I had to go into work at 3:30 today. It was so hot outside it felt suffocating. Somehow, someway, Ziggy chewed through the rubber coated wire cable that attaches to his fifty foot run across the back yard. I had two cables but loaned one to a neighbor two doors down when I saw them chasing their little dog down the street one day. I went down to their house to "borrow back" the cable line but they weren't home. I walked around back and saw the cable...well it IS mine and I needed it so I unhooked it from the corkscrew anchor in the ground (which I had loaned them too) and went back to my house to hook on our line which runs from fence to fence. I should have left a note but it was a billion degrees outside and I had one hour left to get ready and be standing out front of the house for the fellow server who was giving me a ride to work. I hooked Ziggy back up and went inside to iron my work shirt. I went back downstairs to let the other two dogs out and Ziggy got all excited to see his buddy, Ham. They really ARE close, they cuddle together all the time and sleep side by side every night. Ham walked out into his blind world and Ziggy pounced on him, trying to play. Ham didn't know what was going on and reacted just like a blind dog would...fight. Charlie simply walked past them both and seemed to say "No Thank You" to the ensuing and quickly escalating fight. Of course I freaked (the totally wrong thing to do) and they fed off my reaction and screaming. No one was home but me and luckily Ziggy was hooked to the line. I pulled and pulled on Ziggy's line and Ham's collar when Ham's collar slipped off and suddenly was grabbing them neck by neck. I was knocked to my knees and just started screaming (another wrong thing to do ) "Somebody help me!" I thought maybe Zach was next door at the neighbor's. It took me about a full minute to get them apart which in dog fight time seems an eternity. I shoved Ziggy back into the kitchen door and slammed it. I thought I was having a heart attack if not a stroke. Dog fights absolutely terrify me. What scares me most is that it will happen when no one is home and they will fight to the death. I love all three of my pups and know they love each other, they just don't understand Ham is blind and Ham doesn't understand what's going on around him. Ziggy is still a playful pup and his good intentions are sometimes misinterpreted by Ham.
So I got them apart, crated Ziggy upstairs and left Ham and Charlie out back. Both my knees were bloody and bruised but still had three dogs and none of them were bleeding or hurt. Yes I am an avid/stupid dog lover and that was my first concern. I finished getting ready for work and took Ziggy out of the crate on a leash and put him out back on the run with two bowls of water filled with ice cubes and left Ham and Charlie inside. I was exhausted by the time I got to work and my heart was still pounding. So I started me a pot of coffee...misery loves company.
It was busy at work but at least I knew Zig was out back and Ham and Charlie were inside. Bummed another ride home from work at ten thirty. Ziggy was peering out his peep hole in the fence. I shut Ham up in a bedroom and let Ziggy in. Then I crated Ziggy and let Ham and Charlie out back.
This is getting too crazy for me. I'm going back to the GVS for Ham's surgery. The foundation who offered to sponsor the surgery only works with GVS so...GVS it shall be and the sooner the better. I weigh ninety nine pounds soaking wet, Ham weighs over eighty pounds, Ziggy weighs sixty. I'm no match for their fights. They have never turned on me and the fights aren't about dominance, just Ham's reacting to not being able to see or know what's going on around him. I can't blame him one bit.
They are both laying behind me now like besties, stupid idiots. It's not like I had good looking knees anyway and when I came home from work tonight, Ham licked both my knees for five minutes then Ziggy took over for ten.
Dogs...you either love them or hate them. I love all three of my pups, just want Ham to see again and everything will be right with our world...at least the canine side of it!
Til next time...COTTON
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