Describe your dog...

[critter crazy]

Well I will have to choose Duke since he is the only dog I have right now!! Last July we knew that our dear rotti Zeus was not going to be around much longer, getting up there in age, arthritis slowing him down and his eyesight was going. So hubby and I one moring talked about getting another dog, so we talked about what we wanted, I didnt want another rotti because my last two had died at such early agesI had had enough. I just could not bear to loose another one. So hubby commented on always wanting a bloodhound. I tld him it would take some searching to find one of those, not very common around here. So hubby went to work, and I began my search. It took me all of five minutes!! I couldnt believe it, right in the newspaper was a Bloodhound for free!!! what are the odds??? So I called the number and talked to the gentleman who said that they were moving and couldnt take their dog with them. Duke was only 3 months old and so adorable!! I called hubby and told him the great news!! we went that night and picked him up!! He has been such a great dog!! He is so much fun, has tons of energy and just loves all of my critters!! He was a little terrified of my horses at first but that wore off quick!! he now plays tag with them!! He got along great with our rotti as well, they were inseperable till dec when my rotti passed on. For a while Duke seemed to be heart broken after zues passed, but now he has claimed my cat as his new best friend!! Duke is my joy and I love him dearly!!!

[jennawing]

I will pick Natalie since there is more to tell about her.

Natalie is a mix of unknown origin. Her mother was a stray that had 11 puppies under our house. Mom looked like a Border collie, only taller, and all the pups ended up black with little or no white. We didn't intend to keep any of them, and they found homes very quicky at first- mom, in fact, was the first to go. But then people stopped calling all together and we had this one girl puppy left. It turned out to be a blessing, though, as our 7month old Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, Conner, broke his runner and was hit by a car. A couple weeks later, Lila, his mom, had a stroke and we had to have her pts. It was very heart-breaking and having a puppy to cuddle and occupy our minds was quite a twist of fate.

If pressed, I say Natalie is a lab/dane mix. She's 82 lbs and 29inches now at 16 months old. She is still all puppy- just huge. She is very smart and knows tons of commands, though most of them are quite backwards. Wait means sit and thank you means lay down- use what works, huh? She is also a huge brat at times- falls on her back and throws a tantrum if you pay too much attention to someone else or if Sirius our gsd/lab/pit mix takes her toy. She jumps hurdles about an hour a day or else no one could stand her in the house. In December, she and our Rat Terrier Hogan were poisoned and we almost lost them both- thank you Dr Springer forever for all you did to help them.

Natalie loves jumping, plushies, rope, tennis balls on rope, the ducks at the park, the goat down the road, all kitty cats, and thinks all people want to show her they love her. She hates anything that smells like medicine and will bark at mouth wash, nail polish, etc. She loves to sleep plastered right to you, no matter the weather, and otherwise sleeps on the sofa on her back twisted into unbelievable positions and snores quite loudly. She also has a very queasy stomach since the poisoning, so you have to be careful she doesn't get any people or cat food or she will gas you out of the house. She is very gentle with all the little critters- lets rats crawl on her and the bunny hop on her- she lies very still and just watches them.

She is most obsessive about her toys- will drop a toy in your lap over and over for hours as long as you keep throwing it in the air for her to catch. She goes through a lot of hoolahoops- she loves to run around the yard with one in her mouth and breaks one about every week. She also can be quite pathetic and will lay her chin on your knee and seesaw her eyebrows up and down if she wants to go play or wants what you are eating. But she loves all other animals, kids, and all people- but usually scares them off since she is big, black, and not the least bit subtle.

Natalie with a broken hoolahoop-


Natalie throwing a fit on the bed-


Natalie and McCoy the Rat-


Natalie standing still for once-


Natalie doing her jumps- with one of her ropes-


Natalie at about 8wks old-


A moment of insanity-

[LeahMM]

I'll talk about Niki, my very first rescue dog. I was searching for a Border Collie for months when one day, I found Niki on the Humane Societys adoption page. I was at work at the time but afterwards, hubby and I drove down there to meet her. She was shy and mean to my husband. He said "We'll take her!"

Niki was two years old at the time and an owner surrender. Her owner was a homeless man and ill. They say he cried as they were going through the process. Niki was 100% unsocialized and probably had never been on a leash. When we took her to Petsmart the trainer there said that "the Border Collie was the smartest dog in the world but THAT ONE IS NOT!" She snapped and growled at him which prompted the comment.

Needless to say we immediately enrolled her into classes and did the training thing vigorously for almost two years. She has her CGC now and is the sweetest dog you could ever meet. She's my heart dog.