My name is ANNIE!

ANNIE is a beautiful 3 year old fawn girl with cropped and standing ears. Originally a show dog, Annie was adopted from her breeder by a couple with 2 other female danes and a 14 yr old chihuahua. The breeder was giving Annie away because she had started fighting with her sister. The couple had her for two weeks before calling rescue--Annie had taken a dislike to one of their other female danes and started fighting with her. While we searched for a foster home for her, another fight occurred. We couldn't respond fast enough so the couple dumped her at the local shelter. A week later, she was spayed and the shelter released her to us. During her evaluation, Annie was a sweet and even tempered girl who liked to work for her treats. She could sit, down, stand, and come when called. Annie was great in the house with all of the dogs, even the dane with whom she had earlier fought. Outside, when the other danes started to play, Annie became very aroused and too focused. She did not understand how to play and playing made her very agitated. Annie would do well in a home with an older male who doesn't want to play. She lived with an older small dog and had no problems with him. She is a good dog who just can't be around dogs who want to play and carry on. For this reason, we will not place her with children or cats, as play/chase may place either at risk. Annie is affectionate and bonds quickly with her caregiver. She would love to be your companion. She is an intelligent, laid back dane who would be a great addition to the right home. Annie came to MAGDRL in August 2007.

Update 9/24/07 - Annie continues to be a true pleasure to foster and is the perfect houseguest. She was just re-checked at the vet following her spay and treatment for a UTI and now has a clean bill of health. She has lost 10 lbs since she came into rescue and looks great! While Annie isn't hand shy for pets, something in her past has made her extremely sensitive to loud or unexpected movements and noises. She will sometimes drop to the ground and somewhat cower until you reassure her that everything is okay. She loves all of the people she's met, but seems to be a bit wary of certain men. She eventually warms up to everyone and enjoys the attention and pets, but still goes back to her foster mom every now and again just for reassurance. She helped hostess her first BBQ in her foster home and was great with everyone. By the end of the night, she was laying on her blanket in the middle of everyone and taking everything in. She was even relaxed enough to take an occasional snooze. Annie is such a great passenger in the car that you could forget she's there! She walks pretty well on leash and is a quiet and clean girl. Annie is a wonderful and loyal companion and will be the same for the person who is lucky enough to adopt her!

Update 12/5/2007 - Annie was very insecure when she came to my house and seems to find solace in her crate. She actually looks forward to going in there and marches in to wait for her treats when I leave for work. I'm sure she would be fine with free run, but I just don't want to upset her apple cart again by "forcing" her out of her safe place. She is only crated when I'm not home and sleeps on her buffet of beds around the house when I am home. Annie doesn't understand a lot about playing with other dogs due to her past, but she LOVES to play fetch with her toys with me. I've had her at my place for about 3 months now and she's been a joy to have. Because of her skin issue(s), she hasn't had a lot of exposure to other dogs. However, she has met my friend's young, submissive mastiff and was very pleasant with him and even played a little with him. About her skin issues. Due to a continual rash and skin infection, Annie was allergy tested. The poor girl is allergic to every type of grass imaginable. We then treated the underlying infection and put her on steroids, but every time we'd try to wean her off she'd get red and itchy again. We eventually tried Atopica (pill form of allergy shots), but that made her condition even worse. She's off of that now and she's back on antibiotics, steroids, and Benadryl. She's improving again, but not 100% and still no definitive answers. I also switched her over to a better food (Wellness Whitefish and Potato) to help. I continue to hope that she just ends up having seasonal allergies that will have to be managed with Benadryl. Annie is great on leash and LOVES to ride in the car. She is so still and quiet while taking in the scenery on rides, that you forget she's there until you see the tips of her ears in the rearview mirror! Annie is still initially fearful of men, but she does immediately seek out their attention albeit very cautiously. This is definitely an improvement and once she trusts them she's a consistently happy camper with them.

Update 2/27/08 - Annie has been completely off her steroids for about a month now and has finally been given the "all clear" by her vet. Her skin has cleared up and we will treat any future allergy-type symptoms/reactions with Benadryl on an as-needed basis. Annie has been having regular play dates with her 2 1/2 year old Mastiff friend, Jake. Annie and Jake romp around the yard together and love to wrestle in the middle of the living room until a human calls a timeout! The two of them also love to play tug-o-war and keep-away with all of the toys for hours on end. Annie has accompanied me to Petsmart on a couple of occasions... once on a weeknight when the store was not very busy and once on a VERY busy Saturday. Annie was very well-behaved and was more interested in the sights, sounds and smells of the store than the other dogs. To everyone's amazement, Annie's been in her foster home for over six months now and her foster Mom firmly believes that Annie is just selective about which dogs she likes and doesn't like. The negative experiences reported with other dogs were by her original and previous owners. We're still not sure if Annie simply has issues with larger female dogs or whether the exhibited behavior had something to do with the fact that Annie and at least one other Dane was not spayed at the time of the reported incidents. Annie very much enjoys the company of Jake and will be getting a 7 year old foster brother this weekend, so stay tuned for more updates!

***ADOPTION PENDING***