Rest in Peace, My Mr. Lou

May, 2008 - November 30, 2009
This is how I want to remember my Mr. Cutey Pants, with a smile that lasted like I've never seen before.

This was our second aggressive Pyr. I trusted the person, at the time. He had a euthanasia order on him. The board of the rescue said no to bringing him in. He had bitten someone. The founder brought him in on her own. He fostered with a Pyr friend for two weeks. He seemed okay but he was surrounded by other dogs so he did not need to think for himself. After his three weeks with us, he had to be euthanized. I was then asked to send confirmation of his euth to the person who adopted him to me. The court order was in effect and they wanted proof that he had been euthanized.  Lou had passed a few temperament tests. I have learned that no amount of temperament testing on a dog out of his element will give a true result.

Don picked MA and I up and took us home. Something told me MA would not be safe to go into the house. She waited outside. Don let Mr. Lou out in the yard. I heard his incessant nasty barking. When I went out, I looked and saw him snarling and trying to get at MA over the fence. Strangely, I wasn't shocked. His behaviour had been in a downward spiral over time. It didn't matter that it was MA, the person who picked him up from the SPCA and drove two hours back with him. She brought him into her home and loved him and looked after him for two weeks. We had just visited with her only two days ago and had visited before that. His territorial instincts overtook him and he didn't see the MA he loves. He saw an intruder. When he saw me, he stopped and was happy to see me, he could relax. He dove into the muzzle, looking for pets and loving.

I put him in the back of the car and I sat in the back seat with MA in the front. Lou was still heaving from his attempted attack. He stayed quiet all the way, loving the attention he was getting from me.

On arrival at the vet's, he wouldn't get out of the car, growling like I've not heard before so I hoped that he wouldn't get the muzzle off. He would have attacked us. He knew where he was from his last visit and that, I thought, was a good visit but Lou obviously didn't think so. Dr. Murray came out to give him the sedative but not without a huge fight from Lou where he ended up in the front seat with Don hanging onto him. Dr. Murray finally got it into him and we left the poor heaving Lou in the car for awhile. When he had settled to an acceptable Lou, it was so sad to see him so sedated. My poor, poor boy.

When it was time, Don put the leather muzzle on him and carried him into the vet's. There was no fight. MA, Sue and I stayed with Lou while Don went to the car. He would have stayed but there was no room and he said he really didn't want to be there for another one. It was heartbreaking to see another of my dogs go this way. I loved my Mr. Lou. He appeared so happy in the beginning, always a smile on his face but slowly, that smile was disappearing.

My dear friends stayed with me and we gave Lou the love he should have had from his beginning and the send off he deserved.

Someone out there bred a vicious, territorial dog that only came out as he became comfortable in his environment and knew he owned it. Read MAs comment on my previous post. She goes into more depth about what a danger he was and her experience with the Lou. I understand now why the Pyr Rescue takes only purebred Pyrs. Dogs like Mr. Lou can result if the mix is unknown.

It wasn't my Mr. Cutey Pant's fault. I couldn't do anything even though I tried but I saw, very quickly and in discussions with Lynn, the hopelessness of fixing what was bred into him. I'm sure there was some abuse to Mr. Lou in his short 18 months of life, too.

Last night was so hard. No wet nose beside the bed looking for pets. No Lou leaping into bed looking so, so happy as he got his full cuddles, pets and kisses.

I say goodbye to you my Sweetie Pie Cutey Pants, Mr. Lou, Lou Lou Lemon, Mr. Lou Lou, Loopy Lou. You didn't deserve this. I only wish you could have lived a full, happy life with us. We love you and we will miss you so, so much.