Tails of Mis(s) Fortune (FP#2)

I was going through old emails between some friends and I and came to a series exchanged while we were raising 4 sisters from one litter. Reading the emails we all wrote during a period of about 8 months brought back some fond (and not so fond) memories of Fortune as a puppy. The overall theme in all my replies to my friends was that it was a good thing Fortune was cute and made me laugh once in a while!

Tails of Mis(s) Fortune

I suspected during the drive home from picking her up that life with Fortune wasn't going to be easy. And boy was I ever bang on!!! She was a challenge from the second we put her in the car and she continues to be my problem child.................. 3 and a half years later!

For the first 3 months I affectionately referred to her as "Fang" or " My Mis(s) Fortune, give or take an S depending on her day". I thought Molson was a super hyperactive dog but he was mellow and kind compared to this girl. Talk about ADHD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder and Tactile Defensive (she hated to be touched). Fortune literally shredded jeans and sweatshirts on a whim... while I was wearing them. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, except the crate, could prevent my hands and other body parts from being maimed or my clothing destroyed. She'd be all sweet and willing to work and then all of a sudden would lunge and clamp her jaws on whatever part of me she could get. Putting her in the crate kept my body parts safe but my ears paid a horrible price. Anyone within earshot would have thought I was pulling her apart limb by limb by the incredibily pathetic wails coming from within the house. "Practice, Patience, Praise, Persistence and Play" became my mantra. There were days I really wanted to trade her in for a new model -she drained me physically and emotionally. I stuck with it though- stocked with plenty of bandaids and old, ratty jeans and sweatshirts.

She was a wilful "child" who marched to her own drummer and obeyed when she felt like it............which wasn't very often. I wasn't totally green this time, I'd raised Molson and one other puppy (he was almost perfect in every way) and thought I had the skills necessary to successfully raise and train this puppy. It was tough but we made it through thanks to the support of my friends who all had a wicked sense of humour and frequently turned an unpleasant experience into yet another humourous moment in the ongoing saga of life with Fortune. When Fortune was about 8 months of age something finally clicked in her brain and she became sweet and obedient. So much so that I actually took her to Toronto for two days because we had been invited to visit the set of Sue Thomas FBEye. For weeks, I debated between taking her and staying home...she was so unpredictable. Yet when that light bulb finally clicked I couldn't believe the dramatic change in our relationship. The trip to Toronto was a success, with Fortune meeting many cast members of the show, including Jesse (the dog who played Hearing Ear Dog Levi), Deanne Bray and Yannick Bisson.

Shortly after our trip she was recalled for formal training. She passed all the early medical testing and went through assessments for different training programs. She found a place in one and remained there for a considerable length of time until she became ill and was disqualified.

She returned "home" and it was like she had never left, as far as the critters were concerned. Nike immediately sniffed her nose and began to play with her, Molson was beside himself with utter joy and Spazz went back into hiding. Fortune is still hyperactive and still gets herself into trouble more times than not but I can't imagine not having her in my life. She is a blessing in disguise.