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GEMMAupdate!Gemma has a sad story to tell. She was found as a stray, foraging for food, having just given birth to a litter of puppies -- in fact our Gemma was still lactating. Since her puppies were nowhere to be found, we surmised that she is a cast off momma, a throwaway -- one who had been discarded once her breeding usefulness had expired. And, if truth be told, Gemma looks like she has had a couple of litters, possibly bred every heat season of her short 3 year life. |
| And so, Gemma found herself in the pound. This beautiful Boxer / German Shepherd mix had been passed over in adoptions, despite a lovely temperament, and placed on the euthanasia list by the time we saw her. Our invitation to her to join our rescue was too late, we thought, because we missed the deadline and assumed that Gemma had been euthanized. But, alas, shelter personnel ran out of time to conduct their grisly task, so Gemma received a one day reprieve, and our request to pull her was honored. Whew! That was as close a call as we have ever had! |  |
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And now, Gemma is blossoming in foster care...recovering from the arduous task of giving birth and rejoicing in the carefree life of one of our foster dogs. She is learning how to be a dog again...enjoying spirited play with other dogs and leaving behind her breeding duties. Gemma has a fantastic, outgoing personality and loves absolutely everyone she meets. She can be a bit bossy to other dogs due to her overzealous maternal instincts, but that will subside somewhat as soon as we spay her. She will be spayed as soon as our vet deems it safe after giving birth. |
| Gemma enjoys other dogs, but will not tolerate cats. The ideal adopters for her would be an active single, couple or family with older kids, who enjoy the process of working with a rescue dog, and who would want to include their dog in family activities like hiking or camping. Gemma is an excellent car passenger and can travel anywhere, although it would be wise to utilize a doggie car harness to keep her rooted in her proper seat. |
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update: January 27, from Gemma's foster home
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When I first saw Gemma on "the list" of the high-kill shelter, I felt so strongly that this throw away momma needed a second chance, I urgently texted Denise and put in my very best plea for her life. Well, I know Denise is a big softie and she relented fairly quickly, realizing that I had a good case, or cause in Gemma. We got her out just in time! |
| I try to help out when I can, and I always feel responsible if the rescue takes in a dog that I pleaded for, so I gladly took in Gemma upon her arrival. Right from the beginning I could tell that Gemma is a really big love, because she gave me kisses as soon as we met! She also met everyone in the family with a wagging tail. I am always cautious when introducing a new dog to my little pack. It is only appropriate to find neutral territory for the first meet and go slow the first few days. Gemma was a puppy mommy several times over so it is only natural for her to want to be head of doggie household, which is ironic, because she is really submissive. She has bonded well with my resident Jack Russell and is best friends with my bully Lilly. They really enjoy a rough and tumble game of wrestling, chase and tug in the backyard. Meeting the cat didn't go over as well. I'm sure Gemma just wants to play, but the fuzz-ball wanted no part of her and has taken offense at her presence. We are still working on that relationship, but I would recommend Gemma live in a cat (and small critter) free home. |  |
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Gemma has no formal training of any kind, but I am finding she is willing to learn. I have been teaching the basics using Positive Rewards training. We are working on "leave-it" for things like chasing the cat. She has learned sit, and down (when working for a treat) and she is doing very well on loose leash walking. I sincerely hope that her adopters will continue what I started because the sky is the limit as far as obedience work is concerned. There is no reason for Gemma not to earn the much coveted Canine Good Citizenship certification. She is also crate trained, although she gets to spend the night roaming the house with the rest of the pack. |
| If you are looking for an athletic dog that can go the distance where camping, running or hiking is concerned, Gemma is your girl! She can leap 6' fences in a single bound (or so it seems since she recently navigated our fence to meet the neighbors' dog.) Once she realized her presence was not welcomed, she promptly turned around and jumped the fence back into our yard! We will keep you posted on our progress in this matter. Agility training may prove a good way to channel that spunkyness and be a lot of fun at the same time. In the end we can look back and say that saving Gemma was more of a gift to us than anything else. We have truly enjoyed the opportunity to help her transition into a loving home and fulfilling life. Could you be the one to give it to her? |
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Gemma is in excellent health. She is spayed, vaccinated for rabies, parvo, distemper, bordatella, and she is microchipped and de-wormed. She has tested negative for heartworm/lyme/earlichia/anaplasmosis. If you are interested in Gemma, please write to Denise@EskiesOnline.com or call Denise at 720-903-0636 for more information. |
| Eskies Online is a private breed rescue group that has served unwanted American Eskimo Dogs for the past decade. Our group of private foster homes spans the North East, and our adoption territory extends from Maine to eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and parts of northern Maryland. PLEASE NOTE: We are on temporary hiatus in MASSACHUSETTS. Once an adopter is approved, we arrange transportation.. We do not adopt dogs beyond our territory. Please visit our website, www.eskiesonline.com for more information about our group and our adoption procedures. |
