[Dailydrool] Virginia - What Spencer does & why he isn't nice

[Vikki Kiehl]

It sounds like Violeta & Spencer do the same thing.  It's like he's got
something stuck in his throat that he's trying to swallow, but having no
success.  He'll eat everything on the floor.  He's done this maybe 2 times,
but never had he tried to eat the carpet off the doggie ramp before.
(That's being changed ASAP).  I have guessed, because I don't know for sure,
that he may have a piece of my hair caught in his throat that he's trying to
get down.  (I have long hair).  He does this gulping swallowing frantically
eating behavior.  I dunno how to describe it.  I think I've seen it on the
DD as "hoovering" but not sure.  When he does this I start feeding him
bread.  Ususally about 6 slices piece by piece (which may be why he passed
most of the carpet string in a wad of poop).  The episode only lasts
minutes, & its all I can do to divert his attention to what I'm trying to
give him.  Does this sound like what Violeta does?

Why is Spencer not a nice dog?  Well, I picked him up from rescue about 1
1/2 yrs ago.  He was horribly abused.  Of his original *family* only the
wife liked him.  The *husband* threw him when he was sleeping & hung him.
The *children* poked him with pins & teased him.  He was kept in a basement
away from the family.  When he was relinquished to rescue, they had 1/2 hour
to get him out before the *husband* came back to kill him.  He has some very
serious behavior problems & can be somewhat unpredictable.  He will pat me
with his foot for lovin' then growl at me when I squat down to pet him.
When I got him, if you hit one of his triggers (like touching his collar)
he would bite you.  To him hands meant pain.  He's afraid of men & kids.  It
broke my heart when I heard his story.  I knew he wasn't going to be an easy
dog.  My best friend is a vet & behavior consultant & she helps me when
"Cujo" rears his ugly head.  The good news is he never breaks the skin & I
haven't been bitten in a couple of months now!  (A record!)  I just hope
that by the end of his life he's happy.  Don't get me wrong, he's come a
VERY long way, but <shrug>.  I'd rather he was an OEBE than what he is. <s>
vikki
spencer/cujo, sara sue, hal e bear
sebastian atb, natasha atb
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