A volunteer describes her experiences walking and helping shelter dogs at a no kill animal shelter in a small, semi-rural Idaho college town.(Ongoing diary based on a memoir I wrote of the same title that I'm attempting to publish) Copyright 2009 All rights reserved
How to get a pent up dog in unnatural conditions to be more balanced and calm? Let him run around in the off leash dog park for 20 minutes before attempting leash work. How to make him feel more at ease? Bring my dog Pascual, the blue heeler in so he has some companionship. This strategy seemed to help a lot and I was able to walk Pascual and Mongo together for 30 minutes. Sometimes having my dog with me is a calming influence to the other dog and he can display the behavior of a good dog to the shelter dog who will hopefully pick up on what the pack members are supposed to do. I apologize for the lousy photo but dogs with a ton of energy don't stand still long enough for great photo's without putting the camara in jeopardy so this was the best I could do for now.
I follow a wonderful inspirational blog called Everyday Gyaan http://www.everydaygyaan.com/. The topic of New Years resolutions came up and I wrote in about my philosophy of exercise which you can link to here http://www.everydaygyaan.com/2010/01/making-it-fun.html My basic belief is that exercise should be fun, edifying, and useful. So instead of working out on machines and paying for the privelege, why not hook the machines up to generate electricity,or garden and grow food for yourself or others. When I go for walks, I take shelter dogs with me because we both need the exercise, it's tons of fun and often rewarding. Sometimes I walk dogs with a friend and have deep philosophical conversations as we walk. I have arrived at my own version of the philosophy of efficiency, meeting many needs simultaneously. It's just something I came to acquire as a multi-tasker with a big heart. It's sort of a blend of the western concept of work ethic and resourcefulness combined with the Eastern philosophy of dharma.
This is Mr. Mongo or since I am a Latin Jazz music fan, Mongo Santamaria my latest nickname for him. Mongo is about 3 years old, recently neutered and I'm guessing, spent most of his life in a backyard, never having been acquainted with the simple concept of a leash. This being said, Mongo and I have been grappling with the philosophical ideas of leash, the outdoors, and the concept of teamwork. Patience and mindfulness on my part,and being excruciatingly present, as I deal with unruly dog and icy wintry walking conditions was also the order of the day. This one is a labor of love and a challenge for me as the poor guy has been quite cooped up due to the cold and nasty weather. I've taken him out, I was going to say walked him but that would be a stretch, as it was initially somewhat a battle of wills, about 3 times now. Today, seeing about 12% improvement over the last time which is actually quite an accomplishment in the big scheme of things. This guy is big, a lab/rottweiler mix and although he grew disheartened and stopped eating for a few days, he's still rather strong. After the first two visits I was on the verge of giving up, feeling too overwhelmed with his large size, strength, pent up energy, and outward focus. Many dogs will make some sort of eye contact, or recognition of me as a person attached to the other end of the leash, but he was so interested in the outside world, and so nervous from being cooped up in a cage, that he really wasn't connecting with me or making a whole lot of improvement. I am aware that I have my limitations, especially when winter is concerned, but as usual, I am a bit of a softie and decided to try one more time. Maybe he is getting used to me, as last time after our walk I spent some time with him in his indoor kennel. This last visit he showed some dog to human communication by being excited to see me, which at least inspired me to try. We progressed only a little bit, but enough to "break the ice" and make me feel like I was dealing with a concious creature, and not a brick wall. Hurray for small miracles! Someone else tried to walk him and gave up, so if I don't do it and get him under control he'll be less likely to be adopted quickly.There's my incentive, the tug at my heart strings,the push to nudge me beyond my reluctance. Here I go again, into another adventure with a dog in need. I wonder how his story will unfold?
Our Happy youngster finally got adopted. I'm so glad, Happy Trails. Now I can stop feeling guilty that it is winter and I can't drive to town so much. Yes, I know there are other ones who also need me, a big black lab mix that has allready caught my eye, but I haven't started working with him, so my emotions are not quite so tangled up yet. It would be nice if I could foster dogs this time of year but unfortunately I'm not the only one in the household to make those decisions, so I do the best I can and hope that it makes a difference.
He came into my life, frightened and shell shocked. Something inexplicible drew me to him, perhaps the frozen, tentative look in his eyes. I walked him for awhile when he was at the shelter, but he really wasn't doing too well there. It was winter and cold, and the places we walked were icy and I'd slip and slide and barely catch myself. In the spring, when the quiet of winter began to give way, I asked if I could take him home and foster him. The policies had changed regarding fostering but a special exception was made. You see, the large blackish dogs don't usually get adopted very quickly as they are so seemingly common. He came home with me, and with a few frightening exceptions, fell easily into the comfort and routine of our home. He'd sleep under the porch and in various spots, like up against the outside wall of my art studio when the window was open so he could see and hear me, making a dugout little nest for himself. I put a dog bed on the floor next to my bed and he'd sleep there tucked into the corner, in a spot easy for me to pet him if either of us got upset in the middle of the night. Our little gentle routines went on for months. walking, patrolling the property, riding in the car, walking in town. Then one day, 6 months after I brought him home. Six months after figuring out he would be the one, the second one who would fit into our family and stay with us, each protecting the other. I was standing on the corner of the street talking to a friend who was tending her plot in our community garden. I saw a handsome couple looking at us from across the street, my friend and I talked some more, but the couple kept looking in our direction and eventually walked over towards us. My dogs greeted them and then the man said to me" Is that your dog?" " and I says " I got him from the humane society" trying to be coy, and he says"that's my dog, I lost him 7 months ago" and he called out the dogs real name, and with that the dog jumped into his arms and started licking his face all over, the man petting him, moved almost to tears by the event. I could tell he really loved the dog and the dog who had initially been afraid of men sure wasn't afraid of him. I grudgingly exchanged phone numbers with him and told him to contact the shelter as I was still officially fostering him. He called right away,but his circumstances had changed from when he lost the dog and his family was now in an apartment that didn't take pets so he wondered if I could continue to keep him until he could make arrangements which I agreed to as I was attached to him and not ready to give him up. I'd done this a hundred times before, helped a dog along, enjoyed them in the moment, and then was happy to see them go to good homes, but this one was diferent. He touched something in me, but as soon as he saw his former family and the 2 young boys he had known from puppyhood, his allegiances switched. He always seemed a little sad and lonely during the time I had him, like he was pining for someone. I'd take him around town for walks and we'd run into the wife and kids and we'd stop and visit and he'd want to jump in the car with them and look at me like" why are you holding me back from my happiness?" The first time the 5 year old saw the dog his heart was torn. After our visit,his mom said "go say goodbye to the dog" and his little 5 year old self couldn't comprehend the whole situation so he crossed his arms and got sad and pouty and refused to hug the dog, feeling maybe like" he left us a long time ago and broke our hearts and now he's back, but going away again with a stranger, and you want me to hug him and get attached again?" I looked at the parents and said"this isn't easy for any of us, including the dog" We saw them a few more times after that, more confusion, and then after about a month they came and got the dog. The whole situation was so bittersweet for me. They loved the dog, I loved the dog. The dog loved them and wanted to go back to them. So once again as had happened 10 years ago when I first started volunteering, I was heartbroken, left in the lurch, caught up in a complicated situation I really didn't seem to have any control over
Took Dash out for a good 40 minutes today, cooold so cooold. I had to wear long johns and a scarf. He was happy to be out. The funny thing about running with dogs is that they don't realize, that you can't keep up with them. I was trying, at about one fourth his speed and it was an effort to keep the leash in my hands and my feet on the ground. It must have looked hilarious to outsiders, this woman basically, "parasailing with dog" I saw 3 separate frozen banana peels on the ground, what's up with that? People getting their winter potassium or something. One of them looked really cool, it was a deep caramel color. It must have been there a long time, frozen and stuck in place. Poor Dash, he's really doing well but when I go to put him back in his kennel, he sits on my feet so I can't open the door, and then he won't let me put him in and get back out without mouthing my jacket as if to say " don't leave me here, I don't want to go back in there" he never hurts me, it's more like he is just pointing out in the best way possible to me, what he wants. The general public doesn't always understand this, and often see him as overexcited and mouthy which is why he hasn't been adopted yet, but he is just fine the further away from the shelter we get, and with more repeated walks and training. He's really quite smart and charming and looks back at me a lot, and I tell him how good he is and his body language is all" I'm doing good" in a wiggly excited way.
I am a ceramic and fiber artist living in the country, with a husband, and rescue Aussie Shepherd dog,occasional foster dogs.I garden organically using permacuture and food forest techniques, make food from scratch, make as many of the material things in my life myself, by hand;everything from clothing, jewelry, home accessories, food etc.,I am interested in aesthetics good, simple, quality forms and items that seem hard to come by in this mass produced world. Authenticity, quality, and truth in design and relationship is what I seek. I am a big proponent of g.i.g.o(garbage in garbage out)I strive for high quality and philosophical ideals and am curious to know how others define and create the nature of their life's journey. My current passions are; Big History,Economics and sustainable living, a kind of Gaia Economics as I refer to it is what intrigues me. Permaculture, Back to Eden Garden, Hugelculture, nordic skiing, hiking, bicycle touring and spiritual seeking.
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