# Tell me about your heart dog....



## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

Man, having Minnie has been such a thrilling experience, I just want to talk about her ALL THE TIME. Haha! :thumb: I know the majority of my friends on facebook are sick of it, so I'm glad I can come here! :smile:

Like I've mentioned before, I've had many, many dogs growing up....but Minnie has been my first on my own. And she has been PHENOMENAL even in the few months I've had her! I've never had a bond like this with an animal before.... I have a horse who I was so in tune with growing up, but with a dog, it's so much different. Her adoration for me is just visible on her face -- and I've never had a dog so eager to work for praise, not just treats. I used to scoff about dogs working "to please," just because our dogs have all been super food-oriented....and I still believe that most of the time, a dog will act in their own self-interest particularly if there's something yummy around. :tongue: But Minnie....she blows my mind! A cuddle is the best thing in the world to her. And when I get home, she makes the most hysterical whining/grunting sounds -- like she can't believe I came back... and she can barely contain herself!!! 

And for as sweet as she is, her fierce loyalty is undeniable and amazing. My boyfriend was leaving for work and basically tackled me with a hug to say goodbye and I let out a little yelp since I was surprised. Minnie charged him and growled a little thinking I was in trouble! And she ADORES him! She doesn't normally do that (i.e., when I hug people or they are close to me), but if I'm nervous or scared or just taken off guard, she is there to be my defender. I have never met a dog who could be so so friendly, but so willing to sacrifice herself for me if need be. I toootally didn't expect this out of a dane, particularly one I've had for only 2 and a half months!

The bond is seriously amazing... and it shows. Everyone knows how well we mesh and I think we really work well together! She is the star of her obedience classes and the star in my life -- she has been SO good for me. 

I love my girl so much......*why don't you share about YOUR heart dog?* :smile: 




















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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Awwww. Those are great photos. they really show that you love each other!

I'm old, and I've had alot of dogs. I was heartbroken when each one left me. It's like saying I prefer one child over another - impossible.


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

xellil said:


> Awwww. Those are great photos. they really show that you love each other!
> 
> I'm old, and I've had alot of dogs. I was heartbroken when each one left me. It's like saying I prefer one child over another - impossible.


Oh, don't get me wrong....each dog I lost growing up was awful and painful and heartbreaking for me. But there's just something in the way Minnie and I click... like we are just totally connected somehow -- which I haven't had as extensively with my other dogs. 

They are all phenomenal, that's true.


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## PennyGreyhuahua (Aug 13, 2011)

aw...love ur pics!! always touched to see when humans & animals bonded or together...sometimes they're better than kids...lol


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## jenv101 (Oct 13, 2010)

Aww those photos are adorable!! Aura does the whining and grunting thing too, and it is so funny. Definitely makes you feel special.

I had dogs growing up as well, but my first 'heart dog' was named Joey. He was the runt of a litter my dad's dog had (an oops litter) I was about 17 at the time and took care of him since he was born. My dad kept him and we 'shared' him (lived in different houses) and he and I had one of those bonds that you can't explain. He was an amazing dog.
















Riley is my second heart dog, and although different from Joey, there are a few similarities in the way he looks at me, and his mannerisms sometimes.


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

jenv101 said:


> Aww those photos are adorable!! Aura does the whining and grunting thing too, and it is so funny. Definitely makes you feel special.
> 
> I had dogs growing up as well, but my first 'heart dog' was named Joey. He was the runt of a litter my dad's dog had (an oops litter) I was about 17 at the time and took care of him since he was born. My dad kept him and we 'shared' him (lived in different houses) and he and I had one of those bonds that you can't explain. He was an amazing dog.
> 
> ...


Joey looks JUST like a dog I had growing up named Molly! Weird...I'm gonna have to see if I can dig up pics of her.

Both of them are just beautiful.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

My first heart dog was Hummer....the black chow in my avatar. He was my first show quality chow that I got from a quality breeder. I have had so many other dogs before, but they were raised when the kids were little and we had a lot of pets at the time. Hummer was my special baby. I took him to agility classes and he was priceless. But we lost him a few days before his 4th birthday.

Then one month later I was looking at Craigslist ( because I am a sucker) and there was Rocky's picture staring at me from a rescue site. I emailed, they said there were already 60 applications for him and his littermates but I could go ahead and submit one electronically anyway. 45 minutes later they called me for a personal phone call and said he was mine! He is my true heart dog. From the minute I set him down in the backyard, he would not go more then a foot away from me. There were 4 people in the yard yet he followed me everywhere. Right now he is laying on my feet. He is my special baby boy (but don't tell Shade and Chelsy!)


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

I was just wondering who that Chow was in your avatar! Rocky was a cute puppy, I can see why you fell for him :wink:


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

Jill, some of the expressions Minnie makes remind me of my Finny... can't find a good comparison photo of his face, but then again... it could be the coloring that reminds me of him... (I'm such a sucker for anything with spots!)









My heart dog... hmm, well, I know what you mean by heart dog, but I have to say that I think all of mine are my heart dogs. Having four dogs, they all complete me in different ways. But if I had to single out one in particular, it would be my CJ. She changed me as a person, I wouldn't have the relationship I have with my dogs now if it wasn't for her. She was the matriarch. My mom took her ex-boyfriend after she saw him grabbing her (CJ) by the scruff and throwing her into the back of his truck in 1996, which is weird because my mom isn't the type to rescue animals. I come from a single-mom home and we moved around a lot (had to follow the money when my mom got a better job out-of-state) and CJ was always there, through every move. When I had to start a new school, had no friends, I would go home and she would be there. I would put my Minnie Mouse shirt on her and she would follow me around and listen to me while I talked to her about my day. I'd put her harness on, and she would pull us on our sled down the street in the snow. In the summer she would pull me around on my roller blades through the neighborhood. As a matter of fact, I would usually meet my new friend's through CJ. Kids always would ask me if she was part wolf, and I would tell them yes, even though she wasn't. 

I'm talking too much sh*% now, just rambling... sorry, I could go on forever. We lost her to cancer last November. She was 16. I remember after she got sick, I was walking by my mom's room, and heard her whispering. I peeked through the door and saw her laying on the floor, next to CJ's bed, facing away from me. I listened closely and could hear her saying "Thank you so much old girl, for always being there for my kids, even when I couldn't be". She was a huge part of our family and we would not allow her to suffer, so we had a wonderful vet come to the house to put her to rest on Nov. 29th.

I still can't believe that she is gone sometimes. I guess with time comes healing, but damn I still miss her so much, it feels like it was yesterday. I'm lucky enough to have four other dog's that she helped me raise. She lives on through them.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

schtuffy said:


> I was just wondering who that Chow was in your avatar! Rocky was a cute puppy, I can see why you fell for him :wink:


I always say that Rocky was put there to rescue me, not me to rescue him. I was devastated when I lost Hummer so suddenly at such a young age. Then that little face appeared in Craigslist, just when I needed it!


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

Julie said:


> Jill, some of the expressions Minnie makes remind me of my Finny... can't find a good comparison photo of his face, but then again... it could be the coloring that reminds me of him... (I'm such a sucker for anything with spots!)
> 
> View attachment 3722
> 
> ...


Beautiful, beautiful pups! And I see what you mean about Finny - I think they look alike too!! Thanks for the great story...you're a great writer! CJ is exactly what I mean by 'heart dog'.....I have loved all my dogs equally, but there are those ones you just click with....who change you and make you want to be so much better. Minnie did this for me.


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

chowder said:


>



AHHH sooo fluffy!!!!!! My boyfriend and I did compromise when we got a dog actually....I mean, I knew I had wanted a dane...but I grew up with really fluffy german shepherds, malinois, etc... he said NO fluffy dogs. But seeing that picture....I think one HAS to be in our future somewhere! :biggrin:


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

I've loved all of our dogs but my heart dog is Sophie. She's basically my dream dog. As a kid (and after seeing "The Lady and the Tramp", haha) I had wanted a Cocker Spaniel. I wanted a female and preferred blonder dogs. My first dog's breed was chosen by my mother (she wanted a Dachshund) but I was allowed to choose the breed of the second dog. I was ecstatic, I was finally getting my Cocker!

To be honest, there was no special moment or anything when I picked her out from the litter, haha. They were all adorable and friendly. It actually came down to my grandmother reminding me that I wanted a blonde Cocker and pointing out the lightest one in the litter (the others were more red). I named her almost immediately.

She was an odd puppy. She was house-trained easily, never chewed up anything she wasn't supposed to, had great recall (maybe too great...total velcro dog as well), and bonded to me very quickly. She was calm for a puppy and preferred cuddling to playing. Easiest puppy ever! The only thing that was tricky was crate-training. The moment I locked her in the crate she would start howling like someone was killing her or something. It took at least a month to get her sleeping through the night in her crate. And then, funnily enough, I decided to let her sleep on the bed and she never needed to be crated again. Hahaha. The thing is, she was so well-behaved that she was trusted to have free run of the house when we were gone.

She's always up for what I want to do...whether it's taking a nap, cuddling, going on a jog, hiking, playing fetch, etc. We even started doing scent work earlier this year and she "works" for praise even though she loves food (we were offering her treats but she didn't even take them half the time because she was excited just to be playing the game). We communicate really well, she will do things before I even ask her and I always know how she's feeling. She used to get sick a lot as a puppy (and still got sick at least once or twice a month before switching to raw) and I would always know she wasn't feeling well before she showed any symptoms. She normally vomits in the middle of the night and I'd always wake up before she got sick (which was handy, ha). We just "get" each other.

She's fiercely loyal and sometimes protective, too. She's definitely "my dog" and would never wander off with a stranger. In fact, she'll growl at strange men unless I tell her it's ok. She even defended me from a large Rottie mix who had attacked me when I was in my own yard.

I could go on and on .


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Hmmmmm...my heart dog...well, that would have to be Aspen. He's my first dog from a breeder I researched and questioned the hell out of. I've had 2 chows in the past, rescues, but I can't quite put into words the bond Aspen and I have. :hug:


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

My heart dog is Cassie who was my standard poodle whom passed away a year ago this month. She was 13 years old when she died. She was my '1st' dog that I had bought, and she was the smartest dog I have ever met, also one of the naughtiest. She had a ton of motherly instincts, she used to clean and care for any bottle fed baby kittens I would bring home. The 2nd picture is of her 'babying' Zoey right after I brought Zoey home.







Zoey is my 2nd heart dog, I swore I would never own a chihuahua, but I fell in love with her. I think part of the reason I adore her so much is because she's had so many health issues I've really had to 'nurse' her back to health so many times (before raw)


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## tuckersmom20 (Dec 12, 2010)

Alot of my friends will agree with me... Tucker is my heart dog.
I got him from a rescue at 7 weeks old and even though he was a holy terror...I stuck it out. I had many moments when I had thought... What am I doing!?
He was the most difficult puppy I have ever known.. His teenage years were worse.
I dont think tuck and I properly bonded until he was a year old... Until he started to gain some sense. Our relationship was difficult but somehow knew things would be better soon.
We bonded and I'm so happy we did.

This past december... I almost lost tuck. He ate a squeaker and even the vet said to prepare.
I wasn't willing to let him go.. He had to fight.
I visited him daily (he was in for 7 days) and told him each day it had to make it... For mommy.

He pulled through, the vets were amazed...
The experience bonded Tucker and I together more than I can ever imagine... He is my heart dog


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

All of my babies past and present are so special to me in their own individual ways. But if I'm going to be honest Tommy was my heart dog for reasons even I can't explain. I lost him a month ago yesterday and still can't believe he's gone. I dozed off earlier this evening on my screened porch and was awakened with a jolt of realization that he was dead. It was a strange and almost panicky feeling.
There's a group that's published a series of books called "Happy Tails" (and they still continue to publish them) about rescue dogs. Part of the proceeds from the sales go to rescues that participate. I sent in a short story about Tommy as well as my first Chihuahua Cricket and both stories were accepted and went into the Chihuahua rescue book. Here was my story about Tommy. 

TOMMY

The first time I saw the tiny fellow he was no more than a shell of what had once been a dog. Even though I’d been a dog rescuer for years and thought I’d seen it all, his condition was shocking. His eyes were oozing with infection, most of his hair and teeth were missing, his nails were growing into the pads of his feet, and he was absolutely crawling with fleas. Skeletal, shivering and nearly too weak to stand, he’d been dumped in the pound to die.

I could only assume the little guy had never been given a proper name and was probably known simply by the lovely green numbers tattooed in his ear. He was so frail and helpless that leaving him there was not an option for me so I brought him home. I decided to call him Tommy. My Tommy was a puppy mill throwaway. It appeared his previous “owner” had deemed him too old to be useful any longer. I suppose I should’ve been grateful he hadn’t just been drowned, shot, or left in a cage to starve. At least they’d taken him to the pound, right? 

I couldn’t tell with any certainty how old he was but he appeared to be about fifteen. Considering his advanced age and poor physical health, I felt the best I could hope for was to give him a soft landing; basically a sweet and memorable place to die. What I couldn’t have possibly known was that I would be utterly and completely taken in by this tiny package. And it became clear very quickly that I needed much more for my boy. I began to long instead to give him a sweet and memorable place to live. And before I realized it, Tommy began to teach me a thing or two about life and the resiliency of spirit.

The first few weeks with him were heartbreaking. I’d never met a dog so utterly void of emotion. If the eyes are the window to the soul, I’d have been forced to believe he had none. His days consisted of sleeping or staring into a corner, avoiding contact with me if at all possible. He refused to look at me when I held him and his body would stiffen as if he were steeling himself against whatever punishment was to come. As the months passed I began to think that he was just too damaged to ever open up. That he would remain forever locked in the prison of his past abuses. 

Tommy physically improved dramatically with just a bit of basic care and was up to a whopping four pounds in a matter of weeks. His hair quickly grew back in also and was soft and shiny.

As he became more familiar with his new surroundings he seemed less anxious and began to interact with my other dogs. But he continued to be completely terrified of me. Occasionally I would be fortunate enough to enter the room unnoticed and could quietly steal a moment when he appeared to be happy and carefree. Those moments were always fleeting though and he would shut down again the instant he realized I was watching. Sadly, I resigned myself to the fact that Tommy no longer had the ability to bond with people. I believed that his years without human affection had so severely scarred him that that window of opportunity had long since closed. 

And then suddenly one day he wagged his tail. AT ME! Just a little tiny wag but I saw it. In the days that followed Tommy began to come toward me whenever I entered the room. Not all the way TO me of course but close enough to say, “I missed you and I’m so glad you’re home.” Slowly but surely, I was being accepted. Each breakthrough felt like victory.

Three years have passed since then and although he’s clearly an old man, he can still light up the room. Now as I watch him romp and play with my other dogs; an expression of pure joy on his face, he’s shown me that the spirit can indeed be healed. When he runs to me to be held and then relaxes in my arms, he lets me know that trust can be restored. When he sleeps peacefully and soundly on my lap, he helps me to realize that all fear, both great and small, can be conquered. And when he basks in the sun on a warm summer day, he reminds me that we all should cling tightly to the simple pleasures of life. 

As I put these words on paper Tommy snores quietly on my lap. I feel very blessed. He’s a beautiful little soul and I’m fortunate to have found him. I will never understand how anyone can abuse or neglect an animal. To think of this little one living day after day for years, in a wire cage with no one to love him makes my heart ache with longing for the life he deserved and should have always had. I believe that my Tommy has let go of the past now and carries with him only memories of love and happy days. Watching his transformation has been an experience I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. He has no idea what a gift he’s been to me.

It took almost a lifetime, but my tiny little Tommy finally found his very own place to belong; forever in my heart and in my home.


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## Janet At Nutro (Mar 11, 2011)

While all of my Danes have a special place in my heart. There was one that really needed a home. Her name was Dutchess,
and she had been in a shelter for 18 months, before a Great Dane rescue took her in. She spent another 5 months at the
rescue. I saw her picture online, and I just knew that I had to have her. Dutchess was 12.5 years old at the time, and 
everyone tried to talk me out of getting her. When I went to meet her, she came right to me, and the next thing I know
the two of us are heading home together. She was 14.5 when she passed away in my arms. I only had her for 2 years,
but it was the best 2 years of my life. She brought me so much joy. She will always have a very special place in my heart.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Donna Little said:


> TOMMY
> 
> I couldn’t tell with any certainty how old he was but he appeared to be about fifteen.
> 
> ...





Janet At Nutro said:


> While all of my Danes have a special place in my heart. There was one that really needed a home. Her name was Dutchess,
> and she had been in a shelter for 18 months, before a Great Dane rescue took her in. She spent another 5 months at the
> rescue. I saw her picture online, and I just knew that I had to have her. Dutchess was 12.5 years old at the time, and
> everyone tried to talk me out of getting her. When I went to meet her, she came right to me, and the next thing I know
> ...


Two wonderful stories that show how much the older rescues have to give to us! I thought I would always have to have a puppy, and that only a puppy could bond to you. That was until we got Shade at 4 years old. We may not get to have the older ones with us as long, but their time with us can be just as special or even more so.


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