My buddy Balto!
work it out
I trained a new dog walker today. She’s taking over for me at the beginning of next week with two of my favorite dogs, Dizzy and Fergie. I love all the dogs that I walk but these two are really special.
They’re both rescue dogs. Dizzy is this medium sized fluffy dog. He’s a keeshond. GOD, he is adorable. When I walk in the door he runs around the apartment to find a toy. Once he finds one, he runs back to me then slowly walks around in a circle, shaking his tail. It’s almost like he’s saying “look what I’ve got, it’s pretty great”. His breath stinks and when he sees a squirrel, his bark is shrill and horrific. But MAN, I love that dog.
And then there’s Fergie. Fergie is a tiny little mixed terrier. Before she was brought into the shelter, her back left leg was broken and never healed correctly. It was never amputated so it just dangles there when she walks now. She’s not in any pain because of it. And boy, does she get around! After our walks, she’ll run in the door and run from one end of the apartment to the other. She completely loses her mind! It’s the cutest thing ever.
Fergie and I bonded the first day I met her. She was very afraid of people so she came off as really aggressive. I was by myself when I met her and that really freaked her out. She wouldn’t let me get anywhere near her at first. I would make a move to come towards her and she would run to a different spot or hide behind a different piece of furniture. Until finally, she sat on top of the couch. I sat down on the couch and put my hand out. She sniffed it and growled.
I don’t know why I did this because I would never do it again with any other dog. I quickly grabbed her and held her very tight. At that point, I don’t think she really knew what to do so she just went with it. I held her, pet her and told her that everything was fine in a really calm voice. She’s loved me ever since!
It’s dogs like Fergie that make me want to continue working with animals on a more intimate level. Dogs like her make me want to teach the world about the importance of rescuing animals from shelters! I want to connect with all different types of animals and help them be the perfect pet for a deserving family.
