I have been totally excited about this new sub-forum.
As you may guess, I love animals.
Most of all, I love my doggie, Buddie. She is a Beagle/German Sheppard mix. Looks more like a Beagle physically, but has the coloring of a German Sheppard.
Let me tell you a little about her.
Of course, we (RW, my hubby, and I) think, she is adorable but there have been problems.
I got her from a no-kill shelter. I was with a friend that day and on the spur of the moment, we went in. Once inside, I walked down the isle and all it took was one look.
The little sign on her cage read Dusty, Male.
Well, if you are paying attention you know the male is wrong.
The other problem was my sons name in Dustin and we call him Dusty.
I was told upfront that Dusty was two years old and had been abused. This fact really grabbed the heart strings right off the bat.
Much to the animal shelter persons surprise, Dusty wearily approached me and let me put a leash on so we went for a short walk. Before you could say boo, I had her in my friend's van. Maybe it was because we saved her, but Dusty accepted my friend also. Im very thankful for that since we have a helper outside of the family.
Dog and I arrive home and RW, who, of course had no idea I was doing this, was very happy because his soft spot in life is dogs. We put our heads together and came up with a new name. Buddy.
The next couple of days are trying. When Buddy walked, she hunkered with her tailed turned down and curled under. Of course, she trusted me more than RW, but she finally starts coming out of it, and the tail comes up. She is sooo cute with it that way too.
The best part is that we can see pieces parts. AND, LOW AND BEHOLD, HE IS A SHE. So, we change Buddy to Buddie.
It isnt much longer before we can do pretty much anything we want with her although she took a really long time to connect to my son. Unfortunately, she hasnt connected with my daughter but that is because my daughter lives out of state and only comes to visit a couple times a year. Buddie accepts the fact that daughter is allowed in the house, but that is it.
At the beginning she snapped now and then, but shed always miss biting us by about six inches. It took a long time to break her of that. Another problem, she had food issues. Surprisingly, this didnt take as long as I thought to break. I can now pry those jaws apart and stick my fingers in there to remove whatever I want and thats a biggie since I walk her just about everyday and she has found more chicken bones than I can count.
Then there was her being around other people---two years of abuse taught her not to trust and she hasnt gotten over that. Weve told, and tell new, neighbors about her and made sure they have told their kids---Leave her alone, and she will leave you alone. And then we have Beware Of Dog signs all over the place. Of course, if you get into seeing distance, she will convince anyone right away that its not a good idea to come any closer.
And, yes, we realize that if she wasnt in a no-kill shelter, they wouldve put her down, and the thought just breaks my heart. And I know from what Im saying, she sounds terrible, but she is really a sweetie. Get her trust and shell love you to death.
The biggest positive changes is that she now plays. No, when we got her, she didnt have the slightest idea how, but she certainly does now.
The other is she now talks to us. Not barking, but little doggie noises that vary with her mood. No more snapping, just a lot of talking.
As you may guess, I love animals.
Most of all, I love my doggie, Buddie. She is a Beagle/German Sheppard mix. Looks more like a Beagle physically, but has the coloring of a German Sheppard.
Let me tell you a little about her.
Of course, we (RW, my hubby, and I) think, she is adorable but there have been problems.
I got her from a no-kill shelter. I was with a friend that day and on the spur of the moment, we went in. Once inside, I walked down the isle and all it took was one look.
The little sign on her cage read Dusty, Male.
Well, if you are paying attention you know the male is wrong.
The other problem was my sons name in Dustin and we call him Dusty.
I was told upfront that Dusty was two years old and had been abused. This fact really grabbed the heart strings right off the bat.
Much to the animal shelter persons surprise, Dusty wearily approached me and let me put a leash on so we went for a short walk. Before you could say boo, I had her in my friend's van. Maybe it was because we saved her, but Dusty accepted my friend also. Im very thankful for that since we have a helper outside of the family.
Dog and I arrive home and RW, who, of course had no idea I was doing this, was very happy because his soft spot in life is dogs. We put our heads together and came up with a new name. Buddy.
The next couple of days are trying. When Buddy walked, she hunkered with her tailed turned down and curled under. Of course, she trusted me more than RW, but she finally starts coming out of it, and the tail comes up. She is sooo cute with it that way too.
The best part is that we can see pieces parts. AND, LOW AND BEHOLD, HE IS A SHE. So, we change Buddy to Buddie.
It isnt much longer before we can do pretty much anything we want with her although she took a really long time to connect to my son. Unfortunately, she hasnt connected with my daughter but that is because my daughter lives out of state and only comes to visit a couple times a year. Buddie accepts the fact that daughter is allowed in the house, but that is it.
At the beginning she snapped now and then, but shed always miss biting us by about six inches. It took a long time to break her of that. Another problem, she had food issues. Surprisingly, this didnt take as long as I thought to break. I can now pry those jaws apart and stick my fingers in there to remove whatever I want and thats a biggie since I walk her just about everyday and she has found more chicken bones than I can count.
Then there was her being around other people---two years of abuse taught her not to trust and she hasnt gotten over that. Weve told, and tell new, neighbors about her and made sure they have told their kids---Leave her alone, and she will leave you alone. And then we have Beware Of Dog signs all over the place. Of course, if you get into seeing distance, she will convince anyone right away that its not a good idea to come any closer.
And, yes, we realize that if she wasnt in a no-kill shelter, they wouldve put her down, and the thought just breaks my heart. And I know from what Im saying, she sounds terrible, but she is really a sweetie. Get her trust and shell love you to death.
The biggest positive changes is that she now plays. No, when we got her, she didnt have the slightest idea how, but she certainly does now.
The other is she now talks to us. Not barking, but little doggie noises that vary with her mood. No more snapping, just a lot of talking.
I've gone back to college to get my degree in criminal justice so I can legally do something about it! 
