The Story of Belle

Two years ago, Harry and I adopted a Belgian Sheepdog (our sixth, so we knew what we were getting into!) We had lost our big guy, Indigo, and had no puppy in sight, which left our lovely girl, Violet, as our only dog. She had never been without a canine companion and was very lonely. So we contacted the Belgian Sheepdog rescue team and saw several likely prospects on their website. Unfortunately, these dogs were already promised to good homes, but we got an e-mail from the lovely people who do this good work to save good dogs about a new candidate. She had been abandoned in a breeder's backyard in Arizona, weighing only nineteen pounds, suffering from Valley Fever, Tick Fever and a broken pelvis. They were having a hard time placing her because she would require medication, probably all her life.

After a visit from a local representative from the BSCA to make sure we had a good environment, we drove about 90 miles to meet our new pack member half way. A BSCA member was coming over to California in her motor home to show her own dogs, and delivered "Beauty" as she was known at that time.

Poor little thing. She was so sure she was just being passed from hand to hand that she cried all the way home. On the other hand, as she'd been nursed back to health by her foster parents she had gotten just a little spoiled. She was incensed that she didn't get to sleep on the bed or the furniture! She was very friendly to people, so much so that Harry and I got to thinking she was still shopping for a likely family (who would let her sleep on the bed!) We said she was "taking applications." ("And if you had a little dog you loved very much, where exactly would she sleep? Answer carefully.")

We named her Belle, and her journey toward being a full pack member was memorable. At first she would get disoriented when we came into the house after going out to dinner, and freak out-barking, and even biting if you got too close. It took six months for her to wag her tail. But today she weighs 36 pounds, and she's a happy and productive member of our pack. She will always be small (a normal Belgian female like Violet weighs about 55 pounds) because of poor early nutrition. She won't win any conformation ribbons, but she has won our heart. Harry was toast from about day two. He's still tempted to let her sleep on the bed. She is free of Valley Fever and Tick Fever, and somewhere along the line she stopped looking like a lost soul and started demanding her rights.

We were afraid she didn't have the attention span to do agility work, like our other dogs. But Belle has lots of focus when she likes to do something. She's turned into our best agility dog.

Check out the photos of Belle and Violet having fun with tunnels and jumps. Violet has a purple collar and leash (natch) and Belle's is red.

click on image to enlarge

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