A Challenging Endeavor

Meggie

Meet Meggie, our newest foster. "Surrendered to rescue by an elderly breeder in Louisiana" was said when Sharlann, a rescue volunteer, delivered Meggie from inside a wire crate, double-locked and secured with bull-nosed clips and bread ties. Meggie's crate was in the comfortably air-conditioned backseat of Sharlann's Ford F-150 when we met at the pre-arranged meeting spot between Austin and Fort Worth.

While handing off our previous foster Pix, a heartworm-negative border collie, into Sharlann's care, Sharlann graciously agreed to bring Meggie, a heartworm-positive dog in need of long-term medical fostering, into my care after Jessica, Meggie's previous foster, delivered Meggie to Sharlann's home.

Pix has found her perfect forever home and is a very different dog than Meggie

Meggie came into Border Collie Save and Rescue (BC Save) with a singleton puppy in tow, not yet weaned, that Meggie separated from the same day I got her. Meggie carries a heavy load of heartworms, having missed heartworm prevention for some time. 

In the first 48 hours, challenges have surfaced. Meggie demonstrates "I need more space" behaviors and reacts to my resident dogs when on leash or in her crate. House and crate training have had a rough start due to escapes and broken crate locks. Meggie lunges at my boy dogs in an attempt to gain more space between herself and what Meggie initially experienced as scary or threatening.

All my dogs, before I met them, had long-term medical fosters that guided them through challenging times. Rosco was rescued from a dire situation, hairless and covered in painful sores due to mange, and absolutely destined for the big needle. The Cocker Spaniel Rescue of East Texas tagged him for rescue, boosted him from the city pound, and rehabilitated him until he was ready to attend their adoption event where I met him. That was 15 years ago and Rosco is still going strong and loving life.

Gunner faced heartworms and adoption challenges after being picked up as a stray and taken in the dog catcher's scary truck to the Galveston city shelter. Following a rescue and rehabilitation journey, he ultimately boomeranged back into All Border Collie Rescue's (ABC Rescue) care after a failed adoption. I adopted Gunner at an ABC Rescue event eight years ago. Gunner, my right hand, now has an alphabet's worth of AKC performance and sport titles after his name. He's one of the very best things that has ever happened in my life.

Jackie, too, had a difficult start, but she now has multiple trick dog and agility titles and a bright future as an urban herder. It's thanks to BC Save's cadre of rescue volunteers that Jackie is now thriving.

All of my dogs were fostered by kind-hearted volunteers who generously offered their time, energy, resources, and love to dogs in need of a second chance. I've been the beneficiary of these rescue heroes time and again.

Medically, Meggie is still intact and has started heartworm treatment with antibiotics, steroid therapy, and heartworm prevention. Spaying is scheduled, and a microchip will be implanted since she doesn't have one yet. Meggie will complete a series of fast-kill injections after recovering from her spay surgery. 

Behaviorally, housetraining is a priority. I'm keeping her tethered to me or confined to a small area or crate while indoors, with regular visits outside, then making a huge fuss and giving high-value treats every time she produces in the approved potty area. I'm managing the other dogs' and her space with clever ex-pen, baby-gate, and crate use, so only appropriate interactions are reinforced. We're working on calm barrier and leash training with reactivity-reducing games.

Meggie in her short-term confinement area, complete with bed, water, and enticing long-lasting chew toys

I'm immensely grateful to BC Save and the Texas Foundation for Animal Care (TFAC) for their life-saving services and affordable medical care. Dr. Jenny Wight of TFAC is overseeing Meggie's heartworm treatment and spay, the same vet who cared for Jackie.

Now it's my turn to pay it forward. The road with Meggie may be challenging, but her incredible sweetness and love for people provide motivation and joy. Meggie is available for adoption through BC Save.

Pearls:

• Establish perfect potty habits: control your pup's access to your home by keeping them tethered to you on a leash, inside their short-term confinement area, or crated at all times. Every two hours, as well as after they finish eating, wake from sleep, and after every playtime, take them to their designated potty area. Make a huge fuss when your dog produces and immediately reward them with the highest value treat they love. Do this each and every time your puppy eliminates in their designated potty area. 

• Crate train: teach your new buddy that being inside a crate is a wonderful experience. Let your pup watch you toss a few of their favorite treats into the crate with the door closed while your dog is outside the crate, so they want to get inside. Then open the crate, let your pup gobble the treats and exit. Play this quick game several times throughout the day. Next close the crate door for a few moments while raining treats down from outside the crate while the pup is inside. Gradually build to leaving the door closed with your dog inside for a few moments, then several seconds, then a few minutes per training session. Build up slowly until your pup is happy being alone in the crate. Always provide interesting long-lasting chew toys when you leave your pup in the crate for any amount of time.

• Teach your dog to settle quietly: leave a hollow toy, such as a Kong, thoughtfully stuffed with your pup's food and the occasional treat, every time you leave your dog on their own. Meggie loves this stuffing recipe: start by shoving a freeze-dried raw liver treat into the small top hole of the Kong. Smear honey (Meggie likes organic Agave nectar) on the interior walls of the Kong, then fill it with food and the odd treat and loosely plug the large bottom hole with crossed high-value treats (Meggie loves crunchy-soft lamb lung squares). Every time your dog investigates and chews the Kong, it reinforces calm behavior by dropping out food treats. Feeding your new dog's daily meals this way from the outset establishes a lifetime of calm settling behavior. 

Follow Meggie's rehabilitation journey on Animal Accolades to learn how to teach perfect potty habits, loose-leash walking, fix reactivity, and more.