When I started this little blog in 2009, our rescue work averaged about 10-12 rescue placements each year, over 10 years.

Then, when  2009 came to a close, we had only made two regular rescue placements, plus three dogs that came from the family of breeder who passed on.  It was a lean year, a very lean year for our small rescue.  That might be a good thing, especially given the past year’s economic picture.  I had gotten specific requests to help place dogs due to a foreclosure or lost job.  However, in both cases, the dog owners decided to deal with the issue all on their own and I didn’t hear anything further after a couple of phone calls.

In 2008, we helped place 23 dogs, with  784 days of dogs in residence with a club member.   (It was an exceptional year with 10 dogs from one source.)  In 2007, we helped place 12 dogs, with 99 days in residence with a club member.  In 2006, we helped with 12 dogs, with 174 days in residence.  For 2009, we had just 5 dogs, but with 147 days in residence.  While the dog count is low,  the days in residence is very high due to issues with placing some dogs.

So, where are the dogs we used to get?  I have  ideas about it but I certainly don’t know  for sure, I just know that we have seen a lot fewer dogs.  I think that with the easy access of the information on the web, a lot of small Rescue groups are setting up and operating and picking up dogs I might normally hear about.  In some cases, I think that there are some rescue groups which use these small dogs as a source of income. Small dogs are easier to place and they generally demand less space and money.  So, if they can get these dogs, dogs in limited supply and of a desirabilia size,  they can sell them at a good price and make a tidy profit.   Without disparaging their motives, if they get the little guys placed, that is fine with me.  The truth is, we are a very small rescue group which just happens to work through a breed club.  With strong support of our club members, we don’t have to be overly concerned about the money, the club supports us. We do work to be good stewards of our mission and the funds donated for that purpose but our goal is to get a dog in the right home so he doesn’t come back, it is not to make a profit.  In fact, over the last couple of years we have been able to donate sizable amounts to other Cairn Rescue operations which were suddenly overwhelmed by a  influx of dogs needing care and placement.

I really can’t complain, I do have limited space, plus, there is the introductions to our pack, a pack of 3 resident neutered males, that all incoming Rescues have to deal with.  When we get the dogs, there is always that sorting out that takes time.  Some times it is sorting out the issues that might have bedeviled a dog that got turned back, some times it is simply sorting through the people who have recently expressed an interest in adopting a Rescue dog.  Those run the gamut.  Here is one entire request I got,  I trashed it immediately:  “Do you have any youngins available for adoption?”   No location, no phone number, just an e-mail address and no response from me.  Others speak eloquently of the dog they lost or the dog they remember or simply ask for the opportunity to take on one of these little guys. I keep records of them all and I review them when I have to place a dog.

Even in a lean year, as we get the dogs, we  sort them out, sort out the adopters and eventually we do get the hard to place dogs in a new home.  Here is the 2nd dog we placed in 2009, “Corky”.   Duncan McCorkscrew, 30 months old,  was an indirect casualty of the economy.   He was purchased from  a pet store on the coast, probably taken from his mother at too young an age.  Anyway, although he had his quirks, probably related to his early separation from his mother,  he was getting along with the family who loved him.

Duncan McCorkscrew, aka Corky

Then, things changed, the daughter of the owner who to come back home to live with with her parents, with two small children,(3.5 yrs. and 14 mos),.  It was not going to be a good mix. An untenable situation would develop and a decision would have to be made.

The issue of separation from the mother dog too soon was probably the seat of the problems.  Experienced breeders  told me that somewhere around the 9-10 week, the mother dog teaches her pups some socialization skills, plus young dogs in their play with each other, learn to set boundaries, they learn what hurts and what not to do to each other.  When a pup is removed early, there is a risk that these skills are shortchanged.  Another thing, that all well schooled dogs seem to innately understand,   is that a small child is different from the other two legs, so the dogs should manage the issue appropriately when a very small child is around.

Corky didn’t seem to know the difference or remember the difference, so after the youngest child apparently woke him up or disturbed him, Corky was found over the crying child, with his paw on the child’s chest growling.  This is a typical corrective action by an alpha bitch on a younger dog but Corky should have realized he was not dealing with a dog.  It appears that he didn’t hurt the child but he didn’t have the information or experience to behave correctly.  That alone meant someone had to be removed from this living situation.  Even though Corky had been there 2 years, it was an obvious but heartbreaking/tearful choice, Corky needed a new home, and very soon.

Then, there were other issues which the owners had lived with, Corky exhibited passive aggressive behavior at times.  He would challenge the owners and then roll over to say “I’m sorry” on correction but then would repeat the behavior because he won that particular battle.  He also decided that he could growl and snap to get his way.  Then there was that one plain old pyscho behavior, for whatever reason, it seemed be be triggered by someone or some thing  touching near his right flank.  He would spin around, growl and attack his tail until it surrendered.  When he was in that mode, that place, after the Evil Tail,  he would sound terrible but all of this noise and energy was directed at his tail, not at anyone in the room.

So, we brought Corky onboard.  His issues had to be sorted out.  The child issue was simple enough, we would not adopt him to anyone who had the potential of having very young visitors.  Should any show up to visit, constant surveillance would short cut any issues.  The passive aggressive issue was demonstrated when I approached him and he would want to let me know he was there by nipping at my pants leg.  Any correction, and he would be on his back in a full “I’m sorry” position but then he would immediately would return.  The Little Hardhead knew what he was doing.  The retraining started by ignoring him completely, then refusing any contact if he tried initiate it, contact was only allowed when I was ready, never when he asked for it.  If he rolled over, he was ignored.  In time, he became a little more tentative in his approach and he soon realized the pants nipping was not allowed. If it happened, a backward glance and a growl would stop it cold.  He always knew exactly what he was doing,  as soon as he realized that he was no longer getting his way, no longer in charge, that behavior diminished.

The matter of growling and snapping when he was not happy was the most serious issue.  However, it is not uncommon, I dealt with by immediate correction if he started to growl. He was told immediately and firmly that it was not acceptable, a stern look and rigid body language helped deliver the message that I did not like or want that behavior.  With all of the other corrections going on at the same time, he was in full retreat from his wayward ways,  he soon dropped most of that behavior.   He was starting to realize that someone else, not him, made the rules.  The change happened because was made clear that he was not in charge.  Added to that was the pressure from the other three dogs who had little time for his nonsense, he soon realized he was #4 in a pack of 4.

Now, the Evil Tail issue, when in the full “Kill the Tail” mode, Corky would literally be in a tight circle, attached to the base of his tail.  You could pick him, he might growl and sound terrible but his concern was the Evil Tail, the growl was for the tail.  He could be that way for a period of time.  I called a vet school and talked to them, not knowing for sure what was going on.  With a potential of a $400+ bill just for any future consultation, I passed and went to my local vet.  He listened, tried to elicit the behavior but couldn’t.   Still, the vet said he had seen a similar behavior in a dog that had a serious flea infestation, any tickling or itching in the area triggered the response.  While Corky never had an infestation that we were aware of, we treated it that way.  From then on, we just avoided touching him in right hind quarter area.  If he was seen digging at his hip, his head was physically moved away and he was held until he gave up his attempts to kill the tail.  In time, it started to work, his attacks on the Evil Tail diminished, although they didn’t disappear completely

OK, the first phase of sorting out was under control, next came the second sort, the sorting of potential adopters. There were conditions set  for this future adopter,  #1 - no children, #2 – previous ownership of a Cairn, and  #3 – a willingness to take full control of this little guy.  He was very young but it was clear to me, that he would exert control if any owner didn’t take over. If the owner took over, Corky would respond and Corky would be happy.  He just wanted a real pack leader and consistent expectations.

Potential adopters with small children, those who wanted only females, Those whose response suggested a less than iron will, were all scratched from this potential list.  I sent out e-mails to recent inquirers who might fit the requirements,  no responses.  I started looking deeper into my list of past potential adopters. Nothing jumped out. At that point, it seemed like I was out of viable options, I moved onto Plan B.  Actually, I got there by mistake.  I had a previous rescuer whose mother had expressed a strong interest in getting a Cairn. I forgot the she had already gone out and picked up one.  So, I fired up a note to original adopter suggesting that Corky might fill his mother’s need. He responded that his mother didn’t need a Cairn but he might have a spot for new partner for his current Cairn.

So, Corky went off to live with another rescue Cairn with owners committed to taking charge of this little bundle of energy. Corky was only our 2nd placement for the year and we were into October. He was off to a 5 acre lot, full of trees, in the country, with another Cairn.  The day before Corky left, 3 more Cairns would show up but that is another story, a story with 3 tails.