I took nine dogs out to the pasture for a run this afternoon. The rain had stopped and the sky was even clearing a bit as the sun was setting. That was everyone except Holly, who stayed with her puppies. I'm not sure when, or if, I've had that many dogs together out there. They ran around a lot, but they also stuck around me pretty close. I walked the trails and almost always had four to six of them very nearby. Della and Elvis were the most independent but they showed up from time to time as well.
Someone recently suggested or requested that I do a blog post showing all the dogs and distinguishing the permanent residents from the fosters. That last part is a difficult because the line is somewhat fluid as you will see.
I'll start with Maya, who is simultaneously the most senior female of the group, and also daddy's little girl. She barely shows up in these pictures because her color so closely matches the golden grass and she is shorter than much of it. Maya started out as a foster here many years ago. But she was impossible to contain and I feared for her life if she had been adopted into a suburban environment in northern Virginia where we were placing most of our shepherd fosters in those days. In the process of socializing her, I bonded with her as much as she bonded with me.
Next we have Max, another senior dog. I'm not sure if he or Maya is older. Max appears older, but he's a larger dog. We adopted Max because I didn't think he'd have a successful adoption with anyone else. His looks attracted a lot of interest, but Max is autistic and he doesn't have a lot of normal dog behaviors or skills. He has learned to fit in around here, however, and we've adapted to him as well.
Della doesn't require much introduction. She also started off as a foster, three years ago, when she was pregnant with 12 Great Dane puppies. We helped her raise her puppies and sent them off to their own homes, but Della stayed with us. She liked it here and we pretty much do what Della wants.
Elvis is where the line between resident dog and foster gets a little bit fuzzy. Elvis came to us when a woman went into a nursing home and her caretakers needed to place her animals. We don't technically "own" Elvis, but we do as much as anyone does. We could adopt him out, but the little fucker has kind of wormed his way in like he intends to stay. Not unlike Della. Smart money would bet on Elvis staying here, but good luck finding anyone who would take that bet.
That brings us to Paisley. Paisley was adopted out from Green Dogs as a puppy. It didn't prove to be a great home and they eventually returned her, although they should have done so at least a year sooner. She's very distrusting and even fearful of people, especially men, and she is prone to chase and nip at other dogs, in a not altogether playful manner. Her social skills suck and she could be a bite risk in the wrong situation. She has grown to love me, but she is still distrustful and fearful at times. She was almost feral when she first came to us. I don't think Paisley is adoptable unless an angelic unicorn adopter comes along. But she's been here long enough, and come along with me far enough, that I can't see euthanizing her.
Here's the thing about Paisley, she was closest to me for more time out there today than any other dog, even Maya. She was always a step behind me and I'd often feel her nose on my leg or hand. Draw your own conclusions.
Starting off those who are clearly fosters is Cooper. He came to us from another rescue group, The HOWS Project. I can't say too much about Cooper yet because I hurt my back shortly after he arrived so we haven't been able to hike. He's a nice guy though. He plays with the puppy, Kash, comes when called, and he's good in a crate. That has been a big help to me through the wet weather and my period of relative disability. He's a big, good looking dog. I have mistakenly called him Trooper and Theo at various times since he arrived. If you remember those two, that's high praise for Cooper.
Kash is a puppy and he's sweet but he needs to go soon, and he's due to be adopted within the next week. He's pretty easy as a foster, he adores Cooper and follows him everywhere like he did Kinley before she was adopted. He needs a role model and an adopter to begin working with him. His prospective adopter sounds like a good one and I'm ready for it to happen. There's nothing wrong with him, he's just a puppy.
Leo is another foster that I haven't had much of a chance to do anything with yet because of my back. He's been sharing Daneland with Cooper and Kash during the days and he's occupying a crate in the kitchen next to Cooper at night. He's also a puppy but not as wild as Kash. Leo is a Pyrenees/Anatolian/Maremma mix. He's tall and will be quite big when filled out. He will need an adopter who is prepared to take on a livestock guardian dog. Leo will be a spectacular looking dog as soon as he's dry enough to brush out and fluff up that tail.
Our most recent arriving foster is Kaiya. Yesterday she was scared and I never even saw her tail because it was always tucked so tightly under her. She was a different dog this morning, happy to be here, and doing her best to bond with me as quickly as possible. That quick forming bond is another reason I'm inclined to label her as a shepherd mix rather than a husky mix. She was good in the crate last night and has been fine indoors all day. I don't usually take a brand new foster out to the yard or the pasture off leash, but I did with Kaiya today.
Numbers 10-17 of course are Holly and her puppies. Holly is the sweetest girl imaginable and really wants someone's love and attention. She's going to make a wonderful dog for whoever adopts her and I understand that applications for her have already come in.
That's my canine census for the start of 2023. Here are some more pictures from the pasture run today. I was amazed how often so many of the dogs were in such close proximity to one another and to me. There were no problems though; everyone seemed to understand that they were out there to have a good time.
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