Jenny was starting to feel a little less anxious about leaving her pups alone and I was able to take her on a longer than usual walk on Sunday afternoon. She seemed to like the snow so we went into the middle of an untouched snowy patch and she tore around the end of her leash, kicking up as much powder as possible. It was like she was letting out some pent up energy from all her time indoors caring for her young these last several weeks.
I knelt down to give her a pat and she immediately sidled up to me and tried to sit on my lap. I think she would've climbed into my arms if I'd offered. It looks like her ambition is to be someone's eighty pound lap dog one day. It was actually a bit of a challenge taking her photo at first because as soon as I stepped back to frame the shot, Jenny would step forward to keep in contact. Several times, I had to push her away and quickly snap the shot before she managed to close the gap.
It was a cold afternoon, and the wind was sharp, but where we were, the snowbanks held off the wind and I could actually feel the warmth of the sun on my back. Its light had a fiery glow, reminiscent of much warmer weather, and did a great job of shining up Jenny's red coat.
Then for about five minutes, Jenny settled and was fine where she was. Maybe she too was surprised by the light, by the stillness. I could see a calmness in her - what she would be like when the mental burden of pup rearing in a strange environment became a thing of the past. I realized just how much of a stress the whole situation must be for her. Not only was she kicked out of her home but five of her pups had already been stolen from her at too young an age, way before they were ready to be weaned. It's no wonder she'd been overly concerned about her remaining two who were only now just eight weeks old.
A blast of wind surged over the top of the high snowbank and hit us and Jenny started looking anxiously back at the Toronto Animal Services building. Does she mourn the loss of her young? Is the sadness like a needle jab, felt and then forgotten or is it an ache that never goes away? I ended the session and back we went.
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7 comments:
She's pretty. Reminds me a lot of my dog Grommit -- who may be the best dog ever.
Any idea what breeds she is? Looks like maybe some Shar Pei?
Jenny is beautiful and you've captured her spirit so well, Fred!
Hi Brent, Jenny's a Shamagopoo and you can check out her lineage here (http://onebarkatatime.blogspot.com/2009/01/breed-standard-for-purebred-mutt.html).
I can't believe that's the same dog from the photos the other day.
She's gorgeous!
PS I don't think they sweat losing their pups too much. You know dogs, they don't dwell on stuff - always ready to move on with a stiff upper lip.
She's darling, Fred - she won't have any trouble getting adopted. She'll blossom once she moves on with her life.
You're probably right, Caveat. Most dog mums seems only too happy to have their pups taken off their hands once they're a couple of months old or more. I wonder about the younger pups, though. Jenny here was completely distraught only a week ago to be separated from her pups for more than a few minutes. I don't imagine she could've been very happy to have them taken away when they were even younger (I also have a vague idea of the type of people they probably went to, so that doesn't help my own concerns). How she was affected by that experience, I guess we'll never know.
I walked her on Monday. She is a real beauty. A very, very nice girl who I'm sure will find a new home where she is much more appreciated than where she came from!!!!!she deserves all the best doggie treats in the world!
Susan
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