Good news - we have had several dogs who were adopted over the last few weeks including Bella, Wrigley, Shelley, and finally Thor! They all have wonderful homes and we now have some new hounds to love. I will be at the shelter this weekend, so I will post an update after I have a chance to interact with the newbies!
If you want to see video of Thor on his underwater treadmill, you can check him out at
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4330297174102000075&hl=en
It’s about a 40 second video clip and worth it to watch this big guy in action!
(Janina)
I just wanted to post these pictures of Thor in physical therapy. Here he is on the underwater treadmill. What a trooper! You gotta love this dog!
This is an older photo, but I thought you might like to see Thor’s usual position. He LOVES to get his belly rubbed - probably more than even your average dog - which is a lot! So, under normal circumstances, as soon as you pet his head, give him abour 10-15 seconds and he will be laying on his side to get his belly rubbed. If you don’t believe me, go to Petsmart next time he is there - probably this weekend…you can test the theory for yourself.
If you have ever played with puppies, then you know it is addicitive - probably more so than cigarettes or caffeine. I mean once you get a little taste of it, you just don’t want to stop. I played with these new pups this weekend until they were too pooped to play anymore and they all laid down for naps. They have several more weeks before they can be adopted. They have a long way to go to be house trained - their little bladders cannot hold it in very long! Linda is working on a foster home where they can get lots of attention and get crate trained. Keep checking back with us for updates on their status. The picture above is Houston - I am serious, I could not stop taking pictures because they were so darn cute!
For a chubby guy, Buddy has boundless energy. He is losing weight and looks better every time I see him. I took him for a nice long walk this weekend - he needs regular exercise to keep his metabolism up so he can burn off the excess calories. It’s the beginning of love bug season and Buddy sure loves those love bugs. He was jumping and chasing one of the love bugs in a furious attempt to catch it - and he succeeed like you would expect of any good retriever. Buddy still has a little ways to go before he is healthy enough to be adopted. But if you are interested in a high energy, lovable guy, you’d better fill out your application now - he is so sweet that I am sure he will be adopted quickly.
You can’t force a large dog to do anything he doesn’t want to do - especially is he is Thor’s size. You have to try & outsmart them. Big dogs often look block-headed. This is not the case with Thor and outsmarting him is harder than it seems. He likes the fresh air and always wants to be in the outdoor part of his kennel. I was on my way out, heading home - I needed to close the little doggie door. But that meant that I needed to get Thor to come inside. I tried caling his name - no good, he knows better. I tried to give him a treat but he was fast enough to grab it and get out the door before I could close it. I tried getting inside his kennel and offering to rub his belly - not a chance - he simply stuck his head inside to get some petting, but refused to bring his body all the way in. I tried another treat - no way - this time he laid down outside and draped his head through the little doorway to get the treat, but would not even stand or sit up for the snack. This guy knew all my tricks before I knew them. I finally gave up and let him have his way, so he could be outside for the evening if he wanted. No doubt, as soon as I left, he probably sauntered inside and fell asleep on his bedding. I went home and wondered how a dog had outsmarted me. Anyway, if you want a smart, funny, loveable dog - please think about Thor. He is truly terrific.
I attempted to play fetch with Shelley and Lex because I knew Lex loves to Fetch. But, I threw the ball once and Shelley ran and snatched it too fast for Lex. She brought it back, but only to tease me. She had it clenched so tight in her teeth and she refused to left it go. I thought we would just play tug of war for a bit, but when she thought i might actually want it back, she quickly ran off with it and went into her kennel in an effort to hide it. So, I had to go inside to retrieve it while she wasn’t looking. Then I separated Lex so he could have a chance to play and he happily fetched the ball until he was tired. Then he just caught it and laid down with it in the grass - at which time, I took the ball away, because he likes to chew and swallow things he shouldn’t. Shelly and Lex are both terrific dogs. If you want one who plays fetch, Lex might be a good guy for you. If you aren’t stuck on a game of fetch, but want a very bright dog and one who is slightly smaller in size, Shelley might be a good option.
I played fetch with Hunter & Bella. Poor Bella could never get to the ball fast enough and Hunter was hogging it. He plays his own version of fetch which involves him cathcing the ball and bringing ot back toward you and then pretending like he is going to give it to you, but then he runs by and drops the ball in the dirt and tries to keep it from you. It’s more like “Fetch & Hide” or something. It’s really pretty funny to watch. I added a second ball so that poor Bella could participate. She loves it - she has boundless energy and would have played until she passed out, I am sure. But, I stopped her first.
I was at the shelter today and wanted to make mention that this little guy does know how to sit on command. It takes him a few minutes, because he is too excited to sit. But, he does do it! What a good, little boy!