[noreptiles_]

Baltic Winters Sled Dog Association: Rescue Round Up

This one was found in a mud pit, and we still haven't been able to clean her coat off, but through genetic testing, we found out her genotype.

owner;; DarkestWerewolf
full name;; Sentence of the White Rose
call name;; Anfisa
age;; 2 years old
gender;; Female
colour;; Blue Brindle
genotype;; kbrkbr/aa/Bbdd/Ee/gg/ii/sm/tt
have all the tasks been completed?;; yes

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

[DarkestWerewolf]

I am claiming my Baltic Husky!
full name;; Sentence of the White Rose
call name;; Anfisa
Meaning behind name;; Anfisa is the Russian form of the Greek word, Anthousa which was derived from the Greek word, Anthos. It means flower.
tasks;;
Will be doing it in this order: 1,5,2,3,4
I will also be including 2 other BH.
Syren
Chiron

[DarkestWerewolf]

Task 1 - Welcoming dog

Once again, I was on my laptop, browsing through the local pounds. Chiron was by the bed-side toying around with his now beloved rope toy. Syren was fast asleep on her bed at the corner of the room. Just then, a news article about a dog rescued from a mud-pit caught my attention.
I let out a gasp which stirred Syren from her sleep and had Chiron look at me. The dog have been green-lit for adoption. The next day, I left Syren and Chiron at home while I went to the pound and check out the dog. When I got there, I enquired about it and apparently, she was abandoned and was left to fend for herself but fell into a mud-put and was trapped. I was led to where the dog was and in the cage was a muddy, dirty dog but she had beautiful blue eyes. Her genotype was tested but her body was still covered in dried mud.
I signed the adoption documents and she was expected to be at her new home a week from now. I drove to the nearest pet store and bought some new essentials.
The week went by painfully slow and I kept thinking about the muddy girl. It was finally the day and I went to pick her up. She didn't resist and was quite happy, her curled tail wagged happily as she trotted off with me. I had prepared towels at the backseats of the car to prevent my car from also getting dirty. Once she was all settled down, I started the engine and we're off.

[DarkestWerewolf]

Task 5 - Cleaning up

Once I drove my new rescued dog back, I quickly went to cage Syren and Chiron to the living room, to avoid any possible conflicts. Both of them wagged their tail as they met the new dog.
I led her towards the toilet and started to prepare the water. She was a little scared but kept her cool. I went to get some of shampoo for dogs in the store room. I tested the temperature, just right. I carried her into the non-filled tub and washed her down. Looks like she actually enjoyed it. Her blue eyes shined beautifully as she started to relax. Squirted some shampoo onto a dog scrub brush and started the main task. Looks like this girl had a lot of cleaning to be done on her. I shampoo and lathered her completely in soap. At least now the brown, mud-cakes dog was replaced with a fuzzy white one. After I was done, I washed her down. The water that was going down the drain was turning mud brown. Soon, her coat was started to becoming visible and goodness, she was a beautiful one.
Now that she was feeling all nice and clean, it was time to get on to conditioning her. All the time in the mud must've done terrible things to her coat. After washing down the conditioner, I brought her out and towel-dried her for a while before proceeding to blow dry her. She freaked out a little from the loud noise but calmed down after a while.
Soon, she was fully dried and smelling of nothing but nice fresh flowers. As I groomed her, I then realized what I should name her. Anfisa.

[DarkestWerewolf]

Task 2 - Bonding

After feeling fresh and clean, Anfisa headed over to where Syren and Chiron were. She couldn't get to them as there was still a gate blocking them but after observing them for about 15 minutes, it looks like it's all good. I removed the gate and the two sniffed their new friend. So far, their interaction and body language showed no hostility although Anfisa is still a little cautious of everything.
The entire month have been spent on just bonding with her. She was a little easier to handle than Chiron as she was more willing to try and interact and curious of everything. She's quite used to her name and the house already. In the past month, I have realized something. Anfisa loves to be groomed, more than the other two. I groom them every three days and she was always cooperative and was always the first by my feet when I brought out the combs and brushes.
Even after grooming, she would just sit around and wait for me to finish grooming Chiron and Syren before following me back to where I place the brushes and combs.
She still is rather quiet but she is slowly learning how the house works and the rules. Everytime Chiron and Syren were out playing together in the backyard, she would just sit by the porch to observe. I have tried engaging her with toys but it seems that she didn't really want to play. Her blue eyes were always trained on the other two, observing then curiously.

[DarkestWerewolf]

Task 3 - Gaining confidence

Another month has passed and Anfisa has been very accustomed to everything. She bonded quite well with the other two and would engage in playing with them, rather than sitting on the porch and observe. With the socialisation she's getting from me, Syren and Chiron, I figured it was time to widen her socialisation circle to other humans and animals. I took the three to the dog park, throughout the way, Anfisa was tugging at the leash. Sniffing and looking at everything. When a car drove by, she would stand still and observe. Syren and Chiron's leash were slack as they walked by my side. When we got to the dog park, I let Chiron and Syren off as they went off and play.
However, Anfisa was a bit overwhelmed and hid behind when a large Doberman and German Shepherd came over. The owner of the two dogs called them as they headed back to her side. Anfisa then slowly and cautiously walked towards the two. The three socialised before the two was leashed back and headed home with their owner. Anfisa was let off leash after that as she slowly walked and explored the place. After an hour, I found Anfisa under a tree with Syren and Chiron. The three headed my way as I leashed them and headed home.
Three times a week, I would take them on a walk, either around the neighbourhood or to the dog park. After a month, Anfisa was now a sociable sweetheart and has captured the eyes and hearts of quite a number.

[DarkestWerewolf]

Task 4 - Training

Winter came as snow covered the place like a white blanket. I was quite eager for the snow to pile nicely as every year, there would be training and competitions for Sled dog trainings and competitions. I signed up for the training course for the three.
When the date of the first training lesson finally came, I drove to the nearby plains where the training will take place. I got there and was amazed. Quite a lot of people with three to five dogs can be seen. Some were Baltic Husky, some Eskimo dogs, some Chinooks and quite a number of Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamutes. The instructor taught us use the equipments and how to attach them to our dogs.
Over the course of training, the three really bonded as a team and worked hard while having lots of fun. Many compliments were received for their appearance and their hard work. At the end of the training course, three will be selected to participate in an upcoming rookie sled dog competition and the top three winners will receive attractive prizes.
The training course came to an end but they were not qualified for the competitions but it was a rewarding experience to learn and grow from. Even though we didn't qualify, we went to watch the competition. Many were neck-to-neck but a trio of Chinooks were ahead as they snagged first place. Second and third were extremely close but a Malamute crossed the finishing line first, securing second place.

[DarkestWerewolf]

Thank you!
The harness looks beautiful. <3

[Venatici]

hello there! I am just hopping in very quickly to say there was a big numbering issue. this dog is now #60 instead of #70! thank you <3