A while ago I promised some more personal posts, here's the first one :)
Update January 16th: Linda has found a beautiful family with a retired couple living right outside Málaga with a big garden, another small dog and several cats. See the photo at the end of the post. The rewards of this post will be matched by me and donated to Asociación Protectora de Animales de Benalmádena FIDELIO who connected us.
Those who met me know I'm a total dog person, even thought of becoming a trainer for a while (until I realized that telling ignorant people simple things they can read in thousands of books or the internet, just to see them not changing much in their behavior anyway and keep blaming the dog instead would drive me mad very soon).
My Hovawart Mix Juka never leaves my side. There's a big downside to that - she's the canine equivalent to a only child. Sharing is just not her thing.
So what could be better to work on that than introducing another pet? There's no lack of abandoned animals here in Spain, but it took a while to find the right one. First off, it shouldn't be something permanent. I like to travel, and that's difficult enough with one furry companion. I would have loved a cat because I imagined amazing photos, but after the experiences with spanish cats during the last year I don't think Juka still liked them as much as she did back when she only knew cuddly ones back in Germany.
Over the holidays I came across Linda. She's a 8 month old Brittany (female, obviously), with a weight of 10kg. A young girl got her right after coming out of school, with no idea about dogs at all. Linda had to spend most of the days and the whole nights in a way too small box, didn't get the follow up vaccines, no toys or bones to chew on, and doesn't know anything. Well, she has a slight idea of the concept of sit, but that's it. And the reaction to her name equals the one to the word "no".
She arrived in the cage she lived in. That was the last time she had to squeeze in there
Despite the bad time she had, she's such a heart! There's no aggression, and for a couple of treats she's all ears and tries to impress. She and Juka get along pretty well. Of course they still have to figure out some ranking issues, but these just help my cause in showing my big one that I am the one who decides who gets love or food in my house. And most of the time they sleep side by side already :)
I have some locals with facebook accounts who will help to find a new family for her in the next weeks, keep your fingers crossed for her that her journey comes to an end soon (and for me that I don't accidentally have a second dog forever)!
She stayed with us for two weeks, these are the wonderful people who took her up in their family
