Bud, home at last

I've been afraid to write of this, or even to speak of it other than sotto voce, but Bud went to a new home last weekend.

I've had inquiries about Bud before. He's a great looking rottweiler. When these folks wrote, I tried to interest them in Bear instead, assuming that Bud wouldn't work. But Bear wouldn't work because of their cats, and they really were interested in meeting Bud. They had rottweiler experience, a fenced yard, and no kids, so I didn't have any immediate reason to say "no."

I should back up and introduce Bud, so that those who don't know him will appreciate the magnitude of this event. Bud was owned by a redneck kid who grew up, moved on (probably to hard liquor and meth), and left Bud with his father in a small outdoor pen. As I got the story, he had a beagle buddy who would come and go at will through a tunnel he had dug under the pen. Bud had apparently been a party-going dog at one time, and that may well be where and how he developed his distrust of strangers.

Bud arrived at my house wearing this collar. I keep it upstairs in my office, sometimes wear it myself, but it's never been back on Bud. It says much about the power of the dog, but even more about the people who had him. Bud is not the biggest rottie in the world, but he has a tremendous head that is really all jaw. He has a classic rottie build: big, heavy chest and shoulders, trim little butt, basically built like a bison. He doesn't bark a lot, but it's a big, deep, window rattling "WOOF" when he does. Bud is great with other dogs. He's even taken a lot of abuse from a dog-aggressive female shepherd that I had for a while. He protects himself, but won't fight.

Bud's only real personality problem is that he growls at strangers. He will let new people approach and even touch him, but then he growls. It's a low, deep, warning growl. No one who hears that growl wants to find out how far they can push the dog before he will snap. It is quite intimidating to look down at that massive head, at crotch height, and feel as much as hear, the growl it emits. When Bud first came to our house, I fed him, cleaned up the kennel he was in, provided rawhide for chewing, but did not try to touch him. This went on for probably a couple months or more. I wasn't afraid of being around Bud, he didn't want any trouble, he just didn't want to be handled. Eventually, he grew to trust me and he would then come to me, sit and lean rottie-style, and want attention.

Bud was with us for over a year and a half. I got him neutered at the SPCA by doping him up before we went in, muzzling him, and holding him while they gave him a sedative. When he got wobbly, I walked him to the edge of the operating room where the vet gave him another shot that knocked him out. I picked him up from the floor of the recovery room when he was still quite sedated and got him home. Neutering didn't make a difference, Bud still didn't care for strangers. Even after a year and a half, Clay couldn't touch him without eliciting the growl. I assumed that Bud would be with us for the duration.

Fortunately, Bud was an easy keeper. Plenty of food and rawhide kept him happy. When we went away, we had people feed him by lowering a bucket over the fence so they didn't have to worry about direct contact with Bud. I felt better that way, Bud probably preferred it, and I expect the caretaker did too. The last trip we took, Bud was boarded with a very dog-savvy person who keeps pitbulls herself and isn't easily intimidated by the bully breed dogs. She exercised caution but had no trouble.

Bud was a great kennel manager too, helping to break in new fosters to our routine. Bud saw many of them come and go. I wasn't at all sure there was a home for Bud, other than ours.

I took Bud to his new home last Sunday, just expecting to do a meet and greet at most, and I assumed that after they heard the growl that would be the end of it. I am pleased to be so very wrong. They liked Bud and wanted him on the spot, even knowing that they would have work to do. They saw Bud's level of trust with me, so they knew it could be done. They are calm, quiet, and most of all, patient people. Bud was fine with their other dog. Bud spent the first few days in their walkout basement with access to the backyard. He could lay on a sofa and watch the world through a sliding glass door. The last email I had from them was after Bud spent his first night in their bedroom. He now prefers to be not just inside, but upstairs with them. I think that Bud is finally home at last.


Bud has found a new home.
We should be very happy for Bud.
Good night, Bud.