Your Dogs Stories........

All about the animals that are in our lives that are NOT horses
Rockabilly
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Location: Tennessee

Your Dogs Stories........

Postby Rockabilly » Tue Oct 13, 2015 4:18 pm

demi's kind post about Christopher makes me want to hear your dogs stories. I know they all have one. I'll go backwards first. We have Noel a mixture of lab and something else. She weighs 75 pounds and has shouldered the responsibility of the farm. That's not the way it started though. About 4 years ago in November I would see this dog wandering the fields. Tail down and walking along. She wandered over my fields and my neighbors. I thought she was an old dog and belonged to someone. Finally it dawned on me she was starving and belonged to nobody. I tried to get close to her, but couldn't get within 15 or so ft. I watched her everyday. She never came close. I started putting out food for her. This went on a while and the food disappeared. I wondered who I was feeding because I never saw her. Just about Christmas of that year we had a huge snow and ice storm here in Tennessee. The next morning as I walked to the barn I said she's frozen to death. She's frozen in this ice. A depressing thought to say the least. As I walked along I felt a tongue on my hand! It was her. The dog that belonged to nobody was walking to the barn with me. I said to her I am going to get you in the barn tonight. I did and the rest is sort of history as they say. I named her Noel because of the time of year she came to us. She was so turned inward that it took a long time for her to believe us and trust us. I don't know when that happened along the way, but now my goodness! The girl we have! She's a joy. I'm so glad she decided we were okay and that she wanted to live here. She wants to be loved on all the time. If we pet someone else she puts her hand on their head and says what about me? She has decided she is my protector and I have a good story about a couple of unwanted salesman who came here, but that is another story.

Chancellor
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Re: Your Dogs Stories........

Postby Chancellor » Tue Oct 13, 2015 6:41 pm

THAT is an amazing story!

Chancellor
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Re: Your Dogs Stories........

Postby Chancellor » Tue Oct 13, 2015 6:48 pm

Here's Sherman's story.
Nearly three years ago, we lost Clark. He was my husband's blue tick hound/lab mix dog. He was such a good boy. He was named after Clark Kent because someday he was going to save the world.
Scarlett OHara, my little red pit bull, was soooooo depressed. It was incredibly sad. Every day when we went to leave the house she would follow me around. She didn't want to be left alone. This went on for awhile. Then, a friend of mine posted a little black puppy who was to euthanized in a shelter because he and his brother had mange. They were adorable. I told my friend that we were interested.
She brought him to us and he was just a little scrawny mangy mess. But I showed him to Michael and Michael took him out into our yard. 10 minutes later, Michael said "He could be Sherman" As in General Sherman....since we already had Scarlett OHara.
Well, Sherman settled in for a year and was a good boy but BOISTEROUS! Scarlett kept him in line. She is a bit of a bossy alpha dog.

Sherman now has his CGC and is doing great at agility. He is a reactive dog though. He doesn't like a lot of other dogs....some dogs he gets along with fine...others not so much. And you never know what will set him off.

Sherman is 85 lbs of love with a full black black black coat. He also enjoys sitting on his dad all the time.

Oh and Scarlett would like to send him back to the shelter now. She's not lonely anymore.... :mrgreen:

khall
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Re: Your Dogs Stories........

Postby khall » Tue Oct 13, 2015 7:46 pm

We moved to our farm December 2004, we lost our family dog May 2005, he was my DHs and I first dog together and we got him the first week we got married as a tiny tiny pup. I was very sad and wanted another family dog so went to local kill shelter to see a black and tan hound puppy that was there because our beloved Winston was a black and tan hound X. Well the puppy was not what I was looking for but in another kennel was this large young bully mix puppy that was just so friendly and happy to see me. I took my DS back and we brought Tucker home. It was and is still interesting even 10 yrs later! Tucker was 50 lbs and probably 4 months old at the time we chose him, he out weighed our DS for many years, he ended up 96 lbs. DS was only 4 when Tucker was adopted. Tucker was an out of control unsocialized train wreck who wanted to eat the cat, eat our food off the counter, chew on DS like a chew toy, ate my DHs phone, a TV remote, don't know how many bras and underwear and has a habit of counter surfing because he can and I live with two who never remembers to put the bread away!

We did two Pet Smart training sessions (because we could also clear out PS with Tucker's Cujo imitation) and he sailed through. This dog will do anything for a cookie. DS learned how to play and not get chewed on (never any aggression, just out of control puppy with a 4 yr old boy) and now we would not know what to do without the big guy. His size intimidates people but he never meets a stranger, he learned that cats are not to be eaten and is trustworthy around ours now. He has had bilateral stifle surgery and will probably head to Auburn here before long to see what is up with his left shoulder. He had a show down with a coyote that he came in lame from. At 10 I know our years are number with him, he has been such a part of our life on our farm here not sure what we will do without him even though we have 3 other dogs. He is a special dog with a big personality.

demi
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Re: Your Dogs Stories........

Postby demi » Thu Oct 15, 2015 1:29 pm

I just got to this thread last night and am tucking it away in my head for a time when I need it , if that makes sense to anyone.
Rockabilly, I feel like I know you in spirit.
I only have a couple of rescue stories that I think are special, although really, most rescue stories are wonderful because everyone, animals and people alike, needs a loving home.
I'll tell Buddy's story here one day....hopefully this board will last a long time.

Kelo
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Location: Texas

Re: Your Dogs Stories........

Postby Kelo » Fri Oct 16, 2015 12:36 am

I found Domino at the pound, a huddled and sad pile of matted hair and bones. I found his blue eyes pretty creepy, but I wanted a Cocker Spaniel, so....home he came.

At first, he was a wild child. Young, with no manners at all - he peed on everything that he wasn't chewing up! But time passed, and we trained each other. We did obedience classes, and agility classes, and just had fun together. Domino grew up, and he was my heart. I learned to love blue eyes -- I am still drawn to them now.

Eventually we found therapy, and every Saturday morning for years we would go visiting at the nursing home. Domino was a natural. He would walk in like he owned the place (usually to the welcoming cry of "Domino!!!" from folks happy to see him. He just knew how to work a crowd, and then we would do all his silly tricks and I would chat with folks. He brought so much joy to so many people over the years.

One was the sweetest lady in the world, but she had short term memory loss. To the point where youwould literally have to answer the same three questions over and over again during each visit.....but by gosh she remembered Domino. By name! He would come strolling in her room, and she would say his name and smile. Always warmed my heart.

But my favorite story is this. A new resident had moved in, so I said "Hello, would you like to visit a therapy dog?" She said yes, so I came in the room. Now the trick is, sometimes they're just lonely but don't like the dogs, so I had to establish that she actually did want to pet the dog. Usually Domino sat quietly and let me do my part. But not this day! Nope, he just jumped straight into her lap, laid down and closed his eyes! I was horrified! It was so uncharacteristic of him! I apologied, but she and her daughter stopped me.

It was ok, the daughter said.....because this woman had bred Cocker Spaniels for 40 years. In fact, they were unpacking photos of her Cockers! Somehow, Domino knew. He lay in her lap, and her face was *blissful* as she stroked him in all his favorite spots. Just remembering makes me tear up. I ended up just sitting on the floor and letting them visit for a solid 30+ min.

We visited her every week until she passed, and Domino always loved her special.

Domino has passed, and I miss him so much every day.
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Rockabilly
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Posts: 459
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Location: Tennessee

Re: Your Dogs Stories........

Postby Rockabilly » Fri Oct 16, 2015 8:25 pm

I love your stories and want to hear more. Here's my second one. I have an Eskimo Spitz. He is a beautiful dog, but my question is why is he in Tennessee with that coat?

Some years ago I don't remember how long I was feeding the horses outside in the beautiful sunshine. I remember that well. Down the road comes this small white dog and he was either carrying something or dragging something. From that distance I couldn't see what. I thought he would just continue on down the road, but no he ran right into the barn. He sat in the corner of Buck's stall. Just sat there. I had no idea of his disposition, but I could see he had tin cans tied to his tail. Eight or ten cans! I got some scissors and I cut the string holding them on his tail. He looked at me........the expression is hard to describe. I petted him a bit and then got up to do some other things. He stuck to my side like glue. I called my vet and he said I can tell you like him so bring him right in. Oh, this dog was a matted mess and I told the vet about the cans. They kept him 3 days and when I saw him again I didn't recognize him. He looked like a fluffy cloud! So I named him Cloud. The vet had to sedate him to get the string off his tail. His tail was infected and the string had almost grown into it. I brought him home to the others. Most of my pups sleep in my tack room. It is more like a kitchen than anything else. It is heated and cooled. I wasn't sure how everyone else would react to him. I watched closely and for a long time they would not let Cloud up on the big bed they slept on. Cloud would always be laying out on the floor. Then one day I looked again and there they were all piled up on the bed together. Cloud still looks at me with such adoration and love I don't feel worthy. I always said he needed to go to a home with him as the only dog because he is so loving. In the early days I did try to find him that home, but I never could.

Don Giovanni
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Re: Your Dogs Stories........

Postby Don Giovanni » Sat Nov 14, 2015 2:03 am

These are such wonderful stories. Love love love!


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