Halsey
Delaware 11
11/13/14: Two years ago today, we met Halsey and welcomed him into our family. For a pup who had been forced to spend the first few years of his life in terrible conditions, we gave him a strong name from a strong Navy hero to honor both Veterans Day and his courageous journey to our home. Interestingly, boat rides on the lake are one of his absolute favorite activities. He hops up on the front seat of the boat and smiles the entire time he’s cruising the lake. He has now started to hop up on other seats, as shown in this picture. We are teaching him that he can only jump in the chair when his special quilt is there. I think he’s beginning to understand. Halsey is thoroughly into being a pet, in addition to simply being a dog. He really loves his forever home and is enlarging his circle of people he trusts as time passes here. We are thrilled to see that when he takes his after dinner naps, he selects different spots to nap – and many of them are no longed in direct line of sight with at least one of “his” people. His “special” spot this past summer was flat on his back on top of the floor air conditioner vent in either the dining room or the living room. Quite a change for the fuzzy pup we met thru Mid Atlantic Samoyed Rescue. We are forever grateful for all the work of MASR, Danielle and her crew of folks who rescued all the pups from the DE-PA seizure of 40+ sammies from atrocious conditions. Thank you for my fuzzy friend who is finally beginning to demand play sessions with a wonderful play bow and thinks his stuffies should absolutely be allowed to go outside with him on his walks. He also has started to come over and give me a nudge or a lick after he gets up from a nap and is able to freely get a drink of water. As Danielle told us, he just needed love.
12/14/12: Another update from Halsey: Danielle and Halsey (DE-11) checking in after two months in my forever home. Things have been going well here. I don’t freak out when someone sneezes anymore, I love to go for rides (and hop into the car all by myself), and I’ve even had a play date at my cousin Limey’s house for a few hours and did well. I am still most comfortable when I can see Julie, but I do wish she would decide that I am trustworthy enough to un-tether me from her. Seems I have a problem letting anyone know I need to go outside. Julie says I have a quiet hoarse bark (when I ever do bark, but why does she call me a horse???) and that my whine is so soft as to be almost non-existent. So, how do I let them know I need to go out? Julie hung a pretty cow bell on a string of jingle bells from the front door knob. Then she is trying to teach me to œring the bells when I need to go out. Seems I’m in my same 2 steps forward, 1.5 steps backward pattern with learning this as all the other things they are trying to teach me. I have actually rung the bells twice when I needed to go out, but most of the time I just stand by them quietly. (Actually, when the bells first went up, they scared me so much I had to be leashed to come out of the sewing room – the safe haven in my new world!) And (hang my head and tail) sometimes I just go into another room and take care of my own business, thus the Julie-tether. On a happier note, I come to her when Julie calls me, I have learned to take my treat when I come inside from doing my business, and I slept quietly at Julie’s feet when she watched the first two seasons of Downton Abbey IN THE LIVING ROOM! I rarely go in there by myself (that’s where The Crate is) unless it’s to take the toys out of the toybox and carry them back into the sewing room. I just nap so much better with a cluster of toys around me. The other day, Don and Julie left the house for several hours and I was left in my crate in the living room. After awhile, someone started coming in the front door. I gave my very biggest and best barks to tell them to go away. Turns out it was Julie and Don’s daughter Kath (Limey’s mom) coming over to take Myssie and me outside for a short walk. Kath really likes all of us samoyeds and is very nice to us. I went over to her house for Christmas and there were lots of presents for me there. (Did you see my picture on facebook with my new formal wear?) Julie threatens to make me seasonal arf scarfs. She did also make one for big sis Myssie but Myssie is so fluffy (Julie calls her a jet puff marshmallow) that you can’t see much of her arf scarf.
With the weather so warm today, Don says we may take another boat ride on the lake. That was fun the first day I was here and maybe I can scare some Canada geese into flight again. Well, it’s tough to type with no thumbs, so I’ll stop here. Hope your New Year is going well. Thanks again for helping me when I most needed it. Please tell Marlene I said hello to her, too.
Wags and licks, but no barks, Halsey
12/12/12: Halsey (pup formerly know as DE-11) reporting in. I’ve been in my forever home for a month now. These guys are work but they are trainable and I am making progress with them. They take me for rides in the car to see the vet but they always bring me back home which is a good thing. They take me for numerous walks each day – a definite good thing. And sometimes, they just let me run in the yard…that’s a high speed good thing!
I have appropriated all of Myssie’s soft squeaky toys. (But to tell the truth, she doesn’t play with them much anyway.) I haven’t taken the stuffing out of any of them. I’m being a good boy! I also have taken over her special napping spot by the french doors in Julie’s sewing room…but I let her (Myssie, not Julie) nap there once or twice a day.
When I saw my doctor yesterday (she is really nice and scratches my ears while she talks to Julie and Don), she said that I had gained 5 pounds – I now weigh 43 pounds. She also said that I had developed a whole bunch of muscle – she couldn’t feel my shoulder blades or hip bones so easily any more. She said she was thrilled with the progress I have made. She also seemed really disappointed when I wouldn’t eat the treat she brought me when she gave me my shot. I just haven’t figured out the treat thing yet.
I love to nap in Julie’s sewing room. She says I’m a good boy that I don’t try to eat her fabric. I hope she makes me a nice blanket like Myssie has…Myssie sometimes doesn’t want to share. But overall, Myssie is nice. She has lots more fur than me right now, but Julie says my fur will grow back in shortly.
I miss seeing you and Marlene. Tell Marlene “woof” from me. I’ll try to get Julie to send more pictures when she figures out her phone a bit more! (People – they may have thumbs, but they definitely don’t know everything! )
Wags, woofs, and many thanks for taking care of me when I really needed it.
Halsey (pup formerly known as DE-11)
11/18/12: Pictures of Halsey in his new home.
11/11/12: Number eleven has been adopted! His new name is Halsey.
11/3/12: 11’s ears didn’t need meds and he seemed no worse for the wear post surgery.
11/2/12: 11 was neutered today, ears crusty but no need for meds (i think). He’s youngish 4-6?
11/1/12: Male, scheduled for neuter tomorrow, pretty cute, nice mover, seems younger, ears
not too bad. Coat was a mess, looks like shelter partially shaved, hated having anything done to his butt and tried to bite several times. Marlene and I tagged teamed him and we won!!! Will be doing a lot of plucking tomorrow morning in the vets parking lot. He’s not a big male, will guess 45-50 lbs. He looks damn good now that he’s white:)