Life on a Leash is not a Life

It's been awhile since I blogged so SORRY peoples. There is a dog that I had to blog about. Also for some reason my paragraphs are mushed together. No idea why.

------Diego, sharpei cross shepard cross pittie cross god only knows. I came into the SPCA after being away for a bit as I was house/dog sitting. So many dogs were adopted in the time I was gone, new ones in their place. Needing to figure out who to walk, I helped out with the pee walks. (for those who don't know we try to run all the dogs outside asap so they don't have to keep their paws crossed)I noticed Diego then second I walked up the hall. If you know me, I have a serious weakness for pitties, rotties and any block head dogs. After Angel being adopted, I had to find my next favourite. haha!! I talked to Diego through the doors, he did a head tilt that was most amazing! Oh! I'm done for. ------Slapping my name down to walk him, I TRULY did not know what I was in for. I read his bio, LEVEL 2, 'pulls' 'nice' 'pulls'. My walk was *cough* challenging. Noticing Diego not looking at me at all, not smelling the grass or anything for that matter. Would not stop looking around. Every dog he saw he would lunge, get fustrated, pull backwards pull forwards, talks and talks. Didn't care for treats, oh lord. Got back to the shelter with sore hands. As I put him in his kennel, he headbutted me-gently. Heart melting... ------So he was crazed outside but a good in kennel. Grabbing a brush I went back in. Getting SOOOO MUCH fur off him, he kept trying to play. He would play by mouthing all over my arms, hands. Trying to replace my arm with a rope toy, he was not havin it. Mouthing me was how he knew to play. Not this rope thing. I would brush him, he would put his cement head in my armpit. It was adorable. Nicole, a very awesome girl who works there, laughed at me because all she could hear was 'no that's my arm, here play with your toy, no that's my arm, play with your toy, ouch, that was my nose, no arm, toy, ouch, awww you are so cute, no thats my arm here is your toy...' ------Later, making notes in the book o'dogs Cory (one of the main people of the victoria spca) came up and we talked 'Diego.' She informed me that he was chained up in a yard his whole 2 years of life. MAKES SO MUUCH SENSE!!! He's a dog that doesn't know how to be a DOG!!! The no eye contact, the excitment when seeing other dogs, not knowing to play with toys. ------Woke up the next morning, upper body totally not a happy camper. I laughed thinking 'who needs a gym.' ------My next walk was another day later. I took Diego for a good long walk. Gorge rd, tillicum back up to the spca. A walk that normally takes me 1 hours 25 mins, takes me 1 hour with Diego. :) I took Diego, then Smarties

who decided that she was only going to eat grass and refused to walk without a four legged buddy. Grabbed Diego again, walked another 40 minutes where he was actually smelling grass and marking. Which he didn't do at all our first walk. Got back to walk Bear, pretty shepard that walks amazing. At the end of my long walking morning I got a brush and headed for Diego's kennel. Where he was waiting with his head tilted. Again, heart melting.... SO MUCH FUR! This time he was more calm, just stuck his head in my armpit and let me brush. Tried again to get him to play with toys, but mouthing my arm was still way too much fun. ick. Another volunteer gave me a bone to give him, apparently he liked the bone but only if I was holding it. Double ick. ------Next day, so so so many walkers! Yay! Walked Diego again, this time was so much more a challenge than the day before. I started to think they replaced his water with red bull. Our challenging walk ended with me having blisters across both hands. All I could think was 'must email Jenn' (she is the trainer). I wanted Diego to relax, being so excited can't be good. The fact he didn't care about treats, I couldnt get his attention. Got a brush and went back to his kennel. He did something next that made my day. He brought me a toy to play with. I got so excited that he ran off and brought me two more toys!! He actually PLAYED WITH TOYS!!!! So I brushed him, then I threw his toys around and bounced around in his kennel with him. More I bounced more he played with the toy. It was WONDERFUL!!!

-----Jenn is going to help me, Diego basically needs someone to get his attention but bouncing around and making loud noises. Hey if it helps him walk a little more sane, I'll do it. So if you see a crazy lady jumping around the streets with a tan pretty dog near the SPCA, wave at me.