For her own safety, Missy is needing a new home. It doesnt matter where you live, there are very good/safe transport links to bring her to you…. Read on for her history... Missy was rescued at about 3 months from around the rubbish bins in a place called Camposol, near Mazarron, Southern Spain. She was with her siblings. At 8 months I had her from her foster home and has been with us now for over 5 years, she’s 6 now. She has always been a very loyal dog the only problem has been when rabbits are seen, she cannot hear, she’s focussed on them. I believe this is because she’s a terrier. If you are walking where there are likely to be rabbits, put her on the extending lead. If she does run off, she comes back, when she’s finished sniffing out rabbits!! The problems have arisen with my other dog (in the kennels now, until Missy is re-homed) when I found Missy guarding a dead rabbit. She didn’t appear to have blood on her so I’m not sure that she actually killed it. I don’t really know how it got there. My partner took it away, which was wrong, I should have moved a dog rather than the rabbit but I didn’t know that Missy would then attack my other dog who retaliated and nearly killed her, as she’s twice the size and a Podenco x, a hunter. Poor Missy was in a terrible state but now the other dog isn’t there, is okay again. I did try to introduce them again but they had to be dragged apart again, it was frightening. We live near the Port of Mazarron, Southern Spain and have a large garden with a high fence all round but for Missy, it is not safe here as she keeps moving the large rocks we have put all round the perimeter of our fence, in order that she can dig her way out to get to the rabbits. Lately she has been limping because of this and I’ve had her checked out and x-rayed by the vet who’ve said she’s strained her leg, there’s no other damage. I would say its repetitive strain injury because I have that myself but for her its obviously not possible to tell her to stop as shes driven by instinct. As I’ve said, this isn’t a safe place for her here. Apart from the fact that this is driving my partner round the bend, making the fence secure. Quite honestly, he’s had enough. Nothing will stop her if she wants to get out! She needs to be somewhere where there are no rabbits! We are situated in a valley, below a main road, which she has been known to run over in order to get to the rabbits. To my knowledge she hasn’t caught one yet. Our other little terrier follows her, so one or other could have an accident or cause one, to which we are liable as well. So this is more of a worry. Luckily the small terrier doesn’t seem as inclined to do the same as her and is far more obedient when he thinks he might get a treat, she’s not bothered if a rabbits about. Missy is very obedient... if she’s close, does all the sit’s, down for lying down, all with hand movements she can do with no words, she’s clever in that respect. She will sit automatically when I have a treat in my hand and when I point down and say ‘down’ she will lie down. When I hold my hand up towards her, palm facing her, it’s ‘stay’. She knows ‘Go’ as in go away from here, pointing away. Which is the same really as ‘No’ when she jumps up, with no pointing. All these commands are done with a strong, low voice. When she’s done what you want I always finish with ‘good girl’ in a happy, bouncy voice. She takes herself to bed around 11, if not, I say ‘bed time’ and off she trots. She can’t catch, unfortunately, as our cat scratched her eye when she first came. I knew the cat had frightened her but I didn’t realise for a long time that she had been scratched and by then there was a permanent scar on the eyeball. It doesn’t cause her a problem though and would have cost a bomb if I’d realised at the time!! Missy used to howl when we went out but that was years ago. Unfortunately she started this with our pet sitters, when we went away for a few weeks. When we came back, she tried it again but I only had to knock behind the closed door where her bed is and say ‘No’ and when she’s quiet, say ‘There’s a good girl’ and she’s quiet again. Normally she is fine, although can be panicky when we’ve been out for a few hours but calms down if I don’t take any notice. Sometimes she can get a bit over the top, then I talk calmly to her and she’s ok. She may be a bit unsettled to start with obviously, cos everything will be new. Which might mean she goes back to howling, like a lot of dogs. She loves going in the car and jumps in the back as soon as the door is open. She’s used to riding in the back of the car and has never been on the seats but I can’t think that’d be a problem if you want to do that. Here in Spain, dogs have to wear a harness and be attached to the car somehow, so she’s used to not moving about and sits quietly. You wouldn’t know you’ve got her in the car. Walking: I’ve started using a halter on her lead, over her nose, attached to the lead. If I don’t, she pulls and chokes herself. She’s gradually getting used to it, doesn’t like it but the alternative is her choking, so its better than that. We’ve been going out walking for short walks in the morning and afternoon as we live in the country and there are a few large wild dogs about which I’m not really keen on meeting. It is quite difficult here, there are so many starving strays and of course, there’s the rabbits which I didn’t realise before we moved here. Playing: She likes playing but can be bossy and possessive of toys. She stops my other terrier from playing with the toy and wants to play rough and tumble with him which is fine. They play well together but he can’t play on his own as she’ll dive in to stop him. I think this is to do with the fact that she didn’t really have her early socializing as her and her siblings were scavenging and more than likely had bad experiences with young children as she’s quite warey of them and will bark until she’s shown they’re ok. I imagine, sticks and stones where thrown too. I can’t think of anything else at the moment but don’t hesitate to get in touch if there’s anything I’ve left out. One thing that is very important to me is that the new owners send me a video of Missy, just now and then, showing her wagging her tail and being hugged and happy. That’s all I want to know, that she’s happy and if I don’t see that, I will always wonder/ worry.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 07:23:22 +0000