Pearl -- A Gem of a Weimaraner!

Our foster Harley left for his new foster home a couple weeks ago.  Dan and I were going out of state for a long weekend trip and so he moved on to allow us to keep our plans to visit Wisconsin.  He went to a great foster with lots of knowledge about Weims and he left 23 pounds lighter than when he arrived, more confident and in better physical shape.  We wish him all the best as Tri State Weim Rescue (TSWR) looks to find the perfect forever home for him.  We love Harley and truly miss his presence in our home.

Tuesday of last week, the day after we got home from Wisconsin, I got an e-mail from TSWR about a Weimaraner who had been turned in to the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.  A four-year-old Weim, this time a female.  With changes in food and environment and, I'm sure, a bit of stress, this young Weim was suffering some stomach problems and so we waited a couple days until the vets at the WPaHS cleared her to be released.

Thursday I was working downtown and when my job didn't end till 4:00 I decided I wouldn't take the time to run home and change clothes, but, instead, would go straight to the shelter to pick up the abandoned dog and get her out of the shelter and into a safe haven.

This is how I met Pearl.  

Pretty Ms. Pearl

As I waited for the shelter worker to bring Pearl out to the adoption area I read over her intake papers and cringed a bit at what I saw.  First, under, Breed, it said, "don't no how to spell."  Under, Where did you get this dog from?, it said, "Facebook."  In answer to, How long have you had this dog?, "5 months".

I also noted another word popping up, "urination" or "urinating" and that the dog had "accidents" in the house and peed on a bed.  Oh, boy, not my favorite thing, cleaning up after a dog who is not housebroken.

From the first moment I met her, Pearl has been a very classy Weim, not the type to make messes in the house, much more the type of dog who has lead me to call her Ms. Pearl, not just Pearl.

At times she has a sad demeanor about her, you can see it in her eyes.  At one time this dog was very loved and very spoiled by someone, we think a woman, who took her on walks and rides in the car.  Perhaps it's true what I heard from someone, that her first owner died and that's how Ms. Pearl lost her first home.

Pearl seems to be in pretty good health, although she is a bit overweight and it appears that she was heavier and has lost some weight recently.  Her coat is a bit rough and her nails were quite long.  We've put her on a good dog food, trimmed her nails and, in time, will give her an oatmeal bath to try to help her coat.  She's getting some canned salmon and the oils in the salmon might also help her coat.

The best news about Pearl is that she has not had an accident in our home since she arrived four days ago.  She has full run of the house and she appears to me to be fully housebroken and a dog who knows not to pee or poop in the house.  

Pearl loves taking walks and when we get the harness out she literally tries to jump into it, so anxious to get outside and see the world.  I think she was walkIed in a harness in the past, because she really seemed to know what it was and that it meant going out.  

Bonus Note:  I'll share with you all now that my favorite harness is made by Softouch Concepts and is the SENSE-ible harness, a no-pull, front-fastening harness that I use with my Weim.  It's a good alternative to some of the collars that many people use on their Weims in an effort to control the strong pulling for which many Weims are known.  I purchase the medium/large 1-inch width harness for my dogs.

http://www.softouchconcepts.com/

Now, back to Ms. Pearl.

Ms. Pearl's worst trait seems to be that she is not crate trained and she has made it clear that she does not like to be confined in a crate.  The crate in the car is fine and she readily jumps in to take a ride and relaxes and lays down.  Put her in the same size crate in the house and she starts to drool and bite at the crate.  We are feeding Pearl her meals and treats in a crate, leaving the door open, but encouraging her to spend a bit of time in the crate and trying to get her to relate pleasant things with being in the crate.

The saving grace for Pearl about her aversion to crates is that she is good in the house, hasn't offered to chew anything and seems happy to rest on the couch when she has a chance.

Pearl contemplating her future.

Ms. Pearl also loves her people and does not like to be separated from them.  When I tried to keep her out of my office by putting up a gate, she easily jumped the gate.  When I tried to keep her out of my bedroom at night, putting the gate up higher, she just pushed the gate down, jumped on the bed and curled up next me, as if to say, this is where I belong.  She is a true shadow Weim, following me wherever I go in the house.

Ms. Pearl curled up in a corner of my office while I worked.

It's obvious that Pearl was an only dog and her dog-playing skills are rather rusty.  She was afraid of my girl, Rigby, when she first met her and, although they seem to like each other, their attempts at play have not been real successful  -- until tonight.  There were plenty of play bows and tail wags, but when the real play started Pearl would run away, just too afraid to really engage.  Rigby and Pearl will lay side by side on the couch and seem to appreciate each other's company, but Pearl just wasn't ready to play.  It seems she is loosening up and the playful dog in her is starting to come out.

Rigby and Pearl hanging out together and enjoying some quiet time.

We don't know how long Ms. Pearl will be with us, but she should be available for adoption through Tri State Weimaraner Rescue in the near future.  We'll put her on a diet in a few days and take her on longer walks and try to get her in better physical shape for her new life, but all in all, Ms. Pearl is a good Weim who just needs that special person in her life once more, someone to love her and give her all the attention she craves.  She is a sensible dog, calm, sweet and very cute.  We're all enjoying her visit with us, and hoping she finds that perfect home very soon.

Five-Week Update on Harley

It's been just over five weeks since Harley came to live with us.  We've truly enjoyed watching him lose weight and begin his transformation to a healthier dog.  His energy level is increasing and his confidence continues to grow.  He and Rigby are best of friends and their play sessions are fun to watch.

After not being very interested in food the first couple of weeks we had him, Harley is now eating well and enjoying the pumpkin and salmon supplements he gets.  He has also decided that green beans aren't that bad and we're starting to use them as a filler with his meals.  I truly believe he was so stuffed with junk food when he came to us that he really didn't need to eat, and now his body is at a point where he needs food and he's actually hungry.

A diet of decent dog food and a basic exercise routine is really working for Harley.  We took him to the vet on Friday for a weigh-in and found that he's lost 15 pounds in 5 weeks and he's down to 108.7 pounds.  I measured his girth and found that he's lost 2.5 inches and his waist is 5 inches smaller.  He's starting to look more like a Weimaraner and less like a stuffed sausage.

Harley is now able to jump into our SUV and no longer uses a ramp.  He enjoys long walks in the fields on a 40-foot line that allows him to run, play and hunt.  He always looks so happy when he's out for a walk.

We don't know for sure how much longer Harley will be staying with us, but we will continue his diet and exercise and try to send him to his new home in even better shape than he is in today.