FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

 GHILLEY

I figured the best way to start is on a good note. My original rescue.

I decided we needed a second dog to give big Timber a little kick in his butt. He was getting a little older and slowing down a little but really just getting lazy. Nothing like a new brother to liven the spirit!

After a friend rescued a really nice Shepard mix I wanted to help a dog in need as well. Adopting a dog is also a cost effective alternative to buying from a breeder. In most cases the dog comes spayed or neutered and with some if not all shots. We found Ghilley on Petfinder.com via Enore Pets he was in a foster home already but was still in a little bit of a sad state. He was skinny, had mange around one of his eyes, and had cuts on his ears that were still healing. To me it looked like someone had tried to tag his ears just like they tag cattle but each tag had been ripped out so there were permanent tears in his ears. You would never know this poor little street animal had suffered a day in his life. He wasn't timid or cautious he was full of life and energy and love. Ghilley was the best Christmas present a girl could get.

Entrance into the house was not as smooth. I had never crated a dog before and honestly was questionable of the practice. Dogs don't really chew do they? The answer is yes. A nice new pair of Vibram shoes chalked up to the chewing gods. We proceeded to go out that night and get a crate, Ghilley accompanied us on the trip. We then learned he wasn't quite fond of crating. There was no issues getting him in but it was always a surprise to see where he would be when we got home. Because he had anxiety he learned how to slide the bottom tray out and move the crate with him in it room to room. After we removed the tray he then proceeded to dig through the carpet all the way to the subfloor. We were both frustrated and disheartened as to what the next step would be.... Thankfully we found a good YouTube video on carpet patching and an awesome Heavy Duty 20 gauge welded steel crate on amazon.

HELPFUL HINT #1: spend the money on an amazing crate. The money you invest in that crate will pay for itself a thousand times over!

From the day the new crate came on almost all our stress disappeared. Three and a half years later Ghilleys love for life hasn't vanished a bit! He's my wild man and everyone knows it. I'd like to think he's wild in a good way but I'm sure some would debate it. Ghil is my number one snuggler and for a healthy sized dog he can sure squeeze his big body into a small space to share the love.