springtime dogs

Once I was back up to snuff I headed out to the animal shelter.

This is Quan.  He is crazy strong, as is normal for pits and pit mixes:

This is Boing-Boing.  Not sure why he’s called that, because he didn’t jump or act spazzy:

He’s looking at a staff member who is walking down the sidewalk.

This GSD mix has the unlikely name of T-Rex:

His elderly human died so he needs a new home.  This dog had such a gentle nature about him.  He reminded me of a 1950s generic dog, good with kids and laying on the living room carpet.  Ready to be adopted.

This next dog is a heartbreaker.  She’s a lab or lab mix named Minaj, tall and thin and very scared.  I think she’s ready to adopt because of her gentleness but it will take patience to get her personality out:

When we walked she preferred the sidewalk over grass.  All the other dogs I’ve walked there go crazy about the grass.

This pit is Aspen, a shelter favorite.  She’s sweet-natured but needs some training.  She is strong enough that getting even a little out of line can pull her human around:

My favorite thing about her is she wants to sit in your lap but she has these big bottom canines that stick out past her lips.  To an onlooker she probably looks like a bloodthirsty monster.

This last dog was a lesson I needed to re-learn.  Franz is a small dog who goes ape$hit everytime I walk a dog in his line of site, and his line of site is extensive due to the position of his kennel.

I have said unkind things about this dog under my breath many, many times.

So I had walked all my big dogs and was going home.  Normally I make a quick pass through the small and medium kennels just to see who is there on my way out.

Franz was a lunatic, as usual.  I stopped at his pen and looked down at the dervish.  I heard a voice next to me – it was a kind young staffer who I respect.

Her:  “Will you do me a favor and walk this dog?”

Me: (incredulous)  “This dog?  He is a constant pain in my @ss, he disrupts every walk I do with my dogs.”

Her:  “I know, but he just wants out of his pen.”

Tired and annoyed, I didn’t want to do it.  But she has good judgement and has never asked for help before.  I asked if my big-dog lead was too heavy for a small dog but she said it was fine, just choke up on the loop a bit.

I took Franz out.  He was completely normal on our walk and did not pay any attention to other dogs.   We walked about 15mins and I took him back.  He walked right into the pen without hesitation.

Maybe he does just want out of his pen, I don’t know.  But I needed to re-learn that people and animals that annoy me may be perfectly agreeable in different contexts.

Now, I am not going to adopt Franz.  But I will no longer say unkind things about him under my breath.

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