My friend Allison and I have been volunteering at K-9 Stray Rescue League in Oxford Township on Friday afternoons this summer.
Interacting with so many dogs, and seeing so many dogs interact with one another, has been a dream for me.
I can't make it this weekend — my sister and I are taking her two little boys on a camping trip — but during the past few Fridays, I've made quite a few dog friends at K-9.
Here are some of the dogs I've walked and befriended: (scroll to bottom to view video)
Big dog: Duchess
Duchess appears to be a purebred Rottweiler, about 6-years-old. She looooooves humans.
During our walk, she wasn't really that interested in walking. It was pretty hot. She went directly for every shady spot in our route and promptly plopped herself down. Soon after, you could bet she was on her back begging for a belly rub.
She was very affectionate with me and very much the alert watchdog you expect Rottweilers to be. You can see, in the video, as her eyes flick toward any sound or movement to make sure she's keeping abreast of all things taking place around her. She wasn't necessarily reacting to any of that stimuli — like, cars going by or leaves rustling on the trees — but she was aware of every last bit of it.
In the kennel, she can be dog aggressive. A note on her adoption profile said she has done well with other dogs in a foster environment, but careful introductions are necessary.
Duchess is an absolutely beautiful Rottweiler who would do best being an only dog. She is super affectionate and sweet and really needs a home where someone can lavish upon her lots of affection and creature comforts.
Blue-eyed beauty: Ice
Ice is a very unusual looking dog, between 2-3 years old and weighing in at about 60 pounds.
She has clear blue beautiful eyes, but is not blind.
K-9 volunteers have her listed as a Catahoula Leopard Dog mix.
She reminds me a bit of my own dog because, like Sensi, she has a deep, broad chest leading back to a tiny little hiny. Cuteness.
Her adoption profile says she can be a little dominant when first meeting other dogs. I'm not sure about this, at least when it comes to males. I saw her play with an adult male dog last Friday and, upon first meeting, she was very submissive and appeasing to him. They made fast friends.
With female dogs, it could be a different story. Unfortunately, I can't say I know.
She is not good with cats, though.
Ice is recovering from a nasty gash on her back. She had her stitches out last Friday, July 29, and is doing quite well.
Shaggy dog: Kane
Kane is an adorably shaggy medium-sized terrier full of spunk. He is energetic and true to his terrier self in terms of playfulness.
If you're looking for a dog who will never grow old — at least, not in terms of behavior — this is the guy. Terriers tend to be playful dogs for life, no matter their age, and I bet Kane will continue being laughably playful well into his senior citizen years (he is a young dog now, but not sure of his exact age).
He literally bounces around, his little body scrunching up with every big bouncy step he takes.
He's a small dog, about 35 pounds, so his tendency to pull a bit didn't wear on my arm. He's a featherweight on the other end of the leash.
They say he's mouthy and would be better suited for a family with older kids because of it.
I say that because he's a terrier, he's bound to be a quick learner. Use a mix of toys and treats to reinforce good behaviors, ignore the bad ones and don't give him opportunities to mess up, and in no time, you'll have yourself a wonderfully jovial and fun-loving companion.
Small dog: Shelly
Shelly's dream home is with people who can spend a lot of time with her and give her lots of affection.
She is between 1-2 years old, 30 pounds and could be a mix of shepherd, terrier or even beagle — she kind of has the shape and size of a beagle, but the coat of a shepherd.
Shelly recently had a litter, but will be or has been fixed since arriving at K-9.
You can hear her whine a bit in the video. She has some anxiety and I'm quite sure it's attachment anxiety — she wants to be with you. I noted absolutely no fear issues, so it's not that. In fact, she seems like a very affable, outgoing little girl. She is affectionate and a home where people have lots of time to spend with her will make her a very happy little dog.
Oh yeah, one last thing: She's a frog-dogger (see how she's laying? She's in motion, splaying her legs out directly behind her. That's a sign of a dog that is free of hip problems, good thing to note!)
Interacting with so many dogs, and seeing so many dogs interact with one another, has been a dream for me.
I can't make it this weekend — my sister and I are taking her two little boys on a camping trip — but during the past few Fridays, I've made quite a few dog friends at K-9.
Here are some of the dogs I've walked and befriended: (scroll to bottom to view video)
Big dog: Duchess
 |
| See Duchess' Adoption Profile |
During our walk, she wasn't really that interested in walking. It was pretty hot. She went directly for every shady spot in our route and promptly plopped herself down. Soon after, you could bet she was on her back begging for a belly rub.
She was very affectionate with me and very much the alert watchdog you expect Rottweilers to be. You can see, in the video, as her eyes flick toward any sound or movement to make sure she's keeping abreast of all things taking place around her. She wasn't necessarily reacting to any of that stimuli — like, cars going by or leaves rustling on the trees — but she was aware of every last bit of it.
In the kennel, she can be dog aggressive. A note on her adoption profile said she has done well with other dogs in a foster environment, but careful introductions are necessary.
Duchess is an absolutely beautiful Rottweiler who would do best being an only dog. She is super affectionate and sweet and really needs a home where someone can lavish upon her lots of affection and creature comforts.
Blue-eyed beauty: Ice
Ice is a very unusual looking dog, between 2-3 years old and weighing in at about 60 pounds.
She has clear blue beautiful eyes, but is not blind.
K-9 volunteers have her listed as a Catahoula Leopard Dog mix.
 |
| See Ice's Adoption Profile |
Her adoption profile says she can be a little dominant when first meeting other dogs. I'm not sure about this, at least when it comes to males. I saw her play with an adult male dog last Friday and, upon first meeting, she was very submissive and appeasing to him. They made fast friends.
With female dogs, it could be a different story. Unfortunately, I can't say I know.
She is not good with cats, though.
Ice is recovering from a nasty gash on her back. She had her stitches out last Friday, July 29, and is doing quite well.
Shaggy dog: Kane
 |
| See Kane's Adoption Profile |
If you're looking for a dog who will never grow old — at least, not in terms of behavior — this is the guy. Terriers tend to be playful dogs for life, no matter their age, and I bet Kane will continue being laughably playful well into his senior citizen years (he is a young dog now, but not sure of his exact age).
He literally bounces around, his little body scrunching up with every big bouncy step he takes.
He's a small dog, about 35 pounds, so his tendency to pull a bit didn't wear on my arm. He's a featherweight on the other end of the leash.
They say he's mouthy and would be better suited for a family with older kids because of it.
I say that because he's a terrier, he's bound to be a quick learner. Use a mix of toys and treats to reinforce good behaviors, ignore the bad ones and don't give him opportunities to mess up, and in no time, you'll have yourself a wonderfully jovial and fun-loving companion.
Small dog: Shelly
Shelly's dream home is with people who can spend a lot of time with her and give her lots of affection.
 |
| See Shelly's Adoption Profile |
Shelly recently had a litter, but will be or has been fixed since arriving at K-9.
You can hear her whine a bit in the video. She has some anxiety and I'm quite sure it's attachment anxiety — she wants to be with you. I noted absolutely no fear issues, so it's not that. In fact, she seems like a very affable, outgoing little girl. She is affectionate and a home where people have lots of time to spend with her will make her a very happy little dog.
Oh yeah, one last thing: She's a frog-dogger (see how she's laying? She's in motion, splaying her legs out directly behind her. That's a sign of a dog that is free of hip problems, good thing to note!)
Watch video of Duchess, Ice, Kane and Shelly
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