Never Give Up On Someone You Love.
by Anna Cooke
Carol Marusak has a soft spot for older dogs. “There’s noth- ing like an old-dog face,’ said the Brooksville, Florida vet- erinarian. She and her staff regularly follow the adoptable dogs at Hernando County Animal Services through the shelter’s website and social media. That’s where they found Sweet Pea, listed as a 15-year-old Australian Cattle Dog. She had been brought in as a stray, but was somebody’s dog, at one time. Who knows how long she had been out in the elements, fending for her- self. “She was full of problems, not the least of which she was filthy, skinny, had a dislocated hip – possibly from being hit by a car – and was full of fleas and ticks. She hobbled over to me and rolled over for a belly rub. That's all it took for me,” said Dr. Marusak. Of the six Australian Cattle Dogs Dr. Marusak has had in her
Penny bonded to Marusak
right away, not wanting to let her out of her sight. “She had some insecurities and was very needy,” said Dr. Marusak. There were some other issues too, Dr. Marusak soon discov- ered. Penny was a counter surfer. “I was baking cookies and
had placed a fresh batch on the counter when the phone rang. When I came back to the kitchen, half the cookies had been eaten. I was only gone long enough to retrieve the phone from the next room!” said Dr. Marusak. “The thing I had to
Dr. Carol Marusak and Penny.
remember was that this was all new for everyone,” said Dr. Marusak. “Not only for Penny but for the rest of my dogs and family. So, I
life, four were adopted from shelters or rescue groups. In addition to Sweet Pea, there was Todd, who came from Orange County Animal Services in Orlando. Fire came from a North Georgia drug bust. And then, there is Penny. Four years ago, staff alerted Marusak of a Cattle Dog up for adoption at Hernando County Animal Services. “Why don’t we go see her at lunchtime?” Dr. Marusak asked
her staff. “Well, we don’t have any appointments right now,” responded
Kim Innes, one of the vet techs. They all hopped in the car and headed to the shelter. Penny had been picked up by Animal Services just north of
town. She had been shaved down. Amazingly, she wasn’t scared and displayed no signs of aggression. “I knew even before we arrived that she would be coming home with me,” recalls Dr. Marusak. She put Penny on a good diet and gave her some space to
come into her own. “The first thing I did was crate her. When it was time to go outside, I supervised the dogs, and not everyone would go out all at once,” said Dr. Marusak. “I paid close atten- tion to Penny’s reactions to my dogs and their reactions to her.”
24 THE NEW BARKER
approached it from the standpoint that she was a puppy – even though she wasn’t. But in reality, basically, you’re starting over with a new dog, no matter the age. It’s important to remember to go back to the basics of obedience training.” As soon as Penny felt comfortable and had gained enough
confidence, Dr. Marusak started her in basic obedience. “All she wanted to do was please me,” said Marusak. Penny loved to work; she loved going on long walks and
playing ball. A lot. At the time, Agility was still a relatively new sport for Dr. Marusak. She had tried it previously with a couple of her other dogs, but nothing seemed to really click – for Dr. Marusak or her dogs. Penny was treat-motivated and had a strong focus on Dr. Marusak. “She took to Agility right away. She loves the job,” said
Marusak. As a team, they have been working in Agility competi- tion for several years, now. Earlier, this year, Penny earned her Agility championship — C-ATCH (CPE Agility Trial Champion). She is now C-ATCH Penny NA AXJ CGC TKN. Penny also holds her Trick Dog title and has completed training in Nose Work. They’re now working towards Penny’s Master Agility Champion (MACH). “I love going to these events. The competitors know and understand dog etiquette,” Dr. Marusak told us.
Continued on following pageg
www.TheNewBarker.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
