Sunday Morning Open Thread: The Perfect Dog
Stolen from the calendar submissions, because I couldn’t resist. From commentor Libby’s Person:
My sweet, beautiful collie-mix had died 4 months before. I missed her terribly; I’d planned on waiting longer, but I knew I was done waiting when I found myself repeatedly looking at local shelter dogs on Petfinder. I decided to get my first agility dog. My plan was to look in Petfinder for a border collie or aussie mix, 1-3 years old and about 45 pounds. It wasn’t until the 5th shelter that I saw a “border collie mix” that seemed right. The picture was just a head shot taken from a strange angle, but she looked sweet. I called and asked about her; they guessed that she was 3 years old, she was very gentle and got along very well with other dogs, and they estimated that she weighed 50 pounds. 45 minutes later, I arrived at this little county shelter in the middle of nowhere and asked to see Libby, expecting a dainty little bundle of energy. Instead, what came out was a calm, heavy-boned dog with big paws, legs just slightly short for her body length – NOT a natural-born agility dog (we think she’s a GSD-Aussie mix). Not what I was looking for. But when I knelt down as she came up to me, she licked me in the face, and when I sat down on the grass and petted her, she sat on my lap. Well, that was that.
The shelter staff person told me that she’d been brought in 3 weeks before by a local farmer, along with 2 puppies that weren’t hers. He’d been keeping the dogs in an outdoor run. We don’t know anything more about her past, but there’s no way that she had been an outdoor dog on a farm. (She was rigidly housebroken, and has very good house manners.) I’m pretty sure that somebody took her out into the countryside and abandoned her, and she was lucky enough to be found by the farmer.
When I took her to my vet the following Monday, I got a surprise – she didn’t weigh 50 pounds, she weighed 80 pounds! So much for a dog I could pick up if I needed to… Unfortunately, there was a more serious surprise as well; Libby tested positive for heartworm, Lyme, and Ehrlichia, and she had whipworms. The vet imaged her heart before spaying her; there was no visible damage, so he thinks she hadn’t had the diseases for very long, thank goodness. It took nearly 4 months to complete all the treatments.
She was a bit reserved, and almost scarily well-behaved. She’s never flinched from people, so I don’t think she was physically abused, but her former people must not have been very nice to her – she was too careful to not do anything wrong. They never did anything with her, and never took her anyplace; she had to learn about leash-walking, rawhide, toys, the dogfood store, playing, and other dogs.
I’ve had her for two and a half years now. She has relaxed (except when she sees squirrels!) and learned how to have fun (and how to mooch, and how to let us know when she wants stuff…). My husband loves her because she’s so quiet, calm, and gentle. She learned to love training, and she does lots of tricks. And she ended up being a great first agility dog after all! She learned to love agility, and we’ve started competing some; she’s an “honest” and happy worker, and does fantastic as long as I don’t screw up. It’s amazing to see how fast and happy she is when she’s working!
She may not be the dog I was looking for, but she turned out to be the perfect dog for me.
January 29, 2012 5:51 am
Posted in: Dog Blogging, Open Thread, Pet Rescue
43 Comments
43 Responses
R-Jud - January 29, 2012 | 6:14 am · Link
Incisive commentary on this post from the toddler on my lap:
“It a doggie! Woof woof. Nice doggie, he smiling!”
Nicely done, Libby’s Person.
JCT - January 29, 2012 | 6:18 am · Link
Yup, they’re amazing when it comes to choosing their person.
What a great story and happy ending!
I’m sitting on a plane heading back to Tucson (and the ratty RV I’m living in for 6 months), but I took a 6:40 AM flight to get back in time to pick up my new rescue cats from the shelter this afternoon. Really giving me something to look forward to on an otherwise depressing flight.
Raven - January 29, 2012 | 6:38 am · Link
She’s a sugar!
kdaug - January 29, 2012 | 6:40 am · Link
Love the cinnamon eyes.
Phylllis - January 29, 2012 | 6:41 am · Link
No resisting that face.
THE - January 29, 2012 | 6:54 am · Link
Cute dog.
I thought this was a thoughtful video parable on intolerance:
No Robots by YungHan Chang (5:43)
bob h - January 29, 2012 | 7:21 am · Link
Israeli Ronen Bermann, having talked to all the parties, concludes Israell will strike Iran this year (NYT magazine, today). That this would have an enormous impact on the election with soaring oil prices, the US possibly drawn in, is pretty scary. Would the tendency to rally around Obama outweight the $5 gasoline is the question.
Hillary Rettig - January 29, 2012 | 7:22 am · Link
lovely story
and lovely incisive commentary from R-jud’s toddler
JohnK - January 29, 2012 | 7:41 am · Link
What kind of agility setup do you have? Is it a club? How often do you train, for how long? What a beautiful dog!
JPL - January 29, 2012 | 7:46 am · Link
@bob h: You missed the part where the global economy tanks.
Now back to discussing dogs and cats. Libby is quite the star of the household. I just love the second picture where she seems to say “give me the treat now”.
4jkb4ia - January 29, 2012 | 7:49 am · Link
Vamos Rafa! The roof is currently being closed due to rain, after Rafa came back from 0-40 and was pumping his fist.
Maude - January 29, 2012 | 7:51 am · Link
@JCT:
Tell us how the cats settle in.
It is so exciting to have new cats. You get to see what they are like and they get to figure out how to annoy you.
JPL - January 29, 2012 | 7:56 am · Link
@4jkb4ia: Thanks..I forgot about it.
amk - January 29, 2012 | 8:14 am · Link
Sounds like a great dog.
geg6 - January 29, 2012 | 8:15 am · Link
What a cute dog! And what a beautiful story.
We’re missing our big lug, Henry, today. Thankfully, we still have our Otis to cheer us up. He knows something is wrong and he slept a large part of the night in our bedroom. He never did that before because that was Henry’s place and Henry was the alpha in our house.
JPL - January 29, 2012 | 8:17 am · Link
@geg6: I’ve been thinking about you. Otis will probably go through some type of depression also which is normal.
tamiedjr - January 29, 2012 | 8:18 am · Link
@geg6: I’m sorry to hear about Henry.
amk - January 29, 2012 | 8:23 am · Link
Obama at alfalfa club dinner thingy
greennotGreen - January 29, 2012 | 8:25 am · Link
@JCT: I work in dog rescue. When I was fairly new at it, I took my foster dog, a plain little brown female who was rather timid,to an adoption event. Someone had seen her on Petfinder and was coming to look at her. Actually, I believe the caller was the brother or aide to the potential owner because they arrived together at the same time I did. From his gait and speech, I would guess the potential owner had cerebral palsy. Anyway, he sat down on the pavement, and as we were walking his way my shy little brown dog jerked the leash from my hand and flew into his lap and covered him with kisses. Done deal. Sometimes the animals just know.
4jkb4ia - January 29, 2012 | 8:28 am · Link
@JPL:
Dude! You forgot a Grand Slam men’s final? :D (I was asleep for the first 3 sets)
5th set, folks. First 5-set Nadal-Djokovic match ever.
amk - January 29, 2012 | 8:28 am · Link
djoker & rafa in the longest aussie open final evah (in 107 years, no less) and it’s still only 2 sets a piece and the decider yet to come. great stuff.
JPL - January 29, 2012 | 8:33 am · Link
@4jkb4ia: Normally I am awake at 6 and since I slept in, I am off schedule. The Murray match was amazing.
Elizabelle - January 29, 2012 | 8:37 am · Link
@geg6:
Making a cup of coffee in Henry’s honor. And yours. You gave a great dog a great life.
@amk at 18: hilarious.
Anya - January 29, 2012 | 9:14 am · Link
@bob h: Why would the US get into another war in the middle east? It’s not good for the economy, there’s no clear threat from Iran to justify it. Also, I am pretty sure the world will be fully against it. As for Israel, they will be even more hated globally because this will be a war of aggression.
Josie - January 29, 2012 | 9:14 am · Link
What a great dog and a lovely story. Dogs know who they belong with. I kept my son’s pug for a year and a half. He was afraid she would forget him. When he brought out her little red carrying case at Christmas to take her back to Houston, she made giant leaps in the air to get at it. Once she got in the case, you couldn’t have gotten her out with a crowbar.
@geg6: I am so sorry about Henry. I know that will leave a big hole. Thankfully, you and Otis can console each other.
becca - January 29, 2012 | 9:29 am · Link
I have five dogs and four cats. I don;t have a clear recollection of how this happened but I am where I am.
They are messy, demanding, always under foot and make travel near impossible. The dogs have to be walked every day and each one has to have its “personal” time for scratches and rubs.
My animals are really lucky they are all so freakin adorable.
Kristine - January 29, 2012 | 9:30 am · Link
@geg6 So sorry to hear about Henry.
Lovely story about Libby, and great photos! Best way to start the morning.
4jkb4ia - January 29, 2012 | 9:31 am · Link
And here’s Djokovic serving for the match. As amk said, longest AO match ever—5 hours, 46 minutes and counting.
The Murray match I completely missed, and I am not happy.
ETA: Break point Nadal—AO Radio announcers, “If you sent this to Hollywood they’d laugh at you.”
amk - January 29, 2012 | 9:40 am · Link
Aaand djoker wins Aussie Open. What an epic match. This will be talked about for years.
4jkb4ia - January 29, 2012 | 9:41 am · Link
Djokovic triumphs? Survives? Both players won this morning.
JPL - January 29, 2012 | 9:43 am · Link
Amazing match. @4jkb4ia: Once again thanks for reminding me.
Lockewasright - January 29, 2012 | 9:45 am · Link
Dogs are the best people in the world. I am so glad that this one gets to bring extra love and devotion into your family. She’s beautiful.
bystander - January 29, 2012 | 9:55 am · Link
Is Libby the perfect dog, or is Libby’s Person the perfect rescue companion? Hmmm. Hard to know which of these two beings is to be celebrated more. The “imperfect” agility dog that learned to love agility, or the human companion that gave Libby the chance, but would have loved her regardless, methinks. I’ve of a mind that says companions can often bring out the best – and sometimes the heroic – in each other. YAY!, for Libby and, YAY!, for Libby’s Person.
Libby's person - January 29, 2012 | 10:38 am · Link
What a wonderful surprise to wake up to! Thanks, Anne Laurie, for sharing our story. And thanks, @bystander, for your very kind words. Yes, I would have loved her regardless. And if she hadn’t taken to agility, I would have looked for some other activity that she did like – the important thing was having something to do together that was fun for both of us.
@JohnK: We’re lucky to have a training facility not too far away with a very good outdoor agility set-up. I also have a few pieces of equipment in my yard; it really helped to spend a few minutes every day with the teeter and weave poles. Most importantly, I was very lucky to find a very good instructor. She uses a totally positive/motivational training approach with both the dogs and their people, in addition to being very good with the technical aspects of handling. A good instructor is more important than a good facility!
Shelter dogs rule!
Violet - January 29, 2012 | 10:47 am · Link
Gorgeous doggie. Sounds like such a sweetie.
WereBear (itouch) - January 29, 2012 | 11:00 am · Link
The fact that they are willing to forgive and love again; a lesson for us all.
Joy - January 29, 2012 | 11:11 am · Link
She is simply beautiful.
karen marie - January 29, 2012 | 12:29 pm · Link
I’ve been muttering about getting my Lucy into agility but have been too busy (and kind of too broke) to do it. After reading your story, I decided it’s time to stop coming up with excuses and find somewhere. I think I have. I just have to work out the budget but I think we’ll be able to swing it. I just know she’s going to be brilliant. Thanks for the inspiration!
CaseyL - January 29, 2012 | 1:25 pm · Link
Wonderful story, and gorgeous dog. The advantage of a big dog is you can do some serious whole-body hugging and snuggling.
geg6: So very sorry for your loss. I hope you and Otis can all help one another through the grieving.
JoyceH - January 29, 2012 | 1:59 pm · Link
I do agility with a Samoyed, speaking of imperfect agility dogs. She was always in the bottom of the class in obedience, stubborn, stubborn, stubborn breed. They do learn eventually, but it takes a long time. But man, does she love agility! We don’t compete, because I’m too slow, but we take local classes and I have a few pieces of equipment, jumps and weave poles, that I set up in the front yard when the weather is nice. She looks so gorgeous flying over the jumps.
No action photos, but here she is just back from the groomer:
http://joyceharmon.wordpress.c.....ty-parlor/
WaterGirl - January 29, 2012 | 4:02 pm · Link
@JoyceH: She’s gorgeous!
Anne Laurie - January 29, 2012 | 4:44 pm · Link
@karen marie: From Libby’s Person:
JoyceH - January 29, 2012 | 5:05 pm · Link
@WaterGirl:
{preen} Isn’t she, though?
And she is So. Sweet. I have two cats and she just wuvs them.