Thursday 16 February 2012

BLACK DOG SPECIAL - Why I foster: Zepp

By Meaghen Jones

Zepp came to us as our very first foster with Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescue.  I have to say I wasn’t sure what to expect when he jumped out of the car....I LOVE big dogs but have never in my life had a BIG BLACK dog (LOL), so I was super excited.  He was a....well.....excited, to say  the least, I think he ran around for hours that evening (we live on a farm and our yard is on about 20 acres).  

Walking him at first was a challenge but he came to quickly understand that if he wanted to be off leash with his foster brother and sister  he had to listen, which he did very well after a few weeks.  He was a dream to run with because he NEVER got tired!  Unfortunately him and my daughter accidentally collided while running around which made her a little scared of him (no one/dogs fault at all just an accident) and with that we decided it would be best to take a break.  In the mean time we had two other fosters, but I couldn’t stop thinking of Zepp.  He needed time and love and we didn’t give him the time he needed with the kids.  I wrote an email and in a couple weeks I picked him up again, and it has been a blast ever since!!!!

Zepp came running through the doors in true Zepp fashion and my daughter gave him the “what for” (she’s 2) and have been inseparable ever since.  She drags him around by his leash and then vise versa … it makes me laugh just thinking about it!

Zepp has grown leaps and bounds since we have brought him back “home”.  He loves to be outside, and be with us at all times, so being Dairy Farmers he has “the life” he loves!! Every morning when I’m getting ready to head outside, I let him out of his kennel and am greeted by his morning grunts a lick on the hand and then we are off.  I have taught him a little game of pick up and he plays it well....now!!   He used to take off with everything (towels, mitts, touques, teddy bears, ANYTHING) and in those big brown eyes I could see he knew better!  Now slowly he is stopping himself, he still grabs the touques off the kids heads but he stops and brings them back!  He wants to learn and please us so deeply he just needs someone to give him the chance and time he needs.  He walks so-so on the leash, and needs a firm hand to guide him but he is getting back in his element and it’s fun to watch the Big Lug “get it” and be soooooo proud of himself!

Zepp is a Big Dog with the BIGGEST heart, and the most to learn! We love him to death and know in our heart that there is a family out there that will embrace him for being the Big BLACK dog that he is.

1 comment:

Monika Robertson said...

I have a big blck dog just like Zepp, well actually my parents have a big black dog like Zepp. He loves the farm,chores, sledding, quadding, playing witht he cats and my beagel! If only there were time and room for another big black dog like Zepp (and Grizzly). I have seen Zepps photo MB Mutts and wish I could take him home.

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