Originally Posted By pennyring Well since everyone knows about Sheila Bo Dogala... I wanna tell ya about the Roo Man! That's right, Rusty Roo Monster aka Roofus aka "Ow, quit standing on my head!" Rusty is from a rescue in central Oregon. Originally, we had offered to transport him to a foster home in Canada. When he went to get vaccinated, they also thought to BAER test him and found out that he is bilaterally deaf. He was born without hearing in either ear. This is one of the top three hereditary issues that Australian Cattle Dogs are commonly faced with (along with hip dysplasia and PRA). When we found out that he would be much more difficult to place than orginally thought, we offered to give him a home. We've always been interested in special needs pets, and had actually applied to adopt a deaf cattle dog before we met Sheila. Rusty has been with us 5 months now. He has completed Beginning Obedience and knows tons of sign language including: * Sit * Down * Off * Yay! * Good boy! * Break * All done * Go play * Go potty * Mommy * Daddy * Sister * Inside * Outside * Let's go * Wait When people meet Rusty, they usually don't believe that he's deaf because he seems so in tune with his surroundings. In fact, he probably ended up at the shelter because his first family thought he was just bad or stupid. Which couldn't be farther from the truth! Rusty loves to learn new things. When we put on the harness he knows it’s his turn to go to work. He immediately turns from psycho toy chaser to good boy, sitting and waiting to see what we’re going to do. I know I should work with him more. We were strengthening his “down†skill tonight. Previously, I actually had to touch my finger to the floor for him to understand what I wanted. Now I can stand fully upright and just point down to the floor and he knows what it means. After we worked on that for about 5-10 minutes, he wouldn’t leave my side. I think it’s partially that he loves to learn so much, and partially that I take the time to communicate in a way that he can understand. He is my sweet little velcro lover boy. Eventually I would like to trust him enough to participate in agility. We still have a long way to go though. He developed some issues with other dogs at obedience class. This rotten Aus. Shepherd would sit next to us every week and lunge at him, now he’s totally freaked out to be near other dogs. When I told the instructor what was happening, she promised to keep the Aussie away from us, but the Aussie never came back after that and the damage was already done. So now he’s super distracted by other dogs and it’s extremely hard to keep his attention on *me* when another dog is around… which would be an issue if he was off leash in an agility ring. So we need to work on that, but maybe someday! Anyway, that’s my Rusty Roo man.
Originally Posted By MissCandice Well, now that my cat is on the fritz I am considering for my next pet choice a dog. Not anytime soon though. I need a dog that can deal with living in an apartment though.
Originally Posted By pennyring Believe it or not, we lived in an apartment for 8 months after adopting Sheila. And ACDs are total FREAKS for activity/play time/having an active "job" to do. We happened to have a nice grassy area right outside though and spent many many many hours tossing balls and frisbees for her, going to local parks and beaches and taking her on nice long hikes. I like your use of on the fritz. But give Tom some hugs from us, poor guy. {{{hugs}}} Unless he's not into that kind of thing. We have the world's most disgruntled chinchilla, so I understand non-cuddlers too.
Originally Posted By LilliBelle I have been thinking about getting another dog. I've been without my sweet Lucky since the end of March and I really miss her. It's very hard to be in the house when DH and DS are out, because I feel so alone. Lucky was a pitbull/lab mix and weighed 97 pounds and thought she was a lap dog. This time I would like a smaller doggie that I could hold in my lap without cutting off my circulation! In the next few months, we will be doing some new landscaping and bathroom renovations, so I will wait until the workers are gone and our place is back to normal and relatively calm before I bring in a new puppy. I need to have that unconditional love, companionship and just plain fun that you can only get from a pet. I've got lots of love to give and I miss a furry little neck to hug.
Originally Posted By LilliBelle Your furbabies are so lucky to have you, pennyring! Bless you for taking in those special needs puppies.
Originally Posted By beamerdog >>If only I could get my cat into that Mickey costume without losing a pint or two of blood...<< OMG, that just cracked me up! I've had a ton of dogs, starting with my manchester/cocker mix as a kid. Then DH and I got a Great Dane (his first pet!) and showed danes for about 6 years. Our first Dane was named Karlans Elkton John because he was born in Elkton MD. Everyone in the show business loved him because he was loaded with personality-not like most danes. We had to put him down at 18 months due to pancreatitis (very painful disease). Next came Feisty and next Murphy (call names). Then we had a German Shorthair named Max. In 1998 I became a puppy home for Canine Partners for Life. We've done 6 full year dogs and more than a few temporary puppies. Here's the list: Dillon: the happiest black lab we ever saw. He took 2 1/2 years to graduate and so we tell everyone that he was our only dog to be "left back". TJ: The smartest and bad-est black lab. When he worked, he was super, but anytime he made his own decisions, well :-( He like to nip at the back of my ankles while I stood at the kitchen sink. But I really loved him for the challenge he gave me. I learned so much about training dogs from Tj. Beamer: my most perfect dog and a perfect angel. Yellow lab. I get to see him since he lives close to me :-D Anna: my most beautiful puppy. Part Neufoundland, Aussie and Lab. She was released due to bad hips, underbite and, well, being like an Aussie, lol. I get pictures from her current mom all the time. Liberty: Gorgeous black lab. He is now living with us because he just didn't want to work. Now he leads the life of luxury. Everyone loves him since he went thru 15 months of intensive training and is the perfect doggie gentleman. Tiva: Jumping jack of a yellow Lab. Wende, tmom and JBStew have met him. He's in the kennel now and looks great. He's also working superbly well. I visited him last week. Couldn't tell who was more excited by the visit, me or T. And, I've just found out that Jackson (mixed breed) will be my very own service dog to help me from falling, save me some steps and, most importantly, to alert me to my insulin reactions. He's a rescued dog so we don't know what his background is. He's small lab sized, all black with silkly long hair. I'll get to be with him tomorrow when I go up for class to the kennel. I've met him once and, although it's not the normal procedure but since I've been in the program for so long, I'll be visiting with him in the kennel so he can get to know me before team training. Sorry for the long post.
Originally Posted By chickendumpling Oh, no. Please don't apologize. I really, really enjoyed reading your *long* post, and Pennyring's too. I love dogs but can't have one right at the moment, so I am living vicariously through you guys! Besides, this IS the overly, obsessive about your doggie thread so how could you ever go wrong with a *long* post?
Originally Posted By beamerdog >>is the perfect doggie gentleman<< Except that you can't leave him alone for a minute since he knows how to open the kitchen cabinet doors and drawers and the fridge :-/
Originally Posted By pennyring beamerdog, thank you for the long post! I think the work you do with dogs is awesome! And like ChickieD said, this *is* the overly obsessive about your doggie thread after all!
Originally Posted By Lisann22 I keep reading everyone's posts and really enjoy them. I keep putting off writing about all my doggies cause we've had a few and it's gonna be really long winded...
Originally Posted By chickendumpling Well, actually we don't. Like for instance right now I'm supposed to be at work! But we'll MAKE time for you Lizann because those are the kinda friends were are dangit.
Originally Posted By pennyring Bring 'em on, Lisann! We even like overly obsessive doggie installments! Do a few in one sitting or whatever you have time for. On the overly obsessive doggie front: Rusty is at work with me today. This is the first time he's met the people in our office building. They are all doggie lovers, so he is getting more petting and treats than he's probably had in his whole life! The funniest thing -- several women have commented on how he is "listening so intently" because his ears are moving all over the place, taking everything in. I keep explaining that he's deaf, but paying attention to their eyes, faces and body language. Oh and here are some newish Sprinkler Fun doggie pix! <a href="http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4243526&a=31424118&p=72461338" target="_blank">http://albums.photo.epson.com/ j/ViewPhoto?u=4243526&a=31424118&p=72461338</a>
Originally Posted By Lisann22 Ok, here goes… Our first family dog was Dino. We got him when I was about 8 years old from an uncle’s friend. He was an all white dog; I have no clue what he was. He looked like a lab. Yes, we named him after the Flintstones. Dino had psychological problems – seriously. Just the littlest noise would set him off. He would take off, if he was in the back yard, he would clear our 8-foot fence and the neighbors fence and the next neighbors fence. My parents took him to the vet and found out he had a tumor on his brain. He had to put him down. He was barely a year old. It was very traumatic for my sisters and me. CeeyatDL does not remember. My parents waited a year or two and then we got Pokey, our little black and white spotted cocker spaniel. She was just the sweetest dog. She was my dad’s doggie. She looked just like his childhood dog Spotty. Therefore, while I loved Pokey, she was not really my dog. One day a German shepherd decided to set up camp in our front yard. He would not leave. He just sat at our front porch looking in through the screen door. After several days of this my mom named him Lonesome, cause that is how he looked sitting there. After careful easing him into the house, my dad caved and we had Pokey and Lonesome. They fell in love. It was like Lady and the Tramp. They were inseparable. They would follow all my cousins and me to the park for hours of baseball, swings and roller-skating. Sleep with my sisters and me. On New Years Eve one year, our neighbor opened up our back fence gate and forgot to close it properly. Pokey got out, we received a call the next morning around 8am that she had been ran over on the freeway. We lived behind a major freeway. We cried and cried and cried as a family. Lonesome began digging in our backyard to get out. He began to disappear on us for two and three days at a time. My mom said he had a broken heart and was out looking for Pokey. About a year later, we were all in our front yard. Lonesome loved to play ball. My mom tossed the tennis ball for him; it hit the fence and went into the street. Before she could call for him to stop, he ran out after it and was struck by a speeding car. My dad picked Lonesome up and put him in the back of our station wagon. We rushed to the nearest animal hospital. I lay in the back next to him, petting him and crying. He died shortly after we arrived. My mom was devastated with guilty. We cried and cried and cried again. It was a long time before we got another dog. My uncle had a knack for adopting or taking in dogs and then immediately taking them to the pound when they did not turn out to be the pet he wanted. This always so upset my mom. Therefore, when my uncle decided that his latest dog Casey, the Irish setter was not worth having anymore, my mom went and got her. Casey was so untrained from living with him and his family. She was wild. We could not let her in the front yard with us unleashed or take her to the park and just run, because she would just keep going and going. We liked Casey but she was high maintenance. We eventually gave her away as it was costing my parents too much money they did not have to keep bailing her out of the pound. It was many years before we got another dog. I was actually 16 when my parents got my sister her dog Fea (means ugly in Spanish). Fea looked like Spud Mackenzie, the Bud dog. She was a smart, fun, loving, and loyal. My parents had her for 16 years. She was just an awesome pup. Her and my cat Pita was best buddies. When I moved away for 5 years and came back home briefly Pita and Fea were so excited to see each other, they gave each other kisses and would sleep together. They were quite the sight. I was 32 when my dad decided it was time to put Fea down. She was having a hard time seeing and hearing anymore. My sister and I went to the vet with him. We were all there when Fea was put to sleep holding and petting her. She was a great family member. I bought a home with my parents about 10 years ago for many reasons; anyway, about 6 years ago my Dad decided he wanted another dog. We had been without a family dog for about 4 years. His friend had a boxer and my dad loved this dog. The breeder that his friend got his dog from had some white boxers that she wanted to find good homes for. We all had to go for an interview and visits until the breeder deemed us acceptable for her puppies. LOL – we passed the test. Sammy is a girl boxer named after a male race driver <sigh>. She is hands down the absolute best dog we have ever had. She is just the love of my life dog wise. She is awesome! Funny, loving, loyal, protective. She loves children and boy do we have a lot of them at our house. We have a pool and my grandma likes to sit in a swing on the other side of the pool. I do not care where Sammy is in the house or outside, when she hears that sliding glass door, she is right there to walk my grandma across the patio, around the pool and to her swing, keeping herself between my grandma and pool. If the kids are swimming, she lays at edge and never takes her eye off them. When we have company, whether she is sleeping or off doing something else, she has to walk our company to the door and say good night. She is an absolute delight! About 4 years ago, my aunt had to move and could not keep her Chihuahua/terrier mix anymore. His name is Simba. The neediest little bugger. We took him in and now Sergeant Sausage as we call him and Sammy are the best of buds. They do squirrel patrol, sun together and keep the Livermore trails safe. LOL! Yes, I love my dogs! Here are their web pages on Dogster.com <a href="http://dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=44708&PHPSESSID=79deb71de4ebc6f8eaa29851c23905a2" target="_blank">http://dogster.com/pet_page.ph p?i=44708&PHPSESSID=79deb71de4ebc6f8eaa29851c23905a2</a> <a href="http://dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=58149" target="_blank">http://dogster.com/pet_page.ph p?i=58149</a> Can't forget my baby kitty... <a href="http://catster.com/pet_page.php?i=58121&PHPSESSID=c8d882a2823c3ae55395dddaa1a240ea" target="_blank">http://catster.com/pet_page.ph p?i=58121&PHPSESSID=c8d882a2823c3ae55395dddaa1a240ea</a>
Originally Posted By Lisann22 HUGE shout out to Big Thunder for the "Rescue Me" DVD. I'm working on the CD in return. My mama is a very happy woman!!
Originally Posted By smedley Ok, I don't have a doggie, I've always wanted one but life has construed against me (my mother was allergic, then my husband is terrified of them and I work shifts so it wouldn't be fair on a doggie coz I wouldn't be there enough to give them all the love they'd deserve) I remain optimistic that one day I might be able, but at the moment I'm afraid I'm having to stick with the goldfish. Anyhoo, I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed reading about your gorgeous doggies and how many smiles it's brought for me. Thanks for sharing your special friends with me!
Originally Posted By TiggerPooh1973 Okay, I figure it's appropriate I finally make my way in here today. It's Lilo's birthday! <a href="http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=90170&j=t" target="_blank">http://www.dogster.com/pet_pag e.php?i=90170&j=t</a> So anyway.... The first dog I remember was a dog named Whitey, he was white. Yeah, real original, I know. Hey, I was like 3 years old. I am not sure what kind of dog he was. He was a great dog to play with though. He ran away one day and was hit by a car. He was found by the cemetary around the corner from our house. I used to tell people Whitey was ran over by a cemetary. I never got why people thought it was so funny! lol I did have dog before that, I have pictures of me and him, but I don't really remember him. My next dog was about 2 years later. I got a Golden Retriever puppy from a friend of our dad. His name was Duke. When my parents separated Duke stayed with my dad and he had him for many, many years. He was a very protective and lovable doggy. Then we moved to California and we didn't have a dog the whole time we lived there. I had cats, but no dogs. My mother has never really been a dog person. Four years later when we moved here to St. Thomas, me and my brother kind of adopted a stray dog and named her Honey. She was such a sweet dog. The neighbors had four dogs and they all played together. She was never allowed inside, that's how my mother is with dogs. When we moved they wouldn't allow dogs, or maybe that was just my mother's story, who knows. So we had to leave Honey at our old house with the neighbors. Eventually she ran away. After that it wasn't until I moved out on my own that I got another dog. Some friends of my brother found a little puppy and I couldn't resist. His name was Pepsi. He was a lab mix. He was so funny. One of the funniest things I remember about Pepsi was one day someone gave me an orchid. I was like 18, I had never had an orchid, I didn't know what the heck to do with it. So I planted it in my garden. Well Pepsi kept digging it up and leaving it in by the front door. I was getting angry until a friend told me you don't plant orchids in the ground like that, lol. I guess Pepsi was trying to tell me something. I had Pepsi when I was with my first husband. After we divorced I moved into an apartment and I had to leave Pepsi with the ex. After that when me and my boyfriend (now hubby) bought our house in '95 it came with a dog and a cat. The dog's name was Mango and she was a beautiful dog. She was the friendliest dog you have ever met. She got along great with the cat, Pud, who we still have, plus we got two other cats. Mango loved everyone. She went through Hurricane Marilyn with us, she was in the tub with me. There were also 3 cats and two bunnies in that guest bath.....but that is another story. So when our house was destroyed we moved in with my inlaws while we rebuilt. They lived right by a main road and Mango was hit by a car one night. We finally got another dog last year. Stitch is crazy, just like his namesake. Here's Stitch. <a href="http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=44607&j=t" target="_blank">http://www.dogster.com/pet_pag e.php?i=44607&j=t</a> I friend of mine found him and we took him in. He gets along good with our kitties, even if sometimes he forgets the cats do not like to play with him. Stitch is a real clown. Then last November I got an early Christmas surprise from my hubby. He brought me home this tiny little Papillon puppy and we named her Lilo. She is my baby girl. She comes to work with me just about every day and lays here in her little pink doggy bed. She is super friendly. She gets so excited when she sees kids, she practically vibrates. She loves to give kisses. I dress her up all the time, lol, she has a ton of cute little t-shirts she wears here at the office. One says "Spoiled Rotten" and that is the truth! Today is Lilo's first birthday! I think tonight she will some of her favorite treats. Apples and peanut butter!
Originally Posted By Sara Tonin My furson's name is Pip he is a black and tan long haired mini dachshund...he and I recently lost his sister Tasha, we had to have her euthanised. We had a hard time with that decision but she was 15 years old and had breast cancer...so Pip wears a pink harness and leash and I wear a pink bracelet. It's so hard to lose a pet and makes you think you never want another pet again...but what's a home without a pet to love you every night when you get home?
