DVM97 said:
BlueSmoke said:
RGV AG said:
I have a, dreaded by Texags mind you, Pit rescue. A 12 year old female. She and the husky play non stop, give the pitty credit she wears his ass out to where he will plop down and holler "calf rope".
All our pooches are rescues. Our latest is part poodle, part pit. She's THE smartest dog I have ever had. You can just talk to her. Tell her stuff.
You need to go outside?
You out of food?
Get in the truck.
Get off the bed.
Stay away from the cows.
Etc.
And she is also a ruthless murderer of squirrels and rabbits. Doesn't tear them up, just runs around with them in her mouth and flips them around and plays with them. Doesn't bring them back. She doesn't retrieve. But she also doesn't eat them either.
I've seen dogs like that. Clients can tell them all kinds of things to do in an exam room and the dogs act like the speak English.
We had a border collie rescue that was one of the best dogs we've ever had, "Jake" spoke English. He recognized at least 30 different commands on things to do and not do. He was rescued off the street by my SIL, he had been hit by a car. He wasn't terribly injured and my wife would not let me euthanize him. So we agreed, I'd fix him she'd find him a home.
Unfortunately it was OUR home!! He was so well behaved and obedient I never really cared that he stayed. When you have 4-5 dogs at all times, adding one isn't terrible, I think we had him for about 7 years before his time finally came.
Yeah, she's great. When we first brought her home from the rescue we all got the side-eye for about a day. She wasn't mean, just didn't know or trust us. She's like that to this day with strangers. Always out of reach for petting. But she was so empathetic. For example, as a puppy, when she had to go outside, she'd just "touch" you with her nose. Not a push or a prod. Just barely touch you. We've run other rescues through the house, and she always tells us when one of them has to go outside. It's wild. I always had Labs growing up and they were just these big goofs. Her DNA came back with some Heeler in her as well - maybe that's it because she also pushed you along gently with her nose. Who knows, but mutts can be amazing.
Not to say we haven't had some turds. We had a massive labradoodle that I found up on the dining room table trying to parkour her way over to the counter where I had just cooked. Or a Berna-doodle that refused to go outside, ate everyone else's food but her own, and turned into a self-serve ice cream machine....
