On Saturday afternoon Kaja and I were heading for a late afternoon coffee before meeting up with friends and colleagues for dinner. Walking down the street where we live, about two blocks from home, Kaja said something along the lines of "look!" pointing ahead of us. At first I didn't see what she was pointing at. But as we got closer, there he was, wandering all alone, a little puppy.
We both crouched down to get a better look. A little skinny and wandering the streets alone, we decided that this wasn't a good situation to be in as a puppy. We looked around for a bit, but no momma dog was in sight. After a discussion of what we should do (let nature take it's course, or rescue her; the sustainability issue when our contracts are up, etc), we decided that we should take him home and give it a shot.
So we picked up the little girl and carried her home to our compound. At home Kaja mixed up some powdered milk. We poured the milk into a saucer and he lapped it up right away. After a few cuddles, we resumed our coffee mission and left the puppy at home, wondering whether he'd survive, and instructing our guard to feed her the rest of the milk in two hours..
After a nice dinner with friends we had a nightcap (g & t) on the way home. After a drink we stopped at the office on the way home to get an old cardboard box for paper to make a little nest for him. When we got home the puppy was sleeping in between my running shoes by the door. Kaja mixed up a bit more milk and fed her again while I looked through my closet for a t-shirt or likewise for his bed. I decided the (white) COP15 polo t-shirt would be perfect, since I'd never wear it again, and I have more than one - should I change my mind. We gave him a few more cuddles before heading to bed, leaving the box beside the front door, hoping he’d make use of it and make it through the night.
At 5 am I woke to the sound of the puppy crying. A relief, since before I was falling asleep my mind had been turning over all the possible ways the puppy could die, including being snatched up by one of the kites that soar in the air around. There are lots in our neighbourhood. I crawled out of bed, threw on my Somali dress, mixed up some milk and went outside to feed the puppy. After about 15 minutes I decided to go back to bed, but back in bed sleep was impossible, so I jumped in the shower, appreciating running water - even if it was cold - after a week of bucket showers.
Kaja returned from a few laps around the stadium and after showering, we went on our mission: morning coffee, cheese at Rita "supermarket" and baby formula. We had decided the night before that maybe we should be feeding the puppy baby milk replacer and not the regular powdered milk. After coffee we walked to the supermarket for cheese and four pharmacies to look for baby milk, all unsuccessfully. We finally found the milk at little kiosk. The town was quite and the polling stations were too, so early in the morning on Election Day.
When we got home the puppy, which was sleeping in the little nest we’d made for him, woke up and looked both hungry and happy to see us. So after mixing up a combination of the powdered milk we’d been using and the new milk replacer let him lap it up, her little puppy belly growing with each gulp.
The rest of the day was spent alternating between the living room and the porch. We made a make-shift gate to block the front door with a sofa cushion and settled in front of the television for some news, lunch and relaxing. When exhausting the news on our four English news channels, I took a sofa cushion outside and cuddled with the puppy, who alternated between sleeping and peeing. Kaja joined the veranda hang out and a bottle of wine, music, books and cleaning up after the puppy were the order of the afternoon.
It’s Monday now and we’ve developed a strategy for breaking the puppy in and a feeding schedule. We’re not really too sure how well it’ll go, but we’re trying to get the puppy to use the toilet only on our little garden area and prevent accidents on the porch, which we’ve washed with a Dettol-rip off to try eliminate any scent.
When we come home we mix up some milk and wake the puppy gently and all cuddly then take him over to his feeding area. Once he’s lapped up the milk, we carry her straight to the garden for some elimination communication. I did feel a little silly crouching at the flowerbed repeating pee and poo to the puppy, and then praising him enthusiastically when she did it, but we’ve got to start somewhere. We had two successful go’s at it during the lunch hour which hopefully is more than coincidence. After eliminating, I take him to a basin with some water and wash her little puppy paws and splash some water on him to get him used to water and play with her on the porch. Hopefully it’s building some positive association.
Our strategy also includes yelping, growling and flipping her on her back when he mouths and “bites” us. It’s normal puppy behaviour but with not mother or littermates to tell him what’s appropriate and what’s too much, I guess it’s our job. And since we’re trying to make him the guest house dog, so he has someone to take care of him when we leave, teaching her good manners is essential, as well as making sure she’s not being aggressive or dominant towards the people she comes in contact with.
Today I enlisted the help of one of our many vets on staff to get some de-worming pills and other parasite control so we can make sure he’s healthy and happy and not sharing his milk with some tapeworm.
Now I’m off to the compound to see if we can repeat the elimination communication success of lunchtime.
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