Melanie Labrador Retriever & Border Collie Mix Rockville, MD

MELANIE HAS BEEN ADOPTED!

HERE'S WHAT HER NEW FAMILY HAS TO SAY:


Thank you so much for allowing Melanie, now Daisy, to enrich our lives. Daisy is a wonderful companion and amazes us every day with how well she has adjusted to us and our home over these past six weeks. She spends hours upon hours in her backyard observing (and chasing) the birds, squirrels, deer, and chipmunks and rolling in the grass; plays beautifully with the kids; is incredibly smart and easy to train; and is warmly affectionate with all that greet her.



The border collie in her is obvious when she runs and plays. Such speed and agility!! Such joy and zest for life!! And the herding...drives her crazy when we are spread around the house and she can't herd us all into one room. She won't rest until we're all in our places! The lab in her is also alive with her gentle spirit and her love of water. Baths are no problem, which is a good thing because we can't keep her out of our pond or our garden!!



What brings Daisy the most joy, aside from being outside and having her family around her, is being with other dogs. Any dog--no matter the size, gender, or mood--is a friend in Daisy's mind. What's remarkable is how she adjusts her style with each friend she meets. A dog who also wants to play? Whoa! Better get them to some space where they can leap and bound!


A dog that is grumpy? A roll on her back and a few licks on her friend's jaw show that she has no problem submitting. A friendly dog that is a little shy? Daisy has no problem jumping all over and around to bring shy one out of his/her shell.


When Daisy first came to us, she was terrified of being in the car, didn't know how to climb stairs, was fearful of the leash, cowered often, and didn't even know how to play with toys. With encouragement and love, she overcame all of these things within a few weeks! Although we have worked hard to let her know how much we love her and to ensure her that she can trust us, it was her wonderful foster mom, Susan, who first introduced her to human kindness. If it weren't for Susan's phenomenal fostering, not just of dogs but of those humans that yearn for them, we wouldn't have this incredible dog named Daisy. Our experience with Hedgeville Hounds was marvelous.






Here's Melanie's Original Petfinder Listing
This dog is a Hedgesville Hound. Melanie - female/spayed - 1-2 years - Lab/Border Collie or Pointer - black and white - 45 pounds


Melanie's story is a tale of extraordinary devotion, courage, and determination. Abandoned and pregnant, Melanie not only managed to survive one of the harshest winters in rural West Virginia history, but she also kept 10 puppies alive. Nested under an abandoned dwelling, she quietly gave birth, foraged for food, and protected and nurtured her babies.



To watch this dear dog begin to accept the privileges of simple care - sample a treat, enjoy a carefree moment of play, bow her head to receive yet another smothering hug from her foster mom - it is clear that she is enjoying these pleasures for the first time in her life. If she is bewildered by the sudden and profound change in her circumstances, she is nonetheless poised and completely trusting.



Melanie is very beautiful; she has warm, brown eyes, and a bearing of quiet dignity. Her coat is Lab-like in texture and length with a tiny bit of fringing in her breeches. She has a bearing that seems solemn at first, and invites hugs and kisses rather than demands them.



There is something very special about Melanie that is difficult to convey. Certainly she has no formal training; it was obvious, in fact, that she had never set foot inside a house before she came into foster care. But there is a depth to Melanie, a gentle goodness and decency as solid and unexplainable as the natural beauty of a mountain stream, that no cruelty or suffering could manage to squelch.



Consequently, she has learned cues and behaviors almost effortlessly and organically. She is impeccably housebroken, a habit that most likely derived from the need to preserve the cleanliness and sanctity of the den in which she raised her pups. She comes when called and sits from a basis of understanding, and not from desire for reward and
treats; she can sail over a fence as effortlessly as a dandelion seed, yet has chosen for some reason to respect it. In fact, it is only out in her yard that one ever catches a glimpse of the puppyhood that Melanie
herself never enjoyed. She will lift her nose and softly close her eyes, drink in a scent, and suddenly bound into a glorious, gamboling romp, then stop, and with her typical pride and dignity, trot back into the house.



Surprisingly, Melanie seems to love other dogs. She also seems to bear good will towards people, cats, and all living things. This message of friendship is easier for her to convey to her canine companions than her human ones, as there are vestiges still of the harsh treatment she received in some of her postures, and a cautious, hopefulness in her
approach. Nonetheless, the kindness in her own heart has not required kindness from others in order to stay alive.


Melanie and her 10 puppies, whom we have proudly named the Nestlings, will bring joy, and possibly even a little inspiration to their adoptive homes.




Melanie has been adopted, but if you are interested in finding a wonderful dog of your own, please visit our Web site at http://www.hedgesvillehounds.com.