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Meet Greta, my elderly City of Sacramento Animal shelter dog. I really wasn't looking for another dog, but for some reason I saw this and thought I would check her out. I've had dogs most of my life. Adopting a senior dog was a new challenge to me. I've spent the weekend looking for advice and just mainly found sites that stated the positive reasons to adopt an elderly dog. This page is to document my path, so I can see how far we actually progress together on this journey.
I spotted Greta (referred to as Pansy at the shelter) on the city web site. After looking at all of the dogs on the site, the only thing I can say is this one appealed to me. I left work and went downtown to meet her that day. I spent about 30 minutes at the shelter and I really liked what I saw. Greta was a gentle dog. She was calm and self composed in a stressful shelter environment. They had her in a kennel with a younger female dog who did not have very good kennel bathroom habits. These were the positive items I observed that day:
Having a previous dog with hip problems and other joint problems, I was concerned about her overall health. However, I left with a really good feeling and called Max from the parking lot. I told him that I really liked her and asked if he could leave work early on Friday to come down to the facility.
Max and I were able to go again to the shelter and look at her. We were very lucky to meet up with a great volunteer, Eileen and a rescue person who was looking for dogs to put on her adoption webpages. They were so helpful. They told us a lot about the breed and made a few guesses about her past. I was able to ask about health concerns of this breed and we were able to see that she was very social among multiple people. We also got to walk her on a leash and see that although obviously not leash trained, she was eager to look for your clues as to what you want to do. We didn't get to the shelter until 5:00 and they stopped adoptions at 5:30 so Max and I decided to think it over and come back on Saturday morning to make our final decision. We found out that Greta was not spayed and they would need to be fixed before they would release her for adoption. I had concerns about bringing an older dog into my home, but I had real concerns about bringing a post surgery dog into the home with my two other animals; Sierra, a great pyranese mix and Mrs. Norris, a calico cat.
Saturday, May 27th - Saturday, I woke up and thought, do I really want to disturb the loving harmony of a single cat and a single dog to adopt this new girl? I really thought long and hard about it. My inner voice felt that she would contribute much to the household. Max and I talked it over until it was time to go to the animal shelter.
We got there just after they opened and Greta displayed more of her calm charm and gentle curiosity. We had a lot of time with her and knew that we would proceed with the adoption process. I was very pleasantly surprised at the improvements made to my local shelter. They now have a vet come to the facility to do all the spaying and neutering. They also microchip the dog and treat them for fleas with Advantage. They gave me a goodie bag of dog biscuits, a small bag of Science Diet food for senior dogs, a leash and a collar. I was so happy to hear that they wouldn't be shipping my dog off to a new location for the procedure. It gave me more confidence that the shelter was caring for all the animals at that location. I signed the paperwork and was told to come back on Tuesday to pick her up.
Tuesday, May 30th - Max and I spent a lot of the weekend getting the house ready for a new member of the family. We rearranged the dinning room so she can stay there to recuperate from her surgery. We took out the dog kennel from the shed and washed everything down. We had been watching the "Dog Whisperer" and Max had read his book. We understood that our first event was to take both dogs for a walk and then invite the new dog into the house. Max made arrangements to leave work early so we could get her started on the right foot.
When I went to the pound to pick up Greta, I was told that her vet appointment had been changed to Thursday and that I couldn't take her home. I was able to see her and she looked awful. She looked stressed and dirty and her fellow puppy had messed up their kennel. I was able to tell my concerns with the volunteer Eileen, about Greta going to surgery in a dirty state. I knew I wasn't going to be able to bathe her for almost two weeks and my animals are indoor/outdoor dogs and I wasn't happy about having such a messy dog live in my home. Eileen was a dear and volunteered to supervise me if I wanted to come back on Wednesday to give her a bath.
I drove home that evening and thought, what have I gotten myself into? Did I make a mistake? Should I change my mind?
Wednesday, May 31st - Eileen met me at the shelter at about 4:30 to give Greta a bath. They had kindly taken my concerns to heart because she was separated from "the messy one" and had a private section of the kennel. Luckily, I had taken Tuesday and Wednesday off of work. I was able to pack up my doggie grooming devices, shampoo, conditioner, rake, brush, scissors and nail clippers. I worked in the back sink to get her washed and found out dear Greta had gone in heat. After confirming they would be able to still complete the surgery tomorrow, we washed her from head to toe. We were able to clean her ears and trim the mats and greenery she had been dragging around her forelocks.
I truly feel that she was rescheduled for a greater purpose. I think she needed that scheduling snafu to be able to get a bath and give me time to bond with her. I left her feeling that she had the correct temperament for my household. She wasn't thrilled about having a bath, but she tried really hard. I could not have asked for better behavior. She had a final good meal and was ready for her surgery the next day.
Thursday, June 1st - I had to work that day so I rushed to the shelter after work to pick up my girl. I had concerns about the recovery period of a 10 year old female who was in heat. I knew she was going to be disoriented. The front counter guy and the clinician patiently described the results of the surgery and that she passed her a heartworm test. Everything looked good and she was ready to go home. She stood in the back of the station wagon the whole ride home.
When I got her to the house, I grabbed the other dog and took them both for a short walk, because of her condition. We then all three entered the house. I put Greta in the kennel in the dinning room, gave her food and water and closed the gate and closed the door to give her a little peace. Mrs Norris the cat stared at her from the doorway for a good 10 minutes. Greta fussed just a bit during the evening, but fell asleep soon after her evening stroll before bed.
Friday, June 2nd - Ahh, the medicine smell; it hit me in the face when you opened the door. The poor girl was trying to metabolize the anistesia. You could smell it on her breath. I had to go back to work that day, so that morning I took her on a slightly longer walk in the morning, letting her set the pace for Sierra and I. Sierra was not mean to her, but he definately distanced himself from her. He kept as far away as the leash would allow. I put Greta in the kennel for the morning with food and water and went to work. I came home for lunch and spent time with both animals in the back yard. I could tell Sierra, my five year old Great Pyranesse, was unhappy with the new edition. He constantly moved to the opposite side of the yard if she came around. He really wanted to growl at her but his manners prevented him from acting on those desires. Greta went back in the closed kennel so I could go back to work. She is drinking water and urinating. That is a good sign.
That evening when Max and I got home, we decided to keep the kennel door open, so she could walk around if she wanted. Finally, while outside, she had a bowel movement. We took both of them on an evening walk and a before bed. In the house, Greta did a lot of pacing. She was very unsure of where to be.
Saturday, June 3rd - Could it be the medicine smell that is keeping Sierra away? He is still very unsure of her. Max and I decided to move the kennel into the living room and kept the door open so she could get used to the comings and goings of the house. We moved her kennel, her food and her water to the living room and we learned what pacing really is. She spent a lot of the day standing in the kennel, walking out of the kennel, around the area rug and back into the kennel. We could not get her to relax. She does not know sit or down or stay. Did I mention that she is a dufus on a leash? She is so eager to do the right thing however, you don't mind her bumping into you. I've been wondering if maybe she has a vision problem. Not only because she bumps her way through a walk, but she is hyper sensitive to movements. We took the dogs for a morning walk. It was quite warm outside. I don't think Greta likes to walk on hot pavement.
I was able to check her scar to make sure things are healing properly. She wasn't very happy about that and I know she dosen't trust me yet. After looking at her scar, I was able to brush one side of her coat. She is very patient.
I no longer see my other dog. Now that Greta is in the living room, he and the cat stay in the bedroom. I can almost feel him think, if I can't see her, then she isn't really there. We've discovered Greta can bark. The cat came creeping around the hallway, Greta stood up in her kennel and barked. Just once and a quick "Hey, I see something". After some errands, we went on a longer walk, pushing her just a bit with distance. She came home tired and ready to settle down for the night.
Sunday, June 4th - Greta was hungry last night. When I woke up, her dishes were empty of food and water. I took her for a walk by myself alone this morning. She was very slow, constantly stopping. She finally did her first #2 on the afternoon walk on a leash. Sierra finally gowled at her this morning when she pinned him in a corner. He made a big fuss for a second and went on his way. Did I mention I suspect Sierra has issues? Greta really is unsure of the proper time to go potty. She has never gone in the house, but is comfortable using a walkway as well as the lawn. Could she have lived her life in an outdoor kennel? She has lots of her winter fur still. If she lived outdoors, I would have guessed she would have lost most of it already.
I'm trying to teach Greta to sit and to lay down. I've put the leash on her and I'm stepping on it, pulling her down while gently pushing down on her hind quarters. I'm saying "Down". I put the pressure of and she rises. I do it again and she goes down. I'm also trying to give her a hand signal for down and stay. After about the 7th time, she looks at me when I say "Down", slowly creaps down with a look on her face as if to say, "Do you mean you want me to do this?" I praise her, but she's not sure how to handle praise.
Max and I sit in the living room watching videos while Greta would pace in and out of her kennel. Sometimes I would set her down and try to brush out more mats in her coat. I was able to trim the felt like mats from around her toes and get her used to me petting her. She still pops up into a standing position when I move or go to the kitchen. Max and I give each other a thumbs up when she finally lays down in the middle of the livingroom. She is finally trying to get comfortable in the house outside of the kennel.
I must mention, today is the day I fell in love with her. We have been increasing her walks and she came back today and soon fell asleep in her kennel. She had a smile on her face and I just fell in love with her then. I knew I hit my point of no return and I was going to do everything I could to give her a loving home. I wonder if she paces so much because Sierra has not accepted her as part of the pack and she is confused.
Monday, June 5th - I walked into the living room this morning to find Greta laying down outside of her cage by the front door. Yea, she is expanding her comfort zone. We went for our morning walk and I got ready for work. Max suggested I leave keep the dogs separated one more day while I'm at work. Greta was in the house with the cat and Sierra was outside. When I got home for lunch and we all went outside, Greta came back into the house twice to go to her kennel. As I left for work, I decided to leave all three inside. 
When I got home, I noticed Sierra was a bit more tolerant of Greta's presence. He didn't jump up and leave when Greta walked nearby. On our evening walk, he submitted to walking next to her. Her bumping has toned down, but I notied she bumped him a few times along the way. Greta is feeling better. She is walking at a faster pace, a kind of trot. She also has more stamina and can go our normal full route. After our evening walk, Greta was laying in the middle of the livingroom and did not get up when I approached. I kneeled down and pet her for about 5 minutes, telling her what a good dog she is and how well she has adapted to this changed situation. It was the first time I felt she accepted the praise I had to offer her.
Tuesday, June 6th - I stayed up late making this web page and didn't walk the dogs this morning. Both dogs stayed outside in the back yard this morning. I let them stay inside for the afternoon. This evening, Max and I took them both for an extended walk around the neighborhood. I see Sierra being more tolerant of Greta. I was able to clean out the kennel and I'm working to slowly moving the food and water more to the communal area in the kitchen. She's probably pretty tired of my attentions today. After checking her stitches, I tried to brush out some knots in her coat near her belly. She put up with it for a while, but definitely let me know when she had enough. "Can you see my teeth? I've had enough of that". She was patient but let me know twice by pulling back her lips. I never felt threatened or like she would actually bit me. She was just being a good communicator. To add insult to injury, I put Greta on a leash and tried to teach her "Sit". We practiced walking around the living room and sitting about seven times. Sierra even made an appearance to show her how it's done. She hasn't gotten it, but I can see her thoughts processing. I've had pack progress also. Sierra actually sat by the front screen door with Greta in the living room for about 10 minutes. He has spent more time in the living room today than all of the time in the last five days. I'm crossing my fingers, I think it will all work out. I also mowed the lawn today. Greta was not thrilled with the lawn mower, but got into a relaxed lying state while I was on the opposite side of the yard. It is another good sign. She has taken to following me around, going outside when I go outside, moving to the kitchen when I walk there. She ventures out to see where I am, but soon returns to her kennel safe spot.
Wednesday, June 7th - Things are beginning to settle into a normal routine. Sierra and Mrs Norris have more patience with Greta. Greta is feeling less agitated and has started using the communal water dish and food dish in the kitchen. Today was a special day. We took the dogs to the college to walk around in the beautiful shaded walkways. It was Greta's first car trip since coming home. She and Sierra were able to share the back of the wagon without incident. We went on an extended walk for about an hour. When she first came home from the shelter, Greta was dragging her back feet when we went for walks. At the shelter, I just assumed that her nails needed to be clipped. When I brought her home, I noticed blood on the front of her back paws where she drags them in her stride. Could this be because she was a kennel dog and was not used to walking? Her back paws have returned to normal and she no longer scratches them across the pavement. OK, she does it once in a while, but not often. She is still not sitting on command and slightly understands the stay command. How unrealistic of me to think that she should have gotten this so quickly. Max has told me that he has also grown to love Greta. We are beginning to feel like a family.
Thursday, June 8th - Well we went for an ultra long walk today. It was longer than I had planned, because we came across a rotweiller 2/3rd's of the way through off leash wandering the street. We did a 180 and walked back the way we came. Fortunately the dog was pointed in the other direction and didn't see us or wasn't into a challenge. Poor Greta was pretty pooped by the time we got home. The good news: I catch her looking at Sierra to see where he is in the walk or to make sure she's headed in the right direction. She is also getting much more comfortable in the back yard. I've been working on a grape arbor and she is able to lay down and relax in the shade. Her appetite is really good and she seems to be sleeping well. It has been one week.
