The Day After Surgery

I had become accustomed to picking up foster dogs after their neuter surgeries. Sometimes it would be my first encounter with my new foster pet. Dr. Warren’s office was a type of drop off and pick up spot for many rescue organizations. Over a fairly short time, I had learned the drill well. At pick up time, the dog was always groggy because the sedation would still be wearing off. Because of this, on the first night at my home I would give the animal special treatment. It was also one of the rare times when I would get one on one time to get to know them in a relaxed state.

After spending what remained of the evening crated in my bedroom, if the animal was recovering and behaving well, I would allow the convalescing dog to sleep on the bed with Hardy and me. I had learned to use this time to forge a strong bond with them through the night and upon their awakening the next day. It helped during the training sessions that would subsequently follow. My goal was to help them fit in with a typical family that wanted to adopt a dog, and I was getting really great results from beginning a relationship with them in this way.

Tiny-Chico was different from the start. He came to me only one day prior with an attitude, and his dramatic aggressive behaviors were still fresh in my mind. Plus, he was on death row. I had been well informed that if I couldn't get him to behave, he would be put down. It was only one day after the surgery, and he was behaving sweetly… calm, quiet, and well mannered. I hoped it wasn’t simply the sedation, but just in case, I kept him away from the other dogs so as not to create any additional drama that could result in any injuries. Dogs have a way of picking on the weakest members of the pack, and I didn’t want that to happen to him. He needed peaceful encounters.

After my other foster dogs were out in the yard for the day, I took the opportunity to work with Tiny-Chico. The kids were away at school and I had let Hardy outside to play with the others. I took that time to work with him, and discovered he was highly motivated by treats - a good omen to be sure. This meant that I wouldn’t have such a difficult time training him. Like Hardy, he had already learned the basics, and I found myself falling in love with him. Not wanting to get too close, I pawned him off on Dawn, when she was home doing her homework in her room stating, “You need to get to know this dog.”

Looking back, I think I was looking for a sort of validation from Dawn. I wanted to see if Tiny-Chico would behave with her as well as he had with me. I asked her if she would take care of him for the rest of that day, and she was happy to help out. Meanwhile, I needed to provide care for the other foster dogs, as well as Hardy. The next adoption event was always on the horizon and I was preparing to let go of another dog at the local farmer’s market on the weekend.