Carter the super foster...

So I have had a foster for almost three weeks now. His name is Carter and he is absolutely hysterical. He had been at one of the shelters I volunteer at for six months, and was jumping up and smacking people in the face with his paws as a greeting (called muzzle punching) this was making every meeting for adoption a disaster. So when I requested to take a dog for a couple weeks that needed some training I was offered this magnificent hyper crazy mutt.

( I take the pics for this rescues website so I remember this dog being just nuts, not one of the ones that you can cuddle up to...)

Right away when I tried to take him to my car I got smacked in the face twice pretty hard, and I thought oh dear what am I getting my self into? It took a half hour to arrange ourselves in the car. But the minute I drove away from the shelter he began to change. He relaxed and sat in the seat like a gentlemen, only bothering me for a belly rub during a stoplight.

Yes, he needed to be taught greeting people with a smack is just not the way to say "I love you" but once he learned that he surprised me everyday with what a nice dog he was. He was instantly buddies with Nik and sweet with my cats. He would pick up shoes and other non-doggy items and all I had to do was tell him to drop it and he would. He only has had one accident in the house (fully house-trained!) and has learned "sit", "Down", "shake" and "wait". His leash walking went from atrocious to decent, and pretty great on a 3 mile run. He sleeps all night long and is fine in his crate. Best part is he's a comic genius, his dopey and floppy demeanor provide my husband and I with laughs every day!! He's like a big puppy with better manners (now at least). So seeing his true colors I started to feel just terrible that this dog doesn't have a home.

Keep in mind, I am not keeping Carter, I want to keep fostering and although he is amazing, for now we are a one dog household. The more I foster the more I learn and the more dogs like Carter I can help. For this guy I have done all the help I can do, he's ready for someone to love.  I guess the only thing holding him back is he is a big black adult dog, I guess that is one of the hardest dogs to get adopted.  But why are people just looking at the outside of the dog? He's personality is wonderful, he is sweet as pie and as non-aggressive as it gets.He is not 100% jump proof but he no longer puts his paws on people, and when he has the occasional jumpy's as soon as I tell him "uh-huh" he sits down and waits for further instruction. I can take a bone out of his mouth. And he loves to cuddle, and put half his body on your lap, this is the kind of dog anyone could love.

So I decided to hold on to him as a foster, as long as I can, its hard to bring him back when I know the shelter makes him crazy. I only have a couple more days, but there are actually a couple applications (one from a cousin of mine) in for him so this might all work out magically. I am not a big hoper/prayer/wisher but I want a good life for this guy. Good news to come....hopefully, pics below...

Chi-hua-wow and bundles of joy...

Just to get this out in the open cause I know your wondering: Ruby and her puppies are healthy and wonderful hanging out at the rescue. I get to see them twice a week which is heartwarming. Last time I went in Ruby's tail thumped on the floor: She recognized me and was happy to see me, it was such a nice moment. They will stay at the rescue waiting for a foster to take them all, or till they hit 8 weeks and are adoptable. At that point I'm sure they will fly out the window like hot cakes. What I truly want is Ruby to get a good home. Momma's are much harder to place than babies. (I'll post some pup pics at the bottom).

So I've decided, and I know this won't make me the most popular kid on the blogblock, I will only post when I have something to post about. Thankfully today I have some exciting news.

Tomorrow I get my next pet project literally, I am gonna take a dog home from a rescue for a couple weeks to work on his over zealous jumping behavior. Seems as though every time someone wants to meet this awesome buddy he tackles them, playfully, but big dogs have to learn how to be gentle. Its a reality I am learning in the dog world, the bigger the dog, the less acceptable bad doggie behavior is. And it makes sense a little one nips you and you're like "lame and ow." A big one tries to take a chunk out of you and its a traumatic experience. I get it completely but without training the dogs never well. So here I come to save the day!!!

Newest dog fun for Nik is I enrolled her in a Nosework class where she learns super-police sniffing dog-type games for mental stimulus: VERY FUN and effective.

Also, I have started answering training help questions from craiglist. There are poor people on there that are desperate for help and advice and I am no expert, but I might as well let them in on what I know. I helped a person with a Chihuahua recently who wouldn't eat anything but one kind of wet food. The Chihuahua was unhealthy, missing teeth and over breed, and this person was kind enough to take it in. I was able to give this very nice lady some advice on to how to get her personal doggie rescue project to expand her pallet, without hurting her barren gums.  (One of my best out of many ideas was mixing the old food with other food slowly starting at 90% old and 10% new and moving the percentages slowly, blending them together in a food processor if needed. Along with feeding this recently bred mama some puppy food for extra nutrition.)  I hope the information helped, either way the owner thanked me saying: "Thanks so much for all your emails puts a smile on my face that I'm not alone when it comes to caring for animals. Have a wonderful blessed day! " So if nothing I get some warm fuzzies and I helped another dog enthusiast feel less helpless and alone....

Here's a couple extra pup pics from your viewing pleasure:

Saved 12 dogs in one rescue

So I don't want to blog when I have nothing to write. But for the last couple of days I have had so much to write I have been too excited to touch a key board...

This is how I spent my Friday the 13th:

Let me try to make a long story short. My Husband and I were about to go roller/blading/skating with the dog (Me on my Skates, Dan on his blades, and Nik on her feet), then I see this golden retriever type in the middle of the side walk a block away from the house. I tell my husband who has Nik's leash to stop, a dog on the street is not always friendly and can easily feel cornered so I wanted to keep Nik far away. (She want's to play with anything that moves!)  I have some treats which I try to entice the stray with, but although she hesitates, she ends up scampering away.

Now, I have tried to catch a stray dog before, and it ending in me falling flat on my face on concrete. You cannot catch a dog if it is sprinting away, so I sadly tell Dan (my husband) "We can't catch her lets get reorganized and move on."

Then the stray in question pops her head around the corner and I realize, this dog needs help, something about her super tucked tail and her body being pancaked to the ground, touched my heart and I said "We have to save this dog."

So Dan stayed out on the block slowly roller-blading and keeping tabs on the dog, while I change out my skates (I am not a fantastic Street skater yet!), put our dog away, and get some supplies: Treats, slip lead and mental composition.

I get out the door and there is no Dan in sight so I just start sprinting in the direction I last saw him, and I find him and our lady stray in a front yard (not ours). Dan heads back to get shoes on and I spend a long time observing our new friend and throwing her treats. I realize at this point she is pregnant for sure!!! Then after many failed gentle attempts I get a leash on her, no luck with the slip lead because she cowered intensely if anything was over her head. Dan and I decide no matter what we will see this dog through her pregnancy to a good home. She seems to be extremely scared of people especially men, and had an old chain around her neck. Not a choke chain just an ace hardware chain all dingy and dark. There were no posters and no owners looking for her and there continues not to be.

We decide to take her to one of my favorite rescues to see if she had a micro-chip. She jumped in the car with us and Nik, and off we went. On the way she ate a couple hot dogs out of my hands, I was very proud of her! At the rescue of course there was no chip, but there were some amazing caring people. The rescue decided straight-up to take her in, they looked her over and decided she was gonna give birth any minute so she was definitely needed a safe place to have her pups. I offered my home, but they were happy to have her and I was happy to know she was in a safe place, so everyone was happy. I named her Ruby and said I would be by soon to visit her. They thanked me for saving her and agreed to text me when the she gave birth. It was hard to leave her there but I knew they were much better prepared for an extremely pregnant dog that has been on the street with questionable health.

So fast forward to Monday, I got the text that the puppies were coming and I headed over as soon as I could. By the time I got there around 2pm Ruby had been in labor since 11am and given birth to 6 healthy puppies. They were beautiful. I observed the next two being birthed which was amazing and then the worker that was helping out, thought Ruby might be finished and went to have a well deserved break. As he walked out my moment appeared.

I was about to suit up, with booties and gloves to help get Ruby more comfortable when I saw her lay on one of her pups. So I called for a buddy, suited up fast and got in to the room. I got the puppy out and safe, but within seconds there were two more pups on their way out. The first one (#9) came out fine, only needed a little tug to help Ruby out, but the next one (#10) was a moment I'll never forget.

 The pup was obviously struggling and not breathing right, I remembered the worker saying he had to help a couple of the dogs to breath so I knew it was time for action. I realized it was my time to shine, the pup was struggling less and going limp. I pressed gently on the pups chest and it coughed and then started breathing and moving again...I was there at the moment it gained life and almost lost it.....WOW....just wow. Puppy eleven appeared about 30 minutes later, healthy and whiny. What a big litter, I am so happy for Ruby, and so pleased Dan and I saved her from giving birth or dying pregnant on the streets. We saved 12 dogs that day. I'll attach some puppy photos for those interested:

Just when I feel lost and directionless in my whole "helping dogs in need" quest, the dogs in need find me. I am truly blessed to have been part of the birth and nothing is better than hands on experience.  Stay tuned. My dog adventures seem to be getting much more exciting!

Meaningful Mutts

Yesterday I had a full dog day. I started out at Animal Control then ended up at one of my favorite rescues. For every minute of Volunteering I learn so much about dogs, how we interact with them and how they would like to be interacted with.

For example, I am used to dealing with mostly fearful, or shy dogs (which is sometimes the step right before aggression it must be handled with care), so I usually crouch down on the floor, and toss out some yummy treats for the dog. I crouch down to make myself smaller, which is something dogs do for each other when they are trying to get along. I also try no to face the dog which is even less intimidating. Usually it takes about 10 minutes but then I have a new buddy. Word to the wise, if you are gonna adopt a dog give the perspective pooch some time in a room with you before deciding the dog is not a match, when they first come in they need time to acclimate themselves to being out of their runs or kennels. Best idea is to let them come to you...

I was having a hard time with an exuberant, frantic, playful dog who was being a bit nippy and pushy, and it wasn't until I talked to the volunteer leader that I discovered I was "auto-piloting" my intro. This dog was happy to sniff my feet and jump all over me, I definitely didn't need to be smaller or give it access to passionately lick and bop my face or pull at my arms. This dog was in no way aggressive but it needed a intro to match its energy and mood. It is a very nice thing to see dogs in a shelter so happy-go-lucky and in need of a rousing game of tug, and not a quiet gentle statuesque human.

Holidaze

We took a last minute hiking vacation this weekend. In planning where we would stay and where we would go I was shocked at the lack of dog friendly hotels, cabins, cottages, B&B's what have you available. My first inclination was to camp, which is almost always a dog friendly event, but with temperatures dropping at night below freezing at all our possible destinations it didn't seem like a relaxing way to go. 

So there's a couple website that claim to help you bring your dog with you on any adventure any where in the united states, but they are unclear, and just guide you to lodging websites where you can desperately search for a pet policy that usually state something to the effect of: :"Bringing your dog here might be okay but you need to talk to us first and we prefer little dogs, and there are pet resorts in the area to drop off your dog." Total disappointment! 

After hours of searching I found a place that only charged 25 extra dollars for the dog, brought us breakfast to our room with dog treats and didn't have a 3-night minimum. 

After six miles of hiking with the dog yesterday and 3+ miles today it was worth it. Nikki loved the hike, we left her on a 20ft leash, which she dragged behind her in front of us (Leash laws are ever-present) and she stuck with us easily, zig-zagging and enjoying all the smells. Even walking around town, when I started to be bummed that Nikki inhibited us from going into stores/restaurants etc., a winery let us do a tasting with her inside as long as it was just us. 

I chatted with the wine attendant, who has a pit/shepherd mix who bites her 4 year old son when he swings on the swing set. The dog has actually managed to draw blood during this unhealthy game it has created. Previously in the conversation, she confessed to the dog not getting much exercises and not getting any socialization or playtime with any other dogs. This does not justify the biting at all, but if dogs are not given a chance to burn off their fuel, they chose the dumbest things to do. I gave her some advices, moving slowly using the most delicious treats to change the game. I hope she tries because she said if the dog draws blood again she will be giving her up. With all that on the line I hope she realizes that her dogs life is in her hands, she has to retrain the animal, and provide her with proper energy outlets.

Its hard not to get more involved but since I am at the beginning of my research I am not ready to dive into the behaviour/training world. But I have learned so much in my 6 months of intense dog adventures and observations I can't help but try and share.

There was this lady in the pet store spouting nonsense about how she will never ever ever play tug with her dog because it is a pit mix. MY LORD REALLY? I politely let her know that tug is a cooperative game, that is healthy for dogs and DOES NOT promote aggression, I gave her some tools to make sure tug is only played with her permission. She didn't blow me off but I don't know that I got through, I can only hope the pit mix she has doesn't really want to play tug, and find unhealthy ways to play it. 

I don't ever want to lecture people, but I really want to help educate. In the 10+ dog books I have been reading and in all my hands on experience with rescue pups it becomes easy to see the basic truths shining out against all the silly little lies ingrained in us about dogs, but it was never obvious to me until I started searching for the answers...

Volunteering Phase One

Today started out with an hour long jaunt with Nik and the Westie. 

Then my weekly observation of a growl class (dogs with aggression issues). I like sitting on the floor at the training school and taking notes as the instructors teach the dogs and their owners new skills. Most of the class are small dog's it's amazing how difficult the itty bitties can be, more on that later. 

Then off to Animal Care and Control to volunteer for their adoption event. I had a ton of fun walking and playing with the infinite amount of kind, bouncy and adorable pit mixes but my interactions with potential adopters was a tad discouraging. Their were looks of families looking for puppies or small dogs, with no understanding of how much more time and energy puppies require and how small dogs are not always the best playmates for high strung feisty children. Then there was this wonderful couple that were interested in one of the sweetest staffordshire terriers that was marked as needed experienced owners. 

I was told this was to protect the breed and make sure dogs like this one ended up in a good home. I totally understand the concept, but this sweet dog just needs a companion, and its hard to watch adopters be turned away.

Anyway the more I research and the more I spend time around homeless pups the more I begin to form my plans for the future. I definitely want to develop my own rescue, or methods of rehabilitation for the hard to reach dogs, but I haven't quite formulated how. An idea that came to me today was an XL rescue. Big dogs tend to get overlooked and inspire undeserving fear in the general public. I have no problem with them, the bigger the better, most of them are pretty low key and sweet as pie.

Hot Dogs in the City

Nikki our dog is a American Bulldog, German Sheperd, Blood hound mix who is as high energy and intelligent as it gets.

She is a rescue and came to us with extreme separation anxiety and a lot of fun little quirks to work on. She has been my inspiration to research dogs and get more involved in their rescue and rehabilitation.

So today we were at one of Chicago's lovely dog parks with Nikki and the Westie, it was late in the evening and there were not many dogs just a Rott, and a Sheperd mix pup. We have seen this Rott before, and I sighed  going into to the park and seeing Nikki's limited and disheveled amount of playmates. You see Nik is a wrestler, she likes to tustle and she can be a little intense sometimes....but NOT aggressive. This Rott has snapped on Nik before without reason, and seems to be not too bright.

Last time we saw this dog at the park she spent the whole time following Nik around barking at her, (Which is request behavior) as if she was yelling "Play with me, PLAY with me. PLAY WITH ME!!! And like a champ and like she was told Nik ignored her. Meanwhile the owner, who is a little off to say the least ignored her dog's bad manners to flirt with a fellow dog owner...sigh

Anyway today they seemed to be fine doing some nice greeting, and all of a sudden the owner starts following the dog standing as its side as Nik is trying to say a hello, giving instructions to her dog, that her dog is oblivious to. Being ignored the owner gives up and sits down. The park is boring at this point so my husband takes out a ball to play with Nik. The Rott perks up again, and steals Nik's ball repeatedly which Nik allows. (This is something we have worked on, Nik is not the resource guarder she used to be, she has learned the value of sharing. Hooray). Seeing the dogs interact the ball is taken away so that it does not get in the way of potential playing.

Then after ten or so quiet unremarkable minutes....

Out of no where the Rott and Nik are in a Semi-Aggressive tustle. Nik is usually easy to call off but is slow on this one, which was disappointing, but can you blame her for not disengaging with a Rott attached to her neck? Yes and No. Anyways as I am taking a moment to soak in what is going on and deciding whether I need to get further involved to interrupt the disagreement. The owner (a little off you remember?) steps in and grabs her dog ( A BIG NONO ) and her dog knocks her to the ground. At which point Nik walks away towards us and is instructed to lay down, (so that she can calm herself) which she does without issue.

The strange lady puts her dog on a leash and stays in the park a little longer not interacting or speaking to us... Or letting her dog try again, essentially learning nothing from the experience. Nik goes back to normal and is tail wagging and happy but of course not allowed near Dumbo the Rott because the owner is in a panic.

I heard today that 80% of the pitts that people try to fight refuse entirely. Dogs are not vicious everyone, a dog dispute looks nasty but is usually nothing. There was no blood or injury, although the jury's out on whether the Rott bit her owner out of redirected aggression.

Nikki however needs to learn to walk away from altercations, she is not one to back down but I want that tool in her tool box, because it seems like all types bring their dogs to the park, and the people can be more out of control then the pups. So Nik is on super wrestle lock down, I am gonna be more attentive to the signals from other dogs to help her out a little. Its sad to see under socialized dogs be inhibited and reinforced by their owners...but we can't help them all.

Ps: During this the Westie just sniffed around, ignoring the disagreement that was treated like a basement pit fight. The Westie was happy to sniff Nik and the Rott before and after the fight. The dogs were over it once it was over, but the people weren't. Now Nik and the Westie are doing some wrestling, nice to see them in their happy place unaffected by the emotions and insanity of bad dog owners.