Wednesday, September 05, 2012

velvet spot

He looks like he might be called "Spot;" doesn't he?  I shouldn't name him, because he's not really my dog.  We are a foster home.  Someone found him alone in a field, and brought him to the animal clinic.  The vet asked us to take care of him for a while.  My daughter bottle feeds him every two hours.

He wriggles nonstop.  I wanted to take a picture of him without using harsh light or a flash, so I had to be very patient, using available light, only.  Eventually, I got this.  I said, "Finally, he is holding still long enough to snap a decent picture."  My wife asked, "Do you know why?  That's because he's piddling on our couch."  D'oh!  (Yet another reason to call him Spot, right?)

We cleaned it up right away, and there wasn't any permanent damage, so I think it was worth the hassle.

Last Saturday, they said they estimate that he is two weeks old, and he's probably a Pitt Bull Terrier.  We have to wash our hands any time we want to touch him.  And like babies are wont to do, he quicly manages to clamp on to a finger and attempts to extract milk from it.  That felt strange and very funny when he didn't have teeth, but they're already starting to come in.  Tiny, sharp teeth have made their way past the gums.  At this rate, he'll shred the nipple off the baby bottle before the week is done.

I wonder how much damage this poor little guy will suffer because of being separated from the natural family bond that is supposed to occur at this stage.  Not too much, I hope.  I've known pit bulls that have been raised to be very kind and gentle family pets.

14 comments:

EG CameraGirl said...

I have a feeling this little one is going to grow up to be a fine dog. He's getting so much love. :)

Carletta said...

I'm not a pit bull fan but at this stage he is a cutie!
I think spot is very appropriate for a name.
What a wonderful family to be foster parents for pets. You know I've never heard of that.
You're pretty special Craver - don't let that go to your head. :)

Glad you liked my 'dragon' cloud.

Jackie said...

Puppies and babies....(not in that order, of course) have a special places in my heart.
Love the photos of the puppies,
Craver...but most of all, I love the compassion in the heart of my friend who fosters these special ones.
Sending you hugs,
J.

Chris said...

Ahhh! But you will never get him to go back somewhere... The bond will be too strong, I think.... He is cute ;-)

Craver Vii said...

I hope so, CameraGirl. I am glad that my daughter naturally has a way with animals, especially because she works at an animal clinic. She's doing almost all the care and handling of this pooch. I told her that I nicknamed him "Spot." She chuckled and said that she calls him "Gimme." But the shelter that put him in our care formally named him "Thornton," because he was found near a Thornton gas station.

Sometimes we are shaped by our experiences Carletta. I wish I could have introduced you to my brother-in-law's pit bull. She was such a marvelous dog! Oh, and thanks for the lovely compliment. Okay, I'll try not to let it get to my head. :-)

I appreciate your encouragement Jackie. And I know that you know the same source that fuels any compassion. Praise and thanks to our heavenly Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit--three in one.

(returning a hug)

Oh, but I will, Chris. That is the lesson that I have already taught my family with Mona (the dog from the previous post). We can show care and compassion and still exercise responsible stewardship. They will learn that it is not our job to save every animal or solve every problem, but we will help wherever and whenever we can. And when it is time to say goodbye... we must do the right thing.

The thing is... we will probably have this little pup for 7 or 8 more weeks. That will make it difficult.

happyone said...

He is so tiny and cute.
Not a big fan of pit bulls though!

Anonymous said...

I beat you to the draw. As soon as I saw the photo, I felt that there should be a prominent back spot somewhere. Hi Spot.

Our elder daughter followed the same line here - caring for pets till homes were found.

She now has her very own special pet.A dog called Roxy, a wonderful beardie/huntaway.

Credit to Beverly - she has trained Roxy extremely well.A complete shampoo every fortnight and a very neat commercial $60 trim when required.

There will be some photos of Roxy on my next blog post. OK?

Pastor Dave said...

i love unique pups. my sister's little guy picked out a beagle to take home just because he felt sorry that no one else wanted hm because he had a birth mark on his nose. well...two years later and that distinguished mark is now gone. but their still happy they got him.

Hey,i think there may be a spot on your camera lense,hence the photo!
haha,just kidding

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Craver: He is a cute little puppy. I think it is funny the reason he was sitting still.

lime said...

oh he is a cutie, even if he christened your couch! hope he finds a loving home.

Betty Manousos said...

wow! what a cute little puppy!!

i just want to smooch that furry cutie!

wonderful shot, too.

wishing you a great weekend!

Craver Vii said...

Happyone, it's so unusual to see a puppy this young. Usually, they're not allowed away from their mom for a while.

Oh Kiwi, I saw the pics of your Roxy, and she is a gorgeous dog!

Mr. Dave, that pup better be the only spot on the camera. I can't afford to replace this one.

I debated whether that would be too much information, Fishing Guy. I don't know if my wife has seen this post, but I figure people with pets have to know that this kind of thing is bound to happen.

Me too, Lime. A loving home makes the world of a difference for a dog.

Smooch? Shucks Betty, we have to wash our hands before each time we touch him.

Shammickite said...

How sad. Two weeks old and alone in a field. Wonder how he got into such a predicament. Somebody dumped him? ( I always think the worst of people). He's very sweet, and will surely grow up into a gentle dog after all the kindness you are showing him, I have no doubts about it.

Craver Vii said...

He's under a month old Shammie, and already knows to come when called. ...Provided that the one calling is his foster mommy (my daughter). Yes, I think he's making a great recovery from a rough start.