Previously… (The Foster Chronicles: ‘Nita, Week 7)
Day 1
‘Nita has been doing a lot better about not lunging at cars on our walks. Today though, halfway through our loop, a car pulls out of the Kingdom Hall parking lot, and ‘Nita bites my butt. You heard me. She doesn’t break the skin or anything, but it’s not a nip; it’s a chomp, enough to make me shriek, enough to leave twin bruises, one on the top of the cheek and one on the bottom. [This is when Dan NJ will say, pics or it didn’t happen.]
I holler at her and hold her neck to the ground. She kisses and wags.
What’s she got against Jehovah’s Witnesses, I wonder.
Day 2
Redford and ‘Nita, who is tethered to my chair, wrestle on the floor or the living room. Violet approaches gingerly but with tail twitching. She and ‘Nita do a little tag team action on Redford. Maybe Violet’s ready to make friends?
Day 3
‘Nita tries her hand at motivational speaking.
She can’t keep a straight face, but people like her anyway.
Day 4
There is some drama within the foster organization. The president, who resigned three weeks ago and moved to Sarasota, is accused of some financial… let’s say, less-than-transparency. People quit. For a moment, CCB’s future is uncertain. I may have to get this dog adopted out myself.
Everything eventually gets explained, to some people’s satisfaction more than others’ (I think I’ll be directing my energies elsewhere in the future), but the important thing is the organization is intact, for the moment.
A volunteer does the home visit for Lainey, the woman who lives near Charlotte, and it supposedly goes well. :)
Day 5
I write to Lainey and tell her about ‘Nita’s progress:
She’s really doing great on her manners. She learns fast. My only concern is her issue with wheeled things. She’s gotten better around cars. I’ve learned that if I keep her on the side opposite the traffic and if we stop when one goes by, that’s effective about 80% of the time. Bicycles and motorcycles and scooters are another story. She jumps and makes monkey noises and will just not let up until the thing is well out of sight—the other day, she almost jumped out my car window when a motorcycle went by! Scared me to death. And I worry about her getting hit by a car if she got off the leash.
I’m going to ask the dog trainer about how to handle this stuff. If you were to adopt her, would you be willing to continue working with her on it?
Lainey replies that after we met she started researching, and she’s found a trainer who is willing to come to her house. She thinks agility would help control her predatory drive.
Yes. Good answer.
In the evening, I’m walking through the kitchen with ‘Nita on the leash when everything explodes. In a moment, she and Violet are on their hind legs, Violet’s chin clamped in ‘Nita’s mouth, ‘Nita snout in Violet’s, and it’s LOUD.
I wrestle them apart and wonder what the fuck. Then I see the food bag. I had emptied a bag into the bin and then left it on the floor. Violet had been investigating the empty bag earlier. I think ‘Nita showed a little too much interest in it as we walked through the kitchen, and Violet was policing.
Whatever, I’m so sad and mad and scared, especially when I check the dogs out, and each is bleeding from the face. ‘Nita appears to have superficial cheek and nose scratches. Violet has several holes punched through the bottom of her chin.
I rub Neosporin on their wounds and fret.
Day 6
‘Nita’s lip is all swoll up. I email, call, and text the president of the organization: Should I take her to the vet? The org’s vet is closed on Saturdays… maybe I could cajole mine into seeing her? I need to know soon though because the office closes at noon. After that, our only option with be the emergency vet, which will cost four times as much.
I hear nothing for several hours.
Finally, the pres calls and says just put hot compresses on it three times a day, and if it’s still swollen on Monday, we’ll get her seen someplace.
‘Nita’s outside with Redford when a rollerblader comes by. She jumps the gate to get to him. Fortunately by then he’s tromping along the gravel road (yes, I live on a gravel road in a city—I’m fancy like that). I shout, “SHE’S FRIENDLY!”, and she just runs over and wags at him.
Day 7
Sundog morning:
We head to south Durham to go for a walk with TULIP and her mom! Tulip gives me lots of snuggles and kisses. Her mom says that’s the warmest welcome she’s given anybody. I think that girl remembers me. :D
Redford and ‘Nita are sunbathing in the afternoon. ‘Nita vaults the fence again to go visit the rollerblader. He holds his cigarette aloft in one hand, pets her with the other, and says, “That’s OK, girl. You can come holla at me anytime.” She’s such a flirt.
Sundog evening:
Nothing like Auntie’s magical dog yard.