Welcome to the

My dogs have taught me volumes about dog training, and behavior, and patience.  My furry kids are just that... they're members of my family... they go visiting with me, I schedule playdates for them, they're groomed regularly so that they're pretty, they're taught manners so that they're accepted when I take them out in public... they even have their own medical insurance. It's estimated that 95% of all dogs that become sheltered are there for lack of training -- a problem that's magnified when combined with giant size.  The inclusion of behavioral information is an attempt to help keep these dogs in their homes, rather than have them be re-homed or destroyed, if possible.  If you have a dog with a behavioral problem, there is help available!

I used to say that Zoe's "not the brightest bulb in the box" {grin}... but recently, she's proven to me that she is much more intelligent than I thought she was -- she's been paying attention to what I was trying to teach her... she just didn't feel it was necessary to prove herself. lol  Zoe came to me from an abusive situation... her former owners "only beat her when it was necessary", and she was fear aggressive as a result.  Her early learning was neglected, and there was a huge sacrifice of trust in humans.  Zoe is a living example of what patience and the right methods can do... she loves everyone and everything, and is a shining example of what a St. Bernard is supposed to be.

Rody is a herding mix puppy (possibly some Sheltie and GSD) who was tossed out a car window in Southern Indiana, like a piece of trash.  Whatever his mix, he's added lots of interest to our herd here at home, and we all love him.  He herds the Saints, he herds the cat, he herds people, he herds food bowls... lol.  He's teaching me about the usefulness of herding!  Rody is incredibly smart, and incredibly fast, with lots of little built-in quirks for me to play with, in training!  He tends to be reactive in situations involving strangers and/or strange dogs, and his speed makes him a real challenge to my training skills, as he tends to redirect his aggression to the other dogs, rather than to the object of his aggression.

I found Popeye playing in the street one day, a fuzzy little ball of black fur, still with his milk teeth.  I think he's either black lab/Irish Setter mix, or a flat-coated retriever.  Popeye and Rody are collectively called my "Demon-Spawn Idiot Dogs"... they are heathenish boys, and don't often weigh consequences before acting. lol  Popeye tends toward resource guarding... location guarding in particular, and also, to a smaller degree, object guarding.  These are common forms of resource guarding, and I'll need to stay on top of this for Popeye's lifetime.

Yes, I'm still working with rescue... on a much smaller scale than I use to, and primarily as a behavior counselor.  As a Rescue Volunteer, my main goals are to find loving, caring, RESPONSIBLE homes for the existing orphans, but also to break the cycle of the Rescued dog, and put myself out of a job -- this is the purpose behind the spay & neuter provision.  All dogs placed through me are altered before placement, unless age or health preclude this... and then, they are only placed under the strictest guidelines.  I don't WANT to have to drive 200 miles to pick up an 18 month old female who has less than 12 hours to live unless I intervene. I don't WANT to have to drive 200 miles back home with a strange dog (maybe with a fear of cars or strange people) in the back seat of my car, drooling and shedding -- or worse. And, I CERTAINLY don't want to have to drive that distance only to find out that I'm too late.   I do this, because I can't help but wonder how my own dogs would fare, in the same position as those I'm helping.  I hope there would be someone to help them.

Brenda,  Cis, Zoe, Clarence (always in my heart), Rody & Popeye, and Hannah