I'm having to find a new home for my wonderful little girl Penny.
I just want to shake her and make her understand that it doesn't have to be this way... but... she does not understand me.
We met when she was only 2 weeks old, eyes just opening as she crawled around on her tummy looking for her mothers milk.
Others didn't see her beauty at first, I called her the ugly duckling... I knew she was going to be a pretty dog right from the start.
I don't know why or when it actually happened but her and Molly just started hating each other, and not just little scraps over toys or food.
No this was all out war, a fight to the death.
We only have 4 dogs... and I cannot put them all together to play or come into the house on a cold day... they are brought out in pairs... and it is a big pain in the ass to be honest with you.
This past year it has been a quiet topic brought up unwillingly... "which girl do we find a new home for?"
Molly was the obvious choice.. she is a great sled dog and many a musher would be proud to have her on their team and her personality is such that she would adapt well into a new kennel.
Summer came and went and we still did nothing to 'fix' our problem.
This winter has come with wonderful sledding conditions and is the first year our dogs have passed the 50 mile mark before the races began. They are all in terrific shape and ready to run!
However as we approached the 30 miles in our training something in Penny changed.
She no longer pulls her weight, her tug line slack most of our runs... we end up being pulled off the trail by her snow swimming and strange antics of fooling around.
She loves to run, don't get me wrong. At hook up she is just as excited as all the others. I'm just not sure at what point the desire to keep up the run fizzled out in her.
I still want to try her on skis, see if she would perform better on a smaller scale.
Yet
Sadly I know this is not the life for her.
Penny loves to love and be loved. She enjoys her times indoors and thrives with the extra attention.
She needs the love... she will always need the heavy duty exercise.
She will always need the companion of another dog (male for sure)
I know this is the right choice... the best thing for her, for the others in the team for the sanity of the humans... but I just can't get past thinking I've given up on her.
She is still a baby at 3 and a half... how do you explain to the pup that she will be happier... or will she?
I wish that for just one day she could understand and just get along with her sister... at the very least she could move indoors and become my pet dog.... if she just wouldn't fight with Molly.
1 comment:
Insomnia, I know just what you are dealing with. I also have huskies that seem like they would like to just kill each other. Two are sisters that used to get along fine for their 1st 3 years. I have wondered if I should rehome one of them, but I fortunately do have ways to separate them and give them fun kennel mates and fair turns for house visits. I think you are making the right decision even though it hurts your heart. Pretty Penny will be fine I'm sure when you find her just the right family! - Jessica
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