We adopted Evie ( then Sisy), a largeish long haired black and tan German Shepherd cross collie ( probably!) from Elpida Shelter of Hope in July 2012. Evie had lived at the shelter for two years and had been nearly a year old when her mother and siblings were poisoned on the streets. For some reason ( we shall never know) she was the only survivor. S.had been feeding the family and took her in. It became urgent to home her when she was having a difficult time with another dog and, being an escape artist, was somehow managing to flee the shelter and trot round to S's flat!
I soon discovered Evie did not like being confined anywhere! She immediately jumped over the dog pen which had happily contained my other dog for a year. In the early days, she would do her 'howling and hurling' act whenever I left her but with the help of Rescue Remedy, a calm routine and a good relationship with Archie, she was soon quiet at night and now even lets me walk into another room without following. Being a naturally dignified dog, it took her 4 months to learn to play but she now chases balls, tears round the garden and play fights with Archie! Housetraining has never been a problem and she is very affectionate. Basic commands like sit, no and go away ( she is obsessed with food, understandably!) are understood. The recall still needs work as she has a high prey drive and we live in a rural area. It is worth remembering that Greek dogs would find the new environment very different- the UK air must be dank with dampness and possibilites!
To home a mature dog who has been in a foreign shelter for a long time is clearly not to be undertaken lightly. You cannot expect perfection quickly and need to help the dog adjust. But its not as hard as people might think and it is SO rewarding!
I soon discovered Evie did not like being confined anywhere! She immediately jumped over the dog pen which had happily contained my other dog for a year. In the early days, she would do her 'howling and hurling' act whenever I left her but with the help of Rescue Remedy, a calm routine and a good relationship with Archie, she was soon quiet at night and now even lets me walk into another room without following. Being a naturally dignified dog, it took her 4 months to learn to play but she now chases balls, tears round the garden and play fights with Archie! Housetraining has never been a problem and she is very affectionate. Basic commands like sit, no and go away ( she is obsessed with food, understandably!) are understood. The recall still needs work as she has a high prey drive and we live in a rural area. It is worth remembering that Greek dogs would find the new environment very different- the UK air must be dank with dampness and possibilites!
To home a mature dog who has been in a foreign shelter for a long time is clearly not to be undertaken lightly. You cannot expect perfection quickly and need to help the dog adjust. But its not as hard as people might think and it is SO rewarding!
