LEASH AGGRESSION: SOME SCOTTIES HAVE IT AND SOME DON'T....YET

Angee first came to Aberdeen Rescue with a host of issues. The physical problems were easily diagnosed and cared for; she was spayed and her teeth cleaned and a trial of allergy medication begun. Her behavioral issues seemed more difficult to sort out.

Initially, Angee was so amped up and over-stimulated all we really noticed was her behavior of not focusing on anything for more than a second or two. It was as if everything had her attention, and nothing had her attention. She wasn't too different from other dogs brought to our rescue organization. Even after several weeks of adjusting to her new circumstances she just seemed to never rest. It was pretty clear I would need to figure out some way to get her attention if we were going to work on other problems.

And the other problems were definitely present. She was leash aggressive, she wouldn't respond to being called and she would make every effort to leap out an open door (house door or car door) at the slightest opportunity. When she did get loose (several times) she would put her nose to the ground and just keep on running, never looking back.

Eventually I saw some of the things we needed to work on. Her leash aggression stood out clearly. Any dog would send Angie into a rage so bad you didn't dare get close to her without risking a bite. Walking her with other dogs was out of the question. In fact, walking her at all was quite a chore. She tended to try to drag me down the street on any walk, constantly darting left and right, a problem that made worse the leash aggression when we met other dogs. Any change in these behaviors would be based on getting Angee's attention while we walked. As it was, calling her name got no response, almost to the point I wondered if she was deaf. Turns out, she has very good hearing but just wasn't responding to me.

ANGEE HAS A TASTE FOR FRENCH COOKING

One of the adventures I've experienced in fostering rescued dogs is the process of slowly learning the personality of the new guest in our home. You just never really know what you are getting into. Over the course of days and weeks, small details emerge that form a picture of the dog's unique psychology. And I am here to tell you, each Scotty is very different.

Angee is an active dog. Better yet, she is a very INTER-active dog. She just wants attention and wants to belong to an owner. I have fostered many Scotties over the years and Angee is one of the most active dogs I have come into contact with. At times she gets all fired up, running around the house throwing toys here and there, trying to engage the other dogs in a game of chase. Usually a good walk of an hour or more will cause her to calm down when we get home.

Angee seems to get along just fine with our regular three Scotties here in the house. On the trail, however, she is very leash-aggressive during encounters with other dogs in the park. We are working on this problem every day, exposing Angee to a broad variety of circumstances and using a Halti. She is slowly learning to ignore other dogs by focusing her attention on odds and ends to the side of the trail.

A peculiar facet to Angee is that she doen'st seem to know her name. We get no response when we call to her, not even a break in stride or a glance in our direction. She seems to love chasing around the backyard in the dark, running from one end of the fence line to the other. It can be difficult getting her back into the house. We are working on that, too.

The most recent discovery about Angee's personality is her fearlessness at climbing the furniture. This morning I decided to make Jeannie a breakfast of French toast. Much to my surprise, Angee apparently had no difficulty climbing the furniture, helping herself to a second breakfast of the day. And no sooner had we moved the chairs up under the table and turn our backs did she push the chair out and climb back up on the table for more. We have never had a Scotty put things together like that before.

MY NAME IS ANGEE

With economic times as they are, our rescue has encountered a number of difficult stories tied to dogs and their owners. Last Saturday we received a phone call from a woman in Portland who said she woke up to find a Scottish Terrier abandoned in a crate and left in front of her house. On the crate was a hand-written note introducing Angee.

Aberdeen Scottish Terrier Rescue immediately responded to the location of Angee, finding a very nervous and restless little dog. The woman who called ASTR was thankful that she had the option of turning Angee over to an organization with an interest in the rescue of abandoned dogs. That very afternoon Angee was in the hands of ASTR's veterinary staff for a quick checkup and scheduling of a spay procedure. Angee was in a loving and caring foster home within 24 hours of being discovered in a Portland frontyard.

During the week Angee has been in foster care she has been spayed, had her teeth cleaned and been caught up on her vaccinations. Her foster family reports she has calmed down a bit but is still a very active and playful Scotty. It may take several weeks before Angee's real personality comes out, so stay tuned.

BAILEY FINDS A NEW HOME

We are very happy to receive a photograph of one of our latest rescue placements. Bailey is a puppy-mill survivor who came to ASTR at the age of four years without having been house-trained, socialized with other dogs or taught how dogs play. During the several months he spent with his foster family, Bailey learned how to walk on leash, do his business outside and share the attention of an owner with brother and sister dogs. Bailey now lives with a doting family, complete with a sister Scotty named "Paisley", and several cats.

Bailey is one of many dogs that comes through our rescue each year, never blessed with the basics of proper training or an understanding of expectations. And like the other dogs, a bit of perseverance and focused attention has made him the loved and respected companion that Scotties are known to be. We wish Bailey and his new family well.

CAGE 20 IS A LUCKY DOG TODAY

As luck would have it, just as I was about to depart for Idaho I received a phone call from a woman representing Oregon Dog Rescue of Portland. She said she was at the shelter in Idaho and offered to bring "Cage 20" to Portland along with another dog. Oregon Dog Rescue had made arrangements with Alaska Airlines to fly the dogs non-stop from Boise to Portland, defeating all the severe weather issues. Oregon Dog Rescue was making it all happen through the generous assistance of a retired Alaska employee. She said she would get all the necessary veterinary paperwork together and that the dogs were scheduled to fly on March 1st.

And that is just what happened. I talked with Deb Bowen of Oregon Dog Rescue (http://www.oregondogrescue.org/about.php) on March 2nd. She said the transport went without a hitch despite all the weather-related problems. She said "Cage 20" was an adorable dog that would probably be adopted into her own family. Deb is currently trying to find a suitable Scottish name for the lucky guy. We hope to get a photograph and brief story of "Cage 20" once he is cleaned up and recovered.

CAGE 20

Our rescue organization recently learned of a small scotty found roaming the wilds of southern Idaho. The little adventurer was taken to the local animal shelter where he was given the dispassionate title "CAGE 20". Shelter employees said they would hold "CAGE 20" till March 1st for an owner to claim, after which time "CAGE 20" would be subject to euthanasia. It sounds pretty important we get over to the shelter right away.

Eastern Oregon is a difficult partner during the month of February. The National Weather Service has issued severe weather warnings for the Columbia Gorge and the mountains of Oregon. The primary route to Idaho, Interstate 84, rises more than 4,000 feet in elevation. High winds, snows and very cold temperatures commonly work together to close the roadway at Cabbage Hill or Deadman's Pass, or Ladd Canyon. Other options in this case are very few. No worries, though. Dealing with foul weather and long distances is only the beginning of what animal rescue is about. I just wish we had a name for this little fellow other than "CAGE 20".

ROSIE FINDS A HOME

We are always happy to receive letters from new adoptive families. Michael and Lacy have sent us an update on little Rosie, now living on beautifully fenced and landscaped acreage with her terrier brothers:

Rosie has found a home with her new Mommy and Daddy and her two Cairn Terrier brothers. Every day she gets better and better, more at home and more at ease with her new family. She recently visited the groomer with her two brothers and they all are looking quite spiffy. She is really looking (and acting) like the true little Scottie that she is.

After having been forced to live in a cage for the first three years of her life, she is thoroughly enjoying our acre piece of property. She runs from one end of the yard to the other end as fast as her little legs will carry

her. She plays, barks, and tracks every smell she can find.

Inside she has the run of the house and sleeps under our bed at night. Late at night, before bedtime, she loves to lay on her new Daddy’s lap and snuggle close. It’s only a matter of time before she’ll start “giving kisses.”

She still has a little problem with a parasite but she is getting medicine for that and will be fine in a week or so. Her checkup otherwise showed that she is a happy, healthy little Scottie in spite of the cage scars on her little nose.

She loves to take walks and she has no problem with bathroom manners in the house. She has her own car seat

now with the other two pups and she can’t wait to go for a ride. She also loves her toys, especially the squeek toy that makes the most noise.

All in all, Rosie is now in her forever home with her forever family. She will never again have to worry about food, or mistreatment, or any other type of abuse. She is loved.