Saturday, August 28, 2010

Never go to a Shelter if you don't want to come home with an animal...

So Ben and I, along with our friend Brandon, went to 2 animal shelters today.

The first one we went to, we loved this Basenji... sadly, it didn't get along with cats.  Of course, the one Basenji that doesn't like cats, the breed known for liking cats.  Though I personally think that the reason why 80% of the dogs in the shelter weren't compatible with cats is because the cat they tested it with is large, aggressive, and doesn't like dogs.  So.... I think he would get a long fine with Lucy.  Isn't he cute?!?

The next shelter we went to almost all the dogs we liked weren't available to be played with!  So frustrating.  The one dog that was available for immediate adoption was Murray, a Labrador, Chow Chow mix.  Sadly, Murray was very much neglected by his previous owners.  So neglected, he has no idea how to interact with humans.  He gets so stressed out by humans, he paces and keeps his tail between his legs.  You reach out to touch him, and he shys away, like you're going to hit him.  Of course, I fell in love with him.  The trainer suggested teaching him how to interact with humans by giving him a treat everytime he comes up to one of us... in other words, lots of positive reinforcement!  So we are going to go back on Tuesday when they reopen and bringing dog treats.  If all goes well, we might be on the road to adopting Murray!!  I really don't think he'll be adopted or the people adopting him will have the patience to help him adjust to humans and teach him how to play.

1 comment:

  1. O, Amy and Ben--your place is so nice! The pic I especially like tho is the one with Lucy on top of the refrigerator! Did not hear that story. Murray is cute but hope he does not chew on your wonderful new furniture. Remember, you gotta get up and walk a dog!
    Could you please give credit to the quote. "Never go to a ........"
    Love,
    Mom

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