Savannah's Paw Tracks

Real Rescue Dogs Are Talking…

LIFE CHANGING INTERVIEW WITH SAVANNAH

A Bi-Monthly Series Featuring Adult Rescue Dogs and Cats

 Hiya! Savannah Here Again!…and with me today is another special furriend, one of my first Sibe pals from Twitter!

His Twitter handle is @ra_husky and his blog is RA Husky…he Tweets lots and blogs when he feels he has something to bark about…you can visit here to learn about his name, RA

I just luvluvluv his blog header…it is a take off on the famous painting by Edward Hopper called Nighthawks!  Check out RA just hangin’ outside that diner! woo woo!

So purrlease help me make RA feel at home and give him a warm welcome!

APAWS!  APAWS!  APAWS!

Savannah: Hiya RA! I can’t believe you are here barking with me!  We only knew each other on Twitter for so long! This is great!

RA:  Thank you very much for having me.  I’ve read your interviews and am honored to be included. (Play bows to Savannah)

Savannah: RA, I know you are part of a pack of Sibes.  I think there are 3 of you? You, RA, and Nanuk and Isis.

Anyway, can you bark a bit about how you found your furrever home with Pops?

RA:  Well Savannah, about ten years ago Pops was at the vet with his cat Azrael (RIP).  I was brought in earlier that day by a kind lady who found me; I was in terrible shape.  I had several broken teeth and a huge laceration under my tongue that made it impossible to eat. I was miserable I tell woo!

Savannah:  Aiieeee!!  (stretches up to gently lick RA’s head)  I feel pawful that you were so hurt RA!  If it is not too painful, can you woo some more about your condition?

RA:  Did I mention I couldn’t eat either?  My poor elbows were like leather from sleeping on cold concrete.  I was down to 45 pounds (I’m 65 now).  Just down and out all around I tell woo!  I ended up having to stay at the vet’s for a couple days, and Pops visited me every day.

Then on the third day I heard the techs talking about me. They said I was going to be going home; sure enough Pops showed up—this time with a leash!  I picked up walking on a leash pretty quickly too.

Savannah:  Meowser RA!  That is totally amazing that after all you have suffered you were able to walk out ON LEASH!

Do you have anything you can woo about to help us understand any troubles you had getting used to being in a real home?

RA:  Hmmm, I’ve always been a slow eater.  That’s something some huskerboos do, but I eat especially slow due to my missing teeth.

I was very shy too.  Even with Pops—sometimes he would have to come find me when he got home from work—I’d be hiding.

Thunder storms also used to scare me REALLY bad.  I’d say the first couple years with Pops were pretty hard.  I’m a lot better though.  I can still be shy around people I don’t know, but I warm up soon.  I really love all the little kids in our neighborhood.  It’s really just grown-ups that can still upset me.  Kids are fun!

Savannah:  That is really great RA that you like small peeps!  They scare me kind of…so, how did you and Pops work on getting you over some of your fears?

RA:  Hawoooo!  We ran Savannah!  Sometimes we would run several times a day.  Exercise was what made me happiest for a long time. (At present I prefer to snooze on the couch…or my furry special foam bed with afghan).

And being on schedule helped me a lot too.  It took me a while but we started venturing out more and more; down town for biscuits and gravy on Sundays; campus for meeting all sorts of people and then the open country for me to play.

Play was hard for me at first too Savannah.  I didn’t know what a ball was, can woo believe that?  I learned to socialize with other K9s too.  And horses, I learned about horses!

And something else Savannah, Pops reads to all us pups—out loud.  And he talks to us.  I think that’s one thing I enjoy most.

Savannah:  That is really creative how your Pops used reading to get you used to his voice and to help you be calm…what a great idea!  Mom and Dad always talk to me so I know they ‘know’ I am around.

Bark, or woo, your choice Ra, a bit more about stuff you have changed over the years…you know, have you been able to show your REAL SELF?

RA:  Hawooo!  I’d say very successful Savvy!  I am not nearly so shy—sometimes I’m aloof though BOL!  Really though, we continue to train and play.

Exercise is not so important these days but I still enjoy a couple nice walkies every day.

Story time is still one of my favorite times of the day.  I always sit & watch Pops while he reads.

Savannah:  Your Pops is just great RA!  So, the last question, do you have any advice to offer any advice our readers who are trying to help their own adult rescue dog show more and more of his or her REAL SELF?

 RA:  Make a ‘safe place’ for them.  My den under Pop’s desk was my safe place for the first few years I was around.

Give them time Savannah.  It took me a long time to become who I am.

And talk to them; let them hear your voice.  Establish a routine so they know what to expect.

Feed them well and make sure there is always fresh cool water.

Savannah: RA, I am so purrleased you agreed to come woo with me, I  know you Husky types are very, very busy, what with all the running and playing you do.

This was great!  Any last thought or barks of wisdom you want to share?

RA: Thank you so much Savannah for having us.  We’d just say to any new adopters congratulations!  We think the world of animal rescuers.  Enjoy your new companions!

Wasn’t RA just pawsome!  What a great guy! So much to share.

Hope you all learned stuff from RA’s rescue. Be sure to hop over to his blog and drop him a note to let him know you read his story. OR, you can Tweet him an APAWS!  His handle is at the top of this posting.

Thanks for coming by, Paw pats, Savannah

peeEss..I updated this post to make it my Blog For The Change: BE THE CHANGE…I think Pops and RA ARE THE CHANGE!!