I have already posted a couple of times, but thought I ought to introduce myself properly. My husband and I have 2 dogs and 2 horses. We lost our special dog last weekend to cancer. We have left a mix of heinz 57 that I found hungry along the side of the road as a 4 month old puppy about 8 years ago. Her name is Bear. She weighs about 40 pounds and is fluffy like a chow with the chow tongue spots, but way smaller and the vet thought maybe some shepard due to markings, but something small too that took all the size away. She was and has stayed for the most part frightened of lots of stuff. We have never been able to get her over that. She also only has teeth in the front and back, none in between. I wonder if she was kind of inbred. She can be a little odd at times, she gets into a routine very easily and is mortified by changes to it. She loves to kill things that she can catch, which I don't like, but she does spend hours digging up moles which is ok with me. I have never been able to play with her, any quick movements frighten her, but she loves to be loved, and will hop on your lap if allowed and snuggle up and lay her head on your chest. She has a little obendience. Will come when called, sit and shake, that's about it.
Our other dog is my husbands and he likes hunting dogs. he has a german wire-haired pointer. She is about 9. You have to really love these dogs to think they are cute. She has never been my favorite dog, she is snappy and has no obedience. She will climb out of anything you put her in if it doesn't have a top. But she is still our dog, so one of the family just like everyone else. Her great joy is to chase along after the mail lady inside of our fence. Her other great love is my husband. She will sit, and she will also go to get in her kennel when you need her to.
It is my intention to try to learn a little more about training an older dog and spend some time working with both of them, to make them easier to manage members of our family and to see how much I can accomplish with an older dog rather than a puppy before I go looking for an inside dog again. Both of our girls now stay in the basement, and we also have about 2 acres fenced for them to run in. although Scarlett, the pointer, crawls out and CAN go anywhere, even though she doesn't go far. They have a dog door so they can stay out of the weather, and they have kennels and beds if we want to put them up.
As for us, we have horses that we don't ride, just have as pets. And we also ride a motorcycle. I love to garden and I love to quilt. And I am at work, so I am going to have to come back and add more later, plus a link to pics of our kids. Thanks for having such a nice place to come, Julie