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| written for me by Tony Di Bartolo, my Dad |
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| We don't really know exactly what happened in her life before she came to us, but she had been adopted at least twice and then given up again. She had some baggage to tote along with her and she was a little overweight but she really can't be faulted for that. A phone call or e-mail from Kay started the ball rolling. As an aside, if God has set a table for the people who show mercy on his canine creations, Kay with the golden soul will surely sit in its chair of honor. |
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| Here is where I take up the tale. |
Joy was picked up one sunny day by soft serve Debbie and the old Trapper dog in our station wagon and brought to our little house with its small fenced in yard. Joy has a narrow head, silky fur, small immature looking teeth and different color eyes; one is part brown / part blue and the other one is blue. She is also as deaf as a stone. (Her coloration in conjunction with her deafness are indicative of a homozygous merle. See White-linked Deafness in Australian Shepherds .)
She then met for the first time, somber Stella and her irrepressible son and Omega dog, Eli the uncouth. Joy thought she was the Alpha bitch but was soon reeducated by serious Stella of the pearly whites. Irreverent Eli wanted to play but Joy would have none of his insane games, so Eli played with her even though she would not take part. He would race towards her and then jump her body length, turn around and do it again and again. She tried once more to be Alpha but it would and could not happen, Joy had finally graduated from the school of hard knocks. Day after day, Eli the blue eyed lunatic would try to get her to play, never shying from her growls, snaps or bites. After all he was a lot younger, not to mention bigger and stronger than she was and capable of withstanding full frontal play attacks from Stella the strong. After many days of Eli's insanity and nights of "I want out of this crate now" barking fits, the day came when she returned his play, albeit timidly at first and for only a few moments at a time. Now she sleeps in her crate, eats in her crate, and tolerates other dogs being loose when she is not. She will go outside, but returns to get Eli if he is not quick enough or has stopped to play with a human. She initiates play both in the car and at home. He is now her best buddy, playing tug games and chase me, chase you with him. She is learning sign language and has become a watchdog, alerting us if anything has changed outside the house, such as a car parked where she thinks it should not be. She is at peace with herself and her place in the house, knowing the canine rules fairly well now. She has learned that a human can leave her for a while to visit other humans and will come back to her. She has begun to learn the complex social interactions with other canines both at our little home and in public places, like agility and herding trials. She is always ready with a soft damp tongue if she thinks your nose, ears or cheeks need tending. It is funny to watch her sleep, her head pressed up against the door of her crate if she is in there, or against the chair leg if she is under the computer desk, or even pressed against either Eli or Trapper if they are loose and sleeping at the same time. She does this so that she will know when something changes or if there is reason to be alert, or if you move away from where you were. She is gaining and losing at the same time. She is gaining wisdom and losing fat.
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