Here’s a little about me and my dogs…
I have loved dogs since my first dog Pinky when I was 7. Pinky was Whippet and was a precious creature that I adored. I knew that as soon as I was able to I wanted to own my own dog. What I didn’t envisage was me owning – or more caring for, 4 dogs…
The last 10 years of my life have been filled with four wonderful rescue dogs that I rescued over the course of 7 months. Stella, the Great Dane cross who was born deaf, Cody, a Dalmation cross also born deaf and their hearing-abled mates Kara, a Border Collie cross and Lucy a Staffy cross. It was a great combination because the hearing dogs helped the deaf dogs. They were a strong pack of characters and no issues with dominant personalities. I’m pretty sure the deaf dogs didn’t know they were deaf and I treated them as such. I researched how to look after them so I knew the main issues but generally they were both easy to look after. Stella had everyone convinced she was the boss from her pure size but as a lot of big dogs are, she was a gentle soul. Cody does react to some noise (mainly my sneezes) and stares wondering at the birds in the sky. Kara is the ultimate guard dog with one eye permanently open, usually camped out where she has the best view to look out for intruders… or birds, or other dogs, or lizards… well, you get my drift. Miss Lucy is exactly like her names sake from “I Love Lucy” she has these big eyes and she is the best actress, performing for cooing noises and pats.
For the first 8 years of their lives they lived on a farm. They were fenced in the house property which was about an acre in size. However, I walked them every day. In the beginning I split them up and walked two at a time but often the two behind would escape and join me. Eventually I gave in and walked all four of them. The first few minutes were always interesting with Cody, Lucy and Kara wanting to bound ahead and Stella, the gentle giant, walking by my side. Since I had four dogs I kept them on short leads, I’m not tall and something about physics must have sunk in and I felt I could manage better on shorter leads. Combined they were my weight, and some, but really as a new dog owner I felt I was lucky and I think for the most part they taught me how to walk them and eventually I put all the training books aside and just felt my way. I suppose I was a daunting image – this short women and her four large dogs – most people moved to the other side of the road.