Our Fur-Baby, Saisha

I never realized just how many couples struggling with infertility adopt pets! In following a couple of infertility web pages and online communities I have learned that many of these couples have a dog or cat that helps keep them sane through the process. These pets are lovingly referred to as “Fur Babies.” Ryan and I are parents to our own fur baby, a 13-year-old pure bred American Pit Bull Terrier named Saisha.

Saisha came into my life before any of my nieces or nephews. My parents adore her and my sisters’ kids are almost as excited to see her as they are to see me and Ryan when they come to our house. Saisha protects those little girls like they were her own. She is definitely part of the family.

I moved out of my dad’s house in April 2001 and Saisha came to live with me less than 2 months later. She was the runt of the litter and last puppy to be adopted. The name on her papers was “Campbell’s Soul Crusher” (I knew that name had to go). I got the name Saisha from my friend who had a niece with the same name. Saisha has been with me through good times and bad times, happy days and sad ones. She has cuddled up to me when I have cried and kissed my tears away more times than I can count and she always keeps me company when I am home alone. She has been with me for nearly my entire adult life and I cannot imagine my life without her. She is my baby girl.

Saisha: the puppy days

I find myself constantly wishing that dogs lived as long as people because I don’t want to ever have to let her go and it scares me that she is getting to the age where I need to think about what saying goodbye might be like (average lifespan for the breed is 12-14 years). I had a dream last night that I met a man who had a 21-year-old pit bull. After meeting him I felt so happy and relieved knowing there was a possibility that Saisha could live for 8 years. Now that I am awake, I realize that is very unlikely. Living 21 years would probably make her the oldest pit bull ever to live.

Raising Baby

I learned a lot about raising a puppy through my mistakes, much like I am sure many parents do when they have children. Saisha was the cutest puppy I have ever seen! She was also the most destructive puppy I have ever owned. She chewed on EVERYTHING! She chewed up the heels on several pairs of my boots, ate every leather strap on two pair of sandals, chewed the knobs off the bottom drawer of my dresser, gnawed on the legs of chairs, ate my underwear out of the hamper anytime she could get to it and chewed on remotes or anything left in her reach. She would dig up my houseplants and even scratched up the carpet in my extra bedroom, leaving a big hole. Every time I turned my back she was trying to eat, chew or dig up something. Just like with kids, I learned how to take care of my puppy through trial and error (and made some mistakes in the process).

First Snow, Giant Bone, Playing in the yard, Tug-of-War with Gus, Moab, Down by the River and Digging in the Mud!

She was attached to me from day one. I took her with me any time I could. She was so small I could take her almost anywhere, but had to leave her to go to work. I started by locking her in the bathroom, but she shredded the back of the door. So next, I borrowed a dog crate from a friend. I felt bad leaving her all day with no water so I left her a small bowl of water and a blanket with her in the kennel.

The first day I came home to watered down poop everywhere. I decided the water was a bad idea. Even without the water, she still managed to make just as bad of a mess and I had to bathe a poop and pee soaked dog when I got home. I then did some research and learned that my kennel was too big. It was for a large adult dog, which I thought would be nice because she would have space to move around, but as it turns out, when you crate train dogs, they behave better with less space. So I put a box in the back to take up some of the extra space. It worked and I never had to bathe a poop-muddied puppy again.

A few months later I was living in a duplex with a yard. Unfortunately the yard was not fenced. I bought a long leash and tied her to the clothes line post in the backyard. I thought she would like being able to play outside on nice days. I got home and she was GONE. Her leash was frayed in a perfect line at the end. It was such a straight line that if it hadn’t been frayed I would’ve thought someone had cut it. I panicked and started walking up the street, looking in neighbor’s yards and calling for her. I lived within a block of 4500 South between 700 and 900 East-all busy roads. I was frantic and crying. I thought I had lost her forever and it was all my fault.

Before too long my ex-husband’s dad pulled up, opened the door to his truck and out jumped Saisha with about a foot of her leash still hanging from her collar. He had seen her wandering around the parking lot of the K-Mart (on the other side of 4500 South) where he had stopped to buy supplies to work on the duplex (which he owned and rented to us). I got lucky that day. I also decided to try leaving Saisha loose in the house when I left after that. She surprised me and was so good! As long as I made sure the house was clean, nothing was on the floor that she could get into and the bathroom door was closed (she still likes to shred tissue out of the garbage) she was a perfect angel (most days)! It was another year before she stopped chewing stuff up altogether. She will still eat my underwear if I don’t shove it down to the bottom of the hamper.

Saisha Got So Big...2001-2005

More Babies

There was a time in my life when I kept bringing home puppies and kittens: First my ex-husband surprised me with a kitten. Then a year later I decided Saisha needed a friend, so I adopted another pit bull puppy (who ended up being animal aggressive-and killed my cat-when he grew up so I had to find him a new home). Then I got a new kitten and decided he needed a friend so I found a mini pinscher puppy to keep him company. Less than a year later I stopped to look at some puppies while test-driving a car and next thing I knew I was on my way to the ATM to get cash for springer spaniel puppy. A few months later, while walking my dogs, I picked out a kitten from a litter the neighbor was giving away for free. Six months later I saw a sign for puppies while on a weekend vacation once and decided I just wanted to look. I came home from the trip with a golden retriever puppy.

Saisha with her brothers and sisters

Saisha playing (and napping) with friends and siblings

The longer I tried to get pregnant the more baby animals I brought home! By the time I got divorced in early 2006 I had four dogs and two cats. My ex took the springer and one cat, my mom took the other cat and I found it was near impossible finding a place to rent with three dogs so I had to find families to take two of them. I knew I could never trust anyone to care for Saisha like I could, plus she had separation anxiety and I did not think she would survive without me. I needed her and she needed me. I still miss my other babies so much and get sad every time I think about them. I think that loss is the reason I have exercised great self control in this area over the last 8 or so years…now I just don’t even stop to look at puppies or kittens.

Daddy

I met Ryan when Saisha was 7½. He dropped me off at my dad’s townhouse after our first date. After walking me to the door, saying goodnight and giving me a quick kiss, he walked back to his car on the curb and I went inside to take Saisha out to do her nightly business. Ryan had driven to the end of the street to turn around and was driving back by towards the exit of the apartment complex as I walked out with Saisha on her leash.

Instead of driving by Ryan decided to stop and meet Saisha. He pulled up to the curb, got out and walked around the front of the car asking if this was Saisha, who he had heard so much about. She walked up to him, tail wagging, without a hint of aggression or even a little suspicion. I knew right then that he was an even better guy than I had imagined. Usually Saisha took a little time getting used to people and she had become very protective since my divorce. Saisha was a very good judge of character. She pooped on the living room carpet every time I left her with one old boyfriend and she tried to bite another guy I dated (on several occasions…I should have trusted her!) In her adult life Saisha had never loved a person from the second she met them, until Ryan.

Saisha drives Ryan crazy sometimes and is quite the grump now that she is older, but Ryan adores her. He tucks her into bed at night, lifts her up and down off of our bed when he can stop her from jumping (jumping is so hard on her old joints) and always checks to make sure I don’t forget to feed her or change her water. He cuddles up to her on the couch for a minute every time we come home and she whines if he doesn’t let her outside with him when he sits on the porch. She even waits by the door for him to come home when he works late and follows him around the house when she knows he’s about to leave. They are definitely closer than Ryan lets on. Sometimes I get jealous because she seems to like him more than me! Deep down I know I’ll always be her mommy though.

My 2 Loves!

Car Rides, Vacations and Activities

Saisha loves walks, parks and car rides. She has always been good at dog parks, but has had more fun with dogs she knows at home. She has also always been the perfect traveling companion on road trips (although she sleeps a little too much). She gets so excited to get in the car that we have to make sure not to let her see her seat belt harness or leash until after she goes to the bathroom and eats in the morning or she gets too excited and won’t do either. Once we arrive in a parking lot she is so excited she starts whining and won’t hold still. It’s like watching a child jump up and down giggling.

Now that Saisha is older, she has a hard time going on more than short walks: she tires quickly and slows way down plus she has a shoulder that gives her trouble and she walks with a limp that worsens the more she walks. Now I can only include her on the cool down portion of my walks. She knows when I put on tennis shoes it means I am going for a walk. If I want to get any exercise I have to hide my shoes and put them on without her seeing me then sneak out of the house. If she knows I am going on a walk without she sits in the middle of the living room howling and barking the entire time I am gone. Ryan is more of an early riser than myself or Saisha, so he usually manages to sneak out without waking either of us up.

I used to be so afraid to leave her. On vacations I found pet friendly hotels where we could stay or brought her crate and stayed with family. I took her camping, off-roading and four-wheeling. She sat on my lap off-roading (which got a little uncomfortable for me sometimes because of her nails) and she rode in front of me on my four-wheeler, sitting up, with her hind legs pinned between the sides of the seat and my thighs (I did have to go slow with her). I never let her ride in the backs of trucks because she was part of the family and family rides up front. Now, since discovering dog seat belts about 7 years ago, she rides seat-belted-in in the back seat, unless the airbag up front can be turned off (just like driving with kids).

I even used to take Saisha shooting with me when she was little. Because of it she is not gun shy, which means the boom of fireworks doesn’t scare her. She has always slept just fine in the house on Independence Day and I have even taken her to the fireworks show at Sugarhouse Park with me. She doesn’t seem to notice fireworks much and she loves car rides and going anywhere with me so really it’s kind of a treat for her. Taking her places has gotten her used to crowds and she is always on her best behavior in public. She is so good with the noise and crowds that she even impresses me sometimes. In the last year or two she has started losing her hearing (as is common with older dogs) and is now nearly deaf, so fireworks and noise are really nothing to her now!

Going to the Doctor

There are two places she has always been a nightmare to take; ironically it is the two places most people take their dogs: Petco and the vet. She goes nuts in Petco or PetSmart if I take her with me to buy food. I quit even trying after the first year I had her. I think all the smells are too much for her and as a result she is just hard to handle. At the vet she makes so much noise that I am sure she makes all the other animals nervous. I have to check in and wait outside until they can put us in a room. Once in the room she whines and paces and tries to sit on my lap. She will not let the vet touch her and has even snapped at him.

It took a few visits (including one when the vet sitting on the floor with her to prove he wasn’t a threat) to figure out how to handle her (and find the perfect doctor), but we’ve discovered it is all about me: she thinks she is protecting me or doing me a favor. Once the vet takes her away from me she is a different dog: she lets him check her feet, her ears and even her teeth. He said that as soon as they cross the threshold into the hallway she stops pulling on the leash and whining and starts walking like a perfectly behaved dog. I’m glad he can see that she is not the aggressive out-of-control dog she pretends to be with me around!

Poor Sick Baby

On our most recent visit to the vet she had to be sedated. I took her in for her annual senior check-up just over a week ago. A few days before her appointment, she had been sniffing around in the weeds in our backyard and suddenly started sneezing uncontrollably. As I suspected, she had snorted a foxtail. I always have the vet check her ears for them because he has found them before and this time was no different. To remove them from deep in her ears and even check up her nose they had to sedate her pretty heavily. The vet brought me in the back to show me this time (after she was drugged). I got to look in her ears and watch them remove the foxtails (there were about SEVEN in her ears) and take blood and urine samples. It was really neat to see what they do, but a little sad watching them roll my limp baby over.

They had me wait in the lobby while they woke her back up (so she wouldn’t freak out when she saw me). When they brought her out she was hilarious. Her behavior reminded me of the videos of kids after the dentist. She kept falling down against my legs. Then once we got to the car she kept stepping forward and falling against the door every time I opened it. It took me about four tries to get the door open then I had to lift her into the car. Once we got home (and I carried her into the house-not an easy feat with a 60 lb. dog) I was afraid to leave her alone. She would stand for a minute then start swaying and slowly go down. I didn’t want her to try and go upstairs or downstairs and fall. I stayed with her until Ryan got home then had him sit with her while I ran a couple errands.

My poor baby at the vet (falling on my feet), in the car and finally home.

That night she would not quit whining. The vet said she might be a little sore from the scope he had to use to see deep into her ears and from him moving and feeling her shoulder trying to figure out what was wrong (he suspects a soft tissue injury, which is hard to heal because it’s impossible to keep her off her feet). Even her nose was still a little bloody from the foxtail he pulled out. I tried to give her a pain killer in a treat, but she bit the pill and would not even eat the treat without it after that, so I put the pill in some peanut butter between two pieces of saltines and that is how I will continue doing pills from now on. I was awake with her for about three hours in the middle of the night. My poor baby kept crying and I knew she was in pain, but I had to wait to give her a pill. Then I had to wait for it to kick in and wait for her to calm down and fall back asleep.

The next day she did not eat or drink a thing. On the second day of her not eating or drinking I decided to try some chicken broth. She finally drank! I gave her chicken broth two more times that day trying to keep her hydrated. On the third day I soaked her food in chicken broth and finally got her to eat it. Since then she has been fine. It is so hard that she can’t tell me what is wrong or where it hurts! I wish she could tell me why when she won’t eat or what she needs. It’s like having a baby and not knowing why they’re crying or how to make it better.

Some fun facts about Saisha:

• She used to get so excited when people came over that I had to take her outside to greet them because she wag her whole hind end and tinkle all over the place! 
• She can open sliding glass doors and doors with lever handles if they are left unlocked. 
•  She is so gentle with small animals: she let two kittens nurse on her and used to play with my mini pinscher by making grunting noises and rubbing her nose on the small dog’s belly while the little dog played as rough as she could (it was like watching a dad wrestle with his two-year-old).
• She has always liked to play ball with herself: she jumps around with it in her mouth then flings her neck back and lets go to throw it and used to be able to catch it in the air! 
• Her favorite game is tug-of-war. She used to never let go, but now I usually win. 
• In her younger years she was a jumper. She could jump to impressive heights to catch balls, fribees or treats and could even jump over the 6-foot high fence in my backyard. 
• She takes food from your hand in the most gentle manner and is the only dog I have ever had that I trusted to take treats from small children. 
• She barks in the middle of the room when we cheer for football games and will jump on anyone who stands up and cheers. 
• She watches us out the front window every time we leave (and makes me feel bad for not taking her). 
• She slept in my bed until Ryan moved in. He can't sleep without a fan on and she didn't like the fan blowing on her so she started sleeping in her own bed for the first time. Now she sleeps in a chair next to my side of the bed.

 Saisha helps ease the pain of being childless by giving me someone to love and nurture-someone to mother. I feed her, take her to the doctor, play with her, make sure she gets exercise, tuck her into bed at night and even find babysitters to stay at my house with her when we go out of town (she’s getting too old to take on trips now…it's too stressful for her.) More than that, she is my best friend. She follows me around the house (especially when we have friends over) and I talk to her and tell her my secrets, even though she can’t hear me any more. I like to watch her sleep: I love hearing the gentle sound of her softly snoring in the chair next to my bed at night. Some mornings she wakes up super early and whines next to the bed because she wants to get in with us. She always goes to Ryan’s side, even though I would let her up too.

She LOVES to sleep...

Even though I find myself longing for another puppy sometimes, I think Saisha deserves all of my attention for the last years of her life. I would love for her to have another friend, but I think she is too old to handle all that energy and I don’t want to take away from my time with her. She is and always will be my first baby.