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Topic: There's something about Sally

Message: Posted by: Chrystal (Aug 19, 2014 02:32AM)

Not the movie featuring Cameron Diaz but my new dog!!! Sally, short for Salvation the name the shelter gave her has joined our household. I mean who wouldn't want a 105 pound unruly Old English Sheepdog/ Newfoundlander Mix who loves dirt and water? Well perhaps not a lot of people as she sat in the shelter for some time waiting for someone to adopt her. It meant a 14 hr drive , finding a pet friendly hotel as I had to stay overnight with my dog who was going to meet his new playmate and a long drive home with two dogs across the border. The first thing she did when let loose in the yard was jump into the fishponds - the ones that took me two years to dig the holes, install the bridge and cultivate the plants. I finally finished the project a few wks ago. Sally destroyed everything within mins of her discovering the ponds. Sigh. Then to top it off she raced and swished her body against cedar hedges so that those nice pine needles stuck to her wet fur before racing into the house before I could catch her. More sighs. Sally was adopted twice and returned both times due to unruly behavior. Not only is the distance too far but I have had worse cases which I rehabilitated, besides I have more determination than her. (At least I hope so). Sally has never had a real home previously as she was allowed to roam loose in a small town in Idaho where the residents liked her well enough but complained about her lack of supervision. The shelter worked with her teaching some skills like down, sit and to walk well on a leash. Good thing as she weighs the same as me! I solved the fishpond problem by covering it with mesh but nooooo she's now taking to diving in my boxwood hedges which are four to five ft tall and "swimming" in them until she sinks down and then jumps into another hedge in my English style garden. Egads! I've never seen anything like it! To make it more annoying Merlin my Old English Sheepdog is barking barking barking to show his displeasure at her antics. Luckily, no one has complained (so far). Here's my new girl (please note that her coat was shaved at the shelter as she was badly matted when picked up). Oh joy I can't wait to see her massive heavy OES/Newfie coat!!! http://photos.oes.org/albums/userpics/10215/normal_IMG_1900.JPG http://photos.oes.org/albums/userpics/10215/normal_IMG_1866.JPG

Message: Posted by: Michael Baker (Aug 19, 2014 04:02AM)

:D

Message: Posted by: magicalaurie (Aug 19, 2014 09:52AM)

She's a cutie, indeed, Chrystal. [youtube]BoHssZ_jBTc[/youtube]

Message: Posted by: imgic (Aug 19, 2014 03:27PM)

Love the second picture...looks like she's smiling...a mischievous little smell... Good luck with Sally, she'll do wonderful with an attentive and devoted owner such as yourself.

Message: Posted by: arthur stead (Aug 19, 2014 08:10PM)

She looks like a wonderful, mischievous bundle of fun!

Message: Posted by: rockwall (Aug 19, 2014 08:16PM)

Good luck! You're gonna need it! :) She looks like a sweetheart. I hope you're able to teach her some manners.

Message: Posted by: Chrystal (Aug 20, 2014 11:21PM)

Hi Everyone, Thanks so much for the kind responses and wishes of luck - Yes, I think I will need it with this girl! She is going to test my patience for sure but I am hoping I can post in the future about her good canine manners. I wrote a post previously about a program that is available in my area at the Penitentiary in which inmates take the most unadoptable dogs from shelters and work extensively with them so that the dogs become highly sought after as they do intensive training with them. They fund their program by taking on dogs from the public. I have used the program before several times with my Pitbull Mastiff cross and have a wonderful well behaved canine who obtained his CGN (Good Canine Neighbor) certificate amd also is trained in search and rescue. I may take Sally for some extra training as the program allows you to ask for training in specific things and then work with the inmate that has been assigned to your dog so that everyone is on board as to what the dog responds to. Yeah, I also admit I must be a tad zany to take on yet another 100 pound dog as that means I know have three in my household again! The good thing is I am buffed and super fit from all those walks every day in which I take out one dog at a time to work on training. (flexes muscles to prove point) Again, thanks for all the well wishes!