Bird’s Pet Emporium: Rules I Thought People Wouldn’t Need To Be Told

As my last few posts have indicated, I have been using all my social media marketing skills to find homes for all of these animals that ended up in my care.

O.Sweet.Mother.of. God.

I have had a decent response for Sparrow: (the one on the right)

I was very careful to check out any interested parties, since Sparrow happens to be my favorite.

Ideally, she would be in a home with small boys, a fenced yard, and owners willing to train her. She’s mischievous, precocious, and she tends to play a little on the rough side. She’s wicked smart; she knows door knobs open doors, and she is almost able to actually turn the knob and open the door. When she wants to go outside, she doesn’t scratch at the door. She tries to let herself out using the knob. It’s kind of awesome to watch.

The people I approved for her seemed to fit the bill, but when they showed up, they brought their little boston terrier Bo, (as high strung as that breed could possibly get), and Sparrow wouldn’t let them approach her. I mean, seriously. She’s not stupid.

She was freaked out by the strange people, the disgusting canine visitor, with his lack of respect for personal boundaries and constant drooling, and hid under the couch, sporadically barking and growling her opinions about this bunch of visitors.

The people decided this behavior wasn’t ideal, chose to take the stray dog I fell in love with a few weeks ago, Sheba, and left. A few hours later, they indicated they might bring Sheba back because she didn’t like the boston terrier. Sparrow wasn’t surprised at all. In the end, Sheba and Bo worked out an understanding, and they opted to keep her after all.

Pasha is Sparrow’s sister, and Rebekkah’s favorite.

 

As busy and naughty as Sparrow is, Pasha is just the opposite. She’s gentle, sweet, and craves approval. She likes to snuggle, hug, and give little puppy kisses. We were hoping she would find a home with little girls, a fenced yard, and laid back owners. I yell at Sparrow all the time, and it causes Pasha to go running for Rebekkah’s lap.

Pasha, for whatever reason, had less people interested in her. I ended up letting a very young woman and her husband take her. Within an hour, they were having problems. Pasha peed in their house, wouldn’t respond to them calling her (by her new name, Bella), and when they let her outside, she chased a rabbit who led her far from the house, and wouldn’t come back when they called her. Turns out, they did not have a fenced yard after all. They complained, but still wanted to see if they could keep her. Short answer, no. I had them bring her back to me. Pet owners need to have better problem solving skills than this set.

So, in service to mankind, let me put into writing some things people should probably keep in mind when adopting animals.

RULES I THOUGHT WERE SELF-EXPLANATORY

1. When you first meet your new pet, you know what’s going on. They don’t. Not all dogs think every human is an instant friend. A dog that hides from you isn’t instantly a bad dog to have. They are, instead, a discerning animal, careful about who they will befriend. Relationships take a little time; usually much longer than 5 minutes.

2. If you already have a seriously high-strung dog, be prepared to have some patience while your new pet adjusts to behaviors most people find obnoxious.

3. Puppies that have lived in only one home since birth might not know where the bathroom is at your house. There will always be a certain amount of time spent acclimating them to their new surroundings, and that includes reinforcing where they are expected to relieve themselves. Pay attention; take them out often; praise good behavior. It ain’t rocket science.

4. No animal in the world knows their own name a few hours after you’ve named them. If you call the newly named dog, and it doesn’t respond, you haven’t found a defective pet. The pet has found a defective owner.

5. If you don’t have a yard, don’t let your puppy out without a leash. They might chase a rabbit far away, not know their new name, and ignore your calls for them to come back.

Seriously, people.

~ Bird