I spent a day with Miles, who I know via the motorcycle community I hang out in. I’ll post more pictures later, but Miles and his wife breed Ridgebacks (and they are one of the good breeders — unlike the several Ridgeback puppy mills you’ll find in Texas). It was great to see his pack and watch the dynamics of how they work together, respond to different situations and train, and the variations in coat and markings that you find within dogs just out of his own litters.
Below is a picture of Miles and his two females. I’ll post more pictures to my Flickr gallery shortly.
Speaking of which, if you’re looking for a Ridgeback and you’re in Texas, I would advise talking to the people at one of the many rescues in the state for their opinions on different breeders (and yes, they know them all). The people at the Texas Independent Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue and at the national Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue who have experience with breeders in your area and can guide you to responsible, ethical breeders that will make sure you have a healthy and well behaved companion.
Now that Henry’s had things going right for him for a few months, his health issues are pretty much taken care of, and his separation anxiety is under control, I’ve decided that it’s time to rehome him.
Why rehome Henry, my happy jogging and napping buddy? There’s a few good reasons. Mainly, Eowyn isn’t happy with him in the house, and he’s not happy when he’s around Eowyn. Having him around forced me to address some of Eo’s issues and we’re doing better in a lot of ways, but she needs some intensive training now and I can’t do that when my time’s split between her and Henry. Of course, he’ll have a home here whenever he needs one, but he and Eowyn would be happier with him elsewhere.
I’m very selective about where I will adopt him to. He’s got to go to a home that has or has had dogs before and uses (or is willing to learn) positive training methods. He will need to be able to stay on his medications, which can get expensive. And I’d prefer if he didn’t have to be crated all the time (~ 8 hours a day like he does here) and if there were some young boys for him to belong to.
I absolutely love Henry, and rescuing him has had a hugely positive impact on my life. With love, it’s not so much about holding on as it is about making sure those you love are happy.
I found this post about a person having guilt about wanting to return a rescue really struck a chord with me. You can easily figure out which post in that thread is mine by the dog descriptions, but what I loved most were all the testimonials about how many people had become better humans for all the trials that their rescue put them through.
I’ve actually tried to give Henry to another rescue. Between his separation anxiety, his dependence, the bad habits he’s picked up from Eowyn, his complete lack of socialization, and the number of times I’ve had to repair some part of the house that he’s chewed on, I thought for a long time that I wasn’t going to be able to rehabilitate him enough to rehome him. Three months later, most of his issues are at very least under control. Believe it or not, Eo’s the problem child in my household now.
I don’t think anyone who has rescued a dog should be shamed into keeping it or should be forced to deal with a burden that they’re unwilling to bear. I would urge, though, that anyone who’s considering it look within themselves to find enough patience to ask for assistance from the rescue before they simply give up.
Of course, there may be some disappointment from the rescue in seeing a match not work out, but there won’t be anyone yelling at you or blaming you. There’s no shame in finding that you can’t take someone into your home to live with you. People who work closely with animals in a rescue environment are usually happier that you admitted to your limits and did the responsible thing (by calling them) than anything else.