I had a 13 year old Cocker Spaniel when my husband and I decided to adopt a Boston Terrier. He wanted the “perfect dog”. The dog had to have all the correct markings and no defects. Through the rescue system we found Miss Katie who was part of the Boston Terrier Rescue of East Tennessee and being fostered by Ron Baker in Stone Mountain, GA. We were living in Richmond, VA at the time.

All the pieces fell into place within days. My best friend from Atlanta, GA was planning on flying up to see me the next weekend. She got Miss Katie for the Baker’s and flew her up under the seat in front of her. Miss Katie, being a Boston, started throwing out stink bombs on the plane. People kept looking at my friend until she finally got Miss Katie out of her plush carrying case so people could see who was the cause of the odor.

Miss Katie was terrified when we got her. She took to my husband and would have literally climbed inside his skin if she could have. At the time we adopted her, the vet thought she was about 2 but we later learned she had been closer to 4. That means 4 years of being bred over and over with little to no socialization. Miss Katie had no idea how to play. She did understand that our cocker spaniel, Cody, had toys and chew treats that he liked so even though she did not know what to do with them, she would hoard them on to “her” couch. Cody’s hips would not allow him to jump on to the couch so she would sit up on her throne and Cody would whine until I would put half the toys on the floor. It broke my heart to see how much she wanted these things but she did not have a clue what to do with them.

She slowly became comfortable with my husband and I and accepted Cody as an older brother. Her favorite thing in life was to lie in the sun. She never did learn how to play. She was a gentle, kind dog but very reserved.

I think she had had so many puppies that her mother instinct would kick in whenever I babysat human babies. If the baby would cry, the whites of her eyes would show and she would dance around until I soothed the baby.

Miss Katie loved going on walks in the woods. We took this picture of her in the Shenandoah mountains. She became Miss May 2008 in the Dog Fancy magazine with this picture.

 

Being a breeder dog not only damaged her emotionally but also physically. After we had her for about 3 years she developed a serious case of diarrhea and the vet was very concerned about how low her total protein levels were. We were scheduled to drive down from Michigan to spend 3 months in Florida. We put her on a special diet and had her checked by the vet in Florida. Her protein levels had dropped dangerously low.

The vet in FL suggested we take her to Auburn University Vet Clinic. Off we went with our sick little sweet heart. The doctors at the University wanted to keep her for a few days for testing. When we were back in FL we received a phone call that from the University that Miss Katie’s heart was so enlarged that there was nothing to be done. We would have to pick her up and she would have a month or two to live.

After shedding a bucket of tears, we received a second call stating that the cardiologist had reviewed her case and determined that she was a good candidate for a pacemaker. We learned that the manufacture of the pacemaker donated these to the University for just these type of situations. This decision did not take long to make. This little girl had survived so much, she deserved every possible chance.

She had a pacemaker implanted a few days later. Her heart was set to beat 72 beats per minute. She came back to us a more vibrant dog and acted more enthusiastic than ever before. We knew we had made the right decision.

One year later we took her to the University of MI for a check up. Her pacemaker was working perfectly but she had some bad teeth that had to be removed. That meant a return visit to this University for oral surgery which required a canine dental specialist and a canine cardiologist. Once again our little girl came through with flying colors.

A few years later the diarrhea returned and she began losing weight. We took her to multiple vets who all believed she had some type of intestinal cancer but the only way to determine that would be to put her under completely and do a biopsy of her intestines. No one believed her heart could survive that surgery. We spent the last year with her watching her lose weight and also the will to live.

A close friend told me to look into her eyes and I would know when it was time. I watched her eyes until one day she did not seem to be there anymore. Her eyes were blank and her body emaciated. It was time to let our 12 year old little girl go. I held her close as she breathed her last breath.

Why am I writing this? I want everyone to know that there is a much bigger price to be paid for a puppy at a pet store than the price tag. There are countless dogs whose emotional and physical lives are destroyed because people believe they are only puppy making machines. Miss Katie somehow ended up at a shelter and was rescued after 4 years of this life but she never really recovered.

Would I do it again? You bet I would. These dogs deserve a life of love and attention. Miss Katie brought a ton of love into our lives and she will live on in my heart forever.

So much activity. It is hard to watch every move when dealing with several Boston's at one time. It is finally warm, they all want to bounce full speed out the door into the yard, as fast as they can get out of the house... Talk about cabin fever!!!! Start counting heads to make sure no one was lagging behind in the house... Finally, some sun and dry ground. What a relief to see that sun.. Maybe that will be the last of the frozen pipes too. Even the birds seem relieved and have burst into song. If only that cold breeze would just stop. It would be perfect. If no one else loves you they will. All is good in the earth, at least for a little while.
Jerman needs the vet to look at his leg, he has been favoring his left rear leg, which typically means pain. Other causes have been ruled out; his paw pad is good, cannot find a thorn or any reason, so his arthritis must be acting up again. He is avoiding putting any weight on it. Noticed some stiffness, particularly in the morning. Arthritis often causes early morning stiffness and aches that reduce as the day goes on. It may also be heightened in colder weather. Jerman is taking his time getting up in the morning, taking much longer to get his engine running, it may be arthritis.

 

Was fetch your dog’s favorite game and now he’s not interested? It may be because running and jumping is painful. The same goes for climbing stairs and hopping up on the couch. Again, rule out other short-term causes of the pain. If your dog is also having trouble sitting or standing it may be tied to arthritis.

Spending more time sleeping; less alertness?
Laying down is more comfortable for a dog in pain than getting up and walking around. If you notice that your dog is spending more time sleeping and is generally less alert, it may be that pain is keeping him down.
As your dog reduces his physical activity, he will naturally gain more weight. It’s not a direct symptom, but related to other symptoms of arthritis. It’s always a good idea to watch your dog’s weight carefully, but since extra pounds make arthritis pain worse this is something to pay close attention to.

 Sometimes people give their dogs Aspirin. It has never been suggested by any of the many vets that I have taken the senior dogs that I have fostered to or any of my personal dogs either.  I know that Aspirin can cause blooding thinning and long term use might lead to damaging joint cartilage. Veterinary research has found that dogs have many of the same gastrointestinal reactions to Aspirin that humans do. So, if you do decide to use Aspirin, I read you should not give your dog enteric coated Aspirin when treating your dog's arthritis. Enteric coated are great for preventing humans from having gastrointestinal side effects; however, the enteric coating does nothing for a dog. In fact, if you give your dog coated aspirin you are simply negating the usefulness. Your dog's body cannot digest the coating, so the entire aspirin is passed out in the stool. Only give to adult dogs, not puppies, and please consult your vet first.

I have also learned that other non-aspirin pain relievers are not safe either.
Tylenol is not a substitute for Aspirin when treating your dogs and should never be given to them. Tylenol is toxic and can cause liver failure, damage to red blood cells, and many other conditions that lead to a fatal endings. This includes Advil and other non-aspirin pain relievers. When using Aspirin you should use plain, uncoated aspirin, or baby aspirin and nothing else.  So what do you give to help a dog with Arthritis?  After having taken seniors to several different vets I find that just like people there is one acceptable product that all the vets I have used recommend and that is a daily dose of Glucosamine & Chondroitin with Omega 3 fatty Acid, adjusted to the weight of the dog.

This combination of supplements is what all the vets I have dealt with have highly suggested that I should give to any of the Boston's that were showing signs of Arthritis or joint problems.  Along with this supplement combination, which comes under several brands, as in the case of Jerman we were able to give him some pain relief medications. The intent is a long term maintenance process, we had to be sure the medications given would do not harm yet give some support. Although I am not pushing any brand, I will share what our vet and I have decided to keep Jerman on for the long term...

King Lear is a fictitious King of England, whose decisions greatly alter his life and the lives of those around him. His jealousy over his daughters caused a chain reaction of events that sent him through a journey of hell. As this Shakespearean play opens, one can almost immediately see that Lear begins to make mistakes..

In our Dogs world, think of King Lear as your dog jealous of humans, whose behavior will alter his relationship of the family he loves and of the responses of the humans around him.  Unlike King Lear, who had no one powerful enough to help change the bad behaviors; you as a human leader must teach your dog how to respond in a positive manner and you as an owner must not abdicate your right and duty to help your dog from over reacting.  Our human lives are always in a flux of change, which can be very unsettling to our Bostons, Especially if the change means the arrival of a baby to the family. 

If you are having a baby, get the dog prepared by having baby products in the house early so he gets used to the new smells. Some even suggest playing music with the sounds a new baby makes, before the baby is in the house. It will be stressful enough having a new baby in the household without having your faithful companion getting jealous of the sudden changes in routines. If your dog sleeps with you in the bed, you will need to think how having a new baby will affect him also.
A dog can become jealous if your attention that once went to him is now directed toward something else, whether it be another dog, new baby or new relationship. Your dog should still get individual attention from you so he doesn't feel excluded.

Dogs are comforted by routines that are familiar to them, so a regular walking and feeding schedule can help alleviate the stress of any new additions to the home that can cause jealousy. If the dog is kept active, he will have less energy for jealous or aggressive behavior.

A new date should be introduced in a calm and friendly manner and the new person can give the dog a treat so the dog associates the new person with a positive experience.

 

Meetings with a new child must always be supervised and the dog can be leashed initially if you are concerned about response.


Jealous behavior in dogs sometimes shows up unexpectedly. The dog may over react, one common case is when the dog has had the bed with just one human and suddenly there is two. 

Some trainers suggest that the dog should be given a targeted spot beside the bed and condition the dog to sleep off the bed. Every time she gets on the bed, make her get off. If she won't do it on her own, get up and take her off by her collar. Have her go to her bed and make sure to give her a treat and lots of praise when she's in her bed. 

You may have these kinds of troubles, because she may be challenging the second human because she thinks of the second human as an equal. In the dog world challenging the other dog to leave would be normal. So you will need to educate her that she is not equal to humans.  Positive reinforcement only, even when correcting. This helps her learn you are on the same level as your husband. If you haven't taught her how to sit or lay down and stay, this would also be a good command for her to learn. 

You are teaching her she is not the one in control. Taking her for walks is a good way to establish yourself as her leader. Teach her to walk beside you.