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Lena

Lena showed up on PetFinder.com. Karyl says let this be a warning to you, Lena is what happens if you spend too much time on the internet. Lena is a Dutch Shepherd x that ended up in an animal shelter where she had been for a long time. Karyl made Michael drive across the state to go meet her. Well, they met Lena and she was as happy as a dog can be, just a spaz. Karyl went home to think about it but a week later was (making Michael) driving back to adopt the striped maniac. Now Lena had never lived in a house or been on a leash, plus she is dang smart so there was all kinds of trouble. After a few visits to the dog emergency room due to Lena getting into stuff, Karyl and her new partner set about obedience training and child proofing the house. Lena is really good at obedience and loves it. She seems to have to train a lot which I think is really boring but the ladies like it. Lena is fast and agile, so agility and Frisbee are her things. She also makes a great foster mom for pups and keeps herself very busy herding and watching over them. Lena would herd the furniture if she could just get it to move. Karyl would love to introduce herding to Lena and hopes to try this in the future, but is kind of concerned we'd end up with a flock of three legged sheep in the back yard.

Lena thinks that she raised me and that I am her puppy, so now even though I am twice her size, she still bosses me around and acts like it's her job to take care of me. She has me totally brainwashed into thinking she can kick my spotted behind so I still mind her! I call her Gorgon #1, Lexi is Gorgon #2.

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Images are thumbnails. Click on them for larger version.

	This is Lena, just hanging out and looking like herself. She always is ready to jump up and get moving.

 

	Here she is doing the sit/stay thing. She thinks this has got to be the most boring thing a dog can do.

 

	Lena trying to chill.

 

	Lena gives Karyl the tilt-y headed dog look because Karyl can be such a dork. Get that camera thing off your face and outta mine!

 

	I mean it, boss! No more pictures! I'm trying to relax here!

 

	See? Ya made me bark, and I don't want to hear that no barking thing. You sure talk when you feel like it and sticking a camera in someone's face when they're trying for a peaceful moment is just rude.

 

	Oh fine. I'm just going to ignore you and look out the window then. Humans.

 

	Lena watches her handler carefully, hoping for the "Lets Play Frisbee" command. Her favorite thing to do is catch stuff.

 

	This is Lena in front of the bird bath. Note that she had made sure the bath is avian free and none of those pesky, potentially rabid chickadees are about.

 

	Buck and Gracie were nice enough to have us over their lake house at Lake Sinclair. Lena may need some work being friendly, but she sure took to this nautical dog stuff pretty quick. She loved the boat and the swimming.

 

	Here she is, all decked out in a life jacket.

 

	Lena had never been swimming before and wasn't quite sure she wanted her feets to leave the ground. She barked her stripes off at Michael, telling he was too far out, she isn't that tall.

 

	I swam out to Michael to show her it was okay but she didn't pay any attention to me.

 

	Lena thought maybe she could shake the water off while standing in it. Didn't work. I already tried.

 

	I came in to try and talk Lena into going further out. She's not used to me being better than her at stuff so I had to call in the big guns, Michael.

 

	Me and Remy and Michael decided to take Lena out and show her how to swim. Remy is just the guy for the job, he's a dock jumpin' maniac and loves the water.

 

	Lena looks a little worried about this but me and Michael were there to make sure it was okay.

 

	I helped Lena swim back in and Michael kept a close watch on her from her other side. We didn't want her getting scared! She loved it!

 

	Michael is ready to grab the handle on Lena's life jacket if she needs help, but she took off on her own. I swam behind, taking care of my girl.

 

	Lena is kinda rough and tumble, but Karyl wanted to pretend she had a girly dog so got her a fancy collar from Big Orange Dog. It's a really pretty collar and has flowers on it and everything but Lena still isn't very girly. Neither is Karyl, actually. I don't see Karyl wearing flowers.

 

	Lena is explaining to Karyl that of course she clashes with the collar. She's brindle. She clashes with everything. Except maybe the woods. She blends great in the woods. Karyl can loose Lena in the woods when Lena is standing right next to her.

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