SECOND CHANCE DOG
So the search for a “sewage-sniffing” dog began. The candidate had to be about a year old, not too expensive and a sporting or working breed. This was not a job for a Chihuahua. It had to be a strong, large dog that could swim, jump or crawl under fallen trees and walk through deep mud.
During an extensive internet search, a video of a dog named “Sable” was found on the site for Mackenzie’s (no-kill) Animal Shelter in Lake Odessa Michigan. www.mackenzies.info
This dog was sitting at the feet of a woman holding a tennis ball. All around him dogs were running and playing, but he didn’t care. He was focused on the tennis ball. As the woman pulled her arm back and let the ball fly, the dog turned, ran and launched himself into a full-on belly flop into a pond. He swam out to the ball, retrieved it and swam back for more. His focus and drive was intense. Scott had to meet this dog.
When Sable walked into the room he was not what Karen and I expected. He was very tall in the back legs and skinny as a rail, but we were impressed with his persistence in getting what he wanted. We watched as he tried to get a toy from a box on the top of a large wire dog crate. When he wasn’t able to get to the toys from the outside, he went inside, put his nose through the gaps in the wire and pushed the box closer to the edge. He was then able to grab the toy out of the box.
He would walk around a room and smell every inch of every item. He would push on things with his nose as if he was pumping them for more scent. He was the perfect candidate.”
Sable was adopted in late March 2007 the 15-month-old male German Shepherd mix soon began training.
When you talk about Sable the people at Mackenzies smile. It is no secret he was a “difficult” dog. Pushy and somewhat aloof, Sable is still “all about me”. But he has turned out to be not only a great working dog, but a wonderful companion and a big member of our family.
Contact Environmental Canine Services LLC @ s.reynolds@sablethesniffer.com
517.231.6389