This is probably the longest I've gone without posting to my blog, ever.
Where to start? Nothing earth shattering to report. Just too busy dealing in the real world and a broken camera doesn't help.
I've had my first foster failure. As you might know, I've been fostering German Shepherds since last December. I've met some incredible dogs and have learned so much in both dog and human behavior. I am humbled.
My first failure was Cara, my seventh foster dog since December. She came from a really hard background. No family, living in an outdoor kennel for the past few years at a pet "sanctuary" which was busted by officials. In the beginning of August she was transported to me from Kentucky.
And oh boy, did I have my work cut out for me. She needed to relearn that people are good. She needed to learn how to use stairs. She needed to learn she had a name. She needed to learn the word "come". She needed to learn how not jump up on the dining room table at dinnertime.....She needed learn my carpet wasn't her potty space.
All that I could deal with.
It was the attack on my sweet boy, Teiko, to the point of serious wounds to his legs and face, when I realized, "Holy crap, I'm totally out of my league!"
To make a long story short, I had to keep her for a few more weeks as there was no other place to send her. That meant we always had to keep her separated from Teiko in different rooms, separate walks, separate potty time, etc. ALWAYS.
Finally, she was moved to a great home with a professional trainer who could help this girl. And within a few weeks, she had found her forever home.
The moral of this story:
Even with all of Cara's issues, she really touched me. She needed a friend. And that I could do.
I was able to show her that humans can be kind and good. And she, bless her, believed. I will always remember how she would come up to me, stick her snout between my arm and side and just stand absolutely still and calm, breathing me while I lovingly stroked her.
I'd tell her what a great dog she was. And then she'd look me in the eye and give me a tentative but sweet kiss on the cheek. I could see the potential in this dog.
I hear you are not suppose to "humanize" your experience with animals. But damn, I think it's the animals who teach us how to be human.
Teiko vom Streicher received the highly-coveted Yooper Work Ethic Certificate this past weekend in Michigan’s Upper Pennisula. Dogs of only the highest working caliber are considered for the prestigious certification. Vom Streicher nailed a perfect score of 100 points by assisting his handlers, Todd Streicher and Jon Alvarez, by spreading over 1,000 lbs of sand in under two hours, a feat never previously matched. International Judge Wedekind announced Teiko Vom Streicher the most “dedicated, focused and handsome German Shepherd Dog” she’s ever had the pleasure to watch in action!
