While heading home in a taxi late Friday night, we just happened to glance out the window as we sped past a black dog, lying hunched and looking scared at the edge of the elevated expressway. This is one of the most dangerous places to try and rescue a dog—dangerous for both dog and person—so a rescue in such a situation can only be performed by a professional. Or someone stupid. So I decided to try.
We stopped the taxi as it came down from the expressway and dodged cars to get to the same edge, though a good half a kilometer away from the dog. We then spent about ten minutes slowly walking up along the kerbside, stopping to hug the crash barrier each time cars and trucks got too close. To those speeding past, it must have looked as though we were considering jumping.
No one called the police, however, and we finally made it to within about ten meters of the dog, who was precariously close to the wheels of passing, speeding vehicles.
The danger in this situation is that, while trying to rescue the dog, it's very likely that he or she could get spooked and run into the speeding traffic. There is also a very real danger of either the dog or rescuer being clipped by a passing vehicle.
We put our bags down on the kerb and waited for a break in the traffic to run up the middle lane and around to the other side of the dog—the idea being that, this way, if spooked, he would stick to the edge and, if he could run, he would head towards the closest exit.
We slowly edged towards him, again hugging the barrier, and it soon became apparent that the dog was calm—and badly injured. And also very happy to see us. As we got closer, he dragged himself closer to us and lay his head on my foot.
He had visible injuries to his head and back legs, including a bloody eye. We had to get him to a vet as soon as possible. A leash was put over his head, but, when he tried to stand, he yelped in pain and collapsed again. So we very carefully wrapped the leash around his muzzle to stop him biting and lifted him up to carry him back off the elevated expressway. He was heavy—about 26 kilograms, but thankfully not struggling too much.
But progress was extremely slow and very scary, as we had to try and walk forwards while constantly watching behind us so we could stop and lean against the barrier each time vehicles got too close. It was while turned and looking at the oncoming traffic that we heard a kind voice behind us: "Are you OK? What's happened?" The young driver of a minivan full of his sisters and friends had stopped in our lane just ahead of us, with their hazard lights on, and they were coming to help us. It was an incredibly welcome sight, and I explained what had happened as they guided me into the safety of their van, insisting on changing their plans so they could drive us to the 24-hour emergency vet in Neihu, about 25 minutes away. They were all animal lovers—some with many dogs of their own—and wanted to do whatever was necessary to help this poor black Lab, who they decided to name Lucky.
We finally arrived at the vet, and Lucky was examined immediately, with blood tests and x-rays taken. His injuries are extensive: his face and legs are scarred, he has concussion and air in his chest cavity, a dangerously high liver count . . . and a badly broken pelvis. But he cannot undergo surgery until his liver count is down.
We are hoping to move him to our regular vet, YangMing Vet Hospital in Tienmu, to have the surgery performed once it is safe to do so. We will do all we can to bring Lucky back to health. But his vet bill is already high because of using an emergency vet service, and we desperately need some help to pay for that.
If you would like to support Lucky's recovery, please contact Anri Sung (tagged in this album) to learn how you can go about that. You are also welcome to visit Lucky and pay the vet yourself, though do contact Anri to find out if Lucky has been moved yet if you want to see him. (Update: I've added donation info below.)
Huge thanks to 龍也 and all the pretty ladies in his minivan for being kind enough—and brave enough—to stop and rescue us!
We'll be posting updates about Lucky's progress, so watch this space. You can also join the Taiwan Animal S.O.S. page to learn about other animal rescues. :)
UPDATE 3/JUL/2011: The vets at National say that Lucky's kidneys are OK, but his liver count is still very high, though lower than yesterday. He is no longer vomiting, so they will now try giving him liquid food. Dr Yang at YangMing Vet Hospital will examine Lucky's x-rays tomorrow in preparation for performing the surgery to repair his smashed pelvis.
To donate directly (and only) to Lucky's medical bill (our other expenses are minimal and we fund-raise separately for those):
宋安莉 Anri Sung paypal: Anri0408@gmail.com Acct.no: 124-20-046128-9 Bank code: 008 (華南商業銀行 Hua Nan Commercial Bank) 東台北分行 Tung-Taipei Branch
Lucky thanks you!
UPDATE 5/July/2011: Dr. Yang at YangMing Vet Hospital did more x-rays and found that Lucky's spine is broken. It's likely he'll not walk again. But we will keep trying, and we'll get more opinions to see if anything can be done. If not, then Lucky will become a wheelchair dog, that's all.
UPDATE 6/JULY/2011: Lucky has a future—maybe not the future he envisioned, but a future nonetheless. As someone with disabled dogs myself, I can tell you that they accept their new situation and simply get on with enjoying life any way they can.
WE NEED TO RAISE FUNDS TO PAY FOR LUCKY'S SURGERY. Although he will probably not walk again, we decided to fix his pelvis to give him greater comfort and prevent further problems down the line. Our vets did an outstanding job, and the surgery went well. If you would like to contribute, we really need your support, and every little helps—it really does.
We have created a ChipIn account so you can see exactly how much we need and how much we have raised. The total may change from time to time to take into account other expenses or donations received through other channels, but we will always notify of the changes on the ChipIn page, which is right here:
One of the most important occasions for dogs to establish hierarchy is at mealtimes. Simply and understandably, the alphas have the best or first pickings; it ensures they can stay strong to lead the group while reminding the rest of the pack of the status quo. While some lower-ranking dogs may try to edge in to take what the lead dog is guarding, the alpha will put them back in their place with a snarl, a growl, a bearing of the teeth, or maybe even a snap. Some people believe their dog already respects them as leader because he or she will sit nicely and not eat until told to, but this is obedience, not leadership, and your dog may actually think that he or she has got YOU trained to give your food up just by sitting nicely. Once the food is on the floor, your dog knows it’s his or hers and not yours, so that waiting until you say ‘OK!’ really has little bearing on how he or she perceives his or her status.
Going Back to the Wild
At 1:00 of this video is a great clip of British wolf expert Shaun Ellis asserting his role as pack leader to four adult-sized wolves he has hand-reared. Hunching over the carcass of a deer in which he had secreted a sealed bag of all the prime bits, cooked for his benefit, Shaun sees off several challenges for the prized organs by snarling and growling in the face of a large wolf who is doing the same in an attempt to force Shaun to back down. If he had shown fear or weakness and allowed the challenger to move in on the best pieces, it would have been a clear indication that he is not fit to lead. But he didn’t; he defended the organs and his status as pack leader remained assured, and balance was maintained within his pack.
How to Prepare
So, for this lesson, you need to first procure the carcass of a deer or any similar large prey animal—no, just kidding; all you need to prepare for this technique is a small snack, such as some cookies or fruit, or, if you prefer, just get ready to do some award-winning acting before a drooling canine audience. Let’s assume you prepare your dog’s food in the kitchen, and it is something that your dog is always hungry for (a natural diet of raw, meaty bones is not only extremely healthy for your dog, but always scoffed heartily—wolfed down, if you will—unlike processed pellets that we tend to feed out of convenience and misplaced trust in advertising; but more on that in a later article). Simply prepare your dog’s food bowl while completely ignoring him or her, and place it on the kitchen counter next to your snack when ready. Remember, if your dog is, like most dogs, tired of eating processed convenience food, do this exercise with something he or she will relish, such as a raw egg, or a piece of meat, or anything else that dogs love (and is healthy for them, if possible).
Wait While Ignoring
Now, your dog has probably up until now been given his or her food immediately after it’s prepared, or perhaps after telling you to give it to him or her by sitting nicely or staring (you thought you were controlling your dog at this point, didn’t you; you weren’t—your dog is under the impression that all it takes is a little trick or two of his or her own to get the food he or she was coveting). This time, however, you will completely ignore your dog after the food is prepared, and instead of giving it to him or her, you will act aloof and pretend to eat from the bowl. You can eat the snack you put the bowl next to or just pretend to be eating the dog’s food, but the whole time you must ignore your dog completely. If he or she makes a noise, ignore or correct with an ‘Ah!’ or ‘Eh!’ sound. If your dog tries to jump up, step into him or her making the same abrupt ‘Eh!’ or ‘Ah!’ sound as though to say ‘Hey! Back off!’ or ‘Don’t you dare!’ (Don’t say these things; project the attitude behind them using posture and tone). Then act aloof again and continue to pretend to eat the dog’s food.
Reward Respectful Behaviour
You will notice out of the corner of your eye that your dog will stop demanding so much now and will probably be sitting nicely. That’s great, but not good enough—all the time your dog is staring at you or the food, it is a demand to have it, so keep on pretending to eat until the moment your dog looks away, even briefly. Now, you could put the food down at this point and then walk away (don’t watch your dog eat, as it will seem like you want the food he or she is eating, and, as you’re not getting it, your status will be lowered). But better is to wait even longer until your dog shows absolutely no interest in the food. This may take a little time, but if you’re prepared to wait, it will happen. Your dog will likely turn his or her back to you and lie down—a clear signal that he or she respects and trusts you. If you wait until that moment to put the food down, then you will find your dog listens to you so much better later.
Act, Dammit! Act!
When practicing this trick, really put on an Academy Award-winning performance: act totally regal, with head up and showing aloofness; totally ignore your dog; really pretend to enjoy eating the food that your dog wants; and act out feeling full with what you’ve pretended to eat and no longer wanting any more just before you put the bowl down. Have fun with it. Enjoy the various reactions your dog will go through as you demonstrate your top-dog status with his or her food. And have a very clear vision in your mind of how you expect this to turn out but also know how you will correct any unwanted behaviours so they don’t take you too far off track. Really have fun playing at being the alpha—just fake it til you make it—and realise that you being your dog's leader is in fact rewarding for both of you.
As I Say Every Time, Consistency is Key
Do this with you dog every day, with his or her food, with treats, with toys, even when he or she wants to go for a walk, and you will feel a whole much better relationship develop between you as you are now acting more consistently with your rightful role as the one calling the shots. Get all your household members to practice this, and even have house guests do it if your dog has shown issues with strangers (remember to have them walk your dog too). After a while, your dog will assume the non-demanding, respectful position almost as soon as the food is ready, but you should still wait a while to give the impression that you are eating first—you could, though, praise him or her at this point if it doesn’t provoke excitement.
Assumed Leadership
This is the clearest, most powerful way to show your dog where he or she belongs within your household hierarchy. But here’s something that I so often see when teaching people these tricks at their homes: after I have lead the dog on a walk after going through doors first and totally controlled his or her behaviour, he or she will usually assume a non-demanding, non-eyeballing position as soon as I prepare his or her food, even if he or she had always got excited at feeding times previously. So don’t be surprised if this goes much better than you’d imagined; if you have been practicing the previous lessons properly, your dog may already know never to challenge you for food.
Summary
Here's a quick recap of the most important points:
Meals are the most powerful times to establish hierarchy
Alphas eat first and get the prime bits
Having your dog sitting and staring at his bowl until you say 'OK' is NOT leadership in a dog's eyes
Put your dog's food next to a snack you want to eat
Pretend to eat your dog's food by eating the snack or just acting as though eating from his or her bowl
Act aloof and ignore throughout, but watch your dog from the corner of your eye or in a reflection
Really act the role
When your dog stops staring, you can pretend you've finished and put the bowl down
BETTER: Wait until your dog not only stops staring, but also turns his or her back and/or lies down
Correct any jumping up but otherwise ignore
Do not watch your dog eat, as you don't want to give the impression that your dog now has something you want but can't get
If your dog is understandably bored with grain-based, convenience foods, such as dry or canned food, consider a natural diet of raw, meaty bones (more info in the next series) or healthy treats that you know he or she likes
Be consistent—that goes for others in the house too
So, enjoy your dog’s food (well, pretend to), and let me know how it goes!
