BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum
Our BetterMost Community => Chez Tremblay => Topic started by: ednbarby on December 30, 2008, 11:19:41 am
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My husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said just these:
(http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj106/nomorebeans65/NatalieandNatasha.jpg?t=1230650032)
Their names are Natalie and Natasha (Natalie is the one lying down). They are 1 1/2 and 1 year old, and were at a purebred rescue facility in Miami. We brought them home this past Sunday.
They are *wonderful*. For such young dogs, they're remarkably calm, fantastic with people (especially little kids, with whom they seem to instinctively know to be extra gentle), and unbelievably, amazingly great with other dogs. Their first test was the across the street neighbor coming out with four dogs on leashes - two chihuahuas, a Jack Russell terrier, and a pit bull - who all went ballistic when they saw them on their leashes. I had them sit, and they just sat there like statues while all the yappers went by.
I took them to meet the Golden Retriever down the street yesterday, and they all just sniffed each other and wagged the whole time. No barking, growling, or pulling. I finally have dogs I can take to a dog park! In all my years of shepherd ownership, it never occurred to me to even try it.
They're also very good in the house. They don't jump up on anyone, and they're not destructive. Unbelievable!
It's so nice to have dogs around again. :)
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Very cute Barb! :D Congrats on your new babies! :)
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They're beautiful! I love German Shepards. My dog is what I call a "90% GSD". Mostly GSD, but with god knows what else mixed in. My best guess is that the remaining 10% must have been a vacuum cleaner :laugh: ;).
I'm happy for you that you are able to have dogs again. I know that you missed it.
And I like that you decided for rescue dogs :).
I wish you many happy and healthy years with those two!
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How wonderful. The two N's are beautiful, and their behaviour the way you describe it seems nearly super-doggy! Both you and they are lucky to have found each other.... :)
I wonder that they are so well-behaved and show such doggy grace and poise, and yet ended up at a shelter. Do you know their original history and background?
Lots of (sadly, imaginary) cuddling and treats to both of them from me!
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Awwwww... those dogs are beauitful Barb.
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I wonder that they are so well-behaved and show such doggy grace and poise, and yet ended up at a shelter. Do you know their original history and background?
You and I both. There is very little history available on them. The woman who adopted them to us said she was not working at the rescue facility when they were brought in. She's only been there for a few months, and said they have been there that whole time. All she knows about them is that their owner (who couldn't keep them for some reason) brought them directly to the rescue - they weren't brought there by Animal Care & Control or a shelter or some other place. She also knew that they could not be separated - apparently it was attempted once and they both went ballistic without each other, and the one who had been adopted was brought back in.
They're really beautiful, too - the photo doesn't do them justice. They're both fairly small females - only about 60 pounds each. A far cry from the 75- and 85-lb ones we had before. They could stand to put a little weight on, but otherwise are very fit with perfect, thick fur and no cuts or scratches whatsoever on them.
I'm not really waiting for the other shoe to drop as it already did the first night we had them. The adopter had told us they were not destructive at all and could have full run of the house (they'd spent some weekends at her house and had been fine). We did that on Sunday night, and they ended up getting into some unwrapped gifts under the Christmas tree and a package of store-bought frosted Christmas cookies that was on the kitchen counter. They ate about 10 cookies between them, chewed up the package, and chewed up a calendar and a "Tangrams" box under the tree before I interrupted them.
I was *amazed* that they didn't so much as get a case of the runs from the cookies (and whatever cardboard and plastic bits they might have ingested). The shepherds I had before would both have been sicks as, well, dogs after eating stuff like that.
We bought baby gates and closed them in our kitchen (which is quite large) last night, each with a thick rug to sleep on, water, and a couple of indestructable chewie toys. This morning, there were no "accidents" and they were as calm as could be.
Unbelievable!
The best thing is our son is really enjoying them and learning already how to be more responsible around the house. He's picking up his toys and shoes "so they don't chew them up" and being careful about closing doors behind him for the first time in his life. It's all good. 8)
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They're beautiful! I love German Shepards. My dog is what I call a "90% GSD". Mostly GSD, but with god knows what else mixed in. My best guess is that the remaining 10% must have been a vacuum cleaner :laugh: ;).
I think all dogs have 10% vacuum cleaner in their systems! :laugh:
Nice dogs Barb. Very beautiful!! I especially like their names! :laugh:
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how cute!
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My husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said just these:
(http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj106/nomorebeans65/NatalieandNatasha.jpg?t=1230650032)
Darlings!!! They are beautiful. It warms my heart when someone rescues a dog. Just think -- at their age, it's not so far from when they stop chewing! I got my lab/mastiff at 7 weeks old--and went through 2 years of chewing. LOL.
Congratulations on the new family members! That was a great Christmas present to all involved. :)
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I think all dogs have 10% vacuum cleaner in their systems! :laugh:
Nice dogs Barb. Very beautiful!! I especially like their names! :laugh:
These guys are slightly different. They love to chew stuff up, but if it isn't organic in material, they just leave it in pieces on the floor (which is better than what my other two pica-dogs used to do - one had to have surgery once to remove the large pieces of rubber she had lodged in her colon after she chewed up and ate a tennis ball).
I was wondering what you might think of their names. ;) A neighbor told me that Natasha is actually Russian for Natalie. Anyone know - is that true? If so, someone must have *really* liked that name.
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These guys are slightly different. They love to chew stuff up, but if it isn't organic in material, they just leave it in pieces on the floor (which is better than what my other two pica-dogs used to do - one had to have surgery once to remove the large pieces of rubber she had lodged in her colon after she chewed up and ate a tennis ball).
I was wondering what you might think of their names. ;) A neighbor told me that Natasha is actually Russian for Natalie. Anyone know - is that true? If so, someone must have *really* liked that name.
Yes, I think Natasha is Russian for Natalie just like Natalia or Natali is Spanish for Natalie and Nathalie is in French. It is the same name in different languages. Some people call me Natalia, others write it Natalie, and others call me Nat or Nata or Naty. (I hate Naty though).
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I find myself calling Natalie "Nat" for short. I also find myself calling Natasha "Tasha" for short. For some reason, that latter one irritates my husband. He says "Please don't call her Tasha - Natasha sounds so much better." Oh, fer... This from the guy who wanted to name our only son "Deke."
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I find myself calling Natalie "Nat" for short. I also find myself calling Natasha "Tasha" for short. For some reason, that latter one irritates my husband. He says "Please don't call her Tasha - Natasha sounds so much better." Oh, fer... This from the guy who wanted to name our only son "Deke."
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
So you won out on the son's name, huh? (I like Deke, too, tho.)
That's what I thought about their nicknames--that you would call Natasha "Tasha" since the names were similar. I think that's cute.
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Oh Barb. They are absolutely scrumptious. Beauty and brains. What more could you ask for? I know
you will have many many years of love and devotion with them.... Congratulations :) :) :) :)
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Congratulations, Barb! I'm really happy for both the dogs and you! 8)
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cool babies! Congrats!
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I love your two babies Barb!! They are so cute and I love their cute furry faces!! German Shepards are wonderful dogs! I wish you many happy years with your two new "kids"! :)
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Gorgeous, Barb. I'm glad they are able to stay together. Thanks for sharing them, and I look forward to many more pictures of them. :)
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Congratulations, Momma Barb! Love the babies. I grew up with German Shepards and remember how smart and friendly they can be.
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Barb they are just beautiful and kudos to you for going the rescue route. Babies will chew I guess. My brother's Rottie chewed through the roof of his doghouse twice and all the wires and cables along the side of the house.
They grow up- eventually.
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Barb, do you ever watch a show called "It's Me or the Dog" on Animal Planet? It's a show about dog training. Not only is it a very VERY cute show, it's very informative. The lady who comes to these peoples' houses to train their dogs is absolutely brilliant.
If you haven't seen the show before, you might want to consult your TV schedule and check it out sometime. Since both of your dogs are so young, they are highly trainable, and this show will give you lots of good tips and pointers. :)
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Yes, I have seen that show, David. I actually watched it for the first time on the Jet Blue plane from JFK back to Ft. Lauderdale a week ago Saturday - it was about an unruly Great Dane and a pack of Weimeraners who had taken control of their owner's house (because she did nothing to exercise or discipline them). In the latter case, the trainer goes, "You don't exercise them AT ALL? What are you thinking, taking a working breed and not taking them for walks?"
Our girls love their walks. They go on four or five a day - a couple for 1-2 miles. They wag their tails and trot along the whole time. Can't figure out why I'm not losing any weight yet, since I take them on the vast majority of them. But that's beside the point.
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Your German Sheperds are adorable. Congrats to you Barb.
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Our girls love their walks. They go on four or five a day - a couple for 1-2 miles. They wag their tails and trot along the whole time. Can't figure out why I'm not losing any weight yet, since I take them on the vast majority of them. But that's beside the point.
It's turning to muscle. I bet you'll see a big difference soon. Our dog getting old enough to not want as many walks was part of my physical decline. I think it was Richard Simmons who said, "Walk your dog every day, whether you have a dog or not."
:)