Glacier
11-06-2005, 02:52 PM
Today marks 2 years since Pacer joined our pack. Pacer was found as a stray out in the boonies. He was with another dog, both of them full of bb gun pellets. Pacer and Lear were trapped and brought to the shelter. Once they didn't need each other to survive, they hated each other! Lear has gone on to live with a lovely family. Pacer sat in the shelter for well over a year. He was afraid of everything and spent most of his time shaking and trying to melt into the floor of his kennel. Pacer made no progress in the shelter. It was too much for him. No one ever expressed any interest in adopting him. We had a foster move on (yes, it happens) and had an open spot so after much debate, Pacer was chosen as the dog who needed out of the shelter most. (the other candidate was Founder, who arrived about a month later anyway!).
Pacer was less than thrilled about this move. He may not have liked the shelter, but it was familiar at least. He howled his head off for hours. I finally went and put him in our arctic entry for the night with Earle. At about 3am, Stuart asked why Earle was loose. Pure panic set in when we realized that Pacer can turn doorknobs! He had set himself and Earle free. Earle was no problem to recapture, but Pacer took days and days. He lurked around in the forest behind us, but he would never get close enough to let me catch him. We finally cornered him when he got hungry!
Pacer stole my heart pretty much upon arrival and I adopted him a few weeks after he arrived.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/Dogs/pa.jpg
Today Pacer is a good sled dog who vibrates with excitement while he's waiting to go! He's still timid, but nothing like he used to be. I can let him off leash now and he comes when he's called. He sleeps on the bed with us and even gets a little pushy about his space on the bed! He gets picked on by the other dogs as he's an easy, submissive target. So he has his own pen now--when he's not in the house!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/new%20camera%20dogs/pacer2years.jpg
This was taken this afternoon. He hasn't moved for hours.
Happy Gotcha day Pacer!!
Pacer was less than thrilled about this move. He may not have liked the shelter, but it was familiar at least. He howled his head off for hours. I finally went and put him in our arctic entry for the night with Earle. At about 3am, Stuart asked why Earle was loose. Pure panic set in when we realized that Pacer can turn doorknobs! He had set himself and Earle free. Earle was no problem to recapture, but Pacer took days and days. He lurked around in the forest behind us, but he would never get close enough to let me catch him. We finally cornered him when he got hungry!
Pacer stole my heart pretty much upon arrival and I adopted him a few weeks after he arrived.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/Dogs/pa.jpg
Today Pacer is a good sled dog who vibrates with excitement while he's waiting to go! He's still timid, but nothing like he used to be. I can let him off leash now and he comes when he's called. He sleeps on the bed with us and even gets a little pushy about his space on the bed! He gets picked on by the other dogs as he's an easy, submissive target. So he has his own pen now--when he's not in the house!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v38/Glacier1998/new%20camera%20dogs/pacer2years.jpg
This was taken this afternoon. He hasn't moved for hours.
Happy Gotcha day Pacer!!