This is Max. He is a 1-year old Australian Shepherd mix. We are guessing Lab is the other part of his parentage, or maybe collie.We spent a lot of time Thursday looking for the perfect dog. We didn't really find the one dog that we KNEW was our dog. When we adopted Mocha many years ago, we knew it was right. She had come up to us in the adoption center, curled around my leg and looked up as if to say "c'mon, guys - finish the paperwork so we can go home!" She was perfect for us and she knew it! That's what we were looking for this time around.
Friday evening I called a woman who fosters dogs up for adoption. She described Max to me - loves kids, likes walks, a little bit of puppy chewing trouble, but nothing horrible. Max had been with her for three weeks, then adopted out last week and brought back because he wasn't housebroken. It sounded good, so we went down to meet Max.
The minute we walked in, Max let us know he was the one. He was so much like Mocha, it was uncanny - he did the same thing, walking up to my leg and looking up to say "let's go! I want to go home!" He was great with the kids, gentle and sweet. Even when Grace played with his lips, he didn't show any signs of snapping. We filled out our papers and went to the van. As soon as I opened the van door, he jumped right in.
All was well until this morning. We discovered at 5:30 that Max had dug a hole under the gate and escaped. We drove around for 2 hours looking for him. We posted flyers everywhere. Everyone was scared and worried that we wouldn't see him again. I was glad he was chipped, but I dreaded calling the foster mom and telling her that he was missing.
Then, at 7:30, the phone rang. It was the foster mom, and she already knew Max was missing - in fact, she knew exactly where Max was! He had run two doors down the street to an open garage where a man was working on his car. The dog was so friendly, they put it on a leash and walked around the neighborhood at 11 pm trying to find a place where a dog might have escaped. They called the foster mom when they couldn't figure out whose dog it was, and she was so happy to be able to tell us he had been found!
We picked up Max and he's back home where he belongs. We've shored up the gate with lots of cement bricks. Our plans for the weekend include lots of playing and getting to know Max in the hopes that he'll realize he's here for the long haul, and there's no need to run off.
6 comments:
i loved reading your story. you guys are awesome. we always get our dogs and cats through rescue organizations too. :)
sounds like you found the right dog for you. #1 is so sweet because i can see that he is a little timid but still enjoying the attention. #2 is a super cute portrait too.
i hope he adjusts to your home quickly and doesn't run off again. we have had a couple dogs like that too.
He's so cute! I'm sure he'll realize that he has no need to leave soon. Maybe once he's had a few meals at your house :)
Looking forward to hearing lots more about him!
An update on Max - He is doing GREAT in his new home. He has become so attached to us in such a short time, now we have a hard time getting him to leave the house! We took him to Petsmart and to the dog park and both times he didn't really want to get in the van. But going back home, he hopped right in.
He's been a very gentle and sweet dog. He's already protective of the kids, we found that out at the dog park when a bigger dog made 2-year old Grace cry. He's made himself at home, sleeping on the bed and following me everywhere.
He does get into mischief, though. We've rescued shoes, clothing, books, magazines and an Easter Lily so far. Everyone has learned that if you want to keep it, put it away.
Congratulations! He is so cute! We have 2 rescue dogs, one of whom still likes to get into trouble...try a Buster Cube to keep him busy, among other things that you can do to "puzzle" him. Best wishes to Max (and your shoes...I've lost quite a few of those)!
We adopted a Houdini dog from the shelter when I was a kid. She had been brought back to the shelter several times in her short life, and it took us a while to figure out why--she could not be contained! She dug under fences or climbed over them. She escaped from collars and chains. Once, we found her hanging from her collar and chain on the outside of the fence--she had climbed on top her her dog house, to which she was chained, and jumped over the 6 ft. fence. Luckily, the chain was long enough that she didn't choke. She was much happier when we moved to a farm with 40 acres to run loose...
Congrats on your new family member--he's a cutie!
Post a Comment