hey everybody,
we are having serious problems with our dog. we've had her for 3 months or so. she is a beautiful coonhound husky mix, Skye, i've posted pics of her on here before. we got her because i wanted a dog and i forced my wife into agreement. we have 8 acres of land and thought a dog would love it here. we adopted her from a lady living in a subdivision who couldn't keep her in the fence. she was afraid her neighbors were trying to hurt her (which was obvious because she's terrified of new people, especially men). we thought we'd be giving her a wonderful home where she could run and play in the woods and enjoy herself.
i was wrong. she got shot a few weeks ago by a bb gun, we took her to the vet and she got better quick. last week she broke her leg. we don't know how it happened, we just know she is hurt. the vet put a cast on it and told us to keep her inside for a month. we tried that, but my wife is too allergic to her and she kept trying to chase the cat. we decided to wrap up her cast as best we could and let her outside. i don't think that was a great idea because now the cast is wet and we can tell it's hurting her. luckily she is going back to the vet in the morning.
i have no idea what to do with her. we can't keep her inside, we can't afford a fence. i don't think an invisible fence would keep her in if she saw a squirrel or other dog, etc. we are not providing a good home for this dog. i feel terrible because i am a bad parent and she's being punished. i don't know what to do. we are looking for a home for her. i'm not sure what we're going to do while her leg heals. i'm going to see if we can board her at the vet for a week just to give her the best care and give us a week of sanity.
i'm not really looking for any answers here, i just need some support and any advice anybody has.

Oh, man, Benny, you have my heart and support! I hope some of our "dog professionals" jump on here for you soon to give you some actual advice. I do know that rescue groups are so good at matching up animals with families, and the dogs are so safe and cared for when they are in a "rescue" situation. I don't know what you have around you like that, in Auburn, NE they have a place that takes all breeds and they live better than I do!!!! And if they can't find a home---they stay there.

Hang in there---there's GOT to be a solution. You are doing much more than some people would!

God Bless!

thanks for the support. last night i was just sitting there petting her bawling my eyes out telling her i'm sorry for all this. i took her to the vet this morning and the doctors will see her first thing when they get there. i told them to board her for a week and possibly until her leg heals. i think that might be her best bet for getting her leg better. they will feed her and give her her medicine, and she will get out to play with other dogs twice a day. the only thing we could do for her at home is keep her couped up in the basement while i'm at work and let her out a couple of times a day. i think she will be ok, i'm just worried to death about her leg. we are looking for a new home for her, but i don't know how that is going to work out. my wife is meeting with the invisible fence man today, maybe it will work.

Benny--sounds like you are doing what you can for your pup. They just want love and attention, sounds like you are giving him that so don't be so hard on yourself. You are doing what you are able to do.
Good luck and keep us posted!

Benny...Just do the best you can! It sounds like you have a heart and really love her and she knows that. If you decide that you cannot keep her make sure she gets a good home!!

PS...Where are you located? That may help if you put her up for adoption.

John

I'm thinking of you guys too... if I had any helpful advice I'd give it... but I think you guys are already doing all of the right things... loving your dog the best you can!

Please keep us posted... and best wishes!

the vet said the infection in the cast is bad. we caught it in time that hopefully her leg will be ok. they are more worried about the infection than the break anymore. we are leaving her at the vet because she has to be confined to her cage 24/7 with short walks a couple of times a day. we are going to go visit her daily and take her treats and toys. i feel terrible that this happened to her. they never told us the complications of letting the cast get wet, or that the break wasn't that bad. if i'd have known that i'd have cut the cast off before i let her back outside. i kinda wish i hadn't taken her to the vet at all, i think the cast has just made things worse and that she'd have probably gotten better on her own.
we live in jonesborough, tn. we are trying to hook up with a local rescue to help us find a home. thanks for all the support.

Bringing her to the vet was the right thing to do! Please keep up up to date with how she is doing!

Thank you!

John

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I'm a dog owner, and I used to be a professional dog walker and vet technician, so I've seen and heard it all. Huskies can be a very, very difficult breed to "domesticate." And hounds can be very wild and willfull also, so I'm not surprised you're having these problems, especially if she was abused before you got her. You're in Tennessee? I did a google search for Husky + Rescue + Tennessee and got a lot of listings. A hound or sled dog-specific rescue org is your best bet with a dog like this. The people who go to them know the breed characteristics and will do what's best for her. Don't feel bad, don't feel guilty for anything. You've done what you thought was best, every step of the way, even if it didn't bring ideal results. She's lucky you took her, even if this part of the road has been rocky. I know it's bad, but she could have been a lot worse off without you.

I'm sure you're not going to want to rush out and get another dog after this, but in the future, you might consider doing some research on breeds that don't provoke allergies. A friend of mine got a standard poodle mix. The dog never sheds, and they have no allergy problems with it. His girlfriend was not a "dog person" before this dog, and now he's her baby. I know standard poodles invoke images of rich old ladies going to beauty parlors, but they are actually sporting dogs, and are very intelligent and good with people. Also, you might consider getting 2 dogs. That suggestion usually freaks people out, but if you've got the land, 2 dogs may require less maintenance becuase they keep each other company.

Nevertheless; hang in there. You're doing a great job, and doing a great deed.

Benny,

I’m very sorry for what happened to your dog. I don’t know about coonhound husky but most of Siberia Huskies love to run away and explore. They think 500 feet away from you still consider “close to you”. Most of they don’t do cats but you can try by slowly introducing each other. I’m not sure how to do it but my friend has both husky and cat with no problem. And Yes, huskies do shed A LOT. They got 2 layers of coat and those will all come out!

My dog was abused before too. I adopted my dog since last Christmas and that time he was scared almost of everything, guys, bike, skateboard, walking in public place… it takes a lot of work to get rid of those problems.

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Your dog needs time to adjust with new environment. It’s like whole new world to her. Give her sometimes. Things will be better. It takes about 5 months for my dog and I to get things in places. Even huskies are “wild” and always get in trouble but they are incredible animal and I'll always have a Husky!


Keep us posted!

Wow, Oshen, THANKS for jumping in here! You're information is great!! Benny, everything is going to be OK! Oshen is right, you have been a blessing to Skye!

And, don't get pugs (LOL, J/K) I just gave mine baths and they are shedding more than ever!!:cry: Seriously, I LOVE them, but my life is not my own! Listen to Oshen, the advice is right on!!

1st, you are doing all the right things and you care so she is lucky to have you. She just happens to be a tough breed to "confine" especially with no fence - and dogs can get themselves in some bad trouble left on their own.
I second the standard poodle for no allergies - they also have no doggie smell and are easier to train - but still, you need a fence or enclosure of some sort for when the dog is outside. Even "good" dogs run into "bad" people and you can't control other people. We have a standard and she is marvelous and not a "girly - foo foo" dog AT ALL. Except for regular (every 2 mos) "shaves" she is no maint and doesn't shed either.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/inkstudios/Little%20Bit%20Of%20Everything/indiSno.jpg
We will keep Skye in our thoughts for continued recovery and a wonderful forever home. So long as you remain dedicated to what is best for HER and love her everything will work out for the best - for her and you. You are to be commended for not giving up on her and for going the extra mile for her.

i went to visit her today after work, and she is pissed at me. she wouldn't even look at me the whole time i was there. she did wag her tail while i talked to her, and i kissed her lots. she kissed me back once. the vet and all the techs said she is being a good girl and she will be okay.
we had a rep from the invisible fence company (the real deal, not a generic brand) come out to the house today. he marked off a great area for $1300. it is all of the front yard, almost all of the back yard, and down to our pond. the fence comes with a 30 day money back guarantee if she gets out, and he hasn't had to give the money back in 15 years. i'd like to do this if it works, and i've heard great things about the invisible fence. i've heard the kind you buy at lowes or petsmart suck, but the real thing is excellent. we're praying about it and trying to make the best decision. if we do get the fence and she stays in it, i'd actually like to get her a buddy from the county animal control, they are not a no-kill shelter and i'd love to save another life. we'll see how it goes and what we decide.
thanks for all of the support and kind words. i'm sure we've done more than a lot of people would do, but i still feel bad about making the wrong decisions a couple of times with her. i know that we did save her from her old home. i talked to her old owner and she said her neighbor told her, "my wife is the only reason i never shot your dog, i hated it." hopefully it will all work out.

Sounds like a wonderful option! And if you're able to save another dog in the process---perfect!!!! You're "yard" sounds wonderful----can I come live there, too?? :D I'm praying-----:)

... invisible fence company ...

I've never used one, but others around the my neighborhood do. Of course I only see those that are working, and not the failures, but they do apparently work for some. Hope you do it and it works for you, and you find a way to keep the dog. But with the electric fence, remember that it won't keep others out. I read the thread fast and didn't catch where you live or whether your area is urban or rural, but I'd think about small children that might come onto your property, any children (or teenagers, or even adults) that tease the dogs, someone steeling the dog........just things to think about in order head off any harm coming to your dog.

Good luck.

thanks aih,
i live in a very rural area. most people don't even know my house exists. for someone to 'wander' into my yard that will have the invisible fence they will have to cross at least 1 barbed wire fence from any direction. we also have a gate at the end of our ~400 ft. long driveway that is always locked to keep out salesmen, etc. my skye is so protective that when we order pizza the pizza man/woman is usually not allowed to get out of the car until we get out there. the brave ones walk right up to the door (skye never hurts them) but we sure know they are out there. she is a loud little girl.
i wouldn't mind the neighborhood dogs coming to visit. they all hang out in a big field across the road from my house now, skye included. i know she'll miss their company, but i can't let her roam free anymore after the bb gun and the car. i wish she could just roam and be safe, but that isn't going to happen.

The "running free" likely isn't working for the other dogs in the neighborhood either - because they aren't yours you don't know they are getting in trouble. Poison, guns, cars, snake bites, fights - well, you get the idea. Free roaming dogs generally have very short lives. Skye will be much better off in a controlled area - and geez, it is a HUGE area too, plenty of room for playing and running and generally having a great life! It's also nice to know people who mean to hurt her cannot get to her - it isn't unheard of for dogs (and cats too) to be poisoned in their own yards. If someone in the area doesn't like Skye or is afraid of her ... well she was injured, TWICE. People can do horrid things to animals.
Good thoughts to you and Skye - glad to hear she is recovering well.

So sorry to hear this story.
I once had a coon hound myself.

Next time, you need to wrap a cast, put plastic bags, like the kind newspapers come in right up over the cast. My dog had acl ligiment surgery last Dec and is still on restricted movement. But he pooped outside all winter, slip that bag on, large elastic near the top, wholla.......every few days I would give him a new bag. Stayed dry all winter, cast was on for 6 weeks.

I got them at the local newpaper, .....helps when you work there:D
jurn

we visited her again today after work. we didn't go yesterday because we go straight to church after work. she was doing much better today. she actually laid on me and my wife and took to the loving and petting like her old self. she was trying to protect my wife from the other dogs coming in to the vet. maybe she'll get better quicker than they thought. her leg still looks kinda rough, but it is less swollen every day and seems to be feeling better. all the people at the vet love her, especially those icy blue eyes. thanks for all the support. i hope i never have to put a cast on a dog again, but if i do i'll stock up on the newspaper condoms.

Hey Benny, how ya doin? First off, huskies are really GREAT dogs...
They have accomplished many things since their breed was introduced.
I personally have a Malamute, Chow mix... Her name is Gracie.
I also have a Pug, Pit bull mix... Her name is Penny. The troublemaker.
The sled dogs, are working dogs.. Thats where the "Energy" is coming from.
Give her a job!... Walk her on a "Perimeter" ,And watch the dog whisperer..
Gracie, is kinda "crazy" sometimes. But she knows where her space is. And where her boundries are. And does not challenge authority. Well, maybe when she feels like it. She dumps all her hair twice a year. The house is layered with this black dusty fuzz for about a week. My partner has the allergies and complains, but deals with it. Hence, medication.....
Once she has understood where she can, and cannot go, she will begin to fall in line. But remember, keep her occupied... Like, with another dog. I prefer females when it comes to pets.

With all due respect, Jurneez, plastic bags left on a cast or bandage for more than about half and hour are a bad idea. I'm really glad it worked for you, but as a veterinarian, I can't count all the horrors I've seen with casts, weather, mud, plastic bags, and duct tape. Bottom line is, if it's in a cast or bandage, the pet needs too stay clean and dry. My heart goes out to Skye and family-sounds like they are doing all they can. Any technical questions about treatment, invisible fencing or behavior-pm me-I'll be glad to contribute what I can. Also, sorry this post is a little late in the conversation but I haven't had time to hit the boards very much this seek-lots of sick critters!