Border collie Jack passed away on February 28, 2022

[Patty]

Re: Border collie Jack

Good to hear, Natalie. Hope the improvement continues.

[Abby's Mom]

Re: Border collie Jack

Glad he is getting better, and I just love Jack's story. Finally got some time to read it.

[Shellie]

Re: Border collie Jack

Yay! Puppies tail wagged! NOTHING better than that! Ok...maybe puppy bellies but not much else! Hugs!

[Sparkhouse]

Re: Border collie Jack

Hi Natalie

I posted a note to you yesterday, I am not sure where it "went". This is my first time ever participating in a forum so I am a bit rough.

At the risk of repeating myself, I was just sending my feel better wishes to your lad, and to thank you for taking the time to send me your reassurance regarding Mac's eyes especially when your plate is so full!!

Much appreciated.

Sian and Mac

[k9diabetes]

Re: Border collie Jack

Hi Sian,

You posted the note to my profile page. If you click on my user name, you can go there and see it and my reply. Thanks for your kind note!

Never thought I'd be so happy to see a simple curl of Jack's tail!

Outside he's holding it generally at hip level or higher and the cute little curl at the end is back most of the time plus he's wagging it a lot more. Before it was just hanging limp and flat like a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey fake tail... Still not 100% but much improved and he's obviously feeling better too.

Natalie

[buddingartist]

Re: Border collie Jack

That's good new Natalie.

Jack is obviously bouncing back quite fast. Good boy Jack... wag that tail for mommy

Louise

[k9diabetes]

Re: Border collie Jack

Mr. Jack's tail looks pretty much normal to me today. Standing at attention like a flag the way it used to. Yesterday he still was reluctant to sit. Seemed better last night and will check today to see how that is going.

No luck with the diagnosis yesterday. Saw a new vet at the same practice and she didn't want to do it. Might try to get the ER vet to issue a diagnosis given his rapid recovery.

A while ago I was in another room and heard Jack issue a couple of low boofs like something was outside. I went to the backyard and found a big rubber ball about 14 inches across. The new neighbors seem to lose something over our fence every day... did I mentiion that the new neighbors are breeding pitbulls who spend 24 hours a day in kennels with little human contact?

Anyway, this big blue rubber ball was scaring Jack. I brought it inside and started tossing kibble toward it - it was breakfast time so he was hungry. Took him a little while to get close to it but eventually he was willing to take kibble from deep underneath and to bump it with his nose. Doesn't completely trust it but is willing to manipulate it and can be around it without constant worry.

Natalie

[jesse girl]

Re: Border collie Jack

i did think about getting one of those hurdling balls for jesse but i dont think i could get her not to be timid of it looks like so much fun for them pushing it around

sounds like something fun for jack to do and if with your training it maybe something he can do on his terms and stop when hes had enough

its great the tail is back at attention i felt so happy when jesses returned to normal her problem did start with exercise chasing rabbits high impact and it did happen a few times after that not recently though

[buddingartist]

Re: Border collie Jack

Good news about Jack.

Say Natalie, do your neighbours know who you are and know of your dedication to animal welfare?

Louise

[Shellie]

Re: Border collie Jack

Jack's tail is back! Whooohooo! SO happy that is resolving! Dogs need wiggly tails..it's just a must have item...even if small.

And agreed...do those folks know yet what an activist you are?

[k9diabetes]

Re: Border collie Jack

It's generally a mistake to let me say too much about the neighbors... once I get started it's hard to stop me.

The situation works okay for Jack because they aren't rushing the fence when they are stuck in kennels all the time. They sometimes bark a lot and Jack is stressed by them but is managing as long as they aren't able to come at the fence.

But those poor dogs... I feel so bad for them. And I feel bad for whoever winds up with the puppies. Partly because they are a risky breed and completely unsocialized to humans or to much else beyond the kennel walls and partly because the kind of people who want the kind of dogs he sells are not good dog caretakers. He is definitely marketing them to the kind of people who like spike collars and huge chains for leashes and get a little kick out of having a dangerous dog. Dogs as an extension of self or lack thereof.

As far as I can tell, they are an income and an ego thing for him. Definitely not because he loves living with dogs.

[farrwf]

Re: Border collie Jack

I sure hope they don't find a way into your yard.

You're spot on with with your "profile" of the average pitbull owner. Seen way too much of it. Like you, had neighbors breeding them and it was nothing but trouble till the police made several arrests. The mutts frequently got out of their yard and terrorized joggers and anyone else they came across. It also happened to be a center for criminal activity in a nice neighborhood.

One day a few years back I saw several cars of undercover cops pull in their cove to serve a search warrant. Well, about the time the police got inside the house I heard several gunshots. The owner of the pitbulls had set them on the police and the cops killed two of them. After they took the cretin owner to jail, the county animal control arrived and removed 13 pitbulls & puppies from the premises.

I could ramble all day, and part of tomorrow about the problems the neighborhood had with that mess, but I'll stop now. Anyone with doubts about the veracity of the "profile", just drive around different sections of your city or town and see who owns most of the pitbulls you come across.

BTW, never read an article about a Labrador Retriever, Golden, Min Pin or Pug killing or maiming anyone.

[buddingartist]

Re: Border collie Jack

..... and then people say: <Oh, those are bad dogs<.

I say bad dogs, bad owners. This makes my blood boil when I hear of things like that.

Last summer, police raided a house not far from where I live. There were 20+ dogs walking around in their feces, no food, no clean drinking water, windows all closed and the owner had been away for a few days.

A Facebook friend posted something on my wall recently:

Wouldn't it be nice, if for just one day, dogs could take bad owners to the shelters.

Needless to say, this thing got reposted many times.

Louise

[MaryLea]

Re: Border collie Jack

Louise, I'm going to post that on my FB page! You are right, too that bad dogs ususally belong to irresponsible owners.

Mary

Wouldn't it be nice, if for just one day, dogs could take bad owners to the shelters.

[momofdecker]

Re: Border collie Jack

Natalie -
I'm so glad to hear Jack's tail is doing better. Recently read through the beginning of his thread. Loved the stories! Some of his behaviors reminded me a lot of Decker in his younger years .

Sorry to hear about the pitbulls next door. One side of our fence is chain link - belongs to our 90+ year old neighbor, however, most of it is on our property line. She is a very sweet woman (who still drives) but given her age we suspect it won't be to many more years before we have a new neighbor on that side. Not sure I look forward to that day!

On the other side of her is a gentleman who lives by himself with his pitbull. Beautiful, non aggressive dog. He also has a chain link fence but we always see him walking the dog or holding the dog on a leash within the fence. One day as he walked by us he laughed as he told us how he had the fence put up for the dog only to learn in a few hours that the dog could and would jump it. Give our neighbor a lot of credit and have much respect for him for being such a responsible pet owner. One of few who try to counteract the bad name the breed receives due to irresponsible owners/breeders.