Living with Anteaters

Behind again, of course but we have a good excuse this time. And that excuse is Beaker.

Say hello to Beaker

We were out walking Hyzzie when a young lady and her boyfriend walk up to us with 2 chihuahuas and some large breed puppy and she asks if we know anyone who would like a chihuahua. She said she was going to college and couldn't take them with her and her boyfriend had just joined the army. She said the boy chihuahua had been adopted out a few times but kept being returned and she saw us walking all the time and knew he'd have a good home.

One of the people that returned him was her friend, because he humped her female dog. She said that was terrible becuase she cried all night over giving him up and she went through that for nothing. We said a dog deserves a stable home and if we took him he'd be here to stay.

He'd had and survived Parvo but his brother didn't and Beaker was now immune since he survived it. She said they were waiting for the other two dogs they had with them to get parvo because of that. Yeah waiting for them to catch it. She also said they found a home for the female already. She pointed out his leg was injured but she said it had been that way awhile and she gave him baby aspirin and was getting better now. She also said he used to sleep with her and she kicked him out of bed and he slept in a crate because his fleas would bite her.

We agreed to take him after going home and discussing it with all. I renamed him from to Beaker. We met her at her work and she called her boyfriend to bring the dog and his things and papers by. He came by with just the dog. She said he had AKC papers and she'd bring by his papers and his food and some of his things later so it would be easier on him. He settled in right away anyway. Happy to eat Hyzzie's home made food and slept glued right up next to me.

Beaker checking the trash
Hyzzie waiting her turn

On his new grandma's lap
My Beaker Buddy
Taken by webcam so as not to disturb him

Beaker does passed out really well

Hyzzie and Beaker
She is warming up to him. She was barking and jumping at him before the walk, she used to do that with Quasi. He'll get used to her crazy ways

Keep it down I was sleeping

Seeing an anteater for the first time

Wow, she's climbing the desk!
Watching Pua

He was fascinated by them and likes to watch them. That night when Pua got to the low bridge on her furniture highway he ran over to sniff but she moved on too quick. I picked him up to let them sniff. Pua recoiled away but just because he's a new smell. Beaker squirmed to get back too. On another day Aurora went out and he followed her around the yard. She mostly ignored him.

The next day we tried walking him by the rentals where she said she lived and he didn't go near any of them. I didn't care too much at that point but I thought she wanted him to have the stuff so tried giving a call and didn't get through. I was going to leave it at that but she called us back later and said she'd bring his stuff by later but again she didn't.

Beaker likes to stand
By now I had had a good look at his leg and was convinced it was broken but it was Sunday.

Beaker in a bed
He didn't stay long he likes to be glued to a human

I smell a hidden treat

Sleepy Beaker


What she did do was call us at 12:30 AM that night saying she'd been crying all night and wanted her dog back and she would pay me to puppy sit him while she was at class and she'd just take one class(though she currently also works all day too). She didn't want to leave him alone with a big dog. Her boy friend is going into the army and leaving his brand new large breed puppy with her. She claimed she'd understand if we were too attached already but was actually really insistent she wanted him back. We said no and she hung up then she called us back. To get her to stop calling we said come by the next day at noon to talk.

We put off his going to the vet till that afternoon because she said she'd come but she didn't. We took him to the vet and his leg was broken. It had to be reset and put in a cast. Those "free" dogs always get to be so expensive.

Beaker is broken

It's been a long day

Love
We took Hyzzie for a walk without him and he sat home and whined for me the whole time. So he glued himself to my cheek when we came back and fell asleep.

We heard nothing more from her and a few days later Beaker had to go back to the vet because the cast was wearing holes in his baby thin skin. They took the top portion off and kept him over night to decide how to proceed in the morning. While there my mom called and she said a man came by claiming the dog was his and the girl had no right to give it away. My first thought was she had snatched the dog from someone's yard and gave it away!

After calling the number given we got the guy's wife. She said the girl was her step daughter and she had the girl give the dog away "by accident" because it was pooping all over the place(his house training has been great here). She said she'd have to call her husband, where ever he was, so we said we'd call when we got back to town. We called again and the wife had to call him again then he called us(I think they are separated). He came by and brought his other toddler daughter with him. She had no idea what was going on so she was no good for sympathy. He did keep pulling her up against himself like a shield when he got upset and said not to raise our voices in front of her, um we weren't but he was.

He said he bought the dog with his daughter and had paid a whole $250 for him. We had spent more on him in vet bills already. He said the wife made his daughter give him away while he was out of state. Well, his wife can legally speak for him and his daughter is an adult. We told him he could have the dog back if he paid for the vet bills he wouldn't, as expected.

He left saying he'd call the cops. We said yes, please do. We talked to the (ex)chief of police who lives up the street. He said it all sounded in our favor but to call the police anyway to get our statement on record first. This worked out great. The officer that came by said the same thing and that he'd tell all the other officers that if the guy called to tell him he had to go to court and not to the cops but also said he knew the guy and he had a bunch of chihuahua's he was trying to get rid of and had tried to give him one(sounded like Beakers late brother). He went over there and told him he should not contact us but go through small claims court instead if he wanted to peruse it but that, that would not look good for him when he(the officer) testified that he was offered a free dog too.

Hyzzie would not eat due to missing Beaker and had looked around for him. She was thrilled when we brought him home the next day. They decided the cast would be okay as is and we just wrapped the top in padding.

He was sleeping before the camera came on

Beaker posing for his centerfold


So about a week later and we had to go back to the vet for swollen Beaker toes. After talk of options that included removing the leg he was x-rayed and decided it was not so grim. They removed the lower portion of his cast and blood flow was restored to his toes.



The girl came by and left some treats and a jacket for him while we were at the vet. He showed no interest in "his favorite treats" but the jacket does fit him. She wanted to see the x-ray so came by after we got back and we showed her. She said she had no idea it was that bad. She had asked her boss who has lots of dogs and was told it was fine. She brought some more shirts but they all looked too small and he can't wear t-shirts with his leg right now anyway so we didn't take them. She seemed legitimately upset over no longer having him but she didn't take proper care of him so was told he'd have a good home now.

So now a couple days later all the swelling is finally gone and I have perfected the sock wrapping technique to keep him from licking his toes and poofing them up again. Now we just keep our fingers crossed the bone heals well.

Aside from the human baggage he brought with him he's a great dog. Loves everyone, doesn't bark. He does whine when left alone but I think has less separation anxiety than Hyzzie who when left for a few hours gets major tummy upsets.

Oh in that vein he was thrilled when we picked him up from the vet after the night stay. He wanted to jump on all of us at once and napped on mom's shoulders on the ride home.

He's scared of new things like large barking dogs, motorcycles, big trucks going by or on the one ride, when it rained, the windshield wipers. He kept getting startled "OMG... OMG... OMG... OMG..." Otherwise he actually rides great and tends to sleep most of the time.

He's 9 months to a year depending on which story I believe that she gave me. The last time he got shots was at the breeder because they didn't continue his puppy shots but those have to wait till his leg is better.

Beaker in the princess bed

Beaker and Hyzzie pining for early dinner
The angle makes Hyzzie look shorter but she's more than twice his size.

Beaker Posing nicely.

Just a bit ago he did bark. He was watching a neighbor catch their dog through the fence then Hyzzie barked so he barked too.