Labrador Retriever Forum
Eight years ago I sold a lovely black female puppy to a very nice, well screened lady. I lost touch with the woman over the years and she moved several states away. A year and a half ago I got a call from Labrador Retriever Rescue stating that they had a spayed bitch turned into them by a woman who had "fallen on hard times" and was living in a storage locker with the dog. The woman had preserved all of my paperwork including my contract stating that the dog was to be returned exclusively to me should she no longer be able to keep her. In a nutshell, the organization's lawyer recommended that they return her to me. So I dropped everything on a Saturday night and drove overnight 7 hours each way to "rescue" this poor girl. I changed her name to Thirteen (in honor of the character on "House") and she came home with me. The hand-written notes of Thirteen's former owner were rambling, disjointed, and confused. She was clearly in poor mental shape and would have had trouble caring for herself, let alone a dog as well. Thirteen was in good physical condition but was head shy, disobedient, a chronic barker, and worst of all - small dog aggressive. (Remember - I breed Havanese too.) I brought her home with a lot of apprehension, worrying about whether I would have to euthanize her for temperament problems. The poor girl was so stressed out when I got her home. She dodged me when I tried to bring her inside from the fenced yard. She ducked every time I tried to pat her head. She ran away when I got out a leash. She was paranoid of loud noises. She showed so many other signs of stress. And she in no uncertain terms was NOT impressed with the Havanese. I kept them safely separated but within sight of each other. Gradually Thirteen started to get used to the routine at home. I wanted to rehome her as soon as possible but I needed to know her better before I placed her. She got to know my Labradors first. My Lab pack is used to strangers coming and going and after some initial sniffing they basically ignored Thirteen and went on their merry way bouncing around the yard together. I could see the wheels turning in Thirteen's head as this former "only dog" learned to play with six other Labradors. At first she would take a toy and not share, but that didn't gain her any playtime. Then she learned how to give and take and within a week or two she was fully integrated into the pack. Meanwhile, I was working on her bad manners. I gave her a job - she got some straight on formal obedience workouts anytime I was in the room. (Rally was just not structured enough for her.) This is a brilliant dog - she picked up on everything quickly and reliably and I did all the training with no leash or collar. Poor girl really needed a job! She stopped avoiding me and even started sticking her head under my hand for a pat instead of ducking. But there was still the small dog problem. I had a young Lab puppy in the house that I was keeping apart from Thirteen, and one day they accidentally ended up in the same room loose together. Next thing I know, Thirteen has a dish towel in her mouth and is playing a gentle game of tug-of-war with the puppy, and she even rolled on her back to let the puppy "maul" her. I thought about the dog that first came into my home stressed and afraid, and looked at this girl acting so gentle and maternal and I could scarcely believe she was the same dog. So gradually I began introducing her to my Havanese, starting with the calmer older ones and working down to the bouncier younger ones. She really didn't know what to do with these bouncing fools, and was very anxious and defensive at first, but did not do anything aggressive. Fast forward to today - I have 11 Havanese ranging in age from 6 months to 10 years. When it's time for everyone to go out into the yard it's quite the scene. And bouncing right in the middle of the crowd, tail wagging, play bowing to all the puppies, is Thirteen. That, my friends, is the evidence of great genetic temperament. Despite past neglect and abuse, good genetic temperament will emerge when the neglect and abuse ends. Thirteen will stay with me forever - it is my moral obligation to ensure she never goes through any unnecessary stress again. I write this with a tear in my eye - it is my hope that she will live a long, happy and healthy life because she has become my heart dog. 
Wish there was a "like" button
What a great story - hope the one poster from the other thread sees this
Oh my. That one brought me to tears. My hat is off to you! THAT is what being a reputable breeder is all about. Your first allegiance is to those little souls that you bring into the world.
Thank you for sharing this Nancy - it made my day!
I second tat quote!!!! Wonderful and God bless all concerned. Made my day.
And, 'like' again. What a great story, testament to true Lab temperament, and proof of breeder commitment: all rolled into one!
What a fantastic story! I also wish there was a "love" button for this. I would say that you need to be rewarded for your lifetime dedication to the dogs...but I think Thirteen has already rewarded you.
