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We are extremely pleased with Jussie. In regards to your question regarding
why an older dog? I have worked with a couple of rescue groups over the
years, greyhounds and my local Humane Society. Too often you see the older
guys overlooked especially when you have the energetic little puppies or
kittens running around. I truly beleive people will always get a better pet
with an older animal ( for all the reasons in your article). It would not
suprise me if you told me you receive dozens of calls a year looking for that
perfect hot 1 yr old agility or flyball prospect. I can now say from
experience having met a couple of those hot prospects when I picked Jussie up
that I would not have been happy. There is no way I would have been able to
handle all that puppy/adolesent energy and channel it into productive
training with the limited knowledge I have now. I would have been miserable
and I'm sure the dog would be too.
I am quite sure Jussie will never be jumping 24" rails but I am confident
that she will teach me the right and wrong way of getting a belgian through
an agility course and have fun while doing it. Jussie surely carries a strong
working drive and confidence in her and to tell you the truth I think it
flows up the lead.
One of the hardest parts of the decision was when we were told Jussie had a
cancerous tumor removed. Even though her prognosis is optimistic you never
know, we may have her 6yrs. or 6mo. This is where the heart and mind split.
Your heart says this is a great girl who will probably never have that
forever home while the mind is saying what are you? crazy? your going to get
attached to this dog and as soon as you do she'll be gone. Call it a weakness
of mine but I tend to ignore what my mind says and follow my heart. Any
doubts disappeared the minute Anna handed me the lead, there was no question
Jussie was MY dog. Jussie has an important job to do. To be a loving
companion and teach me how to live and work with a Belgian. In return I will
return that love, keep her safe, and hopefully make these the best months or
years of her life.
Sorry for the long winded and in hindsight somewhat sappy answer to your
question but I've spent the past 24 hrs with my new mal strapped to my hip
(she's asleep across my feet now)and I'm pretty darn happy about it. I hope
it answers the question.
I look forward to seeing Jussie's name removed from the list and I'll try to
send you some photos of the 9 yr old galloping granny bounding through the
yard.(By the way she doesn't look a day over 7)
Thanks and please keep in touch
Stephen Pisani
See Jussie's Original listing on the Rescue website here
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