Thank You, they are one of the things I am most proud of. There are a lot of things I am working towards...new marriage, finishing school, etc., but I know that I will never not be devoting a great portion of my life to helping the critters. Rescuing/Taking in older animals can be challenging but I have never had a regret yet (except not getting to see what cute puppies they were). I have learned to have a healthy respect when I begin training a dog with a history that I do not know, for example I believe Holly (the yellow lab mix) was abused.
She cowered all the time and it was only after lots of love and rewarding that she became the confidant and people loving dog she is today.
Each one of them has forced me to reevaluate and invent new ways to get into their heads and help them understand what they need to be doing. Through all of it though the most important thing (which has been said here before) is that they never doubted who was in charge. I am the head of the pack and they take their cues from me. It has helped so much with my shepard because he is a male and feels that he needs to be in charge but once he learned that is not his responsibility it has helped him to clam down and relax.
I will say though, that statring with an older dog does put some limitation on what I will expect to be able to teach them to do. All of them know sit, stay, stop, the basics, but only some can shake, some can dance (the tiny one, its very cute), and some can high five (the beagle mix). For example, Holly will not lie down, she always rolls over and the more I try to get her to stay up the more submissive she gets. So instead of pressing the issue, I just ask for down and over, its good enough for me and less stressing for her.
So when people ask how do you live with five dogs in the house (along with the cats, ferret, and fish). I reply, "with patience, realism (they are dogs and dogs will be dogs) and lots of pet food. Oh and with the motto that unconditional love deserves to be loved unconditionaly."
Thanks you for letting me go on about my fur kids.
Jennifer
"If you consider that we cannot save them all, and what difference does one make? You ought to know the joy of the one who is saved. Mourn those we cannot save. It is a eulogy to their being. Do not let their loss be in vain" - Jim Willis 2001
it!! They all look like they just go together- a nice big family... We have 12 foxhounds, as of this past Sunday, and one Husky and one mixed breed that we adopted about 7 or 8 years ago.... We love every one of them, but boy they can eat up some food.
It looks to me as if they are the best of buddies. You should be commended on taking in recues dogs.
