The Story of CJ, German Shepherd
April 25, 2011
Wow! When I first saw Megan (now CJ), I saw a very skinny, tiny little thing who needed some good meals in her tummy and a little dog who needed much love and protection from those who had so neglected and abused her. We have now had CJ for two weeks. Her body looks like that of an eight to nine year old but her energy is that of a three year old. We have a couple of nick names for her - Monkey as she is always up to something mischievous and Lullabelle as she could never be mistaken for a "lady". She is very much a tomboy. CJ is beginning to settle down and feel comfortable in our family. Things are definitely improving between our two other dogs, Jake (GSD) and Squiggy (Austrialian Shepherd/Husky X). All the medical reports are back and thankfully she does not have cancer. Unfortunately, CJ has an enlarged heart and a grade IV/VI heart murmur but does not show any signs of heart failure. She is also hypothyroid and is on medication for this. Her skin condition is caused by a bacteria and she will be on about eight weeks of antibiotic therapy. There should be some improvement in her skin after a few weeks. House training is coming along. She now lets us know when she has to go. The only time she doesn't is when she feels very stressed. We are introducing her to new things at a slow rate so as to not overwhelm her. We have started to work on very basic obedience with her. She enjoys this as it means treat time! Actually because she is so food motivated, we use treats a lot with her. She loves chasing balls and stuffed animals and is learning to hand over what she has so the next ball will be thrown. We have her on a 34% protein diet which she loves. I was giving her four meals a day to help her put some much needed weight on. When weighed at our clinic, she had put on four pounds. She is now down to two meals but is still getting more than the recommended amount as she is still is quite thin. When I first touched CJ I noticed how thin and coarse her coat was and how the hair was broken off from excessive scratching. Now her coat shines and is softer to the touch and she is not scratching so much. Whether the hair will grow back in the hairless section on her back and pelvic area will depend on how long she has been fighting the bacterial infection. CJ wears a jacket and boots and loves to romp around in the snow. She is very scared of men so my husband feeds her treats when doing anything with her. This seems to be helping her gain confidence where men are concerned. CJ loves tummy chest rubs and will fall asleep if you rub for long enough. Many of the naughty things CJ does, I believe, is to alleviate the stress she feels at times. She definitely loves having things in her mouth to chew on. We make sure her Nylabone is nearby to redirect her to an appropriate chew item. She is still my shadow; although, she can now be with my husband and as long as she can still see me does not put up a fight to get to me.
CJ is a joy to watch as her love of life comes shining through in her eyes. She loves to give me kisses and will snuggle up when doing so. She loves learning new things and learns very quickly. I love this little girl already. When looking at her, it is hard to remain in the present and not to dwell on the negative things and people from her past. This little girl will be a member of our family for as long as she is here on this earth.
I cannot thank Jan Folk enough for bringing CJ to us. Without Jan's compassion and dedication to dogs who have nowhere to turn, this happy story would not be, and in fact, the happy story of the many animals and people brought together by this extraordinary woman would not be. I am sure if anyone who has received one of "Jan's" dogs could not imagine what their life would be like if not for what this wonderful woman does.
