Looks like a great board, hope everyone will be welcoming to my little pittie mix, Score.
I live in Maryland with my five dogs and one boyfriend. I am a dog trainer and pet sitter. Four dogs are Australian shepherds (Aussies)-Ripley, Xander, Inara and Sawyer (who is my BF's Service Dog) and one is a baby pit bull mix-Score (6 mo. old). I also have five rats-InBrine, Costello, Andromeda, Miss Moneypenny, and Lemon (two neutered boys and three un-spayed females), two guinea pigs-Peyton and Beatrix Kiddo (one neutered boy and one un-spayed female), one cat-Thorn (spayed, F tortoiseshell). All but the female critters are rescues with a story...but I'll just share Score's here.
I was not looking for a fifth dog, let me just state that up front. And I *DO NOT* like puppies. Sure, they're fine to hold and to hand off to someone after they are cuddled for a while. But I hate cleaning up after them, I hate keeping an eye on them, I just don't "do" puppies. I work with an Assistance dog training program, and I am in charge of bringing in puppies for the program, along with another woman who is a friend of mine. We brought in two puppies this spring, a lab mix from rescue and a golden retriever from a breeder. Score was the third puppy we brought in for the program this spring/summer. He was nine weeks old when he came up from NC, and didn't look all that "bully".
A friend of mine from another board had rescued him off the streets. He takes his dogs to a doggy daycare down in NC. They called him one day to see if he'd come rescue/pick up a puppy. He had just found homes for two lab pups that had been dumped in a dumpster near their daycare, so they figured he could help with this new pup. Seems that a drug addict had wandered in a few days before the phone call to my friend. He stole $200 out of a donation jar on their counter. A few days later, he wanders back into the store/daycare. They tell him to get out, or they'll call the police. He asks them if they've seen a puppy. With a lot of eye rolling, they tell him to leave. Sure, he's got a puppy...right! An hour later, they go outside, and there's a puppy sitting on the sidewalk. They scoop him up and call my friend who goes to pick him up. He posts pics, I ask (half joking) if he'd like to donate him to our organization. He agrees readily, and we arrange for the new pup to come to MD. I name him Score (I'm in charge of some naming) for his "old owner" and for his new life...he sure "scored".
Long story short, he grew up too bully. We train in a county (PG) that has a pit bull ban. The other problem is that our clients do not get to pick which dog they get. This leaves us with the problem of making sure he'd go with a client that could handle a bully breed and the stigma that would surround him. It's hard enough taking a dog into a store or restaurant without the (unreasonable but likely) fear of it being *gasp* a pit bull!
So he was to go back to NC and be re-homed. Trouble was, he grew on me. Since we were concerned about his bully-ness, we did not give him to a puppy raiser (we were also short puppy raisers at the time)...just to take him away in a few months. So he stayed with me...and was wonderful. I am in love with this puppy so much. He is quite possibly the most wonderful puppy ever! And it's not that I like puppies suddenly, because other puppies in training have stayed for a while, and I can't get rid of them soon enough! There's something about this little fella. Everyone loves him, he's just so good natured!
So he's still learning Service Dog skills (I'm falling apart at a young age...who knows, I might need him someday!), and will be a Therapy dog. He is also in training for flyball and agility. He does everything the Aussies do...with his own flair.
Here's a recent pic of my boy Score:
He got the scar on his nose from a golden retriever (adult) at dog camp, where I was teaching flyball. It's getting better, and I'm not sure it'll stay around.
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d623b3127cceb8d96e3d4c5a00000045118IaMmTJmzao">
Bein' a puppy...
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d623b3127cceb8d09f252cec00000036108IaMmTJmzao">
With his brothers and sister...
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d907b3127cceb8438ba3793000000025108IaMmTJmzao">
And one more pic...so you can see why he got to stay (and how he wrapped me around his little paw)
Who could say no to this face?!
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7da02b3127cce8306c08a471e00000035118IaMmTJmzao">
I think that's it for now...but I'm sure I missed something in my intro!