By Megan Gabel

 

Dulce and Tessie have a number of things in common: Each is a very beautiful dog; medium-sized Tessie, a Golden Retriever mix, has sparkling eyes; medium/large-sized Dulce is a snow-white Lab mix. Each lovingly soaks up affection and readily gives it back to those she knows. Both would be best as the only dog in the home, for different reasons. Each has been an SPA resident since 2013.

 

Dulce is a great dog! She is very smart and knows how to sit, stay (wait), come, shake (alternating paws on command), and more. She is very loyal, devoted, and protective. When I take her to the back exercise area, she sunbathes but keeps checking on me, making sure she knows where I am and that I’m okay. She routinely gets up, comes over for a little attention, and then goes back to stretching out in the sun. She’s prone to jealousy when another dog is around.

 

Tessie is lovely. She always sticks her nose out of her casita door when I bring her back from a walk, signaling that she wants some more attention, a little extra special treatment. I step inside with her and massage her head as she presses her body close to mine. She likes to go on abbreviated walks, more like sniffing excursions than exercise. She often snarls at other dogs for no rhyme or reason, despite my warning to her that the snarling detracts from her extremely good looks.

 

All in all, both sound delightful, right? So why have they lingered at the SPA? The simple answer is because it is difficult for potential adopters to meet them. Neither one does well with strangers, but each in a different manner. Dulce can be immediately unfriendly to people she doesn’t know, but it’s not clear which ones will be acceptable to her. In a home, it is unlikely that she will greet visitors by turning over for a belly rub. Tessie is slyer than that. Sometimes she snaps at someone when she is caught off guard. It could be someone who is trying to pet her without any advance warning. Simply reaching over her head could cause her to snap at the person. Thus, with both dogs, it is important to be cautious—to earn their trust and love. You have to be willing to invest in the time it takes for them to get to know you and you to know them. You have to be a smart owner if you decide that Dulce or Tessie is the right one for you. 

 

Are you game? We can introduce you to Dulce and Tessie at the SPA, Los Pinos 7, Monday-Saturday, during our adoption hours from 11am-2pm. Of course, you can meet all our cats and dogs during that time as well. See photos, bios, and videos about them on the Adopt Me! pages of our website at www.spasanmiguel.org.