My Life with Dogs

I can’t believe it…..Shelby turns seven today…..

I still remember when I brought him home….he was a little terror!    I know I wrote posts about how smart he is….and the time he brought the knife out of the kitchen….he is scary smart!

But, I want to talk about how sweet he is….the way he waits outside the bathroom while I am getting ready in the morning…the way he puts his head on my leg when he is ready to go to sleep….the way he wags his “stub” when I come home from work…the way he looks at me – I know he loves me!

Baby Shelby!

I know this probably sounds really sappy and weird, but I  think you dog lovers will understand.   I have such a bond with Shelby, it is unbelievable.   He means so much to me.  The fact that he is getting older makes me sad.

Don’t get me wrong, he still jumps for frisbees, still chases balls, still knows which toy I mean when I tell him to go get his “guy…”   But, at the same time, I know that dogs are considered “seniors” once they turn seven.

Shelby will still go with me to Camp Dogwood, we will still go to the dog park, we will still throw and chase frisbees and go on hikes.   I just will continue to appreciate Shelby and what he means to me.

Shelby on his 7th Birthday

So, now I had a new puppy…and what a puppy!  Shelby was so smart….scary smart.   I remember once when I was throwing him a ball and it landed on top of his crate.   He couldn’t reach it by putting his legs up on the cage.    He stopped, never taking his eye off the ball.   He went inside the cage, still looking at the ball.   He went back out again, eye still on the ball.   Then, he ran back into the crate, put his nose up on the top so he could touch the ball, then moved it towards the side.  He came back out, stood up so he could reach the top, grabbed the ball, now in reach, and trotted happily back over to me to throw it again!   It was quite a site to witness!

Baby Shelby

But, the honeymoon soon ended…Shelby was a terror!   He chewed everything, wouldn’t listen, grabbed stuff and wouldn’t give it back…you know, typical puppy stuff.   But, it had been over 15 years since I had last had a puppy….and I was 15 years older and less patient!   I was at my wits end.    As Shelby got older, he seemed to get smarter – and less inclined to listen to me.   It was really starting to be a problem.  I was getting more and more stressed out – to the point where I was crying quite often about Shelby and what he had done that day.   I remember even contemplating getting rid of him, something I had never thought about before with any dog.   It was getting really bad.

I took him to Narnia, a very well respected training facility in Naperville, for some basic puppy kindergarten.  He was kicked out of class for distracting everyone and humping – he was fixed!  But just overly rambunctious.  How embarrassing to have your dog asked to leave class!

I remember him running away at Lake Summerset.   He ran up Corkhill Court, with me in hot pursuit, calling his name and telling him to come.   He stopped, looked at me, and kept on running the opposite direction!   He was caught by someone walking down the street with their dog when Shelby went to investigate.

The next time he ran away, also at Lake Summerset, I didn’t notice until he had been gone a while, not sure how long.  I was frantic!  I took the car and drove all around, even driving on the main road in case he crawled under the fence and ran through the field into the street.    He had only run about a half a block down and ran over to someone sitting in their garage – he was very friendly, and they were just petting him.   I was so upset!  I loved him so much!  Why was he running away?

I did not know about doggy day care, and had just heard about it.  After a particularly bad night, the next morning I was crying before going to work.  I called the place where I had been taking him for training and asked if they would take him, even if it was only a half day.  They said yes and the woman there even had Australian Shepherds so she counseled me on their active nature and the need to get them tired out.   Shelby was in daycare at least 3 days/week after that!   What a blessing!  A tired dog is a good dog!

As I would learn from Cesar Milan years later, I was not the leader of the pack and he was taking over!  It took Camp Dogwood where we really bonded for peace to come between us.  Of course, he was nearly two years old then, and I was more comfortable with him.   I would not know what I would do without him now!   So, for all you folks contemplating puppies, especially active ones, make sure you know what you are getting into!

Shelby is now the joy of my life.  I love Bandit and Mia of course as well, but Shelby and I share a special bond, and we always will.

I am a little late in writing this, but Shelby turned 4 on January 2, 2010 and I wanted to reflect back on my years with him.  But actually, this is a good time to write this, as I brought him home the evening of 2/27/06, exactly 4 years ago today.

Shelby on 2/27/06, the day I brought him home

In February ’06, I was still mouring the loss of my Maddie, a springer spaniel mix I had had for 15 years.   She was the first dog I ever had on my own, and of course, she was perfect.   I was not ready to get a dog immediately after her passing, and because of the heartache, I wasn’t sure if I should get another dog or not.   But, those thoughts didn’t last long, as I misssed having a companion.

Fate intervened when I went to get some bird seed at a feed store in St. Charles, IL.   I happened to glance at a bulletin board and saw a group of Australian Shepherd puppies that were available from a home in Batavia nearby….well, I could just have a look….

As you know, you just can’t “look” at puppies….I guess I was ready for a puppy, though I still told myself I was just looking.  I called and went over to the home.  It was just a house in the suburbs.  The family said that they had bred their two Aussies so their children could experience the process.  I knew nothing about dog breeding and did no research at all.   The family seemed nice, the home was nice, the dogs seemed healthy, and of course, puppies are so cute!  They had 10 puppies in all, I think only 1 was adopted already.   When I saw the parent dogs, two merles, they were so nice and very cute.    I only learned after I had adopted Shelby that you are never to breed two merles together, because it can produce a recessive gene called a “double merle,” where dogs are characterized by being very white, but more seriously, the white dogs can be blind and deaf.  At least one of the dogs was white and deaf and they told me this, but I thought this was just a random occurrence.

As I played in the front yard with the puppies, my eyes strayed to a very cute blue merle male with one blue eye and one brown eye.  He was a tough little guy, not at all submissive.   I had my heart set on a girl, because of my good luck with Maddie, but I really wanted the blue merle.  I started playing with him, and as I remember, he did not really show an affinity towards me, he was just ready to rough and tumble with his siblings.  I had visions of agility runs in my head, and how wonderful it would be for me and this little guy who was obviously active to do this and frisbee, etc.  So,  I asked about him.   The woman said that he was already spoken for.  So, I started playing with some of the other puppies, but kept looking at the merle.    There was another pup as I remember who was taking to me, but I really loved the merle!    I told the woman that I was really wanting to do agility and disc and that he would be perfect.   The woman was so sweet, she said she really wanted someone to be active with the dogs and she liked me and felt that I would be good with the dog.    I told her I would pay then and there….she said, “I have a good feeling about you, I want you to have him.”   So I wrote the check, but I was going out of town that weekend, so asked if I could pick him up on Monday and she said o.k.

I couldn’t believe what I had done, but he was so cute!    When I came back on Monday, I was apprehensive…could I really handle this?  Was this the right thing to do?   But as we talked through the details, I knew it was right.   As I said, this family was so cute, but very inexperienced in the breeding process.  But what they lacked there, they made up in care and attention to detail.    When I came to pick him up, they gave me a whole packet of info, with the mother and father’s picture, their AKC certificates, proof that the litter was registered and a picture of the little pup a few days after he was born.   What got to me the most was how she documented each puppies’ birth.   They actually named each dog (probably a no-no with breeders), but I still have the packet she gave me and this is what it said:

“#10 Blue Merle, Blk + White, more diluted black spots than first blue merle

8:27 a.m.    M   1/2/06   Reed and Lily  11.9 oz

Mom is pooped!!  She did well.     “Shelby” like the car – the howler – loves to sing/play/snuggle – adorable.  Son wants to keep him”

I thought about names when I got him home, but Shelby just seemed to fit and I couldn’t think of anything else that fit him better, so Shelby became his name.

Shelby with bra

Yes, Shelby loves bras….he loves to steal them, to run around the house with them and to shake them furiously.   And, of course, to chew the straps and ruin the bra.   Shelby seems to prefer the expensive Victoria’s Secret bras to any other kind, though in a pinch, he will take any bra he can get.

This activity usually takes place when I am in the bathroom.   I hear rustling in my bedroom, and then Shelby’s cute little face appears in the bathroom door with bra in mouth.   He stops to look at me, and makes sure I see what he has.   Then, he takes off running, and our little game begins.   I yell “no Shelby,” and chase him into the living room.   He runs around, joyfully shaking the bra as he strategically avoids me as aI come after him.   He will stop, lay down and start chewing on the straps, one eye on the bra, the other on me, to make sure I don’t steal his prize.

The fun doesn’t last long.  I catch him pretty easily, and he gives it up, wagging his tail as if to say “That was fun, Mom!  Let’s do it again!”

With all the toys this dog has, I don’t know why he goes after my things.   Well, actually, I do.   He has me trained well, as he knows I will run after him and he loves the challenge and the chase.    Aussies are so smart – as my license plate holder says, “My Australian Shepherd is smarter than your honors student!”

Shelby with the dirty ball

It is amazing how dogs can recognize words…like “Dog Park.” When I ask the dogs if they want to go to the dog park, Shelby and Bandit will jump into the car, no questions asked! Shelby particularly, knows exactly when we are getting near Lincoln Dog Park in Aurora, our home park.

Today, we were going to the new dog park at Krepps Park in Morgantown, WV.   It is a beautiful park – wooded with rocks.   Not like Illinois terrain!   The boys ,  as usual, upon hearing the words “Do you want to go to the Dog Park?” were in the rental van instantly.   As I neared the park, I noticed the cars parked on both sides of the road near the colliseum…oh yeah, WVU Men’s Basketball game!   Cars had filled the parking lot of Krepps Park, but I was able to find a spot on the street directly across from the fenced in dog area.

The boys were so excited to get out of the van and into the park!  I let them in, and unfortunately, a woman with her dogs were just leaving, so no one was there to play with.  Bandit started running, and Shelby looked at me, waiting for the frisbee.  I did not bring it with, because I wanted him to run and play – and besides, I kept hitting the trees with the frisbee last time we were here!   But, with no other dogs at the park, a bored Shelby finally brought me a stick to throw.   We had a few exchanges before Shelby found the deflated basketball.   What a treat!   Shelby grabbed this wonderful thing and ran around, shaking it and bringing the dirty thing to me to throw!   My jeans and boots were covered in mud, but Shelby was focused on the ball and wanted nothing to do with other sticks or Bandit or anything else.

Bandit, on the other hand, had a look of total joy in his eyes as he ran around the park, nearly bowling me over as he usually does as he runs towards me.   Bandit has so much more energy than he used to have.   Now that he is relatively stable with his epilepsy meds, he has started to run more, and even tries to herd other dogs who come to the dog park.   When Brian with his dog Custer arrived, Bandit went into herding action, barking and trying to get Custer to run.   Custer would have nothing to do with it, and Bandit ended up running into him!

We were there about 45 minutes, and my gloves and jeans were already filthy from Shelby’s dirty ball.   I wanted to make sure that we got out of there before the basketball game ended – that would be a traffic nightmare!   But, the boys were not tired yet, so I decided to take them for a run offleash on the trails of Krepps Park outside the dog fence.   Shelby was in his element!   He loves to run, and he also gets the joy in his eyes as he runs ahead, but when I call him back, he is ears down, full speed ahead!   Bandit was much slower, running ahead a little, then waiting for me to catch up.   Shelby runs ahead, and started exploring off trail.   When I whistle, he returns, and when he is far ahead and I yell “Shelby, come!”  he runs, no holds barred, as fast as he can – really a beautiful sight.

They enjoy the run so much!   When running, I feel they are truly at one with their primevil selves.   They run, they are free, they run for the sake of running!   I love that look of joy in their eyes!