Yesterday I put Violet and Hershey (who had puppies last week) outside on the deck to go potty and eat while I ran to town to get my son from school. I was gone for about an hour. When I got home I went and opened the back door to let them in and hershy came running inside headed to the puppies. I have my deck "fenced" to make separate areas for the dogs. So where violet and hershey were by the back door is separate from the other dogs.
Well when I opened to door and hershey came in I saw that the big dogs (labradoodles and standard poodles) had broken through the gate separating the two sections and were now also by the back door. This a problem I have been working on daily all week. and just the day before put on the 3rd new latch this week, to prevent them from getting in where they shouldn't be. This is also where I keep the dog food and the big dogs love to tear up the bags and make a big mess so they are not allowed there.
Anyway.... when I saw the big dogs in where they shouldn't be I slipped my boots on and chased them back out and headed back in the house calling for Violet to come in. That's when I saw her. She was laying dead a few feet away. Her back was snapped in half. The bigger dogs had either gotten a hold of her and shaken her or pulled her apart to cause that to happen. I am horrified. I don't understand why they would do that. None of the other dogs with her had been touched but my Violet is dead.
Violet weighed only 3 oz when she was born and did not take well to nursing. so I bottle fed her along with 2 brothers that didn't make it, and mother molly fed the rest of the litter. Needless to say I was very attatched to Violet and she was to me. I can not even express the grief I feel right now at the loss of my dog.
And now I sit here watching her 3 week old puppies and cry to think that they must be feeling confused and lost themselves since their mom has not returned to them. I know dogs don't really think that way, but I have a tendancy to think of my dogs like people so I cry for them.
So the puppies have now had their first taste of dog food. A bit earlier than I would have normally started them on it, but we have no choice now. Hershey will take over nursing them but since her puppies are only a week old and not nearly as big, the 2 litters can not be mixed as I would do with 2 litters that were closer in age.
So Hershey now takes turns feeding the 2 different litters. I can tell you she knows the difference even though she is putting up with it for now. You see the older puppies have teeth, and hers do not. Big difference.
I don't understand why dogs that are great otherwise would do something like this. Is it a pack/gang mentality? I guess I will be reading up on this. The little orphans are getting big. Cubby Bear thinks the last girl should be his.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think the dogs were being violent. They are still pretty much puppies. Almost all of those ones are under 2 years old. They problem is they get excited cause they know someone is in heat and they probably thought violet smelled like she was since she had puppies recently. I would imagine in their excited state and she being small like a toy, they flung her around enough that it broke her spine. Unfortunately when that happens nothing can be done. When this kind of thing happens it is easy to think it is the dogs fault and to think the what if's but it is too late for that now. At least the puppies are doing good.
ReplyDelete