A Visit to Brother Wolf

Last week, we paid a visit to Brother Wolf. I (Rescue Mommy, of course) really wanted her to meet Skippy, the Jack Russell terrier mix I mentioned in a previous posting. I know, I know – I should stay away from terriers. I know better, and Rescue Daddy repeatedly warned me against it. Well, this little experience was the eye opener I needed.

Gracie was very nervous at the shelter. She wanted little to do with the dogs. She wanted out of there. She settled down a little (a very little) when we went on a walk with Skippy. She checked him out, but there definitely was not a love connection.

The walk was very beneficial for me, though. Gracie was on one side, searching for the nearest exit. Skippy was bouncing around, grabbing the lead for a good game of tug. He had the JRT bounce, where it looks as if he has springs in his behind. He wanted to play, play, play.

Then, we visited Desi the spaniel. She was older than Jack, four years old to his two, and had recently had puppies. Her behind wiggled instead of her tail when she was excited. She checked out Gracie and walked around the visiting room but was not bouncing around the room with a toy. When we went on our walk, she did not have an overwhelming need to run. She could run and keep up with Gracie just fine, though. Gracie was ok towards her but did not seem terribly interested.

Seeing Gracie with a high energy dog made me realize that the trainers are right. A high energy dog will definitely increase her anxieties. Her overall demeanor was calmer around Desi than it was around Jack, even with all the distractions.

So, why didn’t I adopt Desi on the spot? As I mentioned, Gracie was not particularly enamored with her. I also had my own reasons. I know that I want a dog around Gracie’s size, and Desi was much bigger. I also want a dog in the two- to three-year old range. Some may be irritated by my comments. So be it. If more people were truly honest about what they wanted and needed in a pet, we might have fewer animals in shelters.

I realized that taking Gracie for shelter visits is not a reliable thing. I plan to either introduce her to fostered dogs in a neutral location or just bring the dog home for a trial and see what happens. I really think she would do well with the right dog. The search continues!

Rescue Mommy

P.S. Do not let my comments about Desi dissuade you if you are interested in her. She is a great dog. She is very mellow. She seems as if she would be a great dog for kids. Plus, she will be gorgeous after she has a little TLC.