Day: May 19, 2015

Karen Thompson and Ginny Fuhrmiester are major players in Red’s life, and mine. These two powerful and loving women took care for Red, worked with him, rehabilitated him and then sent him to me. Karen would not let me pay for Red, she wanted him to have the kind of home she wasn’t sure she could give him on  her farm, Ginny, who is Karen’s closest friend and is her partner in the boarding kennel on the farm, hated to see Red leave and worried about what might happen to him.

These two friends are very close, and Ginny monitored the blog closely to see how Red was going. It was a joy to get her message telling me it was the right decision for Red to come to me. Ginny is an animal lover, as is Karen, the dogs who board there live in special cottages with lots of space and company, I wouldn’t mind staying in one of them.

Ginny came over to see Red, and Karen was looking forward to their reunion. The three shared some powerful moments together, and Ginny left in tears. These two friends are different in many ways, but they celebrate their differences and respect one another. The love between them is as touching to see as their love for the beautiful animals on Karen’s farm.

It was an emotional thing for Red to return, for me to meet Karen and Ginny. I already felt close to Karen, but on her farm, we made a soul connection, as we predicted and she and Maria (two women who are wary of men) laughed and talked and shared some of their lives with one another.

I am  humbled that Karen included me in the category of man who has become somewhat feminized. My father didn’t appreciate that trait in me, but Karen does. She has had a difficult life in many ways, she works brutally hard and cares deeply about the animals in her care.

I was pleased that we shared so many training values as well as so many spiritual values. Karen and I both believe that dogs ought not be given the chance to fail, the relationship must be a partnership, mutual and respectful. Neither one of us has much patience for indulging dogs in obnoxious or destructive or aggressive behavior. We follow our instincts and protect our dignity and the dignity of the animals.

It was a great thing to meet Karen, talk to her, and to see Ginny with Red and to meet her. I already loved and admired her, I love her all the more after visiting her, and she was right, as usual, our souls did connect. Great dogs and nice people seem to happen around her.

Before we left, we set up a Fate family portrait, her father Mick (from Wales,) mother Juno in the middle, Fate on the right, Dr. Karen Thompson preparing to send Fate away.

We took our first walk with Fate this afternoon, just an hour or so after we got home. In a day, Fate seems acclimated to the leash, I do this by walking straight ahead, holding her on a tight leash, she can either come along or get dragged around, I walk slowly so she can keep up with me easily, in a few minutes she had it, we took her and Red up on the road where we walk every morning and will be tomorrow. She walked easily, especially given it was a hot day.

We won’t let her off the leash anywhere until she has a good and fast recall, she is learning this from Red already – his presence is in invaluable teaching tool. She is just getting to understand her name, and the concept of coming to us. This will take awhile, she is only 10 weeks old, doesn’t yet have the attention span for intensive training, but we can start on the basics.

Fate is an aroused pup, she is chewing on things every minute, grabbing fingers, clothes, anything she can find. This is not something I will tolerate for too much longer – actually not at all. We will channel this into appropriate things – her stuff, not us or our stuff, and if she doesn’t we’ll grab her nose and hold it, flick her on the cheek with a finger, throw empty soda cans with pennies at her feet to get her “off.” I call those dignity issues, I don’t have dogs treating people like a chew bone, not for one day. Our relationship is one of mutual respect, not dominance on either side. The walk went beautifully, she’s on the team.

We also put her in the backseat with Red, she rode along beautifully. I’m keeping a watchful eye, but she seems already housebroken to me. God bless crates.

Fate was one shocked puppy when she laid eyes on Fanny and Lulu, she lost her characteristic strut for a moment and ran to hide behind Maria. She picked her up and let them all smell each other a bit, Fate calmed down, Lulu is keeping a close eye on her, Fanny is already cool about a new dog.

One of Fate’s striking characteristics is the merle eye, which occurs in different breeds of dogs, it is a gene that affects color and which I’ve seen in some border collies and Australian Shepherds. I call it the mystical gaze, she already is intrigued by the camera – good sign – and gives me a healthy stare. Fate has an intense gaze that I have not often seen in dogs. She actually does have the ability to concentrate intensely, in Pennsylvania we sat out on the lawn of the house where we were staying and watched the headlights of the cars by go. Fate’s gaze was like a laser beam.