VA Dog Rescue: Daisy's first hike

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Daisy's first hike

Daisy (left) and Maya (right)

The weather was crappy again today and I didn't get out until 4:30, so it was a short, two mile hike, but it was Daisy's first so that was alright. I walked Maya and Daisy together, because Maya had to go and I wanted to ensure a continuation of the good relationship between the two girls.

The girls got along fine but they
didn't walk close enough together
for many photo ops.

The story on Daisy is that she was kept in a small backyard pen, so I don't know when, if ever, she had walked like we did today. She enjoyed it and she wasn't bad on the leash, at least not when we were moving.

She is slowly warming up to me. We see her smiling quite a bit now and she's spent time with most of the dogs around here now. She spent much of the day up in my office with Maya, Trooper, Vince, Gigi, and myself. Leash walking a dog is a great way to build a relationship and gain the dog's trust, and she needed the exercise at least as much as Maya and I did.

Maya in her new harness.

I didn't get many face shots of Daisy
because she was always looking
ahead, on down the trail.

She had been described to me as "aloof", meaning that she's not going to immediately be your best friend. My Gypsy was that way too, when we first got her. She had also been kept in a backyard pen and hadn't ever really developed that bond with a human. It took a while, but she got there and when she did she was the most bonded, loyal, and protective dog I've ever had. Daisy's adopter will need to earn her trust, but she's willing to do her part. I need to find her a home soon, adopter or foster, because I've got another shepherd coming in on Saturday and the house is filling up.