Fox Tales: In the Beginning

During the first days and weeks we had Mr. Fox I sent Nani, his fairy Godmother or Dogmother, an email each day to let her know how he was doing and adjusting. She is the biggest dog lover I know. Perhaps even a bigger one than my mother. I'm going to use those emails to go back and remember how he was.

One of the first 'fun' experiences I had with the dog was going to the pets store - O.M.G! What was I thinking taking this super hyper, wild dog and my 6 yr old to the pet store?! I know what I was thinking, "Wow, now I'm one of those people who get to walk their sweet dog lazily through the pet store." Fat chance! We walked in with Mr. Fox wearing a borrowed harness from Nani and a puppy leash that was looped onto the hoop on the harness, if that makes sense. I had the leash loop wrapped twice around my wrist and with all of his pulling I think the circulation stopped on my right arm for a while. Picture that crazy ass dog in the pet store that is totally ill mannered - that was Fox. Holy Shit!! He barked like he was going to kill people, he got up on his hind legs like a meerkat and walked, no, excuse me, pulled me with me pulling back and this is how we went through the store. Mind you, I also had my son with me who talked non-stop the entire time. Being in the honeymoon phase, I thought, 'wow, this is fun.' We talked to a great staff person who helped us get him a crate, a black collar, a retractable leash, some more food, treats and of course Little T. (my son) insisted HIS dog needed lots of toys. Well over a hundred dollars later we went home. I told Husband it was all on sale.... :)

Knowing he was a dog needing a lot of exercise I vowed to make sure he was walked twice a day. We got him on Friday March 18th not the 11th like I thought and so on Saturday I got up and walked the dog. Holy crap!! The dog was nuts!! Nuts like in the store nuts, running up on his hind legs if he could to every tree, telephone pole, bush, trash can and any other place he thought needed smelling and marking. The entire way, I yelled 'No!', 'Don't do that!', 'That's not nice!' and while I was doing that, people were looking at me. Seriously, three months later we are still looked at and the looks people give us range from "Holy shit, get it away from me" to "Ha, look at that poor woman with the crazy dog." I gotta tell you, though, I love him to bits. This is how Mr. Fox looked after spending his first night with us. By the way, that pretty blue harness is gone, he chewed it off that very day.

I really have a soft spot for my little Fox because as I told Little T, he wasn't loved the right way when he was a puppy. He's about a year old according to his foster mommy. This reminds me very much of my husband who also wasn't loved the right way as a young pup and has spent his whole life dealing with it in some way. I don't know why people get pets if they can't give them all they need? Mr. Fox's ears were very badly bitten up with fly bites when we got him and three months later, they are finally gone. I've heard that they get those when they are tied up and left in filth. Poor little boy. He didn't know what it was to have his ears or belly rubbed. What dog doesn't like that? I had to show him it felt good and now he likes it. So, he's nuts, but he has an excuse!

This is a picture of Fox sleeping with Little T last night. What a difference a good home makes.