Tara

Just got a call from one of the owners of the female pups in our litter. They are giving the dog back. I feel like wringing these peoples neck! These folks took two of our pups and they were the only ones that I had a nagging reservation about. Nothing you could put your finger on, they answered all the questions *right* but I just didn't have a good peace about it. I let them go anyway with the request that if at any time things were not working out they would return the dog rather than send it to the humane shelter. These are the same folks that returned the other pup 3 months back with the excuse that the two females were fighting too much. This one is coming back because of a "severe flea problem" they can't seem to fix. I can't seem to get them to admit that there is any other problem and at this point it doesn't really matter, she'll be here in an hour and we'll see for ourselves how she is. She was my favorite female. Lots of potential and a very mellow temperment - a velcro kind of dog. I am anxious to see her. She should be really pretty too. I just hope she has not been ruined. Just shows you how important it is to be sure about the homes these dogs are going to. I learned the hard way and next time I will listen to that intuition, even if it offends the potential buyer. I am thankful they are bringing her to me instead of throwing her away. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent - I needed to calm down before they come.......

Well, Tara's back. They brought her last night. I really can't figure out what the deal was with her owners. They are having some health problems with their kids and maybe just can't handle life with a dog right now. Who knows....I'm pleased with this pup though - she' nice. Alot like how I remembered her personality wise - very much like Ellie. These are my observations so far: She is friendly, affectionate and listens well. She's a little on the submissive side but doesn't show signs of being mistreated. She loves the kids (they had kids). She is fairly mellow and quiet. She has Judah's face and ears - she's pretty. When I took her out to chore with me she was curious and fairly brave around the cow. She wants to be friends with the other dogs. Judah likes her and she and Jack were racing around playing this morning. Ellie doesn't like her and I haven't allowed them to be together. We'll see how she settles in. She's young & I tnink she could make a good farm dog for someone who can give her the extra attention necessary to bring out her potential.

A few weeks ago we took back a pup (8 mo) from our June Judah/Ellie litter that the owner could no longer keep. I wanted to hang on to her for a bit before trying to find a new home for her so I could get an idea of what she was like. Her name is Tara. She is a very nice girl. Real sweet, friendly and affectionate. She has gotten along with all the other dogs here (with the exception of Ellie who doesn't want her here). She's exceptional with the children (ages 8 mo - 14). I've tried to give her alot of opportunities to be around the animals to see what her reaction is. She is curious and pretty brave. She will bark at the horses but only if they approach her in a menacing way. Same thing with the cow. I've tried to encourage her by rewarding her for standing quietly while they approach and that has helped. She got introduced to the newborn lambs yesterday and showed lots of interest sniffing and licking them. She has a nice balance of energy - not hyper, quiet in the house (she's housebroken) but loves to run outside. We're working on a better recall. She didn't have a good one when she came. She's getting better. I see alot of Judah's personality in her. I think she has great potential for farm work and she's proven to be a quick learner. She is UTD on all her shots and has been wormed. She'll be 9 mo. Mar. 5. If anyone is interested or knows of anyone who is looking for a good dog please contact me.

Her current owners are friends of ours and were the ones that rescued her after her return to me. They don't have internet access so I'll fill in some of her story for them. They have had her now for over a year and she has fit in very well. Her family has eight children who she loves. She has free run of the 100 some acre farm. They rent their land out to a farmer to runs a herd of beef cattle. Tara watches the cows and keeps them in their pasture as well as helping the kids with the chickens. When they first got her she was inclined to chase cars so they kept her chained (they had lost their previous dog to a car). Slowly they started giving her more freedom and as they did she proved to be trustworthy and eventually she got to the point where she could be left out alone. Some time after that, she got into a serious scuffle with something up in the woods and several received serious bite wounds to her thoat. The vet thought maybe she had a run in with a coyote. Since then she has become more serious about protecting her place and will not allow stray dogs on the property. She sent the neighbors dog packing when he came into the pasture with her cows. She is a friendly, exuberant dog, much loved by her family.