Well, Friday the 24th April didn't come quickly enough for me!I flew in to Melbourne on Thursday evening and had a sleepless night wondering how the girls were and what supplies they would need. So on Friday morning, after a sleepless night and lots of nervous chatter with my friend Deb, we visited the nearest Pet Supply Store and spent a lot of money :-) I bought new canvas beds for the girls, Kongs with refills, dried lamb necks and a few tug toys. We were well equipped with wet weather gear and of course a camera!
Spotswood Quarantine Centre is a very relaxed affair when you get inside. We were required to sign a book in two places, were then given leads, told of the facilities available and sent on our way to find kennel 68. With more excitement than I could bare we trotted off. Kennel 68 was soon found and Tonrar met us at the gate barking loudly and impressively. I don't even remember if Zanthe barked because Tonrar put on such a performance! However, it wasn't in the least scary since her tail was going the whole time!! As soon as we stepped inside the kennels she was very welcoming and curious. Both girls were happy to have company, especially as we had lots of treats for them!!
Once we unloaded all the doggy groceries in their night kennel we took the two girls into the larger, grassed exercise pens where we could acquaint ourselves with them properly. The pens had shelters with chairs so that once could get out of the weather and for that Deb and I were very pleased! It was raining and muddy but that didn't dampen our spirits at all!! Once the girls were loose, Deb and I marvelled at their beauty and size (which was suddenly enhanced when a man with a fully grown GSD walked past!!). Our girls dwarfed that dog!!
Zanthe appeared to be the more aloof of the two and although she was friendly she wasn't particularly forward with her friendship. Tonrar, on the other hand, was quite different and was very pleased to do stuff for Deb whilst the treats were coming! She was friendlier but after the introductions were over, the girls settled down to do some real exercise!! I am so pleased that they were respectful of our space because there were one or two occasions when I thought we could have been 'leveled with the ground' LOL. But they were careful and mostly gave us a wide birth during their zoomies!
During our visit in the outdoor exercise area, we were approached by a gentleman who was taking care of the girls during their stay. His name was Tony and he was very interested in their breed and wanted to learn more about them. He also had some questions for me in relation to their feeding habits and wanted advice as to how I wanted them fed. He also said he would ensure that they got some extra time in the grassed pens because they were such energetic young dogs - Thank you Tony!!
When our time came to a close we took the girls into the grooming room and gave them a bit of a tidy up given that they were filthy and had brand new beds to go back to! They were a little nervous in the grooming area and were very reliant on each other for support - fair enough really given that they didn't know us at all. After their towelling and brush we reluctantly took them back to Kennel 68. We gave them their Kongs and I took some final photos on my cell phone before leaving. Deb has agreed to return next Thursday to check on them and get them out for a run. A week later and I will be back for one more visit before they come home.
Of course during all this time Vanessa must have been holding her breath with nervous impatience wondering what I would think of them. I sent her a couple of smses with images from my cell phone and as soon as was practical I rang her and we had a great catch up. It was wonderful to talk about their behaviours and temperaments having seen them in the flesh again. So much has changed in the six months since I last saw them but I was so thrilled with them. They are gorgeous girls and I can't wait to get them home and really get to know them. Zanthe took my breath away - she is simply stunning and Tonrar is personality plus!! Her eyes say it all!! Once her ears settle in place properly, she too will be stunning!
So, as you can see from the attached images, the day provided less than ideal photographic conditions but of course that wasn't all that important given that this was an exercise in meeting and greeting and the stunning photos will come later ;-) Enjoy and I look forward to updating this blogg in a fortnight!!
