Dex now Rowdy
Dex went to his forever home in LA on 11/1/2008.
Update from his new momma in dec 2008:
Hey Diane,
Judy gave me your e-mail address so I could send you an update on Rowdy
(Dex.) I hope you don't mind!
Rowdy seems to be fitting in quite well and we already feel like he's
part of the family! He was a little shy in the first week, but he
seems to have relaxed and started showing us some of that puppy inside
in him. We have stopped leaving our shoes at the front door, because
when we let him out of kennel in the morning, he stops, grabs a shoe,
and then runs around with it. A lot of times it's the shoe I need
to put on to get him outside, so we have a little bit of a chase
before he gives it back. He's had a couple accidents inside, but
I think that a few of those times he was trying to tell me he needed
out and I didn't get the hint.
You were right about him counter surfing; we had a little incident
with that a couple of weeks ago. While I was getting ready to take
him to his first vet visit, he jumped on the counter and grabbed
one of those Terry's Chocolate Oranges. By the time I came back into
the living room, he'd eaten the whole thing. I took him to the vet
for his regularly scheduled appointment, and to my surprise, she
said that she needed to induce vomiting immediately because he'd
eaten enough to kill him! The poor guy had to stay at the vet's all
day. I was worried sick about him, but when I went to pick him up,
he was all smiles and seemed to feel fine. I took him back for shots
the next week. I also told the vet that he seems to favor one leg
when he's running around. She thinks he may be getting a little dysplasia
already. We're going to check in about six months.
He loves to go to the dog park. Every time I take him, he inevitably
rolls around in the water by the drinking fountain then gets extremely
muddy before we take him home. Because of this, we only take him
on days we know we're going to bathe him. (He's great in the bath,
too!) He loves going and I love to sit and watch him run around and
play with the other dogs. His coat is starting to grow in and he
just looks really beautiful frolicking around in the park. It's also
good for us to let him burn off some of that energy. One day, I skipped
his walk because I had some place to be, and while I was gone, he
destroyed a feather pillow in his kennel. I've included a couple
pictures of the carnage. He looks so proud of himself! Needless to
say, we're careful about what goes into his kennel now.
He's not so fond of the cats. We have an alpha cat who has decided
that she needs to assert her dominance every now and then. He generally
does his best to avoid her, but does try to get her to play with
him every now and then. We're getting her claw caps just to be safe.
Like I said, I've included a few pictures. I'm sorry for the quality;
they were taken on my cell phone. I'm also CCing this to Judy in
case she wants to put any updates on the website.
Rowdy is already filling the roles of friend and companion, and it's
so nice to see him bursting with excitement when we come home. He's
so smart and usually well-behaved. Cass and I wanted to thank you
for giving Rowdy a home until we could find him. He's made such a
big difference in our lives and we have you, your family, and GSGRR
to thank for it!
Sincerely,
Stephanie
Name: Dex
Age: 1 year plus
Gender: Male
Neutered: 9/09
Weight: 44 pounds
UTS on vaccinations: 9/08
Heartworm Status: Tested heartworm positive on 9/08
Update from his foster momma on Oct 11, 2008:
Dex has been in our family for three weeks. When Dex first came, he
was a bundle of energy that didn’t have any idea how to live
in a house. His changed behavior 3 weeks later is a testimony to his
intelligence and willingness to please. At first he lightly jumped
on people and gently mouthed us, just like a puppy would play with
his litter mates. He now rarely does either, though every once in a
while he forgets. He goes into his kennel when told, and has never
bothered us with barked or pawing to get out. He is halfway to mastering
waiting for a command before going out the door.
He continues to love every person and dog he meets. While he may be
excited for a minute when a new person comes into the house, he quickly
calms down. He spends a large part of each day following us from room
to room and laying at our feet. Another large part of the day is devoted
to getting our older dog to play. He occasionally tries to get on our
laps or the couch, but when pushed down he goes back to the floor.
When we come home, we are greeted with moans of happiness from a wiggling
bundle of joy.
Dex will be a joy for a family that will continue positive training
methods that are very easy with a responsive dog like Dex and that
will also commit to exercising him once to twice a day. Call us to
see if Dex is the right fit for your life.
Dex came to us as a stray living in a shelter in Baton
Rouge. In the month that he was at the shelter, he went through evacuations
because of hurricanes and being attacked by another dog during the
evacuation due to over crowded conditions. He came out of the fight
with a puncture wound on his ear and some on his body, which are healing
well with antibiotics.
Being attacked has not made him afraid of other dogs. Dex immediately
went and played with our resident golden retriever, and later with
a 6 month old German Shepherd twice his size. Dex also loves people.
We took him to a pet store and he ate up the attention and petting
from everyone he met.
On his first day with us, Dex didn’t want to enter our house.
When he realized we wanted him inside, he was so happy! He has not
had an accident inside the week he has been here, though we take him
outside regularly or crate him when we are gone. He loves bones and
treat filled kongs. He has picked up shoes and towels and carried them
around the house, but so far has not damaged them. We are working on
curbing his puppy enthusiasm, which translates into lightly jumping
up on people and gently mouthing us in play. However, he is learning
to stop when corrected and will then sit at our feet for petting. Due
to his jumping and mouthing, we do not recommend a home with small
children. Dex is fast and agile. His ideal home would be someone who
will recognize that he is still mostly puppy and needs lots of love,
exercise and obedience training to become an excellent family member.
He is responding well to his first week of training.
Contact us for more information on this sweet and lovable dog waiting
to shower his love and devotion on a new family.
