Athena

[Deleted]

Name: Athena (sometimes just Thena)
Age: Spring of 2017 (3 years old)
Gender: Female
Genetics: [Australian Shepherd x German Shepherd x Border Collie] x [Australian Shepherd]
Pack: Loner for now.

Personality: Patient: Athena has always been the parent figure to her younger brothers. Because of this, she has a lot of patience and is able to keep her cool through almost anything. Of course, she will snap eventually, but it takes a lot to get her to that point.

Loyalty/Protective: If there is anything about her that is straight to the point and obvious, it would be her loyalty. Athena believes that when you have someone who has been there for you, the way to reward them is by taking them under your wing, into a "pack" and forming a bond. And that bond holds all her traits together, but most of all her loyalty. She will always be there for her friends, family, and lover throughout all of the troubles and will protect and defend them until her last breath.

Optimistic/Enthusiastic: In her adulthood, Athena still carries around a lot of her pup-like nature. She loves to play chase, hunt, and push her limits on the world. Her energy is endless. Silly and sometimes even stupid/ridiculous things drive her into a mini-frenzy of excitement and have her bounding off the walls like she has a sugar high. No one is quite sure if it's the breed or just her uncontrollable energy. Either way, she is never boring and always has an open mind to adventures.

Doesn't Trust Others: Because of her family growing up, it takes a lot for Athena to trust someone. Don't get it wrong, she loves to meet new canines and enjoy a day out playing - but she is always cautious and guarded about her emotions and those she meets. She can easily snap around these kinds of dogs and may even get panicky or simply anxious being in the presence of someone she doesn't know. However, once you earn her heart, she is a friend to die for.

Unpredictable: Like her disability to trust, she is also very unpredictable. This isn't only with strange dogs, but ones she knows very well. She tends to push limits and play games - though she is never known what to do next! She continues to surprise everyone with the way her mood and actions flip around. While this could be positive, it leans more toward negative in the fact that she can act way out of line and it's never telling where she is going to go. It's an easy trait to get her and her companions in constant trouble as well as danger.

Anxious/Argumentative: These two traits within Athena almost always leads to disaster. First it starts out with her anxiety, and once that stage reaches a little too far (in any situation) she is a ticking time bomb that is bound to explode. Because of her anxiousness in certain situations, she is instantly on the defensive and bound to lash out in anyway to threaten her rival (can be emotional as well.) to get away. Of course it is usually bluffing, but a way to burn off the itching of her anxiety. Another thing that comes after her anxiety is her ability to just argue non-stop. Because she is already defensive, she feels she is being attacked both physically and mentally, and nothing you will say will make that any better. She will argue with you, and it can get violent. In these situations, it's just best for the other dog to walk away and let her cool down for a bit.

Height: 20 inches at the shoulder.
Weight: 40-45 pounds depending on how well she is eating.
Appearance: Athena is a rather pretty she dog, even with her small size. Her coat is a variety of colors - most being deep blends of gray, russet/red brown, black, and some whites. She has dark brown eyes that can resemble that of milk chocolate. Some of her notable features that make her stand out would be the medium sized, white diamond shape on her forehead. All four of her legs are a ashen and black blend, all ending in brown/russet colored paws. She has large black marks that seem to circle her eyes completely, as well as identical brown/russet marks above her eyes that almost appear as eye-brows. Under her muzzle is all brown with white flecks that travel down in a v-shape all the way to her chest and then fade with splashes of white. The rest of her body, including her tail, are all mixes of the three main colors, but mostly a deep gray flecked with browns and whites.

History: Growing up wasn't too tragic for the young shepherd. She had always been a stray, and once she and her siblings were born, her father fled. She was left to grow up with her mother and two siblings - both brothers. They both seemed to cling more to the German Shepherd side, whereas Athena clung most dominantly to her mothers Aussie coat. You wouldn't think she had ever German or Collie in her! They made their home in a thick forest and it was good coverage. There was almost always plenty of prey, as well as dens or hollows that were good enough to keep in when the weather got too cold and snow hugged the ground. For the most part, her life was brilliant and couldn't have been any better. Still, that changed when her mother met a black male by the name of Jet (Labrador Retriever mix). He was snappy to the yearling pups and the sweetest to their mother. She was oblivious to what he did to her pups. Being the first born, Athena instantly felt that she was the defender of her brothers, the one who needed to stand up and protect them.

And she did. Because of that, she was beat on the most, but she didn't care. For two years, she was forced into learning how to fight with Jet and taught hunting skills. On the side, she took care of her brothers and kept them away from their mother as much as possible. Athena knew it wasn't her mothers fault, but how could she be so blind? Why wouldn't she protect her first litter of pups as well as only children? Shouldn't they be her first priority? The questions nagged on the young Shepherd for a long time. She had thought about leaving, but they were still so young, not mature enough to live the life of lone strays. So, she stayed. She was only pushed to move when her mother gave birth to a litter of Jet's puppies. A girl and a boy. As if she didn't feel betrayed enough by her mother, these pups became the apple of her eye and the other three were once again, left in the shadows.

By this time, they were almost three years old and Athena had the tactfulness to take care of her brothers. With that, they set off to find a new place to call home, safe and away from their "family." Athena is pleased with the outcome. She is happy and has plenty of land to explore - you wouldn't think she had seen such neglect.

Image Set: Click
Creative Commons? Yes.

Baby Thread: Not applicable