A couple of times in the Pet Corner, I have referred to my beloved service dog, Vida. Vida is now more than 11-years-old, she is fit and trim, but she is slowing down and now she has quite a bit of grey around her muzzle. The average life expectancy for a Lab is 11-12 years, but some live to be 13 or even 14 years. Of course I hope for her longevity, but at the same time, I am thinking she deserves an honorable retirement. With that in mind, I began the process of looking for another dog that Vida and I can train to do the things she does for me.
I let my friends at the Saratoga County Animal Shelter know what I was
looking for in another dog. Soon I learned of a dog named Max. My
husband, Vida, and I went to the shelter to see this Rottweiler mix.
His head looks pure Rottie but the rest of him could be German Shepherd
and/or Akita. His tail looks Shepherd when it hangs down, but at
attention it curls up on his back like an Akita. It might sound like a
strange combination and a show dog enthusiast would probably just shake
his head and sigh, but actually the combination works aesthetically,
making Max is a very handsome dog, indeed.
After Vida and Max greeted each other, the way dogs do--noses to butts, Vida choose to ignore him and seemed aloof about the whole matter. Then we needed to see how Max would react to my wheelchair. Some dogs are funny about medical equipment, but Max was not bothered at all. He even eagerly walked alongside my chair and me. Twice he got too close and my wheel pinched his toes, but he didn't make a sound and just moved forward with a bit more care. At first he was described to us as neutered, so when a shelter worker said he was not altered yet, I said he must be mistaken. The shelter worker reached under Max and said with a grin, "my hands do not lie; this boy has not been nuetered."
My initial impression of Max was that he is smart, eager to please, affectionate, and with considerable training, he has the makings of a wonderful canine companion and service dog. The only thing that we still needed to check on was that he and our two-year-old rescued shelter cat, Sully (nicknamed Twitch), would get along. At first I kept Max on a leash until it seemed safe to let him off. It turned out that after 48 hours of stand-offs, hissing, and chasing around the house, the two of them settled down and now the cat tolerates Max, while all he wants to do is play, but he is learning it must be cautious, respectful play.
Of course this is just the beginning of our relationship with Max and each week I will provide an update on how things are progressing with training, the neutering and with the hints Max gives us about his unknown past. I will also report on Vida and Sully as they deal with the job of helping me teach Max more about manners and service. Whenever we bring a new animal into our families, it is a journey of discovery and adjustment for everyone involved. I look forward to sharing the ups and downs of that journey with the readers of Pet Corner.
For further information on the Saratoga County Animal Shelter, visit www.saratogacountyny.gov or call (518) 885-4113. Also, if you have questions about your pets, pet adoption or other related topics send them to jsweet@skidmore.edu. If we do not have the answers, we will contact people who do!
After Vida and Max greeted each other, the way dogs do--noses to butts, Vida choose to ignore him and seemed aloof about the whole matter. Then we needed to see how Max would react to my wheelchair. Some dogs are funny about medical equipment, but Max was not bothered at all. He even eagerly walked alongside my chair and me. Twice he got too close and my wheel pinched his toes, but he didn't make a sound and just moved forward with a bit more care. At first he was described to us as neutered, so when a shelter worker said he was not altered yet, I said he must be mistaken. The shelter worker reached under Max and said with a grin, "my hands do not lie; this boy has not been nuetered."
My initial impression of Max was that he is smart, eager to please, affectionate, and with considerable training, he has the makings of a wonderful canine companion and service dog. The only thing that we still needed to check on was that he and our two-year-old rescued shelter cat, Sully (nicknamed Twitch), would get along. At first I kept Max on a leash until it seemed safe to let him off. It turned out that after 48 hours of stand-offs, hissing, and chasing around the house, the two of them settled down and now the cat tolerates Max, while all he wants to do is play, but he is learning it must be cautious, respectful play.
Of course this is just the beginning of our relationship with Max and each week I will provide an update on how things are progressing with training, the neutering and with the hints Max gives us about his unknown past. I will also report on Vida and Sully as they deal with the job of helping me teach Max more about manners and service. Whenever we bring a new animal into our families, it is a journey of discovery and adjustment for everyone involved. I look forward to sharing the ups and downs of that journey with the readers of Pet Corner.
For further information on the Saratoga County Animal Shelter, visit www.saratogacountyny.gov or call (518) 885-4113. Also, if you have questions about your pets, pet adoption or other related topics send them to jsweet@skidmore.edu. If we do not have the answers, we will contact people who do!
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