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Thursday, August 13, 2020

Shot Day

Well, yesterday was Shot Day for that asshole dog Jack.

I slipped him a tranquilizer about 9 AM for a 1 PM appointment because they usually keep him subdued for about 8 hours, but sometimes take an hour or two before they come on.
At noon, he was still rowdy wanting to play - so rowdy that I begin to wonder did I really dose him or did I just think I did? No matter, I didn't want to give him another one in case I did - the whole purpose was to calm his ass down, not kill him although I will admit I have fantasized about that in the past, usually when I'm bandaging myself up.

At 12:40 I loaded him up in the truck and we headed towards the outskirts of town for the fight that I knew in my heart was coming. He was excited to be going for a ride, barking and lunging at trucks, tractors and especially Jason the mailman who we passed on the way.
Great. That's all I need, for him to be good and wound up by the time we get there.

I pulled into the parking lot and his ears dropped and he turned towards me with a WTF expression on his face. He remembers the vet. Fucking wonderful.
I snapped his leash on before I opened my door (learned my lesson on that a long time ago) and told him to stay before I got out. He jumped out on his side when I opened his door, eyeballed the building and balked when I headed towards the door. No big deal, I've been through this drill before. I snatched him up and physically carried him in. Nobody else was there except for the babe working the desk and the shop cat, both of them ignored by Jack which surprised the hell out of me - I figured he'd be all over that cranky old feline.

The girl at the desk told me to put him on the scale while she pulled his records. I pointed at the scale and said "Over there" and I'll be damned if he didn't climb right up there without being told twice. He got a little nervous the way the platform was floating so I told him to sit - and he did. What the fuuu.....
75.5 pounds. Cool, his weight's holding steady, although I don't know how because he only eats maybe every 3-4 days.

Desk Babe directed us to Exam Room 1. Jack said fuck that and balked. I picked him up again and went in, telling the girl they best have some reinforcements in ready reserve in case he nuts up again like last year.
We were in there alone for a few minutes so I sat there and stroked his head, talking to him and trying to calm him down. He didn't seem to be tripping too much, but then again, he didn't last time we were there - until they came in with the syringes.
After about 5 minutes, I could hear several voices out right outside the room - they were muted by the door so I couldn't tell if they were planning strategy or having a prayer first.
No matter, it was fixin' to be showtime.

The door opened and Destinee, two other women and a big strapping farm boy came in. They must've drafted the farm boy right out of the fields especially for this seeing as he still had tobacco resin on his hands and clothes. Smart move.
The preacher's wife is noticeably absent for some reason.

Jack saw Destinee and started doing that little tail bump thing. He can't wag it because it was broken when he got hit by that UPS truck and it's permanently fused in kind of an S shape, so when he's happy it just kind of bumps up and down near his ass. He likes Destinee because she carries doggy treats in her smock pocket and she's pretty generous with them.
"Okay, after last year it says in the notes that we may need to restrain and muzzle Jack. I remember he was a handful. We'll try it without restraints first because we don't want to stress him, but do you think we need the muzzle?" she says.
"Naw, the only person he'll try to bite is me and I'm used to that shit. Do you have disinfectant and bandages ready?" I was half joking, but still cautiously eyeballing Jack who had finished his treat and wanting another.
"We do. Let's do this. See if you can't distract him."
Farm Boy puts on a pair of leather work gloves and gets into position to tackle that asshole dog Jack just in case he gets froggy while the 2 spare vet babes cower in the corner.
"Jack. Come here, partner" and I point to my lap. He looks towards Destinee hoping for another treat or maybe a reprieve, then resigns himself and comes to me laying his head in my lap, then I started giving him a deep scratch behind his ears, which he absolutely loves to have done.
Destinee seizes the moment and slides the needle in his butt. Jack doesn't flinch. What the actual fuck..... Then another, and then the last one. No reaction whatsoever.
After the last one, she asks if there's anything else he needs done. I thought about it for a minute. "How about chipping him? I know it's a bigger needle, but do you feel up to the challenge?"
She smirked and said "Oh, so after two years, you've finally decided to keep him?"

I gotta tell you, that damned dog surprised the hell out of me. I was expecting to go a few rounds with him, but other than pissing on the floor as I was paying to show his disdain for the proceedings, he was actually well behaved. And I'm pretty sure I either forgot the tranquilizer or it just didn't take effect because as soon as I got home and opened his door, he tore off across the property chasing a rabbit, then when he came back he nipped me in the ass just for grins.

39 comments:

  1. Well hell, sounds like y'all had a bonding moment.
    JD

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    1. Eh, he was just luring me into a false sense of complacency.

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  2. Is it possible, I mean not on purpose, that you gave yourself the sedative and not Jack?????? Just curious.....

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    1. That's a very distinct possibility - I was feeling exceptionally mellow all day yesterday.

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    2. Lmao

      MadMarlin

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  3. Hey Kenny;

    Well dang.....I betcha the Vet's office talked about that visit....LOL

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  4. Glenda beat me to it... Glad he 'behaved' for a change. Maybe he's mellowing out.

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  5. Mr. Lane, I don't recall Jack's background but if he is an abused rescue, they calm down after being with a loving owner over time. I've had 3 rescue English Mastiffs and they all improved overtime with their behavior at the vet's office.

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  6. I know we keep asking, but where's that book? You really do have a gift for storytelling...

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  7. He figures in order to live with you and put up with your shit he has to take the shots.

    Good Boy....

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  8. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think that you have a piss-poor attitude toward your dog. J

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    1. You don't know that dog. Whoever had him first abused the hell out of him, and he bit at anything that frightened him, and that was damned near everything.
      It's taken me 2 years to get him to understand that not everything strange is an attempt on his life.

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    2. He could have let the dog be put down but instead has given him a home and love.

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    3. Dogsledder, don't take this the wrong way, but MYOB. I am a Christian, and have had numerous dogs in my 60 years. In the past, I have been dirt poor, and could not afford proper veterinary care for my dogs. I could not even afford to have them humanely put down, if they really were at that point in their lives.
      So I have taken several of my own loving dogs, that I owned, out and did the job myself, with tears running down my face. Some people would say that I had a piss poor attitude towards those dogs. To those people I would say, MYOB.
      I swear, you go by the handle Dogsledder, but I know that your real name is Karen.

      Pigpen51

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    4. No offense but maybe you should go back and read his posts on his dogs before commenting on a subject you obviously don't know about. He's put up with a lot more than most would have with that dog, especially a dog that just showed up one day.
      JD

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    5. The "J" is a smiley face, guys. Sometimes the :) gets turned into a J for some reason mysterious to me.

      You're a good man, Ken. You've made a difference to that dog.

      From an article on James Herriot, the Yorkshire vet who wrote the book "All Creatures Great and Small":
      Roy was chained up in a dark hovel for months. His "hindquarters were a welter of pressure sores which had turned gangrenous, and strips of sloughing tissue hung down from them. There were similar sores along the sternum and ribs. The coat, which seemed to be a dull yellow, was matted and caked with dirt." The Widow Donovan with her quack nostrums and kind heart adopts Roy and later with the magnificent Golden Retriever at her side, we share her pride as she says, almost fiercely, "Mr. Herriot, haven't I made a difference to this dog?"

      Herriot reserves his anger for the dog abandoners, "Some time ago, the humans he had loved and trusted had opened the car door, hauled him out into an unknown world and driven merrily away. I began to feel sick -- physically sick -- and a murderous rage flowed through me. Had they laughed, I wondered, these people, at the idea of the bewildered little creature toiling vainly along behind them?"

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    6. I'm pretty sure Jack was dumped out here. It happens every once in a while but not as often as you'd think.
      I asked Jason, our mailman, if he looked familiar and he said he didn't recognize the dog. He's got 600 stops on his route out here, so he covers quite a bit of territory and seeing as Jack has barked at him since Day One, I'm pretty sure he's remember Jack.

      I can't imagine why anybody would dump a dog - they're either going to be run over, killed by coyotes or shot by a landowner for scrounging food or chasing livestock. If you don't want the dog, take him to a no-kill shelter.

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    7. Dogsled, I can promise you that Mr. Lane has the utmost respect for his animals, as I'm sure he knows that the average dog is smarter and nicer than the average person

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  9. I had a dog similar to Jack. He really loved his family, but he didn't like strangers and he HATED children. The only exceptions were people walking dogs (I guess if you had a dog you were good people) and the crew at the doggie daycare where he used to go every so often. He absolutely loved other dogs and cats, and the workers at the doggie daycare said he was one of the best behaved dogs out there. Go figure, right?

    Anyhow, I'm glad you're getting Jack acclimated to the rest of the world. I enjoy reading about him, but I don't think I'm ready to meet him in person. I'm not sure he's ready either.

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  10. I had a dog that loved going to the vet, didn't matter which one, she saw 3 different ones over the 4 years of her life.
    Strangest thing I ever saw with a dog

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    1. CharlieGodammit loved going to the vet. He was so big and lovable that the vets and groomers would just fawn all over him and he ate that shit up.

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    2. Miss Katie has a theory about why Wayne's dog likes to go to the vet.
      And that's what I appreciates about her.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=335oaiiuBYs

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  11. Doesn't SunTsu have something to say about this type of behavior. Yea, Jack is compiling a list Ken and I think you are on it right next to the mailman. Or, and this is a longshot, Jack has decided that if doesn't play ball, he won't be around anymore.

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  12. At least you have a dog you can get ahold of, mine is 6lbs of bitch. Taking her for shots is like sharping a chainsaw while it's running. She's getting better though now that she knows the vet.

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  13. I told you guys not to take it the wrong way. I admit that I don't know the whole story about that dog and I respect the fact that he is getting vet care. It is obvious to me now that Wirecutter's kindly ACTIONS do not match the WORDS he uses to describe his dog. Besides, I DID NOTHING WRONG ! (Or was that Hitler ?) I did not say that Wirecutter was a bad person or imply that he was cruel to his dog. I merely said that I THOUGHT he had a less than ideal attitude toward his dog. SORRY ! Note to Wirecutter- I admire you for having such loyal fans who defend you at every little attack on you- real or imagined. Am I forgiven ? BTW, the "J" was inadvertent. I was not aware that I had typed it until I looked today to see if my post was approved.

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    1. I didn't take it the wrong way - I could tell the way it was worded that you didn't know the whole story. Short version - I found him near my porch 2 years ago this coming Sunday. He was seriously malnourished and injured by a vehicle. I tried calling the dogcatcher to come get him but they were closed, so I kept him around for the weekend. I felt sorry for the mutt and ended up taking him to the vet where they found he had a broken tail and pelvis. I paid for his treatment and brought him back home. We never locked him up, but the damned dog would never leave. He's still here.
      Here's a temporary link to my old blog where I posted the story in greater detail:
      https://e0s.8c4.myftpupload.com/2018/08/meet-catahoula-jack/

      And here's a post that I did about him one year later. It gives more detail of what he was like:
      https://e0s.8c4.myftpupload.com/2019/08/happy-anniversary-to-that-asshole-dog-jack/

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    2. We weren't taking it the wrong way, obviously you didn't know the whole story on Jack and Kenny. We were assisting you in getting the correct information, nothing more.
      JD

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  14. P.S.- I volunteered for 3-1/2 years at an animal shelter until I got bit one time and almost lost a finger.

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  15. Kenny the difference is, after a year with you and with Charlie Godammit gone, Jack is now your #1 dog and he has come to understand that. The looks he was giving you were showing you his trust. You've earned it with your care, and he is starting to earn yours, with his behavior changes. Dogs are amazing.

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    1. Yes, that's true. Even within just a couple of weeks of CharlieGodammit's death, he was starting to settle down.

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  16. Kenny,

    I'm impressed you can simply snatch up a 75.5 lb dog without thinking twice. On another note, we 'rescued' a 1 yr old plott hound 7 months ago and while she's not mean like Jack, she's very mouthy. Nips w/o malice, but with a purpose...rests her head on you and stares with pleading eyes...feed me, give me a treat, let me outside to mangle rabbits (recently discovered activity). I'd hoped she'd catch on to our other dogs's favorite activity, the mighty mole hunter, instead of rabbits. Your story about Jack has helped me understand her restlessness. Thanks for sharing :-)

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    1. He makes it easy - he doesn't fight it or squirm at all.

      He's not mean, but he is territorial and he doesn't know the meaning of the words Back Down.
      I'm not a hound man, but I think the characteristics that Jack (who I'm sure is at least half Catahoula) and your Plott share are common in hounds.

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  17. That there is a proud papa moment. If he's like mine, he'll do some shit to ruin the feeling.

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  18. Ya know Ken, I think you're really starting to grow on that ol' boy !

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    1. I hate to admit it but yeah, I am starting to get attached to him. I kinda surprised myself when I asked to chip him - that must mean I want him back if he was to run off.

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    2. More likely you want to spare him getting found by someone w\o your patience and putting a bullet in his head.

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  19. I love your stories.
    And despite the problemx that you and your family have you still have a sense of humour / humor.
    God speed you.

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