Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Kirby






1-26-10

Kirby was pulled from the shelter the same time as Star, but he's been staying at Apple Valley. We got a call last night from the AV folks, saying that it looked like Kirby and one of the other boys had been in a fight, and Kirby lost.

So Lorraine and I went and picked him up to take him to the vet. He's got a couple bites on his head/face and it was all swollen. He looked like Quasimodo. I kept expecting him to say "She made me deaf, you know." LOL

Anyway, a couple hours later the vet had him all taken care of. He's got a couple shaved spots on his head/face so that the wounds can drain (icky), and a bandage wrap on his foot.

He couldn't go back out to AV with his injuries, so he got to come here. It's a little tricky having an unneutered male in the house with the other dogs.... we were going to get him neutered this week, but the doc wants to wait till he's healed up a bit. I'm going to encourage it to happen sooner rather than later.

Kirby is a good boy though, and he's got such a sweet (swollen) face.


The most important thing about Kirby's wrapping on his foot... that it stays on, and it stays dry.

I commented to the doc yesterday "whew! thank goodness all the raining is over!"

I shoulda known better.

So this morning, as I open his crate, and have to hold an "OH MY GOSH I HAVE TO PEE!" dancing dog still while putting a plastic baggie over his wrapped foot and trying to get a rubber band around it to hold it on, and Star is jumping all over my head, and Drake is barking because he has no idea why no one else has gone outside with him.....
... the thought might have crossed my mind that I'm insane.

2-13-10

Kirby is SUCH an amazing dog. He is well behaved, and has a wonderful personality. His real self has finally come out now that he is not longer injured. LOL. He is active, but not overly so. He LOVES to play fetch, and listens SO well. He is wonderful off leash.
He thinks he is a lap dog, LOL.
I love this big lug, and am so glad that we are getting to spend this time with him!

Have to share a few more photos of the Kirb.

Kirby and the cone of shame. LOL
This was when his foot got unwrapped, but still had the stitches in. He had an obsession with chewing on it, so he got to wear the cone. Poor boy. He didn't mind though... he could still wrangle his way through the dog door, and play fetch! LOL



Kirby at our last adoption event this past Saturday 2-20-10
Isn't he GORGEOUS??!



2-25-10

Kirby is being treated for some serious ear infections. He's got some goopy waxy stuff that the doc put in there to help his ears heal. He hasn't been himself the last couple days, as it's hard for him to hear, and he probably feels weird.

Poor Kirby.

I love this dog.. he is SO great. In every single way.

3-8-10

Kirby is on a sleepover!! WOO HOO!!!! *crosses fingers*

3-10-10

KIRBY IS ADOPTED!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!

Kirby was in the paper last week, with his photo and a write up. These folks saw him there, went through the process, and fell in love.
He's been on a sleepover there since Monday, and we finalized it tonight.

They said that he is a fantastic dog. He totally fit right in with them, and was SO happy when we saw him tonight.
I think it's a great fit for him.

These are great people, and will treat him like he deserves. SO awesome for my Kirbster!

YAY! I'll miss the big lug, but I'm so happy for him!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Drake



1-23-10

Drake was one of the rescues from the Iron Co. shelter.
He's been in another foster home for a week or so, and just came to our home tonight.


I know the photos are deceiving, he is not small. He's about the size of Ginger. He's got an adorable face, and an even sweeter personality.

He want's to play with Ginger SO badly, but she's not too keen on the idea of a dog as big as she is but still acting like a puppy. LOL.


He was white when he got here, and it only took him about an hour to be a lovely rust color from our muddy back yard. He needs a bath now. Badly. LOL!

1-28-10

Drake got adopted! A family up north adopted him, and he will be driving up with Jim tomorrow. SO awesome! WOO HOOO for Drake!

He was a fun boy to have here. Terrier energy and personality, in a big lurpy lab body, LOL! Ginger never did much like him because he was a little too much in her face, hahaha.

UPDATE!

1-23-10

Trudy is finally HOME!


Her new mom sent this video to me today.
Many happy tears were shed while watching it.

YAY for Trudy!

Kolbe




1-22-10

Wade brought Kolbe home today. He was the last of a litter that was being given away in front of a store. He's only 6 weeks old, and oh so adorable!

Puppy breath is one of the greatest things ever. MMmmmMmmmmm.

Kolbe came at a good time, amidst tears and frustration. It's amazing what holding and hugging and smelling a puppy will do for tears. A little nap and puppy breath does wonders for rejuvenation. LOL.

Kolbe will stay with us for a couple weeks until our next run to HWAC.
At least we know for sure now, that at least one of the puppies from that litter will be neutered when he is old enough. We have got to do what we can to stop all these litters of unwanted puppies... the shelters are full of them.
PLEASE, people. Spay/Neuter your pets.

1-23-10

And Kolbe is adopted already! WOW! He went to an absolutely wonderful couple. YAY for Kolbe! Off on his new adventure.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Shining Star!







1-21-10

Star was one of 8 dogs that we pulled from the shelter today. She's so so skinny, and such a sweetheart! She is very loving and cuddly.


She is 2 years old, but so small. She's about the size of an average 6 month old GSP. She is getting along with the other girls just fine, but seems to be a little too interested in the cats. We'll see if that is a behavior we can correct.

She is fantastic in the house, even though you can tell that she's not been a house dog before. She learned the dog door right away, and is doing really great on her housebreaking. What a sweetheart! We'll have her fattened up in no time. :)

1-27-10

Wow, I just love this little girl. She's got an amazing personality. She was so shy when we first brought her here, but she is blooming into quite the charmer.
When I let her out of her crate in the morning, she literally bounces around like a rabbit. It is SO cute. She gives amazing hugs, and has her own little bed right next to my computer chair. :)

2-01-10

Star is on a trial with a great couple. She seems to fit in well, and is very comfortable with them. They are giving it a few days to make the decision, because they need to be sure that they are going to be able to keep her in their yard, which isn't exactly Star-proof.
Keep your fingers crossed....

2-18-10

STAR IS ADOPTED! WOO HOO!!!

What an amazing couple! They have been willing to do whatever was needed to be able to keep Star.
She had a lump on her side that needed to be removed and tested, and these awesome people took it upon themselves to get that done (and pay for it!) before they'd even decided to keep her.
While she was recovering, but before the pathology reports came back, G called me and said "well, we were going to wait till the reports came back to make our decision. But it doesn't matter. Even if it's bad, Star is going to need someone to take care of her. We're keeping her."

I cried tears of joy. These are truly wonderful people.

Star's new name is Piper, and it totally fits her. She is SO happy, and so content. I'm so glad that she has found such a great forever home!


2-20-10

I got an E-mail from Piper! I laughed and cried all at the same time while reading it, LOL!
Thought you'd enjoy it, and a couple pictures that her mom sent me.

Dear Aunt Cathy,

Really great news on my tumor. It's benign. It was consistent with tumors that develop from vaccination shots -- and, of course, vaccinations work because they have evil cells in them. Of course, I'M the one now running around without any hair due to this latest hysteria.

Thank you so much for all my goodies. We opened the backpack on the floor but we had to wait until Dad came home first. I LOVED it all. Then the resident Grinch decided not to let me haul it all to my bed and is currently dolling it out at an all time record snail pace. Not only that, but she STOLE my CD AND book. Hopefully I will get some bedtime stories out of this. Lord knows if I will ever hear my music. SIGH.

Perhaps you should screen future adopters for Grinch and theft behavior as well. Just a suggestion.

Okay, I have to go. We're doing that heeling thingy again. Who in their right mind would ever want to walk THAT slow!

Big Sloppy Kisses,
Piper


Looking very Victorian in her spiffy collar right after her surgery:

Spending a rainy day cuddled up with Dad:


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Photos










1-12-10

I thought I'd share some photos of our hike in Apple Valley this past Sunday.
We had our two girls: Amikah and Ginger, and the fosters we had there were Trudy, Jaxson, Suki, Aztec, and Luna. (We had left Miley and Ziggy at the kennels, didn't think that they'd be up for a multi-mile run, LOL).

We had a blast, though it did get a bit muddy in places. The dogs SO much love to just run and run and run. Every single one of them is great off leash.

Little Paddy O'




1-11-10

Paddy is a little Patterdale Terrier that we picked up from the shelter today. He came with his name, and as unoriginal as it is, it fits him. LOL.

I have never in my life seen a little dog that is this cute. He is about 10 months old, almost fully grown, but he looks like a 8 week old lab puppy with a wee beard. LOL.

He has got the cutest little personality! He's fun, and happy, and absolutely loves the other dogs.
He's only about 14 lbs, so I think that labels him as our smallest foster so far (not including the puppies).
I can't get over how stinking adorable he is. He will stand on my lap and rest his head on my shoulder.

His tail wags almost constantly.
(we call it his Paddy Waggin, hahahahahaa!).


Oh and yes, he's all black. In those photos, he'd been rampaging around the yard with the girls for about an hour, and he's filthy. LOL. He got a bath shortly after that, and he's got gorgeous fur.
What a pretty little boy!

1-12-10

This little guy is so stinkin adorable.
He's a chewie hoarder though. LOL
Look at this.. he's got all the chewies, AND he's got the coveted dog bed. LOL. Don't know how he managed to do that.
What a character.



1-16-10

Paddy was adopted today at our adoption event! He went to a really great family that was perfect for him. He's going to be a spoiled little guy!

It was SO much fun having him in our home for the little while that he was here. What an absolute darling of a dog. :)

Jaxson again!


1-6-10


Jaxson's story starts here.


After being with his family for over 3 months, Jaxson came back to us.
They ended up not realizing how much time it takes to train a dog, and because they didn't have the time to work with him, he was not turning into the dog that they wanted him to be.

It wasn't working out for them or for Jaxson, so she called us and asked us to take him back. I was all too happy to go get the little guy.

He was SOOO happy to be back here with us and with the other dogs!

They told us that he was destructive, chewing things. And that he was an escape artist, getting out of the yard all the time.

Since he has been here, he's been an angel. No issues whatsoever, though he has lost almost all of his manners and we need to retrain him in basic commands.

I think he was bored there, and didn't get enough interaction, so he found things to keep him busy. That's going to happen, and it's understandable considering the circumstances. You can't leave your dog alone in the backyard and not work with him, and then expect him to be a perfectly well behaved dog. It doesn't happen that way.
A well trained dog takes time, patience, and love. And it takes all 3 of those things. If even one element is missing, it won't work.

We all went hiking at Apple Valley Sunday, and Jaxson had SO much fun! It was a blast to watch him running with the girls, and jumping over sage brush.

It's fun to have him back, and we'll be sure to find him a home that has the time to be with him, and lets him be the dog he was meant to be.

1-19-10

Jaxson got accepted at HWAC today! They will find him the perfect home!

Serra






1-10-10

Miss Serra was pulled from the shelter quite some time ago. She is shy and timid, and terrified of men.
She's been in another foster home for several months, but she isn't getting any better with her fear because that home doesn't have any men in it. We put her there because she was comfortable, but it hasn't helped her at all.

So we brought her here, and we are immersing her in her phobia. She already loves Wade, so that's not an issue. Josh and Colton have been really great with her, working with her. If one of them walks into the room, she just goes crazy.. barking and backing up. But she is slowly learning to trust them.

She will take treats from them now, and she is realizing that they are going to be nice to her.

She is such a sweet dog. We don't know what breed she is.. some kind of terrier/cattle dog mix. She's got a broken tail, funky looking little thing. But it adds to her charm. She has the sweetest little face.

She's getting along well with the other dogs so far, and is leaving the cats alone, though she seems interested in them.

We'll see if we can get her past her fear of men. Wish us luck!

1-14-10

Took Serra to the dog park today with Aztec and Amikah.
She did SO great! Twice, she did her scared/back away barking at guys, but when the situation was explained to them, both of them were willing to work with her on it, and by the time we left the dog park, she was running around playing with the other dogs, and not having any issues with the guys there at all.

She doesn't bark at Josh or Colton anymore when they walk into the room, and she will actually go sit by Josh to get some love.

PROGRESS!

2-08-10

Serra is on a trial! WOO HOO!!!
These are REALLY great people, who know everything about her, and are willing to work with her on her issues.
Rather than an overnighter, or a weekend trial, they want to give her a week to see how everything goes, and if she warms up to them.

Oh I hope I hope I hope.

2-13-10

We got Serra back from the family who was keeping her for a week. She was doing well, and they absolutely loved her, but she nipped at their brother in law, and we couldn't let her stay there as the family had young kids. Not worth the risk.
They were very sad and reluctant to give her back, as they had bonded closely with her.
It was a good experience for Serra, and I'm glad that she was able to try that and see new things.

So we got her back, and have had her for a few days, and she just met another family tonight who are willing to work with her on her issues. They came and met with her for a while and we'll take her to them tomorrow afternoon for a week-long foster trial.
They have another dog, and have had a dog before with issues similar to Serra's.

Keep all fingers and toes crossed. This seems like it will be a GREAT fit for her!

2-25-10

SERRA IS ADOPTED!!! WOO HOOO!!!!!!

We finalize everything on Monday!

*doin the happy dance*

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Suki





1-09-10

Suki came to us as an owner release. She had the misfortune of belonging to a couple in the midst of divorce who found that they no longer had the time to care for her properly.
She's spent a lot of time in a crate lately, and her energy level is through the roof.

She has a sweet personality and is getting along really great with the other dogs.

I think we are going to take her to Apple Valley and let her run there for a few days to wear off some of her pent up energy, then bring her back here for some much needed socialization and training.

1-11-10

Suki is at Apple Valley for a few days to make some room here for a couple new fosters. She is LOVING it out there! We went for a long hike in the mountains, and she was doing so great.
You can tell that she loves the freedom and running. Though she preferred to stay close to Wade and I rather than run off with the other dogs too much.

We'll let her stay there for a little while till a space opens up back here, or Lorraine might take her to her house to see if they can get her muscles built up in her back legs.

She is such a sweet dog, and I love her personality. She is in a constant state of wonder.

1-14-10

Suki went to a GREAT new foster home. She's got another dog to play with, and will have constant interaction with her foster mom. She'll get to go on several hikes during the day to work on her leg muscles.
YAY! This new foster home with be amazing for her in every way. :)

2-13-10

*doing the happy dance* SUKI GOT ADOPTED!!!
WOO HOO!!!

It was SO awesome! She went to a GREAT home with kids for her to play with! YAY!!!

April 2010

SUKI:
Suki was returned to us by her owners because they didn't have the time to exercise her like they had promised when they adopted her. She is looking great, and is SO sweet. We'll only have her for a bit longer until we can find her another foster home.

Update 3-27-2101: Suki is being fostered at Mandy's house for awhile now. She is doing great there, and gets along really well with their dogs! It's a good place for her to be, she gets LOTS of exercise, building up those muscles!

4-10-10

Suki got adopted! YAY! It's a great fit for her, and they are willing to work with her, knowing that she has a lot of energy, and needs a lot of attention. I'm SO happy for her!



UPDATES!

It's been a flurry of activity the last couple weeks!

Have had several of our dogs adopted.
Bonnie and Aimee both found great homes.
The puppies went to HWAC on Wednesday.
Sierra went to her new home on Wednesday as well.
Levi and Aztec both went to their new homes today.
Trudy is adopted and awaiting her adventurous trip to New York.

We had little Nikki here for a few hours, and she was a hoot. Such a sweet little 4 month old Staffordshire Terrier.

We've got a new foster that I'll be posting in a few minutes.

And we've got Jaxson back.

Never a dull moment in this house!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Aztec



1-06-09

This gorgeous girl came from the shelter and has been staying at Apple Valley for a couple weeks.

She's one of our fosters now, and is fitting in nicely.
She is so mellow and very very sweet. She absolutely did not like her crate, so she got a dog bed in our room last night.
She seems to have a little bit of separation anxiety, but it's not too bad. I imagine it will go away altogether once she realizes that we aren't going to leave her anywhere.

1-09-10

Aztec got adopted today! Wow, that was fast. I'm going to miss her. She is such a great dog. She's got a gentle soul.... and the way that she would look into your heart with her eyes. Just wow.
Goodbye sweet Aztec! Enjoy your new life with your family!

1-10-10

Nope, it didn't work out with Aztec's new family. The called this morning and asked if we could come get her. She just wasn't a good fit for them.
That's ok.. the first 2 days of an adoption are a trial to make sure that it's a good fit, and if it's not, then it's ok.

1-19-10

Aztec did great with us after she came back. She is such a sweet dog. So full of love.

She got accepted at HWAC today. I will miss her terribly. There's an empty spot on Wade's side of the bed that still has Aztec's blanket there. :(
I know that HWAC will find her a wonderful home, but sometimes it's hard to let them go without seeing them with their new families, ya know?



Friday, January 1, 2010

Puppies Puppies Puppies!





1-01-09

Our newest fosters, just till Jan 6th when they will all go to HWAC.
The first 2 are male, the others 5 are females.

They are just under 6 weeks old... so freaking CUTE!
My whole car smelled like puppy breath when I brought them home.

1-06-09

Puppies are now safe in the capable hands of Helen Woodward Animal Center. They'll be in foster homes till they are old enough to be adopted. What an adventurous trip they had!

It was so much fun having them here.