Mr. Buddy Rose the American Staffordshire Terrier Part XVII

(Parts I-XVI of Mr. Buddy Rose's story are posted below. If you would like to read them in chronological order, please scroll down to Part I. You may need to click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of this page. Thanks for reading the story of a remarkable dog, Mr. Buddy Rose.)

Saturday, October 2, 2010
(For all of you who have been following Mr. Rose's story, he now has his own page on FaceBook. Search "Mr. Buddy Rose - American Staffordshire Terrier" to find him. "Like" his page and you will be able to follow him on FaceBook, leave messages or comments for him, post pictures of your own four-legged - or two-legged - friends and see updated pictures and videos of him and his friends. Thanks for continuing to follow the story of Mr. Buddy Rose. If he could meet each of you in person, he would happily give each of you big, wet kisses. He's quite the lovable, goofy guy!)

Mr. Rose continues to show small improvements on a daily basis. Yesterday, we took a much longer morning walk. He had to lie down to rest many times, but I let him go at his own pace and rest when he wanted. This morning, Buddy & I walked to the park. He walked the half-mile there without stopping to rest. I watched a little soccer while he rested. We would walk around the park and rest for a bit, then walk a little more. For the first time in three or four days, I actually believe he was ready to come home instead of wanting to lie in the grass and roll everywhere on the way home.

Because of the Prednisone, he drinks a lot more water and has to urinate a lot more frequently. He is very well housebroken and can hold it for a very long time, but the problem is when he has to stand or squat outside for several minutes to urinate. His legs can tremble badly when he has to stand in the same position for more than a minute or so. A couple of times I have thought he might fall, but he has not. He has stumbled. So, as of yesterday, he gets to go outside on his leash every couple of hours, so he doesn't have to stand or squat in one place for so long. Giving him the opportunity to urinate more frequently has stopped the trembling.

He has improved, albeit a lot slower than I would like to see. Today we lowered his dosage of Prednisone by half. We had a lengthy discussion with his Vet yesterday about his condition, improvements, shakiness, pain, etc. As I've mentioned before, I don't really like having him on Prednisone. I believe he has all of the ill side effects of the drug: panting, periods of hyperactivity, glassy eyes, increased water intake hence more frequent urination, gas and much softer stools and an insatiable appetite. I also know that right now he has to have this drug to keep him on all four paws. Without it, I really do believe he would be back to crawling again, which would be much more heartbreaking than all of the added ill side-effects of the steroid.

There is no polite way to say how gassy he is. It's not his fault. It's the Prednisone. He wasn't like this when he was not taking it and I guess we forgot just how BAD it really is. He is also taking 20mg. of Famotadine twice a day, but this doesn't seem to touch his flatulence. You rarely hear him but you cannot miss that wonderful smell! Most times, he has no idea what is going on. Sometimes he's pretty funny. Yesterday, he was scratching around on his pillow trying to get it in that perfect position, when he tooted. He must have heard it or felt it or something. Maybe it scared him. Immediately he stopped scratching his pillow and stood perfectly still. Then he turned and looked at me. The look on his face was priceless. The camera should have been ready at that moment. Who knows what he was thinking, but my idea of the look he gave me was, "Mom, what the heck was that?" He gave us a good laugh, well, at least until that special aroma perfumed the room.

What do dogs think? If you visit Mr. Rose's page on FaceBook, you will see the page is set up from the perspective of none other than Mr. Rose himself. I am very, very aware of the detriments of "humanizing" our dogs. And although he is a really smart dog, Buddy can't speak English or type on a keyboard. He does have a lot of friends. People around the world follow him and care about him. I visited several single dog FaceBook and web pages and decided I really liked the ones from the perspective of the dog. Many of the rescued Michael Vick dogs actually blog and converse with each other. I liked it and decided to do Buddy's page the same way. It's just another way for people to keep up with him and for dog lovers to share their stories. That's all.

He's walking better and once again getting stronger. As we start reducing the Prednisone, we'll be watching for any small sign of digression or improvement. It would appear that Mr. Rose is once again on his way to a healthy, happy life.

Mr. Buddy Rose the American Staffordshire Terrier Part XVI

(Parts I-XV of Mr. Buddy Rose's story are posted below. If you would like to read them in chronological order, please scroll down to Part I. You may need to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of this page. Thanks for reading the remarkable story of Mr. Buddy Rose.)

Monday, September 27, 2010
Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, good, healing energy and prayers for Mr. Rose. Because we really don't know what is happening with him right now, I will try to do a more timely job of keeping his story updated.

Yesterday, Mr. Rose's walking abilities may have improved slightly. On Saturday, if anything, he continued to lose ground. We are hoping his condition is now stabilizing and he will start to improve. He may be a little better. Yesterday, he didn't lie down to urinate, he squatted. This morning, although pretty shaky, he lifted his leg a couple of times. Yesterday, about half-way through his breakfast, he laid down and continued to eat. Today, we elevated his bowl he stood to eat his entire breakfast. One of the side effects of the Prednisone, he's hungry and has no trouble finishing his meals (and any of Mollie's leftovers, too). He is eating well and drinking lots of water and all of his "plumbing" is working. Even though some of these details may not be the "nicest" things to write about, we are once again watching the little details in him very closely so we can know if he is improving or getting worse.

Two things still motivate him: food and cats. Yesterday morning, before I took him out to potty, I put several treats in my pocket. I figured if he laid down in the street, I could use the treats to get him back up. I know he is not one to lay down on his walks. I am also learning that even though he is struggling to walk, he doesn't like the fact that he is not getting to walk his long morning walks to the park. Part of me believes he is lying down during our potty walks because he needs to rest. Another part of me knows he is only lying down when we have made the turn to come back to our house instead of going to the park. (Can you say stubborn?)

Yesterday morning as we walked, I made the turn to come home instead of turning the other way to the park. Dear Mr. Rose laid down, right there, on the sidewalk. I waited a couple of minutes then I took a treat out of my pocket, waved it in front of his nose, moved away from him, held the treat out and told him to come and get it. He immediately got up, came to the treat, ate the treat and laid back down on the sidewalk. We did this little dance for a block and a half and were still a block and a half from home. I knew I didn't have enough treats to get him home. But then, a miracle of miracles happened. Mr. Rose saw a cat down the street near our house. He ran, not full speed and not completely steady, but a good pace, all the way to our front yard. RAN! Then he laid down again, this time in the grass in our yard. When Buddy was crawling, he was pretty talented at crawling fast to chase cats. Even with his struggling walk, he can still run to chase cats.

Even though he ran after a cat yesterday, we are doing the best we can to limit his activity, at least until we see some marked improvement in his walking. I am not talented enough to keep him from running if he wants to chase a cat. And, because there is the possibility of a spinal injury in his neck, I am doing my best not to let him pull. I had little choice but to run with him and try to calm him down as we ran. Since we don't have a back-yard, I have to walk him on a leash so he can potty.

Both the Colonel and I are questioning whether Mr. Rose is in pain. We have come to our own consensus that whatever is going on with him must be painful. The vet said he didn't react like he was in pain but he has said this before when Buddy had a prostrate infection and we KNEW he was in pain. (This happened in an earlier part of Buddy's story. Buddy was bleeding from his penis. Vet said he didn't act like he was in pain. I asked the vet if he were bleeding from there, would he be in pain. The vet then refilled Buddy's pain medication for the prostate infection.) If he is in pain now, he is not showing it. He doesn't want to play much, or walk around much, and he is sleeping a lot. He does not yelp or vocalize any kind of pain. From his crawling, prostate infections or neutering surgery, he never has shown he was in pain.

One of the vet assistant's called early this morning to check on Buddy and see how he was doing. The main question was, "Is he still walking?"

Yes, he is absolutely still walking! The past few days have been very scary for us. He is still walking. I don't really have words to tell you just how happy this makes me.

Mr. Buddy Rose The American Staffordshire Terrier Part XV

(Parts I-XIV of Mr. Buddy Rose's story are posted below. If you would like to read them in chronological order, please scroll down. You may need to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of this page to get to Part I.)

Saturday, September 25, 2010
Mr. Buddy Rose has had a set-back.

On Wednesday, while walking Buddy and Mollie at the park, you'd have thought I had the best-behaved dog on a leash. (This would be Mr. Buddy Rose, not Miss Mollie Pollie!) I should have known that Buddy trailing a few steps behind me was not a normal position for him, but he has gotten so much better on a leash, I guess I just thought he was really getting the whole leash thing and maybe he was still a little tired from his "doggie play day" the day before. I was praising him and patting myself on the back for doing such a good job leash-training him.

On Thursday, Mollie, Buddy & I walked to the park. Soon after they had finished all of their toileting business, I made them both heel and walk on each side of me. That's when I noticed, what I thought was Buddy limping. His head was down, his back slumping and although he was moving forward, he seemed to struggle more with each step. From my cell phone, I called the Colonel to come to the park to watch Buddy walk and to "rescue" us so we wouldn't have to walk the half-mile back home. The Colonel watched Buddy walk at the park and agreed something was wrong. Maybe not a limp but something was going on. We loaded Buddy in his kennel and Mollie in the back seat and brought them both home.

Maybe he pulled or strained a muscle at doggie play day? Maybe he's just not feeling well today? Maybe, whatever was wrong with him when we got him was recurring? We watched him and every move he made. We didn't have a lot to watch. He slept almost all day on Thursday. Thursday afternoon, I took him on a short walk down the street, just long enough for him to do all of "his business." Although he seemed to start strong, within a block, he was struggling.

Friday morning, we did everything just as we do every morning, right down to getting ready to take him and Mollie for their walk to the park. The Colonel and I had already decided that I would take each dog separately. Mollie would stay home first and I would take Buddy and evaluate how far he could go. Again, he started strong, but within a block from the house he was struggling. After two blocks, I knew we didn't need to go any further. As I turned a corner to start back to the house, I wondered if I would be carrying Buddy home, or if I would be calling the Colonel to rescue us again. We were about a block and a half from our house when Buddy stopped, then sat, then laid down in the middle of the street.

As I approached him, he rolled over on his side and laid his head down in the street. I rubbed his head and his body and waited. Soon, I was able to coax him back up to his feet and get him to move toward the house. It took us a little while to get there, as he laid down in the street another couple of times on our walk home.

A healthy Mr. Buddy Rose doesn't lay down in the street. He has been known to take a roll in the grass on our walks, but this lying down in the middle of the street was really out of character for him since he has been healthy. When he first started walking, he had to rest often. But since he has been walking a lot, resting during his walks has not really been on his agenda.

The Colonel called the vet's office and asked if he could see Mr. Rose. Of course, they had to call us back. I took Mollie to the park for her walk. Returning from the park, Mollie and I were standing in the yard talking to a neighbor when my cell phone rang. The Colonel wanted to know where I was because we could see the vet with Buddy if we could leave right then.

I wanted the vet to check Buddy's reflexes. Although we both knew his recent struggles to walk weren't our imagination, we are also all too aware of what we have been through with Buddy and maybe a little to quick to notice a limp or something going on with his walking. When Buddy's reflexes were checked in May - when he couldn't walk and only crawled - he had NO reflex response in any of his four legs. His last two reflex tests-the most recent was the last week of August-he had completely NORMAL reflex response in all four legs. We really don't know what is wrong with Mr. Rose, but reflex response is at least something we can use as a gauge.

The vet gave Buddy another thorough check-up. His temp, heart and breathing were all normal. Teeth and gums looked okay. No vomiting or diarrhea. Neutering incision has healed. Head and eye reflex response was normal. While Buddy was standing, he turned Buddy's feet under, to see if Buddy would automatically correct the awkward position, a test we have seen Buddy pass before. He was a little slow with one of his front legs.

We watched as, with Buddy lying on his side, the vet started tapping his legs looking for his reflex response. We have watched the reflex response tests with Buddy so many times. We have seen no response. We have seen normal response. We have seen the vet struggle to find any response. We have seen the vet (and the reflex response) immediately. I swallowed hard as I rubbed Buddy's head and watched the vet struggle to find the reflex response. He would try again. I would see some response in Buddy's leg or foot. Then he would try again and there would be no response. The bottom line is he has lost some reflex response in all four of his legs.

The vet said we would "start medically managing his condition." I should have asked the vet, what he thought we have been doing for the past 4 months, but I didn't. Buddy has been off steroids for about 45 days. Yesterday, the vet put him back on 10mg of Prednisone taken twice daily, for 20mg a day. Buddy is also taking Pepcid at 20mg twice a day to help his stomach with the Prednisone. He'll take the Prednisone for at least a month, with decreasing dosages every seven days. He may be on some kind of maintenance dose for the rest of his life. We don't know about that yet. As long as he is the same or improving, we will consult with his vet on a weekly basis. If his condition deteriorates, we will call the vet as soon as possible.

I really struggled with this whole putting him back on Prednisone but I am scared to death he will lose his ability to walk without the help of this drug. Prednisone has a lot of side effects, not the least of which is a developed dependency. He is a little different dog when he on Prednisone. He is not a hyperactive dog, but Prednisone tends to hype him up. He pants A LOT. He drinks a lot more water, meaning he has to urinate a lot more. We're hoping the Pepcid will alleviate his stomach issues of gas and diarrhea that the Prednisone previously caused. There's also a small risk of "roid rage" in dogs on steroids for an extended period of time. And, let's face it...I simply don't like having to keep him on any drugs. Right now, I know he needs this one badly.

Today, Saturday, his walking is worse than it was yesterday. He shook-you know like dogs shake,the whole start at the head and shake, shake, shake all the way through to the tail shake - and one of his front legs collapsed and he fell. I haven't seen any of the "hyper" effects of the Prednisone yet. (He's only had two doses.) He seems to sleep most of the time. We are not going for our walks but I am taking him outside on his leash 5 or 6 times a day because he still needs to potty. He loves being outside, so according to how the next few days go, I may start sitting outside with him for a couple of hours at a time. This afternoon, he laid down on the ground to urinate, his white-pointed tail flagging straight up. This was a familiar trait from when he was crawling around the yard. I know he isn't improving yet, but I am praying his condition at least stabilizes by tomorrow.

I'm trying to be as positive as I can be but it's very hard. It's so incredibly hard to watch this big, beautiful dog - the same one who has surpassed every dream I had for him - lie down in the middle of the road because he can't go on. It's hard to watch him once again lie down to eat his food or treats or drink water. It hurts to watch him lie down to urinate with his tail flagging straight up. It's devastating to think he is hurting again and we have and are doing all we can do and it may not be enough. I feel so bad for the big, handsome guy. I wonder if he remembers crawling? He became quite good at it, but he has been much happier since he is walking everywhere.

Mr. Buddy Rose the Pit Bull Part XIV

(Parts I-XIII of Mr. Buddy Rose's story are posted below. If you would like to read them in chronological order, please scroll down to Part I. You may need to click "Older Posts" at the bottom of this page.)

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Mr. Buddy Rose's DNA test results are back. Because of where he came from I expected to see quite a mix of breeds, but I was wrong. Mr. Rose is about as close as he could be to being a full-blooded American Staffordshire Terrier. The AST was the only significant breed to show up in the test. There were no "middle" or intermediate breeds in his DNA. The only breed in his DNA except AST was a very small amount of Boxer. He looks like an AmStaff. This was one of the breeds we were sure would show up in the test, we just didn't think it would be almost totally what makes him up.

Although this test was fun for us humans. I don't think Buddy cared much about his DNA test. I broke the DNA results news to him. He yawned with that big ole' mouth of his, then laid his big ole' spotted head down and took a nap. Doesn't really matter what the DNA test said. We know whatever is inside of him is remarkable!

Because of his energy level and his increasing need to play more and more, I think he is likely healthier than he has ever been. He has completely recovered from his, hopefully, very last medical procedure which was getting him neutered. He wants to play more and more with Princess Mollie the Mini-Schnauzer but he plays a little too rough for her. She ends up running from him, or parking herself under a chair and snapping at him. However, when it comes to barking, Mollie starts it and then Buddy's happy to join, creating quite the cacophony of joy whenever anyone walks down "their" street.

Mr. Rose is getting much better on a leash and has learned to "heel." Well, how about he "heels" really well for more than a mile at a time after he's finished all of his toileting business. Cats are still an issue. I have been walking both he and Mollie together every morning for almost two miles. I walk them each separately for more than a mile in the evenings. Mollie has forgotten all of her leash manners and has really become the difficult one. So here I am walking down the street with the big ole' Mr. Buddy Rose walking calmly, loose-leashed beside me, and a Mini-Schnauzer pulling either leaning sideways or straight out in front. I can just hear the comments, "Look at that woman. She can control the big dog, but look at the little one!" The Mini Schnauzer can also get the big "Spot-Head" dog in trouble with her antics and misbehavior.

One thing I have learned is the extreme prejudice toward anything that resembles a "Pit Bull." When Buddy is under control, leashed and not pulling, I have been asked to take him to the other side of the street. I am so aware of the prejudice and downright fear that people have of these dogs, I move off the sidewalk and wait to give walkers, joggers, other dog walkers, etc. space. I usually speak to them and tell them that he's friendly. Some people have become downright rude when I tell them he is friendly. As we stood waiting, twenty feet off the sidewalk, one male walker replied, "Yea, that breed is known for their friendliness." When I said, "No, he really is friendly." His answer as he passed, "That's what they all say." This sort of behavior makes me not want to be "friendly" or even tell people that he is friendly. Let them find out on their own, or not.

For more than a year before we got Buddy, I have walked Mollie the Mini-Schnauzer to the same park, everyday. Everyday. Now, everyday, I walk Buddy & Mollie to the same park. Although Buddy is much larger, he is actually much better behaved and much more trainable than Mollie is. Although they are both well-socialized with people and dogs, he is the more friendly dog of the two. Yet, he really doesn't get much of chance to be the dog he can be because of the perceived prejudice about his breed. He's a dog first, just like Mollie. Breed has nothing to do with it.

Since we have had him, Mr. Rose has never growled, sneered, or bared his teeth at anything, human, dog, or cat. In the same time frame, he has never bitten anything, human or dog - whether he would bite a cat or not is still up in the air. He doesn't bark often, but he does bark. It's a big bark, but Mollie's bark is worse and harder on the ears. Sometimes, I suppose, he is happy to be outside and he's announcing that he is going for his walk, barking and pony-hopping. Sometimes I stop to watch a kite, soccer game, ball game. He'll bark when he thinks it's time to keep moving. (My decision, not his.) Sometimes we get close enough to another dog, and the other dog bears his teeth, Buddy will bark. Sometimes we get close to another dog and I won't let Buddy approach, he'll bark. Sometimes Mollie starts barking, for whatever reason-she really doesn't need a good reason, any reason really, and Buddy joins the fray. Sometimes he sees a cat, which I won't let him approach either, he barks. Dogs bark. He's simply a dog!

There have been times if Buddy was an aggressive dog, he could have been. The day at the park when a friend's little dog and Buddy's leashes got wrapped and twisted around each other. They were tied together. Buddy was trying to get away, pulling, which wasn't helping as we tried to unwind the leashes. The day the two little Lhasa Apso dogs were off-leash at the park and try as I might, I could not get Buddy and Mollie away from them fast enough. Mollie was yapping her fool head off the entire time. We finally just stopped and let them come. It didn't matter, Buddy just sniffed them. (Checking ID's as I like to call it.) Another day, a neighbor's Pug got out and she and Mollie literally went after each other. For whatever reason, Buddy was trying to lay on or sit on both of them. He never growled as I tried to get him and Mollie away from the Pug. On the other hand, I believe Mollie was in THAT one to WIN the battle.

Because of their smelling ability, dogs pick up so much of their energy from us. They sense our feelings probably quicker than we know we are feeling them. If you are confident and in control, they know it. If you are scared, they know it. They can sense it. If your dog senses you are fearful because you see a Pit Bull, chances are good your dog will be fearful too. (If you don't believe any of this, I suggest you look up Cesar Milan.) We do control many, many of our dogs reactions by our own energy.

It really does hurt me that, because of perceptions, Mr. Rose doesn't get all of the social chances that Mollie does. It's okay though. Mr. Rose is now attending "doggie play days" at a local kennel and will be getting all of the socialization he needs. If we don't find him a forever home in the near future, I will likely sign him up for training and he will become a better dog. If he could overcome just a few obstacles, he would likely make a great service dog. He's really smart and friendly. Everything we do with him and for him is to make him a happier dog. He could be the poster-boy for gentle, loving, sweet dogs that just happen to look like Pit Bulls. Oh, wait, he's not a "Pit Bull," he's an AmStaff or Staffie!

Mr. Buddy Rose the Pit Bull Part XIII

(Parts I through XII of Mr. Buddy Rose's story are posted below. If you would like to read them in chronological order, please scroll down.)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
May 22, 2010 was the day we acquired a filthy flea, tick and parasite infested Pit Bull who could not walk. Since I started writing Buddy's story, I have known this story could only go one of two ways and that one day I would have to write one of those two entries. One of these two would have been a worst case scenario for Buddy, which hopefully will be many, many years down the road. The second, although nowhere near as heartbreaking, makes tears roll down my face. Hopefully, by this point in his story, you know how much I love Mr. Buddy Rose.

I don't know who said it originally, but Cesar Milan is who I will quote, "Sometimes we don't get the dog we want, we get the dog we need." I need Buddy as much he needs me and when he was crawling, he needed me as much as I needed him. It's hard for me to believe it has only been 100 days. I feel like I have known Buddy forever.

Yesterday, Mr. Rose had his last medical procedure. He will no longer be able to father any litters of pups. He had an uncomforable night, but is resting much better today. He has to take it easy for a week or so. The hardest part may be when he recovers a little more and realizes he can not play in his pool or walk to the park for a few more days. He's never been one to show pain, and except for sleeping, I am not sure you would know there was anything going on with him right now. He's a tough, big-headed, handsome, tuxedo boy.

The other thing we had done during this vet visit was the DNA test for dogs. We want to know exactly what breeds make up Mr. Buddy Rose. I know we'll get remarkable results for a remarkable dog. The Colonel and I have both done a lot of research on-line, trying to figure out what breed or breeds make up Mr. Buddy Rose. With the money we have already spent, another $100 seemed well worth it to find out definitively which breeds are in him. Who knows, maybe we'll find out he is a 60 pound Boston Terrier! Our vet told us it would be a very interesting DNA test. He thought maybe Buddy was 2% Chihuahua. Chihuahua? That's a little more doubtful than the Boston Terrier. Buddy looks like a Pit Bull, maybe a Staffordshire Terrier. We should have the results back in a week or so.

As I type, he is sleeping on his pillow beside me. He and I are home alone this afternoon. (Well, except for the cat who's locked in the bedroom.) The Colonel and Mollie are visiting the Colonel's Mom and, although Buddy loves to go to that big yard, today wasn't a really good day for him to make that trip. To coin a phrase from a very wise "dog-ma" no "dippity-doo-dahs" in his kiddie pool for a while after his "snippity-doo-dah." Buddy and I needed to be alone this afternoon for me to write this.

We need to start looking for a loving, "furever" home for Mr. Buddy Rose. It absolutely has to be the right home for him, anything less is simply unacceptable. And, before any of my East Coast friends say, " I would take him, but I am too far away." Be careful what you ask for. We will deliver him to the right home, no matter where in the U.S. that home might be. Of course, it might be easier to find him a home near-by, but, the most important thing is to find him the RIGHT home. Please, we don't want anyone to take him because they are doing us a favor, he needs someone who wants him. He has a good home where he is until we find him his right forever home.

Before you ask how could you think about finding him another home? Let me tell you just how hard that is...it's heartbreaking. We love Buddy and always will, that's why we have to do the right thing for Buddy. Buddy needs a yard and at least one other large dog to play with him. Although he gets along great with Mollie the Mini-Schnauzer, he likes to play rough and tumble and Ms. Princess Mollie Pollie Siss Boom Bah really wants nothing to do with the rough and tumble stuff. Although he wants to play with her, she does little more than play tug-a-war with him. Most times, he lets Mollie win tug-a-war, then he's bored with her.

Currently, Buddy lives in our living room during the day, playing with his toys or sleeping on his pillow. We don't have a back-yard. We have a small patio with flowers bordering the edges. At night, because of the evil kitty, Buddy gets to sleep in our little bathroom. This is the only time the cat gets out to eat, relieve herself, etc., except when Buddy and I go for our twice daily walks for a little more than a mile each. Buddy doesn't get up on couches or beds, although I am sure he probably would if he were invited. I think he would be a great snuggler to sleep with, but he might be perfectly happy on his pillow right next to your bed. He doesn't like being put in the bathroom at night. He would much rather be closer to you. Right now, Buddy's favorite times are his walks and going to the Colonel's Mom's house where his kiddie pool is kept. He loves to run around that yard off-leash, play fetch and take a dip in his kiddie pool.

Some more pertinent details about Mr. Rose. Two things really motivate him. Food and cats. He hunts cats. He chases cats. Since we have had him, he has never gotten to a cat, so I don't know what he would do if he did, but I am afraid it would not end well for the cat. He and Lucky Charm have had some pretty close calls but luckily for us, we have not had a "cat"astrophe. Mr. Rose's forever home probably shouldn't have any cats.

He is great with children of all sizes, people and other dogs. He seems to want to play the most with large female dogs, but he will try to play with any dog who wants to play, big or little. He worries me with some small dogs. I am afraid he will sit on them, or lay on them, but this hasn't happened. He has never growled, or snarled at a person or a dog. As a matter of fact, I don't think I have ever heard him growl, even at our most evil cat.

Buddy is completely housebroken and needs to live in-doors. He knows how to use a pet-door if one is available. Since our pet-door leading to the patio is kind of Mini-Schnauzer sized, he doesn't use it very often, but he does go through it when he needs or wants to and no one is standing there to open the door. With no pet-door, he will need to be let out or taken out several times a day. From the day we got him, crawling to walking, he has never had an accident in our house. If things are pressing, he will let you know. If he can get to his leash, he will bring it to you.

He travels well in the car in his kennel/crate. He calms down nicely while travelling in his crate, but once the car stops, he will bark until the car moves or he is let out of the crate. We have never tried him at sleeping in his kennel, mainly because we thought he would have more room in the bathroom and the cat would likely drive him nuts in the kennel.

Yesterday, Mr. Rose weighed 60 lbs. In the time we have had him, his weight has varied from a high of 64, when he was crawling, to a low of 56 soon after we started taking long walks to the park. He has never been over-weight and at times, has looked on the skinny side but 60 seems to look pretty good on him. He is very muscular and strong. Have I mentioned he has a really big head and 19-inch neck?

Mr. Rose is no longer on any medications, except monthly Revolution, the heartworm and flea preventative. He is heartworm negative. He has had all of his vaccinations and is now an altered-male. Even after all of the tests, scans, etc., we really don't know why he did not walk. He was most likely injured, as all of the tests and scans came back negative for disease, stenosis or disc issues. Occasionally, one (could be any of his four) leg will tremble a bit when he is standing, or twitch a little when he is sleeping. His first reflex test, when he was crawling, showed NO reflex response in any of his legs. His last two reflex tests - the latest last week - he had NORMAL reflexes. I guess what I would want his new owner to know is that he didn't walk, only crawled, for at least 30 days and we never really discovered why this happened.

Although he can be pretty goofy, he's pretty smart. Since he has been walking, he has learned to sit, lay down and roll over. He is getting better at walking on a leash and once he's walked about a half-mile, he will calm down and "heel." Unless he sees a cat and then, well, all bets are off. Hold the leash tightly and hang on for the ride. Recently, I have started jogging a few blocks with him as we start our walks. This seems to calm him down a little. I have really struggled with walking him on a leash. When he's in the house, he's a very laid back dog, unless he sees the cat, or you pick up his leash and he thinks he's going outside. If he were outside more, the whole leash issue might go away completely. He understands a firm "no" and will obey.

So, here's what Buddy needs:
1. Someone to love him and take care of him forever.
2. A fenced yard with at least one other large, playful dog.
3. A home where he will be an inside dog and not left outside in the yard.
4. Someone who will send an occasional picture to us to let us know how he is doing.

One other thing we would ask of whomever gets the wonderful Mr. Buddy Rose. If something unintentional happens, we would ask that he come back to us before he went somewhere else. We are really, really hoping to find the right person, or people, to have him forever, but he means a lot to us and we would want the opportunity for him to come back to us, rather than him going somewhere else.

And, how much are we asking? Let's see, if I tally up all of the vet bills...well, you wouldn't want to know. What we are asking is for your commitment to love him unconditionally, just like he will love you, forever. So, are you the right "furever" fit for Mr. Buddy Rose? If you think you are, or know someone who might be, please let me know. We would first need to have a "meet & greet" with the other dogs in the household at a neutral location and see how things go for everybody.

Mr. Rose could be the poster child for Pit Bulls - if that really is what he is. He is sweet, loving and mostly gently - except his tail wagging can be pretty whip-like when he's happy, happy. He would be a great addition to the right "pack." Let me know...no hurry...I kind of like having him around!