I thought my kennel was puppy safe when I allowed Crusty, then, about 4 months old to roam freely within the area. My thunderous reprimand of NO never fails to halt his action of toying and chewing latches of cages lined along the wall.
One Sunday,when I was most busy with heavy bookings of grooming, Crusty howled in pain, triggering deafening barking by all the other dogs! Crusty's mouth was stuck to the latch of a cage! My helper's thoughtless immediate reaction of pulling Crusty, aggravated his PAIN!!
By the time I dashed from the grooming room, he was already in a pool of blood and defecation!! I couldn't see how the latch was stuck and how Crusty could be freed... I cried and attempted to remove the screws of the panel of the cage but couldn't as the rusted screws wouldn't budge. With Crusty still in excruciating pain, I left him for the office to summon help by phoning a friend to saw off the cage!!
It was chaotic. Dogs waiting to be groomed.. customers turning up to collect their dogs... customers waiting for advice of intended purchases....
It was heart-wrenching watching Crusty's eyes pleading for help. "He bites!!" shouted my helper and moved away from him! So what?...Someone will have to act...and who else, but Me!
I pressed my face against his to stop him from struggling to break free. I coaxed him amidst the deafening barks (animal instinct told him he was in good hands... he relaxed with blood still oozing) and gently prised open his mouth, while Ah Boy, a customer who by then joined in the commotion, looked into his mouth. The L-shaped latch hooked through Crusty's lower jaw!! "Leena,thrust his mouth to the right!" and in an instant HE WAS FREED!!!!
I hugged him and cried! So relief, I was!!!
I took him home that night and arranged for Dr Yeoh to make a house call. His jaw was so swollen! Crusty was given a jab and a course of antibiotics! He had a jaw, that of a horn bill, lopsided though!!
I couldn't sell him because of his disfigured jaw so I started training him. Then, came a couple who wanted a trained dog for their family. By then, Crusty was already 15 months old(June 07). I demonstrated the come, down, sit, stay commands to perfection. So impressed, they were, that they paid for him right-away! I watched him left with a heavy heart. I consoled myself .... I have too many other dogs fighting for my attention... Crusty will be better off with the sole love of his new owners!
Months later, on the eve of Chinese New Year, his owner called up. "Leena, would you want Johnny (given a new name) back? Since I'm pregnant now, Johnny is cared for by my father-in-law. My father-in-law has just been admitted into the hospital for ?? stitches for bites launched by Johnny! My husband wants him sent to the SPCA!"
Golden retriever?..attacks??? Crusty has a habit of mouth-grasping arms ... I guess an act initiated by slaps from my maid for being too playful?? But, to really sink his teeth into the flesh?? I wouldn't believe it!
I sent him to my sis in KL. Her family adored him, yet a little wee bit fearful in case he bites!!
Nov 08, Crusty was sent back to me!! He had raped my sis's German shepherd and had a litter of 5 cross-bred pups!! My sis was infuriated!
My rotty succumbed to mammary tumor on 01/10/08, so welcoming Crusty home was timely.
April 09, started training him to beg (ask nicely) for food, play dead...
One Sunday,when I was most busy with heavy bookings of grooming, Crusty howled in pain, triggering deafening barking by all the other dogs! Crusty's mouth was stuck to the latch of a cage! My helper's thoughtless immediate reaction of pulling Crusty, aggravated his PAIN!!
By the time I dashed from the grooming room, he was already in a pool of blood and defecation!! I couldn't see how the latch was stuck and how Crusty could be freed... I cried and attempted to remove the screws of the panel of the cage but couldn't as the rusted screws wouldn't budge. With Crusty still in excruciating pain, I left him for the office to summon help by phoning a friend to saw off the cage!!
It was chaotic. Dogs waiting to be groomed.. customers turning up to collect their dogs... customers waiting for advice of intended purchases....
It was heart-wrenching watching Crusty's eyes pleading for help. "He bites!!" shouted my helper and moved away from him! So what?...Someone will have to act...and who else, but Me!
I pressed my face against his to stop him from struggling to break free. I coaxed him amidst the deafening barks (animal instinct told him he was in good hands... he relaxed with blood still oozing) and gently prised open his mouth, while Ah Boy, a customer who by then joined in the commotion, looked into his mouth. The L-shaped latch hooked through Crusty's lower jaw!! "Leena,thrust his mouth to the right!" and in an instant HE WAS FREED!!!!
I hugged him and cried! So relief, I was!!!
I took him home that night and arranged for Dr Yeoh to make a house call. His jaw was so swollen! Crusty was given a jab and a course of antibiotics! He had a jaw, that of a horn bill, lopsided though!!
I couldn't sell him because of his disfigured jaw so I started training him. Then, came a couple who wanted a trained dog for their family. By then, Crusty was already 15 months old(June 07). I demonstrated the come, down, sit, stay commands to perfection. So impressed, they were, that they paid for him right-away! I watched him left with a heavy heart. I consoled myself .... I have too many other dogs fighting for my attention... Crusty will be better off with the sole love of his new owners!
Months later, on the eve of Chinese New Year, his owner called up. "Leena, would you want Johnny (given a new name) back? Since I'm pregnant now, Johnny is cared for by my father-in-law. My father-in-law has just been admitted into the hospital for ?? stitches for bites launched by Johnny! My husband wants him sent to the SPCA!"
Golden retriever?..attacks??? Crusty has a habit of mouth-grasping arms ... I guess an act initiated by slaps from my maid for being too playful?? But, to really sink his teeth into the flesh?? I wouldn't believe it!
I sent him to my sis in KL. Her family adored him, yet a little wee bit fearful in case he bites!!
Nov 08, Crusty was sent back to me!! He had raped my sis's German shepherd and had a litter of 5 cross-bred pups!! My sis was infuriated!
My rotty succumbed to mammary tumor on 01/10/08, so welcoming Crusty home was timely.
April 09, started training him to beg (ask nicely) for food, play dead...
