, a GSD/Boxer, just arrived, and seems appropriately well-behaved.

january 24, 2012

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30 April 2018 22:20

the doglog archives #3

excerpts from my notes when i walked dogs at the local pound

On a whim, I took an additional walking day and brought a camera with which to photograph some of the dogs for the adoption listings.

Shadow had already been out, but I took him anyway, and he pooped for me as usual. He demanded love and hugs and would not sit still for a photograph. On returning him to the kennel, another walker informed me that she had just taken him out, so I had to give photographing him as an excuse for walking him again.

I took Charlie out for a walk and some photographs; he is responding to come and sit commands very well.

Rocky, a brindle pitty, was about to get his kennel cleaned, so I took him out next. He was apparently rarely walked, but knew how to fetch and return balls far better than most other dogs there.

A tan pitty with one brown and one blue eye needed to go out, and I thought she would serve well for photographs. Her name was Daisy, previously Diamond, and she was brought in by someone who was watching her for a neighbor and the neighbor refused to take her back. She had spent most of her time tethered in an unfenced yar, and was very anxious and badly socialized. She spent most of the time panic-running around the side dog run, ignored almost all human contact, and screamed her head off at all the other dogs within her sight range.

Wren was nowhere to be seen, and I saw nothing to indicate where she might have been moved to. A pair of extremely obnoxious dachshunds are using the puppy pen. George mouthed my hand a little more than he shouldhave; the dogs in the exit aisle have been, supposedly, getting cage-aggressive.

january 20, 2012

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28 April 2018 23:12

the doglog archives #2

excerpts from my notes when i walked dogs at the local pound

I checked on Shadow first thing; he had been out already, but hadn't yet pooped, so I took him out again. He was much better than before, pooped twice for me and showed that he could lift his leg to pee. I am not sure it's a good thing that he gets along with me this well, exclusively, and hope he gets out soon.

I took Midnight, a small black pitty mix, out for a quick romp through the main run, and then Charlie, who was previously Jake. Both dogs respond occasionally to voice commands.

Vaska has been moved to foster care, and all the puppies have homes.

A new little girl named Wren, a thirty pound tan pitty, was picked up as a stray; she seemed very wary and confused, but did come to the door to meet me.

january 19, 2012

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26 April 2018 23:06

the doglog archives #1

excerpts from my notes when i walked dogs at the local pound

For my first walk, I looked for a dog under 50 lbs and known to have some amount of manners. Jake, a black and white hound mix, stuck out a little for being mildly behaved in the kennel, but turned out to be quite the puller. We went as far as the first corner after the bridge, and I learned a lot of leash control.

Shadow, a 7-year-old black and tan Gordon's Setter struck me as one to go next. He gave me the distinct impression of being worried and confused, but once we got up to the long run, he calmed down and took off for many laps, demanded belly rubs, and showed me that he knew his name and how to sit nicely. He appeared freshly fixed and not quite sure how to pee well yet. Supposedly, his owner's wife didn't want him around anymore.

There was a trio of month-old shepherd pups that were found abandoned in Mt. Oliver, and one of the older boxers still remained, being given medical treatment.

Vaska has yet to be adopted, and I am worried that he'll never make it out.

Foxy and Rylee are no longer neighbors, and Gizmo has been moved to the far corner.

january 17, 2012

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23 April 2018 21:41