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This last week, I went on a 37 hour road trip to bring back three dogs from a NC shelter. Two dogs for other people, and one for myself to rehome. I couldn't resist and took home Bandit, a dog I had posted a link to in another thread. He's a 2 year old neutered lab-hound dog mix. He had been adopted from the shelter as a puppy. Then a year and a half later, his adoptive family moved and couldn't keep him. So they turned him back into the shelter, and there he patiently waited for two months for a new home.
I noticed when I was getting acquainted with him while walking him around the shelter grounds that he had a very calm friendly personality. As we walked by each kennel, each filled with frantically barking dogs, he kept his head lowered with a slowly wagging tail. Once we walked by a kennel with female Jack Russell terrier (found and with the owners coming to retrieve her), she was snarling and showing her teeth in a very fierce way, but Bandit just kept his nose out of reach of her teeth, didn't meet her eyes and kept wagging his tail. He just wasn't interested in getting into any dog dramas. Otherwise, I noted that he was overweight by at least 10 pounds.
He was a good car companion and got the shotgun seat. The young boxer mix I was transporting was crated. Eight months old and extremely energetic. Not the dog for me. The third dog was a smallish male Norwegian Elkhound-Chow mix with a very sweet personality. He was tethered in the back and on a dog bed. The trip home was smooth and the only real work was when I stopped to walk the dogs. One at a time and making sure all the dogs were secured before I opened the car doors.
Once I got home, Bandit was very happy to be inside a real house. He immediately jumped up on my sofa and rolled around on it in joy. He also marked my refrigerator, but I think that after two months in a kennel run, he just needs a quick refresher course in house manners. My boyfriend had taken my choc. lab mix to work with him, so I had a few hours to spend with Bandit. I fed him, but he's not that interested in food and snacks. That surprised me as he's overweight. However, maybe it's because he didn't get enough exercise in the kennel. And his former owners might have fed him table scraps. Dog biscuits don't excite him, but he readily accepted a small piece of pepperoni. He met my two cats without incident, he just wagged his tail at them. No desire to chase them around. And when he finally met my lab, he patiently put up with being sniffed and jumped on. I'm thinking that Bandit might make an excellent future therapy dog. Nothing phases him. Unbelievable that no one wanted this treasure!
Bringin Bandit home was a complete surprise for my boyfriend. But because Bandit is such a good dog, he understands why I had to save him. The shelter holding him is not a high kill skelter, but their space is very limited and his time was running out.
Anyway, things we need to work on him in addition to his diet and exercise regime, is some obedience training. He knows the "sit" command, but so far, that's it. He needs to learn "heel", "stay" and "come".
Bandit is the fifth adult dog that I've adopted. I highly recommend adopting an adult shelter dog over a puppy any day.
And I walked him by several groups of teens and young people last night. The girls all wanted to pet him. With his crazy black and white spotted cow colouring, he's a certified babe magnet!
Hi Miu and congrats on your new boy! He's a beauty! I'm certain he is so happy to have a new forever home. I admire all of you who rescue and foster. I would love to do the same but with one dog, one cat, living in a townhome and working 50 hrs a week it really isn't feasible right now. I'm lucky that my neighbor loves my little dog and walks her every afternoon for me. Maybe, just maybe, one day I'll be able to do the same.
What a cutie pie! I also adopted a shelter dog through petfinder. And I have a rescue golden and a foster golden. It's so worth it! Have a great time with him, he is adorable
Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.
A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
^^^ Nice!! Well he went with my boyfriend to work today. Everyone loved him except the owner's dog who kept attacking him. Gus is a nutcase and needs a muzzle. Bandit to his credit, cowered in the corner and then tried to escape. I'm so happy that he's not a fighter. One of the co-workers got Bandit to "give paw". I think that as time passes, more of his skills will come out.
Otherwise, while walking Bandit and Bailey this afternoon, I caught Bandit trying to eat dog poo. Sigh. But his pluses still greatly outweigh the negatives. So I will be walking the dogs separately in the future for a while. Just so I can give each one quality walking time and my full attention. I don't know how those professional dog walkers do it, walking so many dogs at once! On the plus side, I might even lose some weight myself in the meantime. lol
What a lovely dog!!!! Congratulations to all of you!!!!!
Tea
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