fourstates
Well-known member
About 4 or 5 years ago, I noticed a stray dog slinking around. Usually at night, I would just get a glimpse of him disapearing in the woods. I leave full bowls of kibble on my front porch for my own dogs, but usually my dogs run off any strays. My dogs seemed to ignore this one, so I figure he had been around for a while. Usually, if I can catch a stray, I take it to the pound. This one was so afraid of humans, the only time I saw him was just for a fleeting moment.
Last winter, I happened to look out a second story window, and saw him curled up asleep behind a roll of hay. I got about 10 feet away, and sat down on the ground. He didn't wake up until I spoke to him. I noticed his ears were very damaged, probably from fights and a really bad case of mites. He didn't hear very well and that explained how I was able to sneak up on him. He showed no agression, but slinked off back into the woods, tail between the legs. I set up a hay bed with food and water in a horse stall, out of the weather, and sure enough he started using it. It opened toward the woods, so I guess he didn't feel trapped. Every day, I would go out and sit on the ground and talk to him, getting closer each time. Finally, after, about two weeks, I reached out and touched him. He cried as if hurt, and urinated all over himself, but showed no aggression. I backed off and he ran off to the woods.
The saddest part, was I noticed his teeth were worn almost to the gum line
But, he came back to his stall. I stayed back and tried to feed him some lunch meat. When I gently tossed it over to him, he was sure it was an attack and ran off. So I started leaving him pieces of meat in his hay bed. Eventually, he started looking forward to seeing me. Finally, I got him to take meat from my hand. He was very gentle. I started touching him, but never from above his head, and he let me scratch his chest. Urine would dribble out, but he stopped crying and eventually stopped the submissive urination.
After all this time, he is now part of my family. He sleeps in the barn (attached to my house). Comes when he is called. Follows my truck with the other dogs. He will still run off when strangers come up, but not very far. He enjoys a good scratch, of his neck ears and belly. Mostly I can see the happy behavior he has when I drive up. He is my dog now and he can live out whats left of his life, with a full belly, shelter and no fear. (No fleas and mites, too!)
I will never know his story, but I am sure glad we didn't shoot him.
Last winter, I happened to look out a second story window, and saw him curled up asleep behind a roll of hay. I got about 10 feet away, and sat down on the ground. He didn't wake up until I spoke to him. I noticed his ears were very damaged, probably from fights and a really bad case of mites. He didn't hear very well and that explained how I was able to sneak up on him. He showed no agression, but slinked off back into the woods, tail between the legs. I set up a hay bed with food and water in a horse stall, out of the weather, and sure enough he started using it. It opened toward the woods, so I guess he didn't feel trapped. Every day, I would go out and sit on the ground and talk to him, getting closer each time. Finally, after, about two weeks, I reached out and touched him. He cried as if hurt, and urinated all over himself, but showed no aggression. I backed off and he ran off to the woods.
The saddest part, was I noticed his teeth were worn almost to the gum line
But, he came back to his stall. I stayed back and tried to feed him some lunch meat. When I gently tossed it over to him, he was sure it was an attack and ran off. So I started leaving him pieces of meat in his hay bed. Eventually, he started looking forward to seeing me. Finally, I got him to take meat from my hand. He was very gentle. I started touching him, but never from above his head, and he let me scratch his chest. Urine would dribble out, but he stopped crying and eventually stopped the submissive urination.
After all this time, he is now part of my family. He sleeps in the barn (attached to my house). Comes when he is called. Follows my truck with the other dogs. He will still run off when strangers come up, but not very far. He enjoys a good scratch, of his neck ears and belly. Mostly I can see the happy behavior he has when I drive up. He is my dog now and he can live out whats left of his life, with a full belly, shelter and no fear. (No fleas and mites, too!)
I will never know his story, but I am sure glad we didn't shoot him.
