Not just man's best friend!

Hi everyone. Instead of a mystery item today, I would like to introduce my dog, Shadow. She is my daily connection with reality. We got Shadow from a rescue group for German Short-Haired Pointers. Turns out that many pure breeds who end up in shelters don't get adopted. People are concerned that there may be something wrong with them to end up in a shelter. "Too good to be true" scenario? I don't have any statistics for you but there are many rescue groups today who are formed specifically for a certain breed in order to rescue these dogs from euthanasia.

Shadow was about 4 years old we think when we adopted her from the rescue group. Just one year prior to this, she was found wandering through a neighbor's yard, pregnant with no identification. I believe she had about 10 or 12 puppies! The family that found her couldn't keep her so they contacted the rescue group. We found her adoption notice online and it was love at first sight!

Shadow is mostly liver-colored but she has a beautiful spotted chest as well as 2 spotted paws. She is very mellow, maybe because of all those puppies! She loves to go for car rides, wrestle with her kong (dog toy that holds treats), take long walks with a dip in the creek, dancing in the grass (just picture someone doing the twist while laying down on their back!) and long, quiet naps in our queen sized bed.

As for dislikes, she hates thunderstorms, cameras, electronic beeps, male radio voices, fire (ie. candles or grill), sirens, crowds and even too much company. If any of these items are present, Shadow retreats quickly to our bed or in the case of storms, she comes to me and tries to hide under my feet. Very difficult if I'm standing.

Now you may be wondering how did I manage to get such a great photo if she's afraid of cameras? Well, I must confess, I was pretty sneaky about it. First I took her for a long walk (exercise per the dog whisperer's motto!), then I put her in the car and took her with me to get gas. When I took out the camera, she turned away, towards the window . The window was already down so I quickly put my camera behind my back, walked to her side of the car, pulled out the camera and took the picture! As for her great smile, it was hot and she was panting from the exercise. Perfect!!

So if anyone else has a camera shy dog, you now have a strategy to catch at least one great photo. I'm including my other photos that led up to this great one so you can see what I went through. I should say that despite all her quirks, Shadow is a very loved member of our family and I would be lost without her. I have 2 boys and a husband so Shadow and I are the only girls and we must stick together! I seek out her soft ears every day as a way to calm myself and de-stress. They are so soft! Shadow however, prefers a good belly rub and she gets lots of them from all of us. When I have a bad headache, we cuddle up in bed together and I stroke her soft belly until I fall asleep. When I wake up, my headache is usually gone and Shadow is curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed. She prefers to sleep alone but somehow she always seems to wait until I'm asleep. As I said, she's the sweetest dog!

As for Shadow's social skills, she has no patience for other dogs. Its not hopeless though, because she has a couple dog friends. We are big fans of the Dog Whisperer and practice Cesar's techniques on every walk. Exercise, Discipline, Affection! If you've never tuned in, his show is on Friday Nights on the National Geographic Channel. Not only do you learn a lot, but you get to watch Cesar impersonate a dog! He's very convincing.

As I close this post, Shadow is curled up on the couch - opposite end from where my husband's sitting, snoozing peacefully. Good night my furry friend! And to all of you, have a wonderful weekend and keep on treasure hunting!

[One other trick, aim at the sideview mirror!]