We didn’t even know we wanted a dog. I’d had a few great dogs in my life but back in 2014, my wife and I were not planning on getting another one. But one night, having nothing better to do, I perused Facebook (I gave up on that nasty social medium two years ago and haven’t looked back) and I happened on a 20 second video by a friend of a friend. The video showed the cutest, most lovable dog face I had ever seen. I called my wife over and we didn’t even have to talk. I called the lady whose video we had just looked at. The dog was a 7- or 8-month-old female of an unspecified mixed lineage: some pit bull, some Doberman, some Lab. In short, she was an “American Brown Dog”
We decided to call her KD: the initials of the person who was fostering her, and also one of my favorite 1990’s singers, kd lang. It rolls off the tongue with ease and everyone thinks her name is Katie. We brought KD home and instantly adored her. She was always well-behaved, even as a puppy. She had a couple of “accidents” but she learned quickly and has been an absolutely perfect dog. She never barks – and I mean *never*. The only time I have heard her bark was when a dog stole her toy in the dog park once. We were so startled, we looked to see who was making the noise because we had never heard her bark before! She was always calm and collected, didn’t mind thunder, cuddled with anyone and loved dogs, cats and people.
Then, in 2016, we moved to Winter Haven, a small town between Orlando and Tampa. KD seemed to adjust well to the larger house and the neighborhood. We took her to the dog park every morning and met lots of nice people and nice – and not-so-nice – dogs. Then, in July 2017, a storm the likes of which I had never experienced came through: the rain and the lightning were incessant and the thunder was absolutely deafening. It was the first time I had seen KD panic. She tucked her tail, started panting and whining and she kept running to the door, pawing it, trying to get out. The storm passed but we sensed our dog was not the same. She startled more easily and then, in August, she started having unexplained panic attacks. No matter what we did, or how much we tired her out at the park, she was uneasy in the house almost all the time. As time went on, we realized the situation was untenable. We spent hundreds of dollars on specialist vets, on trainers, on canine therapists. Nothing helped. KD would get attacks at unpredictable times during the day and night. Out of the blue, she’d start panting, whining, pacing. We were at our wits’ end. By that point we were into December: there were no storms, no strange noises. We now think that one of the neighbors had a dog whistle and was using it – either on another dog, or maliciously to make our dog crazy, though why they would do that I do not know. KD was put on medication but more was needed. It was finally decided that she would be rehomed into my stepdaughter’s house. My stepdaughter and her husband owned a 125 lb Rottweiler called Beau and we figured KD might do better with a big “protector” dog for company. And indeed she did start doing a lot better, though I believe it wasn’t just Beau. We had adjusted her medication and most importantly, she was out of our house. There seemed to be something about the house that gave her the heebie-jeebies and we never found out what it was. We had the place inspected for rodents, my wife even “saged” the house to ward off evil spirits. Insane, I know.
Beau passed away two years ago but KD continues to do well. She’s on meds and is going to be for the rest of her life. But she can now visit our house without any issues - indicative of the fact that it WAS likely a neighbor with ill-intent, doing something that only a dog’s ears could detect.
Two problems remain: KD’s extreme fear of noise (Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve are nightmares) and a terrible fear of vets. Fourth of July is coming up next week and we have to take extreme measures to safeguard her (and our) sanity. This year we’re renting a hotel room in an area relatively far from any fireworks displays. $200 for our dog’s mental balance. Which is, of course, on top of the thousands we have already spent on specialists and on medication.
As for vet visits: we need to set up an elaborate plan to get her through them. We keep her in the car, the vet comes out, sneaks up to the vehicle and surreptitiously gives her a shot to knock her out. We wait about 20 minutes, then carry her in for her check-up or procedure. Next week it’s nail trimming! Without knocking her out, she is capable of biting the vet or her assistant, even though under normal circumstances, she would never bite anyone and is the most docile creature. As far as her little dog brain is concerned, it’s self-defense: the vet is out to kill her.
Despite all these issues, KD remains the best dog I have ever owned or known. She is eight years old now. She lives with my stepdaughter but visits often and stays for a few days. I love her deeply. I absolutely dread the thought of her getting older and the very real possibility of having to put her down. Honestly, I’m not sure I’ll be able to witness it when the day comes – though my wife and my stepdaughter will. I am too much of a wuss. I think KD’s panic, her anxiety and vulnerability have made me that much more attached to her.
Dogs are the best people!
You're a good man George. Bless you and KD. I have a noise phobic rescue dog too. The 4th of July holiday is a nightmare...I dread it every year. She's medicated and doing better but she has a whole host of other issues. She's my little crazy monster. I could write a book about our ordeals. Enjoy your holiday.