The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: HappyHippy on August 26, 2013, 07:47:26 pm
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Some of you might remember that we sadly lost our German Shepherd, Boris, quite suddenly last summer aged just 10 (and some of you were even lucky enough to meet my big pal).
I hadn't felt ready to replace him until a wee while ago, so since the beginning of the summer I'd been looking for another dog.
Boris was a rescue dog, we got him when he was 9 months old and a skinny terrified wreak of an animal - it took almost a year for him to settle and it was worth every second because he became the most loyal and attentive dog I've ever owned (he was nicknamed the hairy babysitter and saved 2 of my kids from drowing ;)) so I wanted, very much, to help another rescue dog - one who needed a home and having owned a couple of GS's it couldn't be anything else.
Unfortunately German Shepherd Rescue Scotland wouldn't even come and do a home check :-\ They wouldn't rehome to me because I had kids under the age of 10 (despite it saying on their website they would, providing you'd had shepherds before) Our kids have never known life without a german shepherd and I reckoned we had a fairly good set up - plenty of space in the country, me home all day, previous experience of rehoming a troubled shepherd, reiki skills to help with emotional trauma/healing etc, but sadly they didn't seem to think so :'( (I even got Doganjo to try 'vouching' for me, but they were having none of it :-\)
So I almost resigned myself to finding a breeder and booking a puppy, all the time worrying about the dogs in 'care' who I could have helped and feeling not only guilty, but a little bit mad at the 'rescue' charity >:(
Anyway, I'm a big believer in fate :innocent: And on Thursday last week, we got 'the call' we ='d been waiting for - a 16 month old bitch, who had ended up back with the original breeder (after a spell in a cage in someones garage before being put on gumtree >:() I went to see her and just knew instantly that she was the next dog for me :love:
Lucy is a timid wee thing, incredibly skinny (definately less than 25Kg I reckon, the vet will confirm tomorrow) but has the kindest face and saddest eyes. She's settled in great with the kids and all the livestock (not too keen on our cats but they've lived with dogs before, so will just have to re-adjust to not being the bosses in the house anymore ::) :D) and it already feels like she's been here forever.
Here's a quick photo of her, expect updates on a regular basis ;) :innocent:
Karen :wave:
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Well, more fool the rescue place but it looks as though it was meant to be for Lucy :thumbsup: I'm really glad you've found each other :)
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She is a lovely looking dog and has definitely fallen on her feet this time. I am sure you will all be very happy together :thumbsup:
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What a beautiful girl, hope she settles in well.
We have a white shep named Daisy.
German Shepherd Rescue Scotland gave us a home check and decided that our fences were too low. We had five GSD's living here for years and not once did any of them go over the fence, two of them were rescues from down south.
Such a shame when dogs miss out on a good potential home.
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She is a pretty girl. Dent look too skinny by the piccie but I like to see them very lean rather than a pack of lard ;)
Look forward to reading how she develops in her new home. You couldn't choose a better breed ( not that I'm bias at all :innocent: ;D )
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Beautiful!!! I hope you have many many happy years together!!
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She's lovely Karen. I'm looking forward to meeting her :dog: Lucky Lucy :thumbsup:
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congrats, shes gorgeous. wev tried to get a rescue terrier but couldnt as we have young children so had to get a puppy. gsd are ace.
how did your dog save your kids from drowning?
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup: She is just lovely - so glad you found each other xx
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Awwww wow! She is lovely , I have three gsd.
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so nice to see a dog getting a second chance to be with a proper family and to be loved
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She's lovely :love:
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how did your dog save your kids from drowning?
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
When my kids were 2 and a half and 1 year old we were going for a walk (up our own track road), Rebecca ran on ahead with Boris and me and the little one were playing catch-up. All of a sudden I heard Boris barking (he very seldom barked) so picked up the wee one and ran round the corner (they were only about 20 yards away from me - but I couldn't see them past the garage) There was Rebecca trying to go through the gate towards the mill pond, Boris was in front of her barking and pushing her back with his nose - there was no way he was letting her through :innocent:
The second time we'd gone to Lanark Loch with the kids. dog and grandparents. The playpark there gently slopes towards the loch (which isn't deep at the edges anyway) I'd left the kids with their dad and grandparents and started walking the dog round the loch when I heard a shout..... Kaitlin had started running towards the loch and no-one could catch up with her because she was gathering speed on the incline. I was 200 yards away and would never have made it back to her so 'sent' Boris who put himself between Kaitlin and the loch, she crashed into him and fell down - giving her grandma time to catch up with her :relief:
He used to come and 'cry' when the kids were misbehaving or doing something they shouldn't and he hated it when they used to fight - he'd put himself between them, kinda like a big barracade :thumbsup: He also used to chaperone the little piglets when they snuck out through the fences to explore - he'd stay with them til he decided they'd been out long enough, then usher them back through the fence to mum :thumbsup:
She is a pretty girl. Dent look too skinny by the piccie but I like to see them very lean rather than a pack of lard ;)
Oh she's really skinny Mammyshaz :'( I think the long hair covers a multitude of sins :-\ I can see every rib through the hair, feel every muscle on her legs and even the vertibrae in her spine.......if she was short haired or wet you'd get a better idea of her build - it's not good :'( I agree that they're better to be lean than fat - but poor Lucy is verging on emaciated.
Thanks everyone for your kind comments, I'll keep you all posted with how she's getting on :)
Karen x
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ahh, boris, what a star. :thumbsup:
my gsd knows if im upset and will come straight over and give me her paw. i think they understand alot more than we give them credit for.
we go rowing on our pond and our gsd comes with us. she loves the water and always tries to grab the oars which makes me cross as she crunches them with her teeth. last week there were too many weeds to row properly and when she grabbed the oars as usual i just let her. what she did for the next hour impressed me so much. she grabbed the oars and literally towed the boat along repeatedly from one side other over and over again. i think thats whats shes been trying to do all along. mega impressed now :love:
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If you can see the ribs they are too thin; if you can't feel them they're too fat. If you can feel them without a layer of fat on top they are fine. And that goes for sight hounds too. Too thin and they are susceptible to any bugs going. Too fat and they are susceptible to obesity problems like us.
Glad Lucy has settled in, look forward to meeting her sometime soon. :excited:
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If you can see the ribs they are too thin; if you can't feel them they're too fat. If you can feel them without a layer of fat on top they are fine.
I cannot see or feel my ribs :innocent:
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She looks super. Have fun with her. ;D
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If you can see the ribs they are too thin; if you can't feel them they're too fat. If you can feel them without a layer of fat on top they are fine.
I cannot see or feel my ribs :innocent:
Ha ha, me neither :-[ :-[
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We did get our GS from GSR but it makes me mad that there's a great home going and so many dogs needing home - and you've had them before - what more do they want!! Than again Lucy is the winner in all of this so I say lucky her and I hope she brings you as much joy and love as Sasha does for me. :hug:
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If you can see the ribs they are too thin; if you can't feel them they're too fat. If you can feel them without a layer of fat on top they are fine.
I cannot see or feel my ribs :innocent:
Ha ha, me neither :-[ :-[
me neither.
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If you can see the ribs they are too thin; if you can't feel them they're too fat. If you can feel them without a layer of fat on top they are fine.
I cannot see or feel my ribs :innocent:
Ha ha, me neither :-[ :-[
me neither.
Nor me :innocent:
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If you can see the ribs they are too thin; if you can't feel them they're too fat. If you can feel them without a layer of fat on top they are fine.
I cannot see or feel my ribs :innocent:
Ha ha, me neither :-[ :-[
me neither.
Nor me :innocent:
I have often wished that someone like me would take as much care about being able to feel my ribs as I do about being able to feel the ribs of my dogs ;) ::)
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She is a lovely looking dog and has definitely fallen on her feet this time. I am sure you will all be very happy together :thumbsup:
Aww, Karen - you gotta post that head-on-foot pic :)
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Lucy is beautiful :love:
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Aww, Karen - you gotta post that head-on-foot pic :)
You mean this one Sally ? ;)
On day one she was right by my feet and from day 2 she's been on my feet :love:
The bottom one was taken while I was working on my computer, heard a wee voice whispering "I love you" and looked round to see Jessica with Lucy - soooooo adorable :love: We've all missed having a dog in the house, it feels like home again :)
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:love: :love: so pleased for you all. There are so many rescue dogs out there waiting for a forever home. Really do not understand the GS rescue you tried originally though. I agree that a home is not a home without a dog in it.
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Sounds like it was meant to be - very happy for all of you. Sometimes wonder about rescue centres.
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Excellent - she looks as though she's been there for years :thumbsup: