APOLLO

[rem55555]

I had Apollo for 18 years before it was time I had to put her to sleep. Apollo and I lived with my grandparents, and when my grandfather died, for most of those 18 years. Apollo was very protective of me. She slept with me everynight, always under the blankets and always resting her head on the pillow. I always had a tendancy to oversleep and when that happened, my grandmother would try and wake me up. As soon as my grandmother would come in the bedroom and say time to get up, Apollo would get in between my grandmother and start growling at her. As my grandmother would keep repeating for me to get up, Apollo's growling would get louder. When she would try and shake me a little bit to wake me up, Apollo would go after my grandmother, barking right in her face, but never came close to biting her.

Even though Apollo was "protecting" from my grandmother, Apollo also protected my grandmother on occasions. When two German Shepherds came out from the back of their house and came toward my grandmother and Apollo, Apollo, who only weighed 40 pounds went after the German Shepherds, forcing my grandmother to let go of the leash. She chased one into the back of their yard and then came back out in front and had the other one backed up against the house before their owner came out and "rescued" his dogs.

Apollo was also very loyal toward me. When my grandmother and I twice moved to different apartments and I left to go to work and was gone for 8 hours, my grandmother said Apollo waited by the door I left through for the entire 8 hours while I was gone. But this behavior didn't last long as soon as Apollo realized that this was her new home.

[goodtim'n]

In owning a groom shop and a training facility I often run across these types of dogs, and I totally LOVE them..They are great, the natural look and style they posess is great, The trainablity is very HIGH, I love a mixed breed, especially when terrier is a part of it. Lovely dog, I know you had a great relationship, "KUDO'S" to you!!! banana Whatch the dogs on T.V. programs most of them are just like yours, They are SMART!! :029

[rem55555]

In owning a groom shop and a training facility I often run across these types of dogs, and I totally LOVE them..They are great, the natural look and style they posess is great, The trainablity is very HIGH, I love a mixed breed, especially when terrier is a part of it. Lovely dog, I know you had a great relationship, "KUDO'S" to you!!! banana Whatch the dogs on T.V. programs most of them are just like yours, They are SMART!! :029

You are so right when you said the trainability is very high. Apollo trained herself in one episode. My grandmother would often take Apollo out for a walk. She had her jacket on a hanger which had some bells on it which would ring every time she would grab her jacket. More often than not when my grandmother would grab her jacket, she would be taking Apollo out. Pretty soon every time Apollo heard the bells she excited because she was going for a walk. When my grandmother would be going to church instead, Apollo had a puzzled look on her face and could not figure out why she wasn't going for a walk. It was a perfect case of positive and negative reinforcement. When Apollo was around 9 years old, I was able to teach her a new trick. If she wanted a cookie, I would say on the chair. Apollo would go into the corner of the kitchen and jump and sit on the kitchen chair. When I would say ly down, she would. Once I took the chair out of the corner. When I said on the chair and went into the corner and saw no chair, she would sit in the corner. Then I used sign language. When she wanted a cookie, I would fold my arms and look away. Apollo immediately went and jumped on the chair.

When Apollo was 17 years old, a year before she passed away, I was living with my girlfriend and kept Apollo by my grandmother's house. At the time, my girlfriend was really giving it to me by giving me verbal abuse and cheating around on me. I went by my grandmother's house really depressed and so upset, I didn't know whether I was coming or going. Apollo sensed there was something wrong with me and went over to a coffee can was kept which was filled with her squeak toys. As I said Apollo was 17 years old and she hadn't touched her toys for over 4 years. But she went to the coffee can and got one of her toys and brought it to me. I was really touched. I soon moved back in with my grandmother and Apollo thinking I should have never moved out when I had the perfect girl, Apollo, at home.