The good life

Samson is a big, sweet, goofy shepherd. He's living the good life in Richmond with an owner that makes him the center of her world. She's a nurse and sometimes works long shifts, but has found an "adventure walker" for him on those days. This guy takes Samson and his other clients on a good long hike, a swim, and then washes them off before returning them home.

It sounds like fun, and a great business idea too. I'm thinking about it, as I'm still unemployed, although I may be getting some fairly steady work from LexisNexis again starting in September.

Email from Tippy's new home brought news that she had passed her Canine Good Citizen test. They are now going to do something called "Delta Dog" and she says: "She is just as sweet and I thought she would be, I love her and want to share her sweet temperament with other folks that can’t have dogs. "

Samantha went home from last Sunday's adoption event in Gainesville. It is a really great home and she has a doberman playmate. Her new owner writes:

"She has been great--very agreeable & nice & even-tempered. She & the Doberman are good buddies already & we take lots of walks around the woods & yard. I have kept Terra on a leash when we go for frequent walks & she has been fine with that. She is eating & drinking just fine. She goes into her crate when I ask her to & she likes getting a biscuit when I close the door. She enjoys the squeaky & plush toys. I think we are all going to get along great. She is a real sweetie."

I had a phone call last night from Sassy's new home. She is extremely attached to the father who is retired and home with her all the time. They are setting limits so her attachment doesn't become an obsession. In addition to a boatload of physical ailments, German Shepherds are poster children for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Excessive attachment can lead to aggression if the dog decides that he or she wants no one else near that person. That was the problem with Hercules and quite a few other shepherds who weren't as lucky as Herc. Let's hope that Sassy and her new owners can get a handle on it before it gets out of control. A very big thing they've got going for them is a beautiful home in the country with lots of walking, running, and swimming. A good amount of physical exercise should keep the dog busy and tired so that she doesn't have time or energy to devote to obsessive behavior.

Sable is a rescue rottweiler who has taken up therapy work at a retirement home. Sable has a persistent recurring problem with perianal fistulas, but is lucky to have a home where she is both loved and extremely well cared for. Rotties are wonderful therapists because they will sit, lean, and let anyone pet them, in any manner, for hours. When she's not working, Sable likes to sing along when her dad plays the piano. Our Jack was also a singer. When he heard something high pitched like a harmonica, he would sit, throw back his head, and sing unabashedly.