After a long hiatus - Wodentales returns!

   So, I am walking the Woden yesterday (march 12 2013). We have a second dog living with us, Ava Browndog, a 14 year old GSD. She has a host of physical issues that limit how far she can walk, so on our daily walks, we split up at a certain point, so that Woden gets enough of a walk, and so Ava does not collapse.
  About halfway through the second, Woden-only leg of the journey, I spied a medium-large dog running loose in a yard up the street. It acted a little squirrely, no barking, head down - not clearly communicating intent: it was either an intimidated dog who wanted to meet & swap some sniffing, or a clever stalker preparing for a charge. I decided that i did not want to learn which was the case, and crossed the street.
  The loose dog followed. And followed. And kept following, for four blocks. It was clearly fascinated by Woden, but uncertain about approaching us. Woden was also very curious about our shadow; I had to keep making her continue our walk, because he wanted to turn around and meet the loose dog following us. I had to keep ordering him to come on, come along, etc.; on one of these occassions, I noticed that the stray dog was responding to my commands (better than Woden was, in fact). So, I ordered (her) to come, and let the two meet.
  This dog, who turned out to be female, was super friendly. She and Woden quickly made nice, and were very excited to be walking together. For my part, I was very pleased that I could exercise some control over this nnew dog, as she had been loping across the streets, clueless and careless of cars and traffic. So, I got the stray dog to follow us home, and went back out to look for her home.
  Returning to where I found her, I knocked on doors, asking for information about the dog. While the people on that block (3k block of Logan N.) had seen the beastie that day running loose, no one knew where she belonged, or had seen her prior to that day, running loose. So, I put up flyers, and posted a craigslist ad with her picture.
  The dog is a super sweetie. She looks like some type of Lab/shepherd cross, and weighs about 60+ poundsat a guess. However, she should weigh 40-ish pounds or so. I have never before met a dog so oddly overweight; you cannot feel her ribs, and she has a big, handful-size wattle that hangs under her jaw like an opera valkyries' double chin. She looks like a totally different combination of breeds, simply because her body shape (bone structure) can not be seen, only felt, in most cases. She is young, and in that torturous condition that afflicts female dogs just prior to being fertile. She is so overweight that she has a good deal of difficulty moving with any grace and skill. She is easily knocked over - even falls over herself, just from walking.
  She is so fat, in fact, that I have taken to calling her the Sausage. Woden is, as one might expect, totally in love with the Sausage. He is going mad with overpowering biological imperatives. The Sausage, too, is very interested in a physical relationship. However, the Sausage can barely keep herself propped upright; she is in no way capable of supporting a 100 pound suitor. The stress of his regard literally flattens her. She is quite game, and more than willing to try, and try, and try again. But she is simply too unfit to manage the necessary maneuvers.
  We are keeping the Sausage at our house for the time being. It is a massive hassle, Ava is not at all pleased, but we are not comfortable sending her straight to a shelter. While that may wind up being her next stop, we would prefer to keep this super sweet woggle in a home surrounded by people and animals that nurture her, instead of getting caged and left alone until she finds her way to wherever she belongs. We do need to get to work finding her other arrangements, however. Beth (my wife) is starting to really like the beast, and I am concerned that we may wind up with her as a permanent fixture here if we are not careful. Which would be much less problematic if only Woden could stop loving the Sausage. And loving the Sausage. And loving the Sausage........Well, you get the idea.