"Nony"
My son T left a comment on the Dog Bite page. I think I'll comment on it tonight.
Nony was a small Cock-A-Poo. He was a stray who wandered up to my back door one summer evening. He was matted and starved and full of fleas and ticks. I usually prefer big dogs, but this dog needed us. I called him Anonymous because I didn't know anything about him. T wasn't in school yet. He couldn't say Anonymous and shortened the name to Nony. I took this little stray into the basement where I had a laundry tub and gave him a bath. It must have felt good because he didn't fight me at all. Maybe he just wanted the contact and love. I worked and worked on him, but his coat was so matted I couldn't get to his skin. I could see a gazillion fleas floating in the water, but the ticks didn't let go. So I got a pair of scissors and started shearing him. The hair came off just like shearing sheep. You couldn't even pull it apart after if was off. When I came to a tick, I had to work it out before I could cut more. I don't know how long I spent on Nony, but he let me do anything I wanted with him. When we were done, I had half the dog I'd started with. A skinny little beauty of a dog that stole our hearts Once that filthy coat was off, he looked like pink champaign. Nony had a home.
Since I didn't know anything about him, I watched him close the first time I took him in the house. But, I needn't have worried. He seemed to be housebroken. I couldn't imagine how a small housebroken dog had ended up at my back door. I watched for a "missing add", but I never placed a "found add". I didn't want anyone to find him. Nony scratched at the back kitchen door when he wanted out. My husband didn't like that. We had built the house and he didn't want the door scratched. Nony also liked to lay at that door. So, I hung a small brass bell where Nony lay. When he bumped it, I put him out. He learned that first day to nose the bell till it rang. Then I moved it up so he could lay under it, and that was how I trained Nony to ring the bell when he wanted out. He was the smartest dog I ever had.
He was the only dog I ever took in the car with me. He spent all his time with us, inside or out. He loved to be out though. He loved the woods behind our house. Nony and T spent a lot of that summer together. We were building a log home, and Nony was on site with us out there too. I didn't worry about T when Nony was in the woods with him. Maybe I should have. He loved wandering throught those woods and hunting. It was during a walk with me in the woods near our home that I got a big scare. Nony was off in front of me nosing around when I heard a whoosh. Just in time I saw a huge owl, talons extended headed right for Nony. I didn't even have time to think I might be in danger, I just screamed and ran and waved my arms and headed for the owl. I must have startled him because he veered off and flew away. I watched him fly off in utter amazement. How could something that big be an owl and the wing span should have made it impossible for him to fly through the trees. I was trembling, but Nony didn't even seem to know he'd been in danger. He was sitting there looking at me like I'd turned into something he didn't understand.
We didn't have Nony long enough. He loved to chase cars, and nothing we did would stop him. My husband even drove past and we threw water on him, but still he loved to chase cars. He was hit twice. He cost me a big vet bill the first time. I hoped that would teach him to stop chasing cars. The time T mentioned in his comment happened when we were outside and Nony took off. It was a county road and we always had a lot of traffic. So Nony was hit right in front of us. The car stopped up the road a bit and sat awhile but, then went on. I ran for Nony where he was laying on the road. When I got to him and reached for him he grabbed hold of my hand at the wrist. He was in shock and he just clamped down. The back teeth were in my palm and one incisor went into my wrist. I didn't pull away, which is probably what scared T. I lifted my dog and sat with him in my lap. T was pretty upset and I moved into the yard holding Nony while he held my hand/wrist. I do remember trying to calm T. It really didn't hurt. Then. I knew Nony would never bite me and it was the pain and shock that made him hold on the only way he could. I didn't know if Nony would live, but it looked like it was a broken leg. We just sat there like that till Nony came out of shock and immediately let go of me. Then I could lift him and head for the Vet. They set his leg and when he healed, he went right back to chasing cars. (By the time we were finished at the vet and attended my hand it had closed up. It took awhile to get medicine into the punctures, and I really expected an infection. But, it healed nicely with only a small scar where his incisor went in. This scar has almost faded too.)
We were all ourside late that first summer we had him, when a car went by, then stopped in the road and backed up. As soon as the car pulled in our driveway, Nony took off for our garage just as hard as his little leg would go. I had wondered why he didn't try to chase that car. When it pulled in, I had a sinking feeling that they had owned him. They didn't even get out of the car. They rolled down the window and asked where we got the dog. My husband told them he was a stray that we saved. The man said that they had gone on a two week vacation and left a 50 LB. bag of dog food for their three dogs to eat out of while they were gone. They lived a few miles down the road where the pond was. They thought the food and pond water were plenty for the dogs while they were gone. Two of the dogs were big and I don't expect Nony got much of the food. They said Nony was a two year old Cock-A-Poo they called Hoot because of brown rings around his eyes when he was little. They wanted Nony back, but we both told them they would have to take us to court to get him. They didn't even argue, the man shook his head, grinned and left. We went looking for Nony and he was as far from the door as he could get and hiding under something.
We had him about three years. The last time he was hit by a car, the vet told me his injuries were internal and extensive. He gave him a massive dose of pain medicine and I took him home to die. I let him lay on a towell in the kitchen where I was working, but I couldn't stay away from him. Nony and I had eye contact when the life went out of those beautiful eyes. I knew immediately even though I'd never seen eyes cloud like that. We took him out to the woods at the new cabin to bury him where he loved to hunt.
Nony was a small Cock-A-Poo. He was a stray who wandered up to my back door one summer evening. He was matted and starved and full of fleas and ticks. I usually prefer big dogs, but this dog needed us. I called him Anonymous because I didn't know anything about him. T wasn't in school yet. He couldn't say Anonymous and shortened the name to Nony. I took this little stray into the basement where I had a laundry tub and gave him a bath. It must have felt good because he didn't fight me at all. Maybe he just wanted the contact and love. I worked and worked on him, but his coat was so matted I couldn't get to his skin. I could see a gazillion fleas floating in the water, but the ticks didn't let go. So I got a pair of scissors and started shearing him. The hair came off just like shearing sheep. You couldn't even pull it apart after if was off. When I came to a tick, I had to work it out before I could cut more. I don't know how long I spent on Nony, but he let me do anything I wanted with him. When we were done, I had half the dog I'd started with. A skinny little beauty of a dog that stole our hearts Once that filthy coat was off, he looked like pink champaign. Nony had a home.
Since I didn't know anything about him, I watched him close the first time I took him in the house. But, I needn't have worried. He seemed to be housebroken. I couldn't imagine how a small housebroken dog had ended up at my back door. I watched for a "missing add", but I never placed a "found add". I didn't want anyone to find him. Nony scratched at the back kitchen door when he wanted out. My husband didn't like that. We had built the house and he didn't want the door scratched. Nony also liked to lay at that door. So, I hung a small brass bell where Nony lay. When he bumped it, I put him out. He learned that first day to nose the bell till it rang. Then I moved it up so he could lay under it, and that was how I trained Nony to ring the bell when he wanted out. He was the smartest dog I ever had.
He was the only dog I ever took in the car with me. He spent all his time with us, inside or out. He loved to be out though. He loved the woods behind our house. Nony and T spent a lot of that summer together. We were building a log home, and Nony was on site with us out there too. I didn't worry about T when Nony was in the woods with him. Maybe I should have. He loved wandering throught those woods and hunting. It was during a walk with me in the woods near our home that I got a big scare. Nony was off in front of me nosing around when I heard a whoosh. Just in time I saw a huge owl, talons extended headed right for Nony. I didn't even have time to think I might be in danger, I just screamed and ran and waved my arms and headed for the owl. I must have startled him because he veered off and flew away. I watched him fly off in utter amazement. How could something that big be an owl and the wing span should have made it impossible for him to fly through the trees. I was trembling, but Nony didn't even seem to know he'd been in danger. He was sitting there looking at me like I'd turned into something he didn't understand.
We didn't have Nony long enough. He loved to chase cars, and nothing we did would stop him. My husband even drove past and we threw water on him, but still he loved to chase cars. He was hit twice. He cost me a big vet bill the first time. I hoped that would teach him to stop chasing cars. The time T mentioned in his comment happened when we were outside and Nony took off. It was a county road and we always had a lot of traffic. So Nony was hit right in front of us. The car stopped up the road a bit and sat awhile but, then went on. I ran for Nony where he was laying on the road. When I got to him and reached for him he grabbed hold of my hand at the wrist. He was in shock and he just clamped down. The back teeth were in my palm and one incisor went into my wrist. I didn't pull away, which is probably what scared T. I lifted my dog and sat with him in my lap. T was pretty upset and I moved into the yard holding Nony while he held my hand/wrist. I do remember trying to calm T. It really didn't hurt. Then. I knew Nony would never bite me and it was the pain and shock that made him hold on the only way he could. I didn't know if Nony would live, but it looked like it was a broken leg. We just sat there like that till Nony came out of shock and immediately let go of me. Then I could lift him and head for the Vet. They set his leg and when he healed, he went right back to chasing cars. (By the time we were finished at the vet and attended my hand it had closed up. It took awhile to get medicine into the punctures, and I really expected an infection. But, it healed nicely with only a small scar where his incisor went in. This scar has almost faded too.)
We were all ourside late that first summer we had him, when a car went by, then stopped in the road and backed up. As soon as the car pulled in our driveway, Nony took off for our garage just as hard as his little leg would go. I had wondered why he didn't try to chase that car. When it pulled in, I had a sinking feeling that they had owned him. They didn't even get out of the car. They rolled down the window and asked where we got the dog. My husband told them he was a stray that we saved. The man said that they had gone on a two week vacation and left a 50 LB. bag of dog food for their three dogs to eat out of while they were gone. They lived a few miles down the road where the pond was. They thought the food and pond water were plenty for the dogs while they were gone. Two of the dogs were big and I don't expect Nony got much of the food. They said Nony was a two year old Cock-A-Poo they called Hoot because of brown rings around his eyes when he was little. They wanted Nony back, but we both told them they would have to take us to court to get him. They didn't even argue, the man shook his head, grinned and left. We went looking for Nony and he was as far from the door as he could get and hiding under something.
We had him about three years. The last time he was hit by a car, the vet told me his injuries were internal and extensive. He gave him a massive dose of pain medicine and I took him home to die. I let him lay on a towell in the kitchen where I was working, but I couldn't stay away from him. Nony and I had eye contact when the life went out of those beautiful eyes. I knew immediately even though I'd never seen eyes cloud like that. We took him out to the woods at the new cabin to bury him where he loved to hunt.
posted by LeeAnn | 9:48 PM
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