Meet Knucklehead

For at least two years, maybe three, I have been calling my dog Skye by her name and by the nickname of Skye Knucklehead or just plain old Knucklehead. I never realized how much she associated herself with that moniker. Well, there we were Wednesday, three weeks and a day ago as I type at this moment, walking through Spring Lake Park in Texarkana, TX when we walked past a stray at peace pooch lounging in the grass, apparently enjoying the warmth of a beautiful fully sunny day. That is he was at peace until he saw us when he began to toss several woofs at us along with a few growls. We walked on. About 20 minutes later while we headed back the same way, we came across him in the exact same spot. This time he barked, growled a bit and we walked over toward him. Suddenly he sat up and held his left paw limply above the grass. We got close enough to wish him good morning and he just kept barking but still sat in place paw held up. Skye got close and they greeted one another and he got up and the sniffing of arse ceremonies commenced betwixt them and lasted but brief interlude of a minute or so. I talked to him with what proved to be soothing effect and petted him a little. Then we walked on with my sincere apologies that I had to enjoin him not to join our small group. Of course, he did not understand a word I said and he followed us tail wagging. We had but a half to three quarters of a mile walk back to my vehicle in the dog park parking lot but he kept pace with us, not usually a difficult trek for what I figured to be a 4 to 6 month old puppy but that left front paw must have been hurting because he limped all the way to my Corolla. Well let me correct that - he limped all but the last 15 to 20 yards, then walked just fine. I surmised he either worked out a strain or pulled muscle during the walk or that he is one heck of a good thespian.

While walking, I figured I'd let him follow, get him a clean drink at one of the fountains in the dog park and feed him thinking I had a can of dog food in the Toyota. All went well except there was no dog food. He was so skinny, I felt pity and took a chance. I had him get in the car and drove him home. I could have left him in the dog park and called animal control to come get him but like a well meaning idiot I took him home. At home I fed him and allowed him more water. He ate like he had not eaten in at least a couple or even a few days. He drank as if he had a vortex in his throat that was sucking an ocean down to his stomach. I called animal control on the Texas side, I live across the border in AR. I told them I found him and brought him home to' the AR side. The guy asked me for my address and I told him I preferred not to give it at which point he snapped at me and said something very much like 'that's it for me I am hanging up' and it seemed the line went dead at which point I exclaimed "what an asshole" thinking he had hung upon me. Suddenly I heard him say "It takes one to know one" something a 5 year old might use for a reply. He then told me he needed my address because I had transported a dog across state lines and did so with vehemence and that bureaucratic bravado of a low level government employee who thinks he is in charge and has power. Wow, I thought, it he sounds so authoritative that transporting a dog across state lines must almost certainly be a sooper dooper felonious form of mopery in the first degree. I hung up.

I called the pound on the AR side and told them likewise when they asked for my address but at least the woman to whom I spoke told me they needed my address to come pick up the poor innocent & possibly abandoned mongrel. I told them I'd deliver it to them in 10 minutes and then the woman got that same quality in her voice as the guy from the TX side pound. She forbade me to bring it to them and said in sum & substance: 'YOU MUST FOLLOW PROTOCOL and protocol demanded they come to pick it up at my house. I said thanks and goodbye and hung up. Meanwhile somewhere in there Knucklehead peed and shit on my floor. Happy was I that I have all vinyl floors, no carpeting; unhappy was I that I had to clean it up. Later on I contacted a coupe of supposed no kill shelters, none got back to me. I also contacted the rescue where I got Skye back in 2019. The owner there told me she had 73 dogs at that moment and could take no more. She told me she could not get any volunteers to help her. When I said thank goodness that her husband helps her on his weekends when off from work, she said not anymore because they recently got divorced. Imagine the amount of work with the world of 73 dogs on your shoulders and your shoulders alone and I am guessing she is in her young seventies or at least mid sixties.

Of course, I also posted a notice online about a found puppy. I put it up on Paw Boost. A gal I know at the dog park also put it on a local lost & found for pets. It's been three weeks and a day plus 44 minutes , as I type, and no one has come forth to claim him. In the past three weeks he has been to the vet three times, first for a check-up and shots. Then two more vet visits because he has really loose or formed but very soft yellow stools up to five times a day and because this past weekend he started throwing up yellow fluid. he also has abdominal spasms on nights he does not puke. My vet said he is parasite free but I wonder. This morning he finally gave him some meds, three things: a de-wormer (but no metronidazol for protozoan parasites), a probiotic and something else for th vomiting. Today's visit was about $150, the other to about $200 for both not each. He eats almost exactly, if not somewhat more, than twice the amount of food as Skye and he has only gained about 3 pounds since I found him; Skye would have easily put on about 8 pounds in that time eating that much, maybe ten.

Lest I neglect to do so altogether, I should mention I named him Knucklehead. My first inclination was to call him Bozo but Knucklehead seemed to fit him perfectly. I admit, it has been confusing to Sky when I call him because she comes too. So much for using nicknames for a dog. She is coming round though to the realization that he is Knucklehead and she is plain old Skye again.

As it stands now, the major negative about Knucklehead is how much he pulls. he is very strong. He is about the same height as Skye, a bit longer but his legs are 1.25 to 1.5 times as thick as Skye's and taller than hers. He is a power house and I am guessing he will increase in weight from about 44 pounds to maybe 60 to 80 pounds. Big paws, thick & tall legs kind of, sort of, almost definitely indicate such growth is in store for him when an adult. He already has almost pulled me over several times now, I need to be really careful. Got a Gentle Leader muzzle which a few folks have told me works like a charm to get a dog to stop pulling. He wears it starting later this morning. If I can train him not to pull, he will make a grand pet. He barks and growls at people we walk by but if they come over or if he gets to them he just licks them. He tries to go after passing cars too as we walk. He is either being protective or is afraid of things or both. He is great with other dogs and people in the dog park. He also is very energetic which makes for lots of play fighting with the other dogs at the park. He is okay with young children but I use a lot of caution because kids are kids and big strong puppies are still excitable puppies and things can get out of hand quickly. My neighbor's three year old son was maybe about to get a playful bite the other day when they first met, but I restrained Knucklehead, next day he was much gentler with her three children. Older kids less of a concern, in fact my neighbors 9 year old daughter handles him like a pro, the five year old daughter is a bit afraid of him because he gets right in her face friendly but that will pass.

I was going to give him away thinking no way I could walk both dogs at once and with my bum hips, individual walks, meaning double the distance, for both are not happening. One guy from the dog park seemed like he'd take him but that fell through. No other interest as far as adopting him except from one other guy - you probably have guessed by now that guy is me. If I get him to stop pulling I will keep him; if not, I will keep looking for someone to adopt him. He is a good looking pooch, looks exactly like a Manchester Terrier and I mean exactly except for the fact he is two times the weight of a standard Manchester and even bigger than a toy Manchester.

This is Knucklehead:

This is a Manchester Terrier:

 

Back To Knucklehead:

 

 

Either I have a super sized Manchester or a mixed breed that looks exactly like one. Regardless of his breed(s), I love the new addition to the family. So does Skye; he and Skye get along great and much to my surprise it is like she has new found energy when she play fights with him. If I have to get rid of him, I think it would affect Skye badly. I hope I can get him over pulling because that will make him a keeper. 

 

Other than pulling he has few faults. He is about 95% house broken, usually barks to let me know he has to go. Oh yeah, one other kind of negative, if I keep him he is going to cost me for for two dogs when it comes to food now and when he gets bigger maybe will cost me for three or four dogs worth of dog food and he will double regular vet bills and other pet related costs. He is a glutton right now and is eating up my gun & ammo budget but that will likely change either naturally or by way of me implementing strict dietary restraint. That's all okay, I love him enough so that I'll buy a couple less guns a year and that my friends must be true love!

 

All the best,

Glenn B