Tasha & Rosie

by Kizzie01
(Scotland)

Hi there, I have two adorable dogs, the first one Tasha is a collie/husky mix, and is 4 years old, we got her when she was about 5 months old, the previous people didn't want her anymore, they had had her for 6 days , before that she was rescued from a house where the so called owner, had another older dog but as she didn't want to take the dogs out and clean up she fed them as little as possible so from a very early age Tasha has had to fight for her food. She is a live wire bounces around and loves her walks ,as a puppy she was socialised with our other older dogs, and everything was harmonious until one night as she was lying on the end of my bed with me patting her one of the older dogs ( an old boy senile and slow) came into the bedroom just to go to his bed Tasha suddenly leaped off the bed and attacked him, I was sick as he was screaming and she was so vicious she was 9 months old at the time. I read up some books and it said spaying her may help calm her down so that is what we did, the attacks would come out of the blue, she would be happily lying around or on the sofa and then she would emit this squeak of sorts and just fly at whoever she could, never a human always the other dogs.

On her own she is adorable so clever apart from not giving you back her ball until she is ready to do so, however my husband was away working in Korea, and he rescued a beautiful golden retriever called Rosie , he was told she was 2 years old, but in reality Rosie is about 11, he brought her home with him, and we have to keep them separated, Rosie goes in and out one door and Tasha the other, if Tasha is outside Rosie is inside and vice versa, I can sit with Tasha on the chair and hold onto her when my husband is home as he can then protect Rosie as well, but he goes away for a month at a time and I am left trying to keep the dogs happy but apart, I would love to be able to have the two of them play with each other and go out walks together ( have to do this separately as well) but cannot take the risk of confrontation as the older dog would probably come off the worse in a fight. I have tried everything I can to train Tasha but obviously because of the trauma she suffered as a puppy, she will always have this unpredictable aggression towards other dogs, I have always had rescue dogs, and coped with many problems associated with the various trauma they have endured, I can usually read my dogs but I cannot read Tasha , we love her and Rosie and if we have to keep them happy but apart then so be it they came into our lives and that is where they will stay until they go over to the rainbow bridge to join our other 4 paws. Good luck to everyone who has rescued a dog, you have a big heart and your dog knows that if it doesn't work out don't beat yourself up you gave it your best shot and you also gave the dog love and happiness for the first time in its traumatic life.