This is Coona Rosie, my 10 week old Shepherd x Collie mix (or Shollie as I consider her). I adopted her a day over a week ago on Friday, February 28, 2009 from North Shore Animal League, a no-kill shelter in Port Washington, New York.Let me just start off by saying that NSAL is a pretty hardcore adoption shelter, saving dogs from kill shelters all over the country. So here's how hardcore; adopting a dog from there is like adopting a child, you have to fill out a nice amount of paperwork, wait for an employee to call your references (members of the household, etc.), and wait for the Vet Technician to have the time to speak with you about any necessary medical treatment your dog may requie. As for Coona, she needed two different medications: one for a parasite, and another for an upper respiratory infection (a puppy cold).
Seven years ago my parents adopted the family dog, Angel Taylor. Her exact mix isn't clear since she was only labled as a hound on her adoption papers. Just by the color of her coat, I am more than definite she has some Shepherd in her. Maybe someone else can give me their valued opinion?
Angel also has her sad background story as to how she ended up in NSAL. Having had two families before being under my care: one family that abused her, and another that taught her a couple of cute tricks, but lost the patience to let her stay when they realized they couldn't completely housebreak her. Supposedly Angel's first family abused her with rolled up newspapers and a shovel. I can only say supposedly because it was brought up by NSAL employees that she was returned twice, once for abuse and another time for not being housebroken. And the day after we brought her home, I went to bring in a rolled up newspaper to my house, and waved it above my head like I was going to throw it for her to run after, but instead she peed herself where she sat, the fur between her shoulder blades and just on her hind rose, she began to cry and whimper and shout, and shoot herself up the stairs. Sitting at the top of the stairs, her eyes remained locked on the newspaper, crying and snarling. Once I dropped the paper, her fur went down and she ran back down the stairs to topple me over and lick every inch of my face, now letting out a happy whimper. I know a whimper can just be a whimper, but there is a distinct difference between an upset and cheerful one. Sad to say, I'm guessing this was their way of "training" her not to pee on the floor in the house.
Angel was 6 months at the time, and she came home with the ability to give her paw to you when you asked for it and to sit. So seeing as her first family used abuse as their way of dealing with her inability to be housebroken in a short amount of time, you can tell her second family at least put some time in to teach her a couple of things. Yes, Angel had an awful problem of leaving her waste and urinating in the doorway between my living room and dining room for about 2 months until my mother and I had her completely trained from the habit.
She is now 7 years old and knows how to give her paw, sit down, speak, lie down, stay, stop, jump up, and even understand that it is rude to stare at someone who is are eating. In other words, when she begs by just staring at you while you're eating, she will instantly fold her ears back and look away if you let your eyes meet hers. And then when you went back to eating, she would wait about another five minutes to stare again. So as you can tell, Angel is now a very well trained dog, and a smart one at that.
I am not going to lie, my parents also considered to bring Angel back to NSAL seeing as she still wasn't out of her bad bathroom habit a month and a half later. This was their debate until I began to refuse to board the bus for my school, too scared she wouldn't be home when I got back. My mother still tells me to this day that she couldn't be happier that I wouldn't let her or my father return her to the shelter.
Coona's sad story is thankfully not as bad. She was rescued from a kill shelter by NSAL. I really can't imagine how any shelter could actually be okay with killing an animal they are supposed to be nursing to health if need be and giving a good home. A lot of them even have the audacity to push guilt on you, telling you that the puppy you are looking had will be dead tomorrow if you don't adopt him or her. I have yet to visit a kill shelter being as I do a background check on all the shelters I am about to visit. Not that I wouldn't love to save an animal from being put to sleep, but that knowing as I am there, every animal has an invisible time limit above their head, giving me the urge to try and adopt every puppy I can. I just don't have that kind of money, and unless you live in a huge mansion where you have multiple butlers to tend to your animals, no one can take care of so many animals properly.
I know I should have a photo up of Angel too, so here is one I took of her lying down next to Coona to show size comparison. I guess you can also say it's a photograph whereas I like to confuse people, telling family members who know Angel has been spayed since we adopted her that she is Coona's mother.And oh yeah! If any of you reading this could possibly give me your input on what breeds you think Angel is a mix of, I would really appreciate it. You can now see why I'm convinced one of her parents was a Shepherd. I've contemplated her being Beagle or Spaniel mix as well, but I've ruled out the possibility of her being a Beagle as I've been comparing shots of Shepherd x Beagle mixes to her. I'm now even thinking she may as well be a Shollie like Coona, only with the short hair of a Shepherd. Any guesses will be fine; I'd like to hear some opinions!
