Hello, I’m Alana!

Charlie was the fourth dog I inquired about at a rescue in Ohio, the previous three all having already been adopted. And just as the saying goes, you don’t always get the dog you want, you get the dog you need. Charlie is solid gold and continues to be my greatest teacher. Since the very first day I adopted him at 10 months old, he has had a stoic disposition and maturity well beyond his years. Charlie is the balanced dog other dog’s look up to and want to be around. His calm, cool collectedness gives him the ability to respond to situations confidently. When he was just a puppy, his front paw suffered an injury and never healed properly leaving him with a slight limp. In spite of this, there is no where else he’d rather be than running in the woods, hunting squirrels. Charlie loves a mental challenge and puts his whole heart into everything he does.

Frankie is the muscle man, Mama’s boy of my crew. Frankie also came from Ohio where he was taken off the euthanasia table, just minutes from being put down and placed into a foster home with a dog trainer friend of mine. After being his in foster home for almost a year and our paths crossing many times, fate finally brought Frank and I together forever. I adopted him and Charlie on the same day and they have been the best of friends since the very first moment they met. Frankie is physically tough as nails but emotionally he is a total softie. He is extremely confident jumping, running or hurling his body into just about anything and is also often off in his own little world thinking about butterflies or rainbows. He has the stamina of an Olympic athlete and is a total master or relaxation. Frankie helps me bring the playful side out in dogs and shows them just how much fun life can be! Having Frankie in my pack is a reminder that progress isn’t always linear and sometimes it’s the simple things that bring the most joy.

Miss Mae was a free roaming farm dog who learned to exist in an extreme state of flight response. Due to these deeply rooted survival patterns Mae was enrolled in my board and train program. During her time with me, Miss Mae and I connected through the healing she very much needed, this sweet and wild girl stole my heart. Mae’s previous owners eventually came to the difficult and selfless conclusion that they would not be able to provide her with the structure and home life she needed to become the best version of herself. I offered to foster Mae while I embarked on a two week camping road trip to Wisconsin and back with Charlie and Frankie. Mae fit right into the swing of things with my pack and once we returned to Maryland she officially found her forever home with me. Mae continues to open up, learn how to trust and flourish as the silly little sister. She is a constant reminder even the most broken of hearts can be repaired. Mae now goes to ‘work’ every day with my husband at his tattoo shop and has found her perfect fit as a shop dog.

Little old man Maxie was my first dog ever as an adult. I waited until I was responsible enough to keep another living thing alive and well. He’s the dog I made all the classic dog mom mistakes with and helped me learn so much about myself and about dogs! Maxie has been with me through so many important parts of my life and now in his old age he enjoys mostly lounging around the house, short walks in the neighborhood and is an excellent little dog distraction to help with the training dogs. His body isn’t what it used to be but he’s got the most spirit!