If you read Maverick’s Story you know a little about my past dog ownership and how new I was to owning a dog full time. This was still true when Mikey came into our lives less than a year later.
Maverick was a big dog lover. He wanted to romp and play with everything he saw. We even had pet rabbits that he was gentle with and would ‘play’ with – in his own way. But dogs … he would be hysterically happy to play with other dogs.
Less than a year after we got Maverick we moved up to Northern British Columbia. I was starting a new job and felt like we could settle in this area. It was beautiful. We were in a ‘bowl’ surrounded by mountains and rivers. No matter where you lived you were only steps from the edge of town and there were so many places for Maverick to go exploring.
This small city did not have an animal rescue, only a city shelter. A kill shelter where, despite the employees best efforts, many animals were destroyed throughout the year. We stumbled upon it by accident while exploring the back streets of town. We wandered in and were amazed at how cheap the animals were. Dogs were $40 and cats were $10. Among the many heart-wrenching faces was one that we could not turn away from. Much like when we adopted Maverick the year before we knew that Mikey would be coming home with us. He had particularly caught my SO’s attention.
Mikey had large, brown sad eyes and would fawn all kinds of attention on anyone who wanted it. He was quite different from Maverick in that way. Maverick loved us but he was so independent. He’d come and sniff or lick us and then carry on his way. Mikey wanted to be a lap dog despite being about 60 lbs at this time.
Many people would have labelled him a ‘pit bull.’ But he was far from the breed description of an American Pit Bull Terrier. It wasn’t likely that he was a purebred anything. We called him a Staffie (Staffordshire Terrier) mix. I suspected he was mixed with lab. He was large and as he gained weight and muscle with us he rounded out at about 80 lbs. He was docked and unneutered (we quickly fixed that). He would be heartbroken to be separated from us at any point and would try to sleep in our bed whenever he thought he could. If he sat next to us on the couch he would always lean on us or at the very least put a paw on. He always needed some human connection.
Despite his differences from Maverick he was a great play friend for him and they would romp all day together. They definitely helped each other burn off energy. They both seemed content in our family.
When we first got Mikey we were initially renting a small place on the edge of town where we could walk them along the river. In the winter we’d skate (in our boots) along a frozen creek to reach the river and they would play along the edges and slide across the ice. Sometimes we’d hike through the snow along the trail but many times we’d build a small fire on the river’s edge and SO and I would talk while the dogs ran and explored. It was very remote and quiet and I don’t remember ever running into anyone out there during those cold winter months. The dogs loved it but I missed having a fenced yard for them to play in while I was in the house. I worked from home and wanted to be able to let them out to play while I made phone calls or did some writing. Not only that but Mikey was showing signs of dog aggression with the neighbours dog and I thought it would be best if he had a more controlled environment. So we moved again.
This time we rented a house with a large fully fenced backyard. It wasn’t much farther from where we used to live. But the yard made a huge difference. The fence was six feet high and solid. It was large and the dogs really enjoyed playing in it. We’d toss the balls for them and bring home stuffy toys for them to destroy. I put a kiddie pool out there for them to enjoy but that was not a success. And of course we’d still go exploring the wilderness.
The city’s dog shelter was only a few blocks from us and I really wanted to help those dogs. Sometimes we’d go and walk the dogs. I also started photographing a ‘Dog and Cat of the Week’ and posting them around town. My job was going well. I was working in a beautiful area, from home, as a reporter – the field I had trained in. I liked the kind of writing I was doing and was felt like we had found some place to call home. Even though we were still renting we hoped to buy a few years down the road. And the house we were renting was affordable and provided a great home, secure, home for our dogs and cats.
For many months I resisted bringing home any dogs from the shelter. I volunteered there and they knew us well. But there was one dog that had caught my attention. Nanook. Her story is to come in a future blog entry so I will only tell you that she was there for many months and I felt her time was running out at this kill shelter. Mikey at this time was feeling comfortable in his role in our family and did not welcome new dogs. I didn’t know if he would accept Nanook. We took them for a long walk together and they glared at each other for much of it. When we got back to the shelter we were still unsure but they sat next to each other and Nanook leaned over and licked the inside of his mouth. He tolerated it and she came home with us. He was a little peeved at first but soon began to enjoy his new playmate.
Now we were a family with three large dogs. But with the big yard and open wilderness I still felt confident that we could juggle these creatures. And I was happy being surrounded by so much canine love.
Things did not stay this way. The economy where we lived was struggling. It had been this way for several years after the city’s mill had closed. Many people moved away. I knew that my newspaper was having a hard time for several months but I did not know it was struggling so much. In the spring I got news that it was going under and we only had a month of work left. I was shocked. I had put some new furniture on layaway. We had a comfortable home and I did not want such a big change. The only other newspaper in town was not hiring. I tried to get some regular freelance work but it was hard work and I rarely sold anything. I applied at retail stores and at customer service jobs. I even tried to sell some of the jewellery I make at the farmer’s markets and craft fairs. I didn’t have any success. My SO was working but on one income we were barely getting by. I started applying for jobs out of the area. I got several hits from Alberta, the neighbouring province, and even had two newspapers hoping to hire me. I chose the one largely because it sounded like it had large amounts of remote wilderness and lots of lakes for Maverick to go swimming.
We moved again. But this move was not everything I had hoped it would be. The economy was thriving compared to where we had come from. There were few places to rent and even fewer that were dog friendly. We had to rent a house 45 minutes outside of town. That was over an hour and a half each day during optimal conditions. I was working 12-14 hours a day without any days off and writing stories that I wasn’t familiar with. The yard was fenced but it wasn’t fenced for dogs. We didn’t know what to do with them during the day. We couldn’t tie them up and leave them all day. It wasn’t fair to lock them up all day and even though we were renting a house that was on a quarter section of land we didn’t think it was fair to let them run free when we had no control where they ended up. Many mornings they took this decision from us when we let them out to potty. They would take off in the morning. I would be late for work looking for them but there was so much wilderness it was sometimes an impossible feat. I tried to set up a rotation or put them on lines just to potty in the morning but with four dogs, an early morning shift, and a long commute it was impossible. And they would be squirrley by the time we got home. I wanted to buy a large, outdoor kennel for them but we had bored a lot of money for the move and we weren’t making enough to cover the cost. After many months we managed to find another place to rent with a shorter commute and fenced yard. The yard was tiny though and we ended up having the same problem. The dogs wouldn’t stay in the yard! Only this was worse, we lived near a highway. It was hectic and caused everyone a lot of stress.
It was in this house that Mikey and Nanook started fighting. It wasn’t anything significant at first. Squabbles here and there. I found it very understandable due to the stress and general chaos that was our lives. But it accelerated. Rapidly. Nanook was always the instigator but Mikey never backed down. The fights got bloody and almost ended at the vet’s clinic a few times. There were not behaviourists in our area. I talked to some online and some friends who were trainers. Again, the long hours of my job worked against us. I bought crates for all the dogs and ended up crating and rotating them. This brought some peace back into my home but I felt bad with them being locked up for so long. I came home whenever I could, sometimes sneaking back when I was on the road for an assignment. The situation was manageable but far from ideal. It wasn’t the home I had imagined when I adopted any of the dogs.
I became pregnant and stopped working a month before the baby was due. Part of me was incredibly relieved to be able to spend some quiet time at home. But I also worried about what would happen when I brought a new baby into the family. We planned on moving back to the Greater Vancouver area where there would be amenities available to us and many more rental options. All the dogs accepted the new baby with little trouble. I still crated and rotated even though I was home all the time. Sometimes I could lock one of the two into the bedroom with me and let the other have run of the house. Everyone seemed happier but the dogs still lacked the exercise they needed. The final months of my pregnancy were difficult and I had trouble at the end resulting in a c-section. It was awhile before I was really moving around enough to take them out on walks. And even then I couldn’t take them all at once and had to bring the baby with me.
We found a house to rent in Greater Vancouver and returned to the city. Because we were so far away we had a family member scout out the house for us before we moved and everything seemed good. It had an extremely large yard and they said it was fully fenced. I imagined that I could sit outside with them and throw a ball, play games, and they could play with each other (Mikey and Nanook separately of course). That way, if I could only walk one or two a day they would still get some exercise. However, once again, when we got there things were not as they seemed. The yard was indeed huge. But we did not have the access we were promised. The landlord ‘changed his mind’ and only let us use a small section. He had a gravel company and wanted to park his trucks there. We looked for another place but anywhere else was a lot more money and we were back on a single income again. So we stayed for almost a year. At least we had some of the yard and there were plenty of places to take the dogs.
The issues that had developed while I was working fulltime followed us back to the city. The dogs were still escape artists. Mikey and Nanook would still fight if not watched carefully or separated although they had gotten much better. But none of them were getting the exercise they needed. Since I was home I was able to go outside with them most of the time and make sure they didn’t pull any Houdini acts. However, there were a few instances where they got away on me. Most of the time they were just milling in the larger yard and I could easily catch them and bring them back. But Mikey ran out onto the street once and was picked up and taken to the shelter. Before I could rescue him he caught kennel cough. They put him in quarantine for a month and would not let me take him out. My heart broke for him. He must have been so alone and scared.
At the same time I could not help but feel a little more relaxed at home. It was much easier to handle two dogs than three. I didn’t have to crate and rotate any dogs and I could walk Maverick and Nanook together. I slowly came to terms with the idea of rehoming one of my dogs. I had never given up an animal in my life and it was a difficult concept to grasp. I also didn’t know if it should be Mikey or Nanook. I felt that Mikey had been there first so he had more rights to stay. He also didn’t initiate the fighting. However, Nanook and I had an incomparable bond. Ultimately, Mikey would adjust the easiest to a new home. He was a real people-lover and was content with anyone that gave him attention.
I knew that if I did this I would have to be extremely picky about the kind of home he went to. I wanted him to be an only dog with someone who would love him and be able to spend the time with him he deserved. He was a very loving, people-oriented dog and if he could have a home where he was appreciated he would be happier than with us. Many people told me that this kind of home was impossible to find. Chances were I would never find it. That was fine. I didn’t really want to give him up and wouldn’t accept a home below my standards.
It took about two months, a shorter time than I expected, before I found someone I thought might be a good option. A woman wanted a companion for her grandmother who had just lost her dog. She had always had a dog and wanted to get another one. She lived on an acreage in the neighbouring city, was home all the time and would take Mikey with her when she went on errands. They wanted to meet him. I loaded him up and drove over never expecting to leave him. When I walked into her house I found myself faced with walls and walls of photos of her past dogs. She spoke of them with great affection. She loved chatting with Mikey and petting him. He had a nervous stomach from the car ride and excitement. He pooped on her floor and she said that was very understandable and wouldn’t let me clean it up. We agreed to do a trial stay and see how it went. It went perfectly. She was hard of hearing so I didn’t talk to her on the phone much. I talked to her granddaughter who said Mikey never left his new mom’s side. She was very pleased with her new companion and even let him sleep in the bed with her. A privilege I don’t think she allowed her previous dogs. They’d go for walks on the country roads together and never had any problems.
I feel at peace with Mikey’s new home and life. I think he is getting the one-on-one attention he deserves and he definitely has room to explore and run. When writing these articles I’ve been as honest as I can about my experiences with my dogs. Mikey has been with his new family for two and a half years but I’ve done my best to retell his story. I also hope that people learn from my story about how challenging owning multiple dogs can be. And that even though there may seem to be no problems at the start, many can sprout up down the road.
-Shara JJ Cooper