Wednesday night my mom sent me an email about a dog that needed rescuing. Mom rescues, raises and breeds Akbash dogs. For those of you who possibly have never heard of the breed, they are guardian livestock dogs originally bred in Turkey and are a cross between the Great Pyrenees and the Bullmastiff.
Maggie is a three year old female weighing 110 pounds.
Maggie doen't have the instinst to guard goats for the two years the previous owners had her. Then a neighbor dog came over and the two of the packed up against the goats. Okay, fine, I understand the man's dismay and anger towards Maggie, but he decided he was going to shoot her.
That night I filled out an application to rescue Maggie and Thursday the application was approved, basically because they know my mom. Friday, I called the owners and picked Maggie up.
I had to walk her into the house by her front legs, where she wouldn't budge after I got her into the house. I had to drag/walk the poor dog out to the backyard. She thinks putting a leash on her is punishment. She didn't know what a food bowl were, much less a crate as her house. Niether did she know what a toy was. I stopped at PetSmart before I picked her up and had gotten the crate, leash, dog bowls on a stand since she's a big dog, milk bones, pigs ears, a plush toy, food, scooper and a pad for the crate to the amount of $495.
I know she was tramitized being with a new owner and a new house as well as missing the other dogs and cats that lived with her. When she heard me come out the back door she'd run to me and stop short 6 feet away from me. I showed her her food and water bowls, nothing. I had to take them to her to get her to eat. Most of the first two days the poor thing was cowling and hung head. If I start to head back into the house, she walks away hung head and looking dejected! Loving attention was also unknown to her.
I would go out and spend time with her loving up on her and giving her kissy sounds. I finally got a kiss. Sunday, I went out on one of my visits and looked around the yard for digging spots and found none. I went to turn around and almost stepped on her.
The next thing I see, she's crumpled to the ground. Scared the hell out of me, then she flipped onto her back, offering me her throat and underbelly. I laid down next to her and spent an hour loving up on her. I put my face into her throat while making the kissy sound. She lifted her shoulders and head off the ground offering her full neck to me. I continued moving across her neck and back making the kissy sound, then she buried her face into my chest. She's so gentle and craving love it is pathetic. She let me look at her ears, mouth and paws without any problems. I rubbed her belly, neck, rubbed her face from nose to ears and took my nails and combed her hair on her side and back, while telling her she's a good girl and she's my baby.
Later, while I was fixing dinner, I opened the back door where she stood about 5 feet away whining and wagging her tail. I think she wanted in but still wouldn't come when I tried to coax her in.
Monday, afternoon, I did the same thing. I also discoved if I sit down on a chair, she'll come right to me.
Later that evening, I heard her bark for the first time and when out to see why. I found her full of life and at full attention because a neighbor was making clanging noises. I praised her for being a good girl, while she wagged her tail looking at me then to where the sound was coming from. I treated her with a milk bone.
Before I went to bed, I made one more trip out to say goodnight to her. She came straight to me wagging her tail and when I stopped loving up on her, she nudged me for more. When I was about to go in, she walked away and laid down by her plush toy she had pulled out of the crate earlier in the afternoon. Then she jumped up and walked over to the spot where we lay together, looked at me wagging her tail, inviting me to lay down with her!
I have a lot of re-training ahead of me and little by little she's beginning to come around. I noticed this morning her sad eyes were not as sad and are starting to come around to normal.
Mr. Lucky, my cat, is spooked, but taking it well because I make sure he is not neglected and loved up on before I go see Maggie and after I come back in the house. So's he's getting twice the loving now...not that he's objecting mind you!! But he still won't meet her...yet!
Here's Miss Maggie:
Maggie is a three year old female weighing 110 pounds.
Maggie doen't have the instinst to guard goats for the two years the previous owners had her. Then a neighbor dog came over and the two of the packed up against the goats. Okay, fine, I understand the man's dismay and anger towards Maggie, but he decided he was going to shoot her.
That night I filled out an application to rescue Maggie and Thursday the application was approved, basically because they know my mom. Friday, I called the owners and picked Maggie up.
I had to walk her into the house by her front legs, where she wouldn't budge after I got her into the house. I had to drag/walk the poor dog out to the backyard. She thinks putting a leash on her is punishment. She didn't know what a food bowl were, much less a crate as her house. Niether did she know what a toy was. I stopped at PetSmart before I picked her up and had gotten the crate, leash, dog bowls on a stand since she's a big dog, milk bones, pigs ears, a plush toy, food, scooper and a pad for the crate to the amount of $495.
I know she was tramitized being with a new owner and a new house as well as missing the other dogs and cats that lived with her. When she heard me come out the back door she'd run to me and stop short 6 feet away from me. I showed her her food and water bowls, nothing. I had to take them to her to get her to eat. Most of the first two days the poor thing was cowling and hung head. If I start to head back into the house, she walks away hung head and looking dejected! Loving attention was also unknown to her.
I would go out and spend time with her loving up on her and giving her kissy sounds. I finally got a kiss. Sunday, I went out on one of my visits and looked around the yard for digging spots and found none. I went to turn around and almost stepped on her.
The next thing I see, she's crumpled to the ground. Scared the hell out of me, then she flipped onto her back, offering me her throat and underbelly. I laid down next to her and spent an hour loving up on her. I put my face into her throat while making the kissy sound. She lifted her shoulders and head off the ground offering her full neck to me. I continued moving across her neck and back making the kissy sound, then she buried her face into my chest. She's so gentle and craving love it is pathetic. She let me look at her ears, mouth and paws without any problems. I rubbed her belly, neck, rubbed her face from nose to ears and took my nails and combed her hair on her side and back, while telling her she's a good girl and she's my baby.
Later, while I was fixing dinner, I opened the back door where she stood about 5 feet away whining and wagging her tail. I think she wanted in but still wouldn't come when I tried to coax her in.
Monday, afternoon, I did the same thing. I also discoved if I sit down on a chair, she'll come right to me.
Later that evening, I heard her bark for the first time and when out to see why. I found her full of life and at full attention because a neighbor was making clanging noises. I praised her for being a good girl, while she wagged her tail looking at me then to where the sound was coming from. I treated her with a milk bone.
Before I went to bed, I made one more trip out to say goodnight to her. She came straight to me wagging her tail and when I stopped loving up on her, she nudged me for more. When I was about to go in, she walked away and laid down by her plush toy she had pulled out of the crate earlier in the afternoon. Then she jumped up and walked over to the spot where we lay together, looked at me wagging her tail, inviting me to lay down with her!
I have a lot of re-training ahead of me and little by little she's beginning to come around. I noticed this morning her sad eyes were not as sad and are starting to come around to normal.
Mr. Lucky, my cat, is spooked, but taking it well because I make sure he is not neglected and loved up on before I go see Maggie and after I come back in the house. So's he's getting twice the loving now...not that he's objecting mind you!! But he still won't meet her...yet!
Here's Miss Maggie:
