Oh My God, I Could Write A Book | Deranged Visions Photo Contest | Pets

• SKIPPER

When we became acquainted with Skipper, he was not yet a year and a half and for the third time in his young life he was looking for a golden basket. The first time, of course, was when he was a puppy. We don't know where he moved to then. What we do know is that he was 10 months old when he had to change hands again.

And although those people loved him very much, and they also did their best for him. They couldn't manage to keep him. They lived in a busy residential area. And Skipper couldn't get used to the hustle and bustle that prevails in a residential area.

Skipper may be a tough looking German Shepherd. He has had a marked lack of socialization in his puppyhood. It went wrong in the imprinting phase ... and that can never be made up for. Yes, with a lot of patience you can 'shape' that a bit. But the backlog he has incurred there can never be made up for. He is quite nervous and doesn't trust much. This manifests itself in quick barking.

And although that first part is not very nice in daily dealings, if we take Skipper's limits into account, then it is just a big sweetheart. A dog that wants to do good for its owners. A dog that is still on a journey of discovery, and for whom many things are still difficult. The reward is all the greater when you have been able to get him used to something new. His joy when he receives a compliment is touching. And the hugs he comes to give every day, the confirmation he asks to know if we still love him.

A dog with a backpack and attachment fear who has given us his full trust and love.

We'll be there for you Skipper. You'll never have to look for new owners again!

But of course Skipper is not the first dog in my life. It started much longer ago. I don't even remember how young I was when we got our first dog at home. A Kooikerhondje. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of him right now, but I can still remember it so well. He was beautiful! Only like a real Kooikerhondje, he was very ignorant. And that did not go well with 2 children at home and a busy family life.

After that, I didn't have a dog of my own for years, until 2008. Yet, from 2001 I had the care and pleasure of a dog around me every day. At that moment, MICKY walked into my life.

• MICKY

Came into our lives because my sister unexpectedly got homesick when she moved from the parental home to an apartment.

As a last resort, my sister and I would buy her a cat together. Long story short, the cat never got there. The shelter was closed at the time, my sister started to panic again and the animal shelter we drove to on a whim had puppies for sale but no cats.

We fell for Micky within a second, didn't think for a second about what it would be like when my sister went to work. We drove to the bank, withdrew the money we needed and went home with Micky in our arms.

Micky has shared joys and sorrows with us for 16 years. Micky was there during the difficult moments when we figuratively end up on the express train where the starting station was that our father received the message that he had lung cancer. And the final station was the death of our mother. And all this in a time frame from mid-2003 to April 13, 2007.
After that Micky was there too, but not alone anymore!

• ROWAN

In 2008 Micky got reinforcements from Rowan. My doctor, my psychologist, my best friend, my big dog love.

I don't need to say anything more about Rowan. Words are superfluous here. Many people have heard many stories about Rowan here, can admire pictures of him. And many people have sympathized with me when he became ill and passed away in 2019.

Once again, cancer had struck my life, but the 11 wonderful years that I was allowed to be Rowan's lady-boss are deep in my heart.

• MYLA

In 2009 Micky also got a girlfriend. Myla had burst into our lives like lightning from a clear sky. She was only six and a half weeks old. But even at that age she already had a character where it was immediately clear that she was not to be trifled with.

Whatever Myla wanted, Myla would do. Even if we thought it was impossible, Myla showed that nothing was impossible for her. Small but brave and very determined.
It lasted a little over 1 year, and then my sister got an emotional breakdown. All the stress she had built up in the years before. The illness and death of our parents. Her own body which let her down, things were not going well at work, everything came together. And Myla, with her fierce rambunctious demeanor, was the straw that broke the camel's back. But what now?

My sister just couldn't handle her emotionally and physically. Emotionally, that would be possible again after a while, but physically little improvement was to be expected. And Myla needed training NOW, before she became completely unmanageable. There was only one solution possible for us. Relocating Myla was simply not an option. We loved her too much for that, and we knew she listened to me.

We went on a dog swap!

• GENTLE JANE

In January 2011, my sister and I had bought Gentle together. She would be my responsibility, and intended as a girlfriend for Rowan. A small Toy Australian Shepherd. When my sister collapsed, Gentle was in the house for 3 weeks.

Micky and Rowan clicked from day one. But not with Myla at all. As soon as little Gentle dared to come near Myla, Myla snarled and snapped at her. So something had to be done quickly.

At that moment, we decided that I would do the training sessions with Myla. My sister was going to do that with Gentle. And that choice turned out to be the best choice ever.
The bond that my sister managed to build with Gentle is amazing. The fact that Gentle is a small dog gave her such an advantage. She didn't have to force her body to have a nice walk with Gentle. The power Myla throws out of her body is legendary, even dog trainers were amazed at the extreme strength of her at the time. That was just impossible for my sister to deal with. With Gentle, she didn't have these worries at all.

She and Gentle have built the same strong bond that she had with Micky.

I've had quite the battle with Myla. She and I have challenged each other and gotten on each others nerves. But in the end we completely found each other. Myla is as dear to me as Rowan was.

If you think, the story ends here. You're wrong!

In mid-2012 it was time for my sister and me to have our own home again. So she moved back to an apartment with Micky and Gentle. And shortly after that, I met my current partner.

When we moved in together at the end of 2013, he again brought 2 dogs with him.

• LEXXIEBOY

The very sweet German Shepherd. A dog that was grateful for everything you gave him. A dog that followed you like a shadow, but never got in the way. A dog who was always cheerful, and a sweet old soul. Lex was a great dog. Unfortunately, one fateful day in June 2018, he suffered a stomach upset. And he crossed the rainbow bridge. Despite having health problems, Lex got almost 16 years old.

• LANA

Lana is a dog you could write a book about. She is affectionate, demanding attention. She is sweet and naughty at the same time. She is stubborn and obedient. She puts you to the test daily and yet you can never stay mad at her. She doesn't listen and yet she does what you want.

Lana is a dog like I've never known one before, and I don't think I'll ever know a dog like Lana again.

Every dog ​​is different, and they all require a different approach. We are all still learning every day. No day is the same, and no day is boring!

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