Afternoon Dog Walks in Jávea

After a little break due to a football knee injury, it was finally possible to take some dogs for a walk this week. Its amazing how quickly you start missing the afternoon walks and the playing around with a dog …

Prince Ibe – Nervous Old Boy
Went and took Prince Ibe (or maybe Prinzipe) out for a stroll to the fountain and down the riverbed.

I dont know his breed but he is an about 8 year old boy, who really could do with some positive human relations. Whilst very well behaved, able to walk perfectly on a line and rather placid, Prince Ibe does appear to have had some bad experiences in the past. He gets scared if you lift your hand to stroke him too quickly, sudden movements or sounds makes him visibly scared …

Dont get the poor boy wrong. He isnt at all nervous in a snappy kind of way – and there is absolutely no malice in him … if anything he is almost too well behaved and seems a bit too concerned to make his human companion angry. If you stop, he will stop 2 steps behind you – if you sit down, he will stand and wait at a close distance etc but he wont go exploring on his accord like most of the dogs i´ve been out walking with.

See a few more pictures of Prince Ibe

fountain-javea-dog

Bongo – The Bouncy Rottweiler Cross
Oh dear, Bongo is a real energy bubble!

Not sure how old this gorgeous little rottweiler cross is, but he still has the puppy spirit and comes across as a very young adult – and his feet seem strangely large compared to his body so he might still grow. By the looks of him he might be a rottweiler crossed with a german shepherd, but Im not sure.

Bongo is basically enthusiastic about life and super interested in everything he gets to do together with his walking companion. Exploring in the riverbeds, running in the fields, bouncing around with precious little finds in the road … Bongo is happy about all of it. In fact though, despite his bouncy nature he is incredibly well behaved and responsive, tell him how you want him to behave and he´ll be jolly to oblige.

Being old, fat and unfit (me, not Bongo) means the stroll in the Spanish heat requires plenty of breaks … Normally it involves sitting around catching breath and sharing some water with the dog … in Bongos case, sitting down in the bamboo field by the riverbed was interpreted as an open invitation to his favorite activity: CUDDLES. No sooner had my ass touched the ground before I had a big jolly rottweiler puppy curled up on my lap … roaming around in joy to get fuss and have his belly tickled. Give Bongo a little cuddle and he will loooooove you … he truly is an amazingly trusting and affectionate dog.

Speaking of behavior – yes he is a rottweiler but that doesn’t mean being nice, obedient or affectionate is a surprise. The horror stories you hear about aggressive rottweilers being nasty has nothing to do with the breed, they are normally lovely and perfectly well behaved. It has to do with idiot owners getting a rottweiler because of its strength and image to pick up their own shortcomings and maliciously training the dog to be aggressive and unpleasant. As Bongo clearly exemplifies, that is a fault of the owner – not a trait of the breed.

See a couple of more shots of Bongo the bouncy rottweiler

bongo-abandoned-rottweiler-puppy-javea4

Suzy – The Crazy Girl Has Found Mates
I´ve been out walking with Suzy a few times – see Happy Doggy Days in Javea & Meeting Suzy … and she does have a special little place in my old grumpy heart. She is so affectionate, calm and happy when out – but clearly not really comfortable among too many other dogs, so when inside the kennel she came across as a bit of an uncontrollable nutter.

I noticed she was missing today from her normal doggie house in the kennel and was thrilled to be told the APASA people have managed to integrate her in one of the bigger enclosures with a few other dogs. Apparently the other dogs are teaching her doggie social skills and succeeding. Now thats good news for real! I honestly thought she was a lost cause in terms of adoption because her behaviour in the kennel was so wild … but not only will a social life with other dogs probably make her alot happier in the kennel – it will most likely give her a much better chance of adoption too!

With the crazy amount of abandoned dogs APASA has to care for I find it truly admirable and astonishing that they find the time and energy to help each dog individually like that … please head over to APASA Javea and support them in any way you can!

By the way – check out the new Dog Pictures Jávea section!