This was Glennie when we first saw him in March 2001. He had been abandoned in an alley in a plastic crate. At seven months, he had never been groomed but his hair doesn't grow very fast so he wasn't nearly as shaggy as some rescues....still he needed work!!! This photo was taken in his first foster home.
Glennie was a sweet little boy but very timid. And he chewed...he chewed everything he could get those teeth on. He is the only Westie I ever knew who chewed his Kong into pieces and laid them in a pile for me. When we found he was afraid of men, we had to figure out what to do. Our rescue had no men willing to work with these little guys. But Mike Hankins, from Rolling Rescue agreed to take him on. Glennie rode in the cab of his truck for three weeks. During that time he learned to bond with a man. But he also managed to chew up a good deal of Mike's radio equipment!!
Then the 'truckin' man came back from his journey and to my home to continue his foster care. I remember bringing him into the house in his crate and opening it. He came out slowly and on his belly but then his little butt went up in the air and he wagged his tail and grinned at me. Molly took him under her wing and they bonded immediately. Each day during this time, we went on excursions so that Glennie could learn that the world, and especially men, weren't so scary.
Glennie stayed in foster care for a couple of weeks but Molly soon made it clear that she had adopted Glennie and it would have broken her heart to let him go. So Glennie became ours on July 5, 2001. He slept in his crate in our bedroom for the first couple of months because we feel this is appropriate when introducing a new dog. And we wanted to be sure he was housebroken before he got bed privledges. Early one morning, Molly got out of bed and went to Glennie's crate and OPENED THE LATCHED DOOR! I was sleeping and suddenly a little boy was standing on me and licking my face!! I took that as Molly's way of telling me that he was welcome to the bed. Glennie is still very willing to let Molly be his alpha. He adores her every bit as much as ever. In the morning, if she doesn't get up when I do, he will stay in bed and wait for her. I will peek around and he will look right at me but won't move until Molly says it is time to get up. (Years later, I watch him as he still protects his sister. At the vet's office recently, the vet came in to get Molly. She backed into a corner and he stood crosswise to protect her. Of course when the vet took her anyway, Glennie accepted that as his nature is to not fight. He does the same at the groomer. Molly and Jake move to the back of the crate and Glennie stands guard at the front.)
Glennie has made so much progress. He stopped chewing except when left alone. We continued to work on his fear of being by himself. And he has gotten over his fear of men. He has turned into a sweet, serious little boy who just wants to be loved.
In January 2004, Glennie attended his second 3-day agility trial and all of his fears and worries seemed to disappear. He ran fast, flew over the jumps and did all I hoped for and more. The photo of him with Molly and their ribbons says it all. It is the first photo of the two of them together where he actually looks larger than her. He is 2 inches taller (12.125 inches officially where Molly is only 10.5) but in photos he is always hunkered down while Molly sits straight up and tall. But in this photo after the trial he is sitting right up and looking so proud of himself!! Glennie has come into his own! (See the photo on Page 1, Doggie Dreaming of this website).
Glennie's bumper sticker
Glennie is Mr. October in the 2004 Pet Print Calendars!
Glennie is THE COVER BOY in the 2006 Pet Print Calendars!
Glennie is in the 2007 Pet Print calendar twice and is the coverboy in the English slimline version.
Interesting Items
Glennie was registered with the AKC as "Glendenin's Pride". His foster mom had named him "Glennie" after a relative of Scottish decent. When I got him I decided to keep his name because it fit in with a family name on my father's side...Glendennin! When you get a rescue dog who is a purebred dog, you can register them on an "ILP" (Indefinite Listing Privilege) so that you can enter them into various competitions such as agility and earthdog.
Glendennin's Pride CGC, NAP, NJP, RAE, VDA, RL1
Call name - Glennie (or, when he is in trouble, Mr. Glendennin!)
Birth Date: 8/20/2001 (estimated)
PLACES YOU CAN TAKE YOUR WESTIES
When Glennie needed socialization, I took him to various places to meet people in a non-threatening atmosphere. I do this with my Westies regularly, whether they have issues or not, so they will stay socialized. Most businesses will let you bring them in with you if they do not serve food or deal in medicines, etc. In other words, if it does not violate health laws. I do always put them in a cart (if available) rather than allowing them to walk. They attract a lot of attention. People often come up and tell me stories about their own dogs, especially if they had a Westie too. Hardware stores are especially good places for them to meet men. Since many find men threatening, it helps that they are in the cart which is higher so people don't appear as tall and threatening and people who approach do so because they want to be friendly.
I often take them to banks, garden stores/nurseries, pet stores, feed stores, many smaller, single-owner businesses, outside the stores at strip malls, almost all hardware stores (NOT HOME DEPOT....FOR SOME REASON, AFTER GOING THERE WITH MY DOGS FOR YEARS, THEY HAVE SUDDENLY DECIDED THAT DOGS ARE NOT WELCOME BUT LOWES STILL OFFERS DOG COOKIES.)
Click here for Glennie's Poem
Click here for Glennie's Earthdog Poem, Summer 2005
Click here for Glennie's RA (Rally Advanced) Title
DECEMBER 8, 2007 IS A DAY THAT WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER. This was the day that Glennie earned his Rally Advanced Excellent title and his Westie Club Versatile Dog Award!!! You've come a long way, baby!!! Glennie has now earned his retirement from obedience and will be a couch potato with regard to that sport. We will continue with earthdog and maybe tracking.
LIFE AMBITION:
To love and be loved, protect and be protected, especially Mom and Molly.
GLENNIE'S FIRST GROOMING EXPERIENCE
Glennie's first day at the groomers actually took 3 days!! He was so frightened that they could only do a little at a time. The groomers at THE DOG SHOPPE gave him lots of time and love instead of drugs and now he is very good at the groomers. In fact, he protects his Miss Molly from the hair dryer which she hates, by sitting in front of her.
Brave Little Squirrel Hunter!
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