[olivionary]

My pup now ;3;
Saddled Liver Ticked Minimal White with Somatic Mutation Dwarf

Baltic Winters Sled Dog Association: Rescue Round Up

Sibling to RS3. They came in together when their owner could no longer care for them.

owner;; olivionary
full name;; Sister of the Hawks
call name;; Dis
age;; 4 years old
gender;; Female
colour;; Saddled Liver Ticked Minimal White with Somatic Mutation
genotype;; kk/asas/bb/DD/ee/gg/II/smsm/TT
have all the tasks been completed?;; Complete

No posting until I have posted my claim! I have until 8th April 2016.

[olivionary]

I am claiming my Baltic Husky!
full name;; Sister of the Hawks
call name;; Dis
tasks;;

Task 1 - Welcoming your new dog home - Incomplete/Complete
We hadn't long brought home Josey and Queen who have now lived with us for a short period of time. They appear to enjoy the time spent with us as well as the multitude of other animals that we currently care for; we never intended to bring another dog home, however due to the number of dogs that have recently come in due to the hoarding cases, we decided that we would give another dog the chance to have a loving home.

We hoped that the dogs would all accept each other as well as enjoy the home that they would all share.

Once I had arrived at the association after the long drive from the ranch, I went out back to check up upon some of the most recent rescues. The first two that I came across was a pair of dwarf dogs, Folmes had already claimed the smaller black pup. After some wandering around along with other members of the association, I came back to the stumpy legged dog.

Although I had taken my time about choosing whether or not I would like to take her home, I did. She was very confident and affectionate. I later discovered that her previous owner was unsure how to take care of her and her brother, rather than having kept the dogs in potentially uncomfortable conditions, the owner handed them over to the association which I very much respected. I placed a collar around the small dog's neck and attached a leash once I had filled out all the necessary forms, smiling at Canis and the other members of the staff that I have come to know and appreciate for all the work they put in to keeping he association running swell.

I carried little Dis home, her smaller build being easier for me to carry than would be expected. The siblings appears uneasy about no longer being together which was understandable. I hoped the she would one day be fine with not being with him and would eventually grow attached to Josey and Queen.
Task 2 - Bonding - Incomplete/Complete
Once she came home, the first thing that Dis did was run around the living room barking in attempt to find the variety of smells that was around the house. She could smell dogs, cats, goats and a variety of other animals that happened to have found it's way into our house over a period of time.

I allowed her to do as she wanted as I sat in the middle of the carpet, watching as the short legged pup ran back and forth looking for the other animals and people that she could smell. She was obviously well loved before she arrived due to her confident and affectionate attitude towards others. Dis padded up to me with her tongue lolling out of her mouth as she came up to me. I stretched my palm out to her as she sniffed and licked at the sweat from my fingers. A warm feeling ran through me as I praised her actions.

She flopped down next to me as I stroked her fur, the fluff on her stomach was slightly permed and thick as I ran my fingers through it. She stayed with me until I was to go out to feed the horses, sheep, goats and chickens.

Dis watched as I stood up and walked outside to do the chores, she followed after me as I walked. She padded after me with her tail wagging as I trekked from one side of the ranch to the other as to ensure that everything was done. We passed the kennels as we walked around the back of the house, she bonded off to the gate which was currently locked, stopping her from being able to check out the other dogs.
Task 3 - Gaining Confidence - Incomplete/Complete
Now came the more difficult part of getting a new dog, building her confidence which to us was going to be with the other dogs because Dis was already comfortable with most, if not all, people. She fell into a comfortable mindset that people were positive and meant food and affection. She had always been curious of the other dogs that were living on the ranch.

The dogs that our new girl met first was Jemma and Naura, our St Bernard and Staffordshire Terrier, due to their sweet natures and that they have good relationships with all of our current dogs. They got on perfectly. Little Dis appeared to love her big and slightly littler Sisters whom played as peace keeper when Dis met the other non-Baltic Huskies.

When we decided it was time for Dis to meet Josey, we ensured that they smelled of the other dogs and met of neutral territory where they sniffed and chased each other. She appeared to appreciate his slower pace as he would often stop and wait with his tail wagging as the shorter dog stared up at him. Josey appeared eager to have new friends and she had a relatively confident reaction to him as her new best friend.

We feared her meeting Queen the most due to how Queen cannot see or hear as well as the other dogs, but we gave them plenty of time to get to know each other through the fences around the ranch. When they finally came face to face, the pair curled up together and had a little nap as the day came to an end.
Task 4 - Training - Incomplete/Complete
Training. We had long known that training little ol' Dis for the sled team was never going to happen. She was far too short legged and would definitely struggle to keep up with the other dogs, let alone pull a sled. She has long been able to sit, stay, wait and all other sorts of little tricks that her previous owner must have taught her.

She appeared to be a good student and a fast learner.

The first thing that we chose to do was train her to sit of the sled as the other dogs pulled, allowing her to be able join us in competitions and simple training sessions. She would often jump off once it began moving only to chase after us afterwards. It took some time and a few adjustments to the sled to be made, allowing her to a bed attached and a harness of her own which was attached in a way which gave her a safer and far more comfortable seating position.

It took several weeks for her to become comfortable in her new spot but with time, she was happy to lay and watch the dogs running in front of her. She would often shake her fur out and allow the wind to blow through it. She would often bark happily and the others would bark back, it was as if she giving them encouragement. Although she was not a true member of the team, she still had her rank.

When the group of dogs are taken back to the kennels, Dis usually runs up and curls up against Josey before they are put away for some food and water. She's very patient. She sits and waits for her friends to finish before running outside to the fence of the dog run where her friends will soon join her.