Read on with caution. Montana was challenging in many ways, but there was one situation in particular that eliminated the possibility of us accepting future stays on this ranch. A morbid fascination may get you through to the end.
This is part nine of the Remembering Montana series of posts reflecting on my family’s three weeks on a small Montana ranch in the fall of 2018. While most of the posts are slightly adapted from those I shared on social media while we were at the ranch, others are recent reflections. (Scroll down then navigate back to read previous posts.) This one took some time and distance for me to be able to write about it and share it out.
We’d found the gig on trustedhousesitters.com. I’d communicated with the owner of the ranch via Skype and knew the rescue dogs were going to be a handful, but while I got a good view of Kiki (described in the introductory Remembering Montana) post during that epic Skype call with Jane (read Remtana – Let’s get real.,) the other dog was mentioned only briefly and we were not sufficiently introduced until we got to the ranch.
Teddy was…well…gross. I know that sounds terrible and I felt
awful for him and his current state, but there was no denying what an assault
he was to the senses.
Teddy looked like he might be a Westie, a small white terrier. He was also a rescue dog, and while totally blind, he was able to find his way downstairs to the doggie door to let himself out. Thank God! We had to carry Kiki downstairs to take her out every 2.5-3 hours because of her age and her apathy about where she relieved herself. Got it and no problem, because, well, Kiki had hair.
Teddy only had hair on his face and along the ridge of his
spine—the places he couldn’t reach to pull it out. The poor dog was so
traumatized from whatever situation he’d been rescued from that he’d developed
this disgusting habit of yanking out his own hair. As you can imagine, he was a
sorry sight.
We hadn’t been there long when we were treated to the experience of Teddy’s actual hair pulling practice. There were dog beds scattered throughout the house, primarily on the main floor, and he frequented the one near Jane’s Murphy bed. My husband and I shared a concerned look when we heard the loud, wet snuffle/snort sounds that Teddy made while chewing at himself followed by gagging sounds like a cat coughing up a hairball. (You might remember from a previous reflection that our host, Jane, is completely deaf.)
It was obvious he did this several times a day, but it was that first night when we were in the open loft where we’d sleep, right above Jane’s Murphy bed and Teddy’s favorite dog mat, that we both groaned, “Noooo!” when he started up the hair pulling with enthusiastic vigor and it sunk in that our nights would be haunted by these repulsive sounds.
Another result of this nasty habit was the smell. It wasn’t terrible the day we arrived. Jane had said she usually bathed Teddy at least once a week. This routine served to wash away the oils his skin secreted that would normally be absorbed by the curly white hair that covered the bodies of this type of dog. She had bathed him that morning before our arrival and assured us he’d be fine for the duration of our stay.
Wrong. Not fine. The main floor (the only floor with chairs)
quickly became a place to avoid because of the strong odor left behind on all
the dog mats and blankets. It was unfortunate that there was a pile of mats
right off the kitchen area; it made food preparation very unpleasant. Washing
the blankets frequently and covering the mats with these was the only thing
that made it remotely tolerable.
Jane didn’t have to experience the associated sounds, but it seemed pretty obvious she’d left out the other details. And bless her heart, that dog loved her and knew when she was getting ready to leave that no one else could love him like she did. (We weren’t the first housesitters who would not be returning for future sit opportunities.) Teddy barked loudly and sharply at her feet the whole time she was preparing to head for the airport, and it was clear she was distraught about leaving him.
Once Jane was gone, Teddy stayed to himself. Both dogs were aloof (and smelly,) to be honest, but we tried to get Kiki to warm up to us. Everyone was amused when she’d run from me on her tiny legs each time I went to take her out. (I dedicated an old sweatshirt worn only for this task because of the strong odor left behind.) Evidently, I was trying too hard? Funnily enough, when Hubby–who had no interest in bonding with the little stinky yet pretentious dog–had to fill in for me on occasion, she’d jump right into his arms.
Jane had encouraged me to take Teddy out in the morning when we took Kiki out for the first time each day, but this involved picking him up and carrying him out. The first day I used a blanket to accomplish this because I just couldn’t bring myself to touch him directly. He clearly didn’t enjoy it either, so the two of us agreed to not do it again.
The family stayed as far away from him as possible. When I brought his food to him in the morning like Jane had showed me, I would talk to him gently and let him know I hoped he was doing okay. I don’t think he believed me; his increasingly fervent scratching and pulling had resulted in some raw, red, even bloody spots on his exposed skin. I reported this to Jane, and she assured me this was normal. Eventually I even offered to bathe him (mostly to address the smell,) but Jane insisted that he was fine and I shouldn’t attempt this.
After a bit, we started finding occasional pee puddles around the house; Jane insisted that Teddy wasn’t the culprit, that it had to be Kiki; however all evidence pointed to Teddy, though we never came upon him in the act. While he behaved as though he were oblivious to us, I think he wanted us to know we were not a suitable substitute for his usual human.
There were many inconveniences we had to endure while we were there that I think, for the most part, were character building for all of us. Teddy, on the other hand, was beyond heartbreaking. It was clear his quality of life was questionable though arguably much better now that he was in Jane’s care. The most difficult part was the shame-inducing revulsion all four of us experienced. Had we been given an honest picture of Teddy’s situation, it would definitely have been a deal breaker. I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t know, or we would have missed out on so many magical experiences.
With that said, my super-sensitive, gentle-hearted, animal-loving son is still a bit traumatized. He has very low tolerance for unpleasant stimuli, and he’s also the biggest dog-lover among our dog-loving family. So to be completely grossed out by a canine that endured such a miserable existence really messed with him. Montana is a dark and troubled memory for the boy, even though he loved the donkeys and horses, especially Joe with whom he had a special bond. Unfortunately the experience of Teddy cast a shadow over all the other amazing things we got to see and do. He will forever associate our Montana adventure with that bald, stinky, disturbed dog.
No picture this time. You’re welcome.