[Eremite]

Baltic Winters Sled Dog Association: Rescue Round Up

This girl was also found with R33 and R34. She held the position of a wheel. This girl has on quirk though, she is extremely dominant. This will need worked on, until then she will need to be carefully watched around other dogs.

owner;; xhat
full name;; A Fortress Too Tall
call name;; Kremlin
age;; 4 years
gender;; female
colour;; Red Irish
genotype;; kk/away/bb/dd/Eme/Gg/irI/SiSp/tt
have all the tasks been completed?;; Complete
Stats;
speed- 25
stamina- 18
strength- 15

No posting until xhat has posted their claim! You have until 8th April 2016.

[Xhat]

I am claiming my Baltic Husky!

full name;; a fortress too tall
call name;; kremlin

tasks;;
Task 1 - Welcoming your new dog home - Complete
The day had started off relatively normal: I had got up, puttered about my house, and sat down to watch an episode or two of my favourite show. Although I was following the routine that I had followed for a good few years, a sense of uncertainty had settled in my gut. Today was the day that I was to start on a large project, per say, and that project was indeed going to be my very first rescued Baltic Husky. Actually, this was going to be the first Baltic Husky that I had ever owned! Sure, I had experience with similar breeds, but there was still that single note of "what if something goes wrong?".

A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts, and with that I rose to my feet in one swift movement. The visitor knocked once more, and only moments later did I open the doorway. "Miss...?" The man standing there paused for a moment, looking down at his clipboard in confusion, unsure of how to pronounce my name. "Ex-hat?" I let a smile slip. "It's Xhat: the 'h' is silent and the 'x' makes a 'z' sound." In turn he laughed, scratching at the top of his head. "Sorry 'bout that! I'm guessing it's an alias you use, right?" "Of course, don't worry about it. Lots of people mispronounce it."

From this point on, my gaze had drifted over to the leash that the man held, then down to the dog of which was attached. "And who's this pretty husky?" I cooed, shifting to my left side to get a better view of the dog. "Her full name's 'A Fortress Too Tall', but you can call her by Kremlin; she also responds to Kremmy or Krem." The man in uniform stopped to look at his clipboard once more, eyes drifted along the bottom of the paper. "Krem here was previously a sled dog, and she held to position of wheel. Though she's shown to be rather dominant, and you'll have to watch her around other dogs..." In the middle of it all, the man had handed me the leash and Kremlin had slunk forward ever so slightly. She didn't seem to be afraid of people, maybe just a little cautious of the new environment she had been put into.

"Take good care of her, alright? She seems like she's gonna be a good dog." "Will do, sir. She's in very good hands!" With that the man in uniform left, leaving Kremlin's papers with me and taking only his clipboard. Beckoning the dog inside, I turned on the ball of my foot and took a couple steps forwards. "C'mon, Kremlin! It's time to see your new home!"

With ears laid against her head and hesitant steps, Kremlin advanced towards me. Her nose immediately dropped to the floor, sniffing about the tiles; following every foreign scent that she can find. By this time I had decided to drop her leash, leaving her to sniff around the living room. As soon as she had finished her rounds, Kremlin raised her head and surprisingly, her ears perked up. "You smell that, huh?" I hummed, making my way over to an area closed off from the rest of the room. Almost out of instinct, Kremlin followed me, eyes never leaving my form. "Well, besides being your new owner, I'm also owner of this rescue campaign called 'Heaven Scent Kennels'. We rescue stray dogs and rehabilitate them before adopting them out to good homes. You're probably smelling a few of them right now, aren't you?" I paused for a moment, reaching to open a gate that would let Krem into her new living space. "But they're pretty old, so you won't be seeing them around. The only one with me right now is my own that I rescued myself - his name's Lexus - but he's staying at a friend's while I get you set up."

By now, Kremlin had grown used to me talking to her, seemingly finding comfort in my words. She seemed to be used to humans already, and so, she had now begun to wander about the pen I had prepared. She padded from one place to the next, pawing at her empty bowls before turning tail and and circling her gel mat and bed. Letting out a satisfied whine, Kremlin settled down on the fluffy bed and stared up at me with those alluring eyes of hers. "Alright!" I smiled, backing up and drawing my phone from my pocket to take a picture. "Seems you've gotten comfortable. I'm gonna go and get you some food and water, so hang tight."
[[ 776 words ]]

Task 2 - Bonding - Complete
"Hey, Krem! Come here, girl!" My voice boomed out into the open air, breath coming out in white puffs. The cold air stung my skin ever so slightly, but watching the dog before me kept my mind off of the pain. Kremlin bounded about, kicking up that fluffy substance and barking for the whole world to hear. In the past two weeks, the beautiful husky had begun to gain weight once more and was now beginning to resemble something that was once perfectly healthy. And, in that time, Kremlin had began to actually trust me.

Sure, she was people-oriented and had no trouble socializing with humans, but the new environment had thrown her off at first. She would let me close to her, only to back up a few paces to retreat to her bed. Only on her own terms would she come close. But in the previous few days, I could see slight changes in her demeanor. When I would approach her, Kremlin's ears would no longer flicker backwards. Her eyes seemed to brighten when I entered a room, as well. Yet out of all those instances, this took the cake.

Kremlin had trotted over to me, her Kong toy in mouth. Prancing around me she let out a series of playful growls, eventually dropping the red toy at my feet. Cautiously I bent over to pick it up, grimacing at the slimy coating that covered it. "Of course you'd cover it in slobber before giving it to me, Kremlin..." I murmured, drawing my arm back. In one swift movement my arm snapped forward and sent the Kong flying straight over Kremmy's head, prompting the aforementioned dog to go racing after it.

During her chase, I could only watch as Kremlin dove into several snow piles in search of her beloved toy. The moment she came across it, the Baltic Husky grasped it in her mouth and came racing back in my direction; though, she lost her grip on the toy and it went tumbling under her feet. Confused, Kremlin looked at me, mouth gaping and ears erect. After another moment it all seemed to click, so she retrieved her Kong and ever so carefully trotted back over to me.

"Be more careful, silly!" I paused. "Well, it's not like you can understand me that well... anyways, you should get the hint, Kremlin." When it looked to be okay to take the toy and throw it again, I put my hand out. "Drop it, Kremlin! Don't you want me to throw it again?" The only response I received was a playful growl and a Kong to the face.
[[ 439 words ]]

Task 3 - Gaining Confidence - Complete
Holding my breath seemed like a stupid thing to do, but it was the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. Kremlin stood before me, hackles prickling ever so slightly. Her ears pointed forwards, she examined the dog that stood just a few feet away from her. Compared to her current posture, the other canine was lax; tongue lolling out and eyes slightly droopy.

Why am I so nervous, you ask? Kremlin has only ever been introduced to the opposite dog - who's my Shiba Inu, Lexus - through gates, fences, and close doors. Her dominance had begun to dissipate over time, and until now, she had ceased showing interest in the scent of Lexus. Though actually seeing him before her had reignited that same feeling. "But they're ready, I just know it," I whispered to myself, lightening my hold on Kremlin's leash; eventually lowering it to the ground and letting go completely. Kremlin turned to glance at me slightly, ears flickering atop her head in slight agitation.

Turning her head, Kremlin lowered her head ever so slightly and slunk towards Lexus. In turn, his ears pricked upwards and his eyes focused themselves onto the dog that was padding her way towards him. Every movement she made, he watched. Almost nose to nose with Lexus, Kremlin's hackles rose once against, and she almost dared to show her teeth in dominance.

"Kremlin! Be nice!" My voice called out to her, and upon this note, I forced my body to relax. If I didn't seem at ease, neither would the one who I was trying so hard to trust. Picking up on my signals, Kremlin took a step back, turning her head to look at me. Giving her the "stare down", as I would call it, Krem allowed Lexus to come forward and sniff at her. After another couple seconds she sat down, assuming a submissive posture to the male who did anything but tower over her. Barking, Lexus stepped back himself and crouched down, willing Kremlin to play with him. It took her a few moments, but the husky's fur flattened and her tail began to wag in a more more friendly way.

Letting out a relieved sigh, I ran a hand through my hair. "That's a load lifted off of my chest. As long as I can trust her around Lex, she doesn't have to stay all cooped up in her pen..." My frown had since turned into a smile, and with a whistle, I beckoned both dogs to my side. "Lexus, Kremlin! You're such good dogs! Now, who wants a treat?" In that moment both of them came raring over, ready to bowl me over only if it meant that they got the treats that were rightfully theirs.
[[ 460 words ]]

Task 4 - Training - Complete
Snow fell to the ground in white puffs, dancing along the wind currents and twinkling in the sun's rays. Before me, Kremlin yipped and howled, tongue lolling out and tail thumping against the snow beneath her. Dangling from my own hands was a harness, navy blue in colour and worn down; though it still worked like a charm. "Ready to go, Kremlin?" I murmured, swinging the harness side to side and grinning. In return, Krem barked, bouncing to her feet and circling about my legs, simply raring to go.

Humming a tune I ordered her to sit down, equipping her with the harness whilst she sat there ever so patiently. Sitting idly just a few feet away was a one-dog sled, a few weights packed onto the back of it to simulate the sense of someone driving the dogs. Soon after I had finished up, I took a few steps back to admire my work. Kremlin reacted almost immediately, taking position and staring at me intently, waiting for me to give the single.

"Alright, Kremlin, Mush!" On command she rushed forward, kicking up snow and straining forward ever so slightly to draw the sled with her. Old memories and instincts seemed to kick in, and without a moments notice, she went flying forward at full speed. "Whoa!" I exclaimed, almost slipping over my own two feet to catch up to Kremlin. "Whoa, Kremlin! Slow down!"

Once we were at a pace that wasn't too demanding and I wasn't struggling to keep up, I decided it was high time to test whether or not Krem still remembered certain commands. "Gee!" I called out, voice boomed out into the open air. It took her a second or two to process it, but Kremlin began to drift to the right, shifting her weight so she didn't fall over. Waiting another minute, I finally gave her another command, "Haw!" This time it clicked immediately, and Kremmy made a turn to the left. "Good girl!"

Though, as if perfectly timed, Lexus the Shibe appeared from around the corner, all bundled up in his coat. "Okay, Kremlin, chase down Lexus! Lexus, set a pace!" Slowing down myself, I watched with a playful grin as Kremlin charged towards Lexus, only for the latter dog to turn tail and journey off into the field that also served as our "backyard". "They'll tire themselves out and then I won't have to take them on a walk to the store~!" I grinned, puttering over to the step of the back door and plopping down. "It's only been a matter of a couple of months, but Kremlin is shaping up to be a good dog."
[[ 444 words ]]

Task 5 - Lapdog - Complete
It was, in all it's simplicity, the perfect day to sit outside and admire the surrounding nature. The sun was high in the sky, and not a single fleck of snow could be seen for miles. A warm breeze wafted along, brushing against the grass and threading through my hair. Nevertheless, dew had settled on the grass, the crickets hiding amongst the foliage chirping their own tune. Only adding to the "sound of nature", as I would call it, was the bellowing barking of a Baltic Husky and the insistent screaming of a Shiba Inu.

"Oh, geez, you guys! You're interrupting what's supposed to be my outside nap time?" I let out a whine similar to that of one of the dogs, earning the attention of Kremlin. Ears perked and tail bushy she trotted over to where I had sprawled out across a lawn chair, sticking her muzzle beneath my arm. "Not now, Krem. Your owner's trying to take a break... Go play with Lexus some more." Kremlin raised her head and let out a pitiful head, moving to rest her head on my stomach.

"Don't even think about--" Before I could finish my sentence, Kremlin heaved herself upwards and sat down right on my stomach. A gasp of surprise left my mouth, soon followed by a round of laughter. "Krem: you're too heavy to be a lapdog...! Oh no... not you too, Lexus!" Needless to say, that afternoon I had two rather large dogs trying to sit on my lap and depriving me of air in the meantime.
[[ 259 words ]]

thank you so much for making her!! can't wait to work on them tasks~

[Xhat]

my first task has been completed!

[Xhat]

tasks two and three have been completed!

[Xhat]

I believe all necessary tasks have been completed. nvn

[Eremite]

What color would you like her harness to be?

[Xhat]

navy blue, please!

[Eremite]

Done ^-^

[Xhat]

thank you so much, eremite!

[Eremite]

Anytime ^-^ Enjoy her! She is one of my favorites.