I don't think we are required to be dog lovers in order to be members of this forum, but it almost seems universal here. Thanks to all of you that were supportive when I put my last dog down quite some time back. I was pretty reluctant to get another dog for a number of valid reasons, but I got involved with one this summer. She was a rescue from Pine Ridge Reservation and was living down at our National American University at the Vet Tech Program. They were so full of dogs, that they had Lena housed in a 2' x 4' kennel in a hallway.
This mutt was scared of her own shadow and had no idea how to behave around people. I started walking her daily and she seemed to begin to enjoy my company, even if I was not allowed to pet her. We moved up to having her spend afternoons at my house in the backyard running loose. To her that was a slice of heaven! Eventually, like I always do, I lost track of time one day and it was obvious that I would not get her back to the college in time, so I called to tell them it was going to be an "overnite" stay.
You see where this is going, right?
She is knee high, about 34 lbs. She has a 27" chest and a 14" waist (A real Barbie dog!). Her hindquarters have the definite curvature like you see in greyhounds and other sight hounds. Other than the blaze on her chest, she's pure black, but I doubt there is any black lab in her -- I just don't see it in her personality. She lives to run and be chased by other dogs. When they won't oblige, she "heels" them like a classic cattle dog.
She is still reserved around strangers, but about half the time she will allow a stranger to pet her. She is just a bit over a year old and still working thru a lot of puppy issues. The biggest thing I want to teach her is that she is allowed to "do her business" away from home. She has it in her head that she can only do that at home.
