Major -
Adopted 11/29/02
Major is a very loving and extremely affectionate
Tri-colored Collie. He was rescued from a shelter in
Wisconsin. He was emaciated at 40 lbs (a normal
weight for him would be 65-70 lbs), his fur was dull
and brittle, his teeth worn from chewing on
something... like metal bars? so we aren't sure of
his true age and are estimating seven years. At some
point in his life he must have been in an accident
because he has a pin in his left back leg. Despite
his crooked gait he can run... FAST! He does not let
this handicap prevent him from jumping in or out of
vehicles and he loves to ride in the car, nor does
it stop him from going up and down stairs. Also,
when we picked him up we discovered that he had been
de-barked. De-barking is a surgical procedure in
which the vocal cords are cut. The result is that
when a dog "barks" only a rasp comes out and it
sounds a bit like a cough.
Major is very sweet and would so much like to have
people of his very own. He loves to run and play
with other dogs and is great with cats. He absolutely loves
to go on walks and sniff and sniff and mark every
tree. He positively bounces with glee at having
personal attention, whether it's grooming or being
taken for a walk. Major would not do well off-leash
in an unfenced area, but he adores going to the
fenced in dog park. He is very good on leash and
prances when he walks because he is so happy to be
out in the world. He only pulls when he sees another
dog or needs more time to sniff a great scent.
Major is considered a "special needs" dog because he
is terrified of thunder and must be sedated during
particularly loud storms. He paces and scratches at
the door to get away from the sound. He is better if
he is close to someone and crated to feel safe. He
is also very frightened by firecrackers and should
never be left outside unattended (even in a fenced
situation) during fireworks or if someone is
lighting firecrackers nearby. He would panic and do
whatever he could to escape the sound.
Someone in Major's past did something to make Major
skittish of any sudden movements over his head, so
he should always be approached from under the collar
unless he is aware of what you are doing. He is very
"mouthy" and will mouth your ankles when he is
feeling frisky and playful. He has learned not to do
this when he is told a firm "no". Sometimes Major
fears going outside alone at night, even into a
fenced yard, but is very happy to go out when his
leash is brought out and he has human company.
Major loves to be petted so much that he completely
relaxes into your side when you pet him. His fur is
becoming very soft and shiny now that he has had
good nutrition for several months. He now weighs
about 55 lbs., but still needs to gain at least
15-20 more lbs.
Even though Major has a pin in his leg, he can run
very fast. We are trying to keep him from overdoing
as I think his leg gets a bit stiff from
over-exercising. He has such spirit and love in his
eyes. He is very happy to be with someone almost all
the time and will follow you from room to room. A
quiet home with someone who is home quite a bit
would be the best place for Major. He is not afraid
of children, but too much noise and commotion in the
home situation make him nervous. He will thrive and
blossom with love, attention and affection in the
right home environment.
Latest Updates:
2/02/03
Okay, here are a few quick pictures of Major et al., in the soon-to-be sunroom and backyard.
 |
 |
 |
| My sunny back yard | Playing with Gracie | Do you see the Cat?!?! |
As I type this you'll never guess who is laying right under my feet--Major himself. I must say it was difficult to get pictures of him because he kept coming over to me...but once he and Gracie started to play or he was going to the bathroom, it got easier. I think I made a big mistake with Major last week--I taught him how to climb up onto the bed...the oaf, takes up more than his third! He also has an interesting habit of laying his head on the pillow next to mine...Gracie tends to stay near the bottom, but when the two of them begin to stretch out during the night, I either find myself on the edge of the bed or in some contortionist position. But, everyone seems happy this way...so that's what counts.
My next door neighbor continues to comment on how striking Major is....she says Gracie is interesting, doesn't care for cats, but just gushes about Major! He's definitely a keeper!!!!
Well, I want to get these pictures sent off, since I thought I would have them to you yesterday! Now that I have found my camera, I will be able to send more!
Take care & hope all is well with you!
Libby
1/17/03
Andi
I have been having some computer problems at home--I've added one too many "things" onto my system and have crashed it...will try to recover it this weekend.
BUT, most importantly...Major is doing great!! He is a wonderful dog!!! He and Gracie are getting along just fine. We had our first snow 2 days ago and Major was thrilled. I am having a sunroom/addition put on my house and was a little concerned about how the loud noises might affect Major, but he has been fine...he likes to stay near the workmen...who also really like him! Gracie, of course, is upstairs asleep in my bed getting her beauty sleep.
The only concern I have is that Major doesn't seem to like to be brushed..I think I now own every type of comb/brush they have and he still doesn't like it....do you have any tips??
I loved your Christmas card! I am terrible with cards and still working on sending out ones from 1999.
Well, it is quite cold here, but that doesn't seem to bother the dogs, except Gracie's feet seem to get cold on walks.
I just wanted to get an update to you before you thought we had disappeared from the face of the earth!
Take care and I hope all is well with you and your family!
Libby
Update 11/4/02:
Major would do best if he were adopted to a family that
has another dog or dogs.
He has progressed
immensely with socialization. I think that he had been
very stressed when he first came into rescue but now
he's finally settled in and relaxed. At first, he was
very aloof with the other dogs and now he plays with
them constantly. Even today while I was raking leaves I
threw sticks for them. Major, Persy and the girls were
playing keep away and tug with the sticks. I went in to
get my camera and realized that it is at work. Drat!
Would have been great pictures too!
Major started out barely eating 2 cups of food per day
and now he's almost doubled that, so he's really doing
well. I have gotten many comments on how beautiful he
is. His recall has improved as well. He's not ready to
hang out unleashed, but I've been giving him little
tests and he's decided that he'd like to stay
(unfortunately, I'm afraid that he's bonded too much so
may have a difficult transition). This is a perfect
time of year for him to be adopted so the thunderstorm
problem should be pretty much done until spring. When
he bonds with his new owner, it will help the
thunderstorm stress too.
I would recommend a fenced yard for him. He needs to be
able to run. Now that he's gotten some flesh on him and
some muscle tone, he REALLY likes to run. He's so
fast! His eyes have lost that sunken look as well. He
does enjoy walks, but he will need to run to work off
his excess energy.
9/11/02