Eight is Enough...Memories

Wow, I wrote this over 2 years ago...and the memories it brings back.

Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 10:45:19 -0700

Some of you may remember that last July I BEGGED for a foster home for this amazing Siberian I'd found in the LA pound...and Lori came through with a foster home for him (and I think moved so I couldn't find her so she could keep him...heaven knows even WITH directions I've never been able to drive straight to her place!) and he stayed with Aunt Lori for a few months...long enough to learn his new name, learn to play with the other Sibes and be crate trained...what a bargain! When Max came home, Ice (who had sneaked into my heart on a weekend visit to Max) came home with him. Ice was a hyperactive, loving boy who'd been placed in a pet home but just didn't quite work out there, so he was hanging out back at Lori's waiting for the
perfect home to come along....lucky for ME...because Ice is my darling boy. I can't imagine waking up in the morning without him...he's so much more effective than ANY alarm clock! :-)

In the meantime, 12 Siberians in Northern California needed to be rehomed and again I begged for a foster home for Lacy and my friend (who has boxers) came through for me. Cheyenne had been placed in a foster home that could have been a long term home. Over the intervening months, Cheyenne's foster mom allowed as how Cheyenne would probably be happier with her sister and Lacy and Cheyenne became members of the family. Now, that same day I read about Lacy & Cheyene, Mom saw Sasha's picture online, a pathetic "take me home and love me" look that is, as we all know, irresistible. Ok, that's five...that's plenty. Right? Oh, no...the Siberian Fates have more in store for us! On a trip to Illinois for a rubberstamp convention, a woman wearing a Siberian shirt was at a booth across from us and our 'friend' at that
booth sent her over to talk to Mom (knowing, of course, that I was going to be a harder sell). So, after we tear down the booth, we find ourselves driving out PAST nowhere to her kennels. Tasha was a sweet darling girl, with a leg (and life) saved by Karen's intervention and surgery...but no one wanted the dog with the bum leg....well, except us. Ok, SIX is ENOUGH!!! No more...that's it!

Well, then some friends had some financial setbacks, had to sell their house and needed to find long-term, but temporary homes for their pets. Well, how could I say no to them? Bengal is a shepherd/boxer or great dane type mutt...sweet as can be and HYPER! He'll be with us as long as he needs a home. So, that's enough...that's SEVEN.

Then the rescue transports started. Jenna, a little gal who needed a home, was here for a couple hours after a transport. No CHANCE that she was staying. None. Phew...one rescue complete and Jenna, now Topanga, has been adopted and is in her new home. Then comes Wolf, now Duke. Now, aside from peeing on my seat the minute I put him in the car, he had potential...he seemed a quite, reserved boy who wasn't overly affectionate, but sweet. I didn't even let him come home...:-) I met his foster people and turned him over (I know my limits). Duke is now in a great home where he's got a family all to himself. Then came the 10-yr old Sibe turned in by owner at the Lancaster shelter. Now, Lancaster isn't quite the trek for me that it
is for Scott and Robbi (I never have those kinds of adventures-thank GOD!) but it's still an hour away. Nicole, from Mal rescue, pulled Athena (now Jojo) and we brought her home. 82lbs of the sweetest dog ever...AND we had a potential forever home for her...and a long-term foster if that didn't work. Well, family health problems crossed the potential forever home off the list, BUT her foster home? They've fallen in love with her and they're keeping her. Phew...Jojo was a sweetheart but EIGHT was TOO many! Do you hear me? Too many!!!

I confidently say "I'm ONLY going to get adult dogs through rescue, their temperaments are (sorta) known and they have learned (hopefully) some manners." (stop laughing)

Then Laura gets a wild hair...sometime next year, she tells Lori, she's thinking she might like to start showing. (Notice the NEXT in there?) Well, a few weeks later, meeting Lori in a parking lot to transfer some dog food (ok, it was some goat) that Lori had picked up for her, Lori mentions that one of DJ & Gypsy's littermates was coming to live with her, a little show prospect....3 months old...well, hook, line AND sinker there goes Laura. Ryder came home a couple of weeks ago.... a little (ok, 30 lbs now) energetic bundle of puppy breath and fuzz. He's amazing, beautiful, smart (house trained in about 3 days!), crate and leash trained (thank you Aunt Lori!) sweet, loving, energetic, rambunctious, curious and well, a PUPPY. But he's OUR puppy (well, ok, ours and Aunt Lori's and Grandma Jeni's...he's co-owned).

Now I'm convinced, eight is enough. Ice is in obedience class (he's amusing, if not reliably obedient) and Ryder starts handling classes and hits the 6 month old mark on May 8, so he'll start in the ring on the 10th of May. My life, my house AND my bed are filled to the brim. Not everyone gets along perfectly ALL the time, but they do for the most part.

Max is top dog, Gandhi and settler of minor squabbles. He's the most amazing boy, Uncle to the puppies and trainer of pack behavior. He supervises whoever is playing with Ryder and lets them know when to back off some. Without him, I don't know that ANY of this would have worked as well (well, him AND mom being home full time for the first 6 months of this melding of mutts).

Tasha is getting better about resource guarding, although if Cheyenne or Lacy look at her cross-eyed, she gets the hairy eyeball out and invites 'em to rumble. She's Mom's sweetheart though...but if she thinks I'm good for some earscratches or a treat, she'll come see me too.

Lacy is the master of manipulation....somehow pushing Tasha JUST far enough to earn Tasha a correction without ever appearing to be anything but the victim of big, mean Tasha (who's one of the sweetest dogs on the planet). But she's also Mom's Princess and she knows it!

Cheyenne is our sweet, bouncy, airheaded blonde, except when the puppies get too close when they're playing...she doesn't care to have her space disturbed.

Sasha still likes to stay outside, despite the fact she's got a warm bed all ready for her inside. She's not the most social girl, but she seems to be happy so we let her do whatever she wants.

Bengal, after a couple of days of "he's not OUR dog, he won't be here forever" is now one of OUR dogs...even though he won't be here forever. He gets all the love and attention that the permanent residents get and it's going to be a sad day (and, in a way, a happy day!) when he goes back home. Bengal (aka Damn Puppy) is a delight...most of the time. He's a bouncy, loving non-Sibe personality in a house of Sibes. He's learning though...when he finally goes home, a rescue Sibe is going to have to go with him or he'll drive his family NUTS.

Ice, well, he's my darling boy. Totally insecure, each new addition has him regressing to the "love me love me I'm your baby" stage. It's hard to compete against a cute, 5 month old puppy...but Ice KNOWS that Mom always has time and love for him....not to mention a spot on the bed. He's my sweet snuggle boy and I can always count on him to want to hang out with me.

Ryder? Well, aside from being unbearably cute, he's Daddy's boy. I may be the one showing him, but Daddy adores him..and has from the minute Ryder wrapped Daddy around his little Sibe muzzle....or is that wrapped his little Sibe muzzle around Daddy? It's been amazing watching how each of the dogs react to and interact with Ryder. We bought a 6x10 run to keep him separated from the big kids, worrying that they'd play too hard or rough with him (especially Ice who's not the best with small dogs). Well, after the first 3 or 4 days, we haven't had a worry. Uncle Ice lets the puppy crawl all over him. Bengal LOVES having a puppy who can keep up with his
energy. Max would like a vacation from training two puppies. Cheyenne says "leave me alone until you've grown up." Lacy plays with the puppy like we've never seen her play before...a real joy to us since she and Cheyenne are both very shy and undersocialized. Tasha lets the puppy crawl on her and talks to him but lets him keep climbing. Sasha just stays outside :-) or inside if he's out. But he's brought a new level of activity to the house, that's for DARN sure...and, oddly enough, the house is MUCH tidier!

Anyway, for some reason I just felt like telling y'all a little more about our pack :-)

Laura A