Subject: PSG: Teeth & personalities - long update
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 08:40:30 -0800
For those of you who are interested, I thought I would post an update on Isabella's teeth. For those who are new, I won't go into a long explanation about her mouth and her troubles but if you like you can read about here www.trainagility.com/isabellateeth.html
Isabella had her canine reduction surgery on August 12th of this year. She has slowly felt better every day. At first, I could see she was still tentative about doing much for fear of being poked in her palate but now she seems to have forgotten the pain for the most part. Even her conformation & personality have changed!
Her tail set looked too low before and she NEVER EVER wagged her tail. I always wondered why she didn't wag her tail like a normal dog. She was snarly and grumpy when other dogs approached her and hated her face touched. I had to constantly remind Uncle Jef NOT to play slap the face with her because she would cringe at the mere suggestion of that game (which she now loves). Isabella's tail is now set where it should be and she wags it like a maniac when pleased. The vet who discovered Isabella's teeth told me that many dogs who are in pain have a lower tail set and when they are fixed, they go back to normal. I think that is fascinating.
This week, a friend reminded me of the fact that Isabella was SO snarky before with other dogs. When she brought her dog near Isabella, she pulled her dog back and said, "OH! You better NOT go near Isabella!!!! She WILL GET YOU!" I had forgotten just how MUCH I used to have to watch Isabella around other dogs. I told her she no longer had to worry as much around her (yeah she still gets crabby and bossy now and then but nothing like she used to). Isabella responded with a tail wag and a friendly sniff to her bitch. We hadn't seen her since last June and it was such a nice reminder of just how much better Isabella feels!
For over three years I tried to teach Isabella to retrieve and she would just look at me like I was insane. AND - FORGET tugging! I couldn't teach her to tug to save my soul. Now, she is a retrieving fool and tugging is one of her favorite pretrial rituals. Perhaps now she will even be able to swim! I will have to try this winter again.
In agility, we have struggled recently because Isabella got faster and more responsive. That is great but she responds to my every move and my every move rarely has anything to do with where we need to be going on course LOL. I run the entire course with my voice from behind and/or a distance. We only went 1 for 6 this past weekend but I was happier about her NQ runs than I was about her Q run. I thought she was awesome. We have a LONG way to go and I am not even sure I am physically able to get her there but the process is now fun for both of us! Isabella is having so much fun in agility. Lisa Greene can tell you just how remarkable Isabella's change has been. Before, I was so frustrated because I couldn't figure out why she was so slow and unmotivated. I would get depressed and whiny (OK, I still whine but I have done that for 54 years, I can't change overnight:). Every time I think of that poor dog doing agility with her lower teeth stuck up inside her palate, I want to cry!
I was talking with somebody who also has an agility dog with a similar problem. Her dog's teeth aren't as bad. She has always had motivation troubles but the owner told me, "Well, they are only little holes so we don't worry about it." I was SO blown away!!!!! You KNOW every time that poor dog lands over a jump or tries to weave or the teeter hits the ground, her teeth are smashed up into her soft tissue more! No wonder that dog is unmotivated! It just makes me SICK! Sorry for the rant. I just can't help it.
As for Isabella's urpies, they too have improved. They haven't gone away completely but seem to be getting better slowly with time. It is rare now that she needs Gas-X at night. We were at a seminar at the beginning of the week and she was over stimulated and got sick one night. So stress plays a HUGE part in her tummy woes. I can't imagine the stress she felt having her teeth crammed up into her nasal cavity for 3 plus years!
So I am going to make another plea to breeders. Please report bad bites, base narrow jaws and stop breeding those who produce them! Every single Poodle deserves to be able to wag its little Poodle tail and play ball.
Helen & The Girlz
Penhurst Queen of Spain (Isabella) MXJ, AX(7 MX), EJC, OAC, NGC, AD, RS-O, JS-O
Miss Millie Angel (Millie) O-NJC, O-NAC, NGC, 1/2 OGC, 1/3 OAC, 2/3 AD, RS-N, RFDE (Rescue Feral Dog Extraordinaire)
www.trainagility.com
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