I do not have a photo of the third dog we met. Her name was Olivia, and they do not have her photo posted on their website currently. She is a German Shepherd mix, one year old, spayed female. She stayed very close to the lady from the shelter, sometimes hiding behind her legs. She was timid, but not scared. She didn't shake or cower, she didn't whine or whimper, she just stuck close to the person she knew. At one point #4 sat on the floor and was able to pet the dog, but the dog did not make an attempt to greet us or interact. She had intelligent eyes. I could see that she was untrusting of the new situation, rather than being afraid. The way she stuck to her handler reminded me of how Moose used to stay near me when I needed him most; aware of what's going on around us, but not making a move to interact with strangers, positively or negatively. She did not growl or snap or lay her ears back. She seems very hesitant and just barely curious. I wish I had been able to sit in a room with her just one-on-one for a while to gain her trust.
We had asked to see a fifth dog (Dakota, a German Shepherd mix), but we were told he is aggressive toward other dogs. So we asked about another dog that wasn't yet available (a Great Pyrenees mix). The lady said we could meet her but she wasn't available to leave until after her spay surgery, but when she came back she said she couldn't find that dog and offered to let us play with yet another.
The fifth dog we met was named Caramel. He's not listed on their website, I'm not sure why, so I don't have a photo of him. He also came from Texas (I'm pretty sure all of the dogs we met today did). He's small, only about 25-30 pounds, and short (knee high). He's the friendliest dog you'll ever meet. He greeted all of us with kisses and tried to jump into our laps. He was happy to be petted and didn't seem the least bit stressed. His story is a bit of a sad one. He came from Texas and nobody really took notice that he didn't wag his tail. Upon closer inspection it was discovered that he had incontinence issues and nerve damage in his tail. They amputated his tail at the base of his spine, and said he's much better at controlling his bowels now, but "sometimes a little turd just sneaks out." Looking at him from behind, you can literally see up his butt as the nerve damage clearly continues to affect the upper edge of his butt just under where his tail used to be. I have to say that I would adopt this dog in a heartbeat if I was just looking for a pet. His amazing personality is well worth a couple accidental poops here and there. Unfortunately, right now we're looking specifically for a service dog to train in, and Caramel is both too small for parts of the job, and too outgoing, not to mention that a service dog can't be dropping poop along the way. A diaper would correct the problem when in a home, but when I'm out for a day with my service dog, changing his diaper every few hours is definitely an inconvenience. What it came down to is that perhaps Caramel is too friendly and would be so eager to meet everyone that he'd forget to do his job. As a pet though - he's going to make someone very happy. He's such a sweetheart and I fell in love with him.
We were warned during our meeting with these dogs that because we're looking at adult dogs, and we have two dogs at home, we will be required to have a meet and greet with our dogs at the shelter to make sure the one we pick will fit in with the two we have already. Completely understandable!
The kids really fell in love with Pumpkin, and I can understand why. He's beautiful, and he did warm up to us and seemed to enjoy being petted. After some thought though, I can't risk having a service dog that growls. It's not safe, and could get both of us kicked out of places. Bernie is too old, Sweet Potato missed the connections, Pumpkin growled, and Caramel won't be suitable. Olivia, however, is still on my mind. I'm sure to everyone else it looked like a failed meeting for her. She hid behind the handler and was only coaxed out once to greet one child who pretty much had to go right up to her to get her to even acknowledge her. But to me, I saw the behavior I'm looking for. A dog that will stay close to it's handler, even when kids and toys are around. A dog that doesn't respond in fear or aggression, but careful thought and general distrust. A dog that isn't overly friendly, but safe to have in public. A dog with potential once a bond is formed.
So tonight I filled out their online application and turned it in for Olivia. I spoke to each of the kids, and Tony about why I considered and dismissed each of the other options, and why I think the one that looked like a failed meeting would be the best option. Nobody stopped to argue with me, they all agreed, though most of them still heavily favor Pumpkin. I'm anxious about this. I realize we have a lot of pets (2 dogs, 9 indoor cats, a turtle, a snake, a hamster, fish, barn birds...) It's a lot. I'm a stay-at-home parent, and we live on a 70-acre farm on a lake. We have space, and the animals are always well tended to. I have all the time in the world, and I'm willing to train the dog myself, as I have for both my previous service dogs (Moose, and Nadia before him). I'm worried to get my hopes up and have them turn me away because I have too many animals or too many kids or something.
I even texted my mom tonight to let her know we'd put in an application. Tomorrow we will be bringing Arya and Toby out to the animal shelter and hopefully introducing them to Olivia. If all goes well, perhaps she can come home with us tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers.
**A quick note here, all of the photos above are copyright of Babinski Foundation in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. I did not take these photos, these are the pictures they have posted of their available animals. **
In other news, our water heater broke today. No showers or washing dishes until we can get it repaired. Tony did go into town to buy supplies, but it turned out the thing he thought was the problem wasn't, so we have to go back into town tomorrow to get another part in hopes of getting it fixed soon. I hate not being able to wash dishes! Washing hands hurts because the water is coming straight up from the ground and it's icy cold!
I made brown sugar and garlic chicken thighs in the slow cooker today. I tripled the sauce since that's always been a crowd pleaser. I steamed potatoes, carrots, and a sliced onion for a side. All together, yummy, but the sauce was a little overwhelming when there was so much of it. Still, a good dinner with little effort. It may be driving me a little nuts that I can't wash my slow cooker tonight. If I were to do it again, I think I'd serve it with rice to help absorb some of the sauce.