I got a little more information about my little Calliope this morning.
She is being retired because her partner of almost 3 years passed away. It made me so sad to hear this! Now Calliope is in foster care in San Rafael and the report I got said she is a "nice dog but has issues with small dogs".
I had no idea that I missed her as much as I do!! This is probably because I didn't let myself think about her. I didn't hear much from her partner, and it hurt to not know how she was doing. So I didn't mention her much on here, or to anyone else. On the few occasions that I did talk about her, it was to say I missed her.
While I was raising her, we didn't click at first. I don't know why that was, but while I liked her, I wasn't in love with her. It may have been that I was really busy, and it may have been because she was a challenge. It may have also been that I was used to my independent Patriot, and didn't know what to think of a dog who wanted to be touching me at all times. It may have also been that I seemed to have things destroyed every time I left her at home. She could pull things through the bars of her crate and destroy them in minutes. She cost me a couple hundred dollars in stuff this way.
On the other hand, she was practically perfect in public! I can't think of more than a handfull of times that she caused a problem. She kept me safe one night walking from my car to the house when a strange man started to aproach us. She immediatly squared her body to him and growled, making it VERY clear that he was not to come any closer. He didn't, and walked the other way. That was the one and only time she ever did anything like that. She was always very inteligent and proved that shortly after she graduated. Sorry if that link doesn't work.
Gradually, I got more and more attached to her. By the time her recall date was assigned I didn't want to let her go. She is the only one of my two PIT's (who made it to recall) that I cried over. Funny enough, they were both recalled at Fun Day! With Patriot I was too excited for him to become a guide dog, so I didn't cry when I said goodbye to him.
With Calliope, her recall ruined Fun Day, which was my birthday, for me. I couldn't even be happy that my fiance was there to see me for the first time in over a month! It broke my heart to walk away from her in the kennels. I was very grateful that they let me put her in the kennel myself. Thinking back on it, I guess I could have walked around and looked at who else was in the kennels with her, but I practically ran out after shutting her kennel door.
She flew through training and was immediately matched with Flora. Graduation was amazing, but sad at the same time because I knew it would probably be the last time I saw her. The two times I got a letter from her partner, it made my day and I read them over and over. The last one I got was in April last year!
Now, I don't know what to do..... Every time I look at my boys I think how great it would be to have all three of my babies together. Patriot and Calliope got along when she was a PIT, and I am sure Hobbs would like her too. I feel like it would be easiest for her to come back to me rather than having to go to yet another new home. I am trying to get in touch with her first raiser as well. I know I have first choice technically, but that raiser had her for almost 10 months. If I had had a PIT that long and then had it transferred, I would hope that the second raiser would consider my feelings before adopting it.
I keep remembering all the little things about her that I loved. The way she licked the air like crazy when I blew on her face. The way she would stretch out on her belly and then wiggle to scratch her belly on the floor. The way she accidentally learned to back up because I gave her her food one day after she backed up. The way she was obsessed with chasing, biting, staring at, and licking her tail. The way she would do labbie scoots around the tennis courts and end up with pads so sore she didn't want to walk the rest of the day. Every few minutes I remember something else I miss about her, and it make it hard to think through this logically. I miss my little girl.
Sorry if this seems a little like I am rambling.....I am trying to get my thoughts about this sorted.
Walking with the pack
4 hours ago








