Rules of the Road

Just as we understand the rules of the road for the auto driver, so too should we understand them as a dog owner.  Dogs being the curious creatures that they are, can sprint off in a moment to go investigate the sight or smell that has drawn them.  So intense can be their interest that they won’t pay attention to anything else going on around them.

We understand the perils of a loose dog in town, especially near busy roads.  It is the responsible owner that keeps their dog on a leash when walking about town.  No matter how well trained a person may feel their dog is, it is simply irresponsible to allow them to be off leash around roads or anywhere traffic may occur.

But we don’t always think of these perils when we live away from town or have quiet roads.  We may feel safe in letting the dog have the run of the place, considering there is little traffic and therefore no worry about what could happen.  Or we may feel safe because there is so much room to run that the dog would have no need to head for the road.  But these are false securities.

Dogs have a natural curiosity and a natural urge to chase.  These two combined can lead to disaster and heartache.

Dogs should never be left in an unsecured area without supervision.  And they should not be left out even under supervision if they do not have a firm obedience to the “come” command or to sit and stay.

Drivers often times are not as attentive when driving on quiet roads; many times using these quiet roads to gather thoughts or plan the day or the evening.

But all it takes is that one time.  The one moment of not paying attention.

Matthew

Matthew is a Bichon-Poodle puppy about 6 months old.  He’s a very sweet little guy who is very friendly and loving.  He came in with a group of dogs from a small kennels.  I don’t know if he came from a home or other situation as this kennels sometimes does take in dogs for rescue.

Matthew is about 10 lbs or less.  He should be a non-shedding dog.  He coat was very easy to brush as it had been maintained, but even the few small mats came out easily.

I have not tried him out for housebreaking.  He seems eager to please, so hopefully if he needs more work there, it won’t be a problem.

He’s a prancy, happy little guy and loves attention.

Rosie

Rosie (formerly known as Rose–we just had a Rose so switched it a bit) came to us from an owner who could no longer keep her.  The owner is going into assisted living and can’t take Rosie with her.   Rosie is almost 4 yrs old.   She is claimed to be a purebred Miniature Schnauzer.

She’s a sweet girl with a loving disposition.  She is a little uncertain in new situations but seems to warm up pretty easily.

I’m not sure how she’d be with very young children, but gets along well with my 16 year old daughter.  She is a happy little dog although not showing signs of playfulness at this point.   She seems to like being a lovebug more.

She does seem to be crate trained, but I have not given her the run of the house at this time.  She has learned to head for the door when I ask her to go outside, but has not asked to go outside yet.  No accidents in the house, but again, she is not off leash in the house.

She’ll be ready to go once she’s had her spay done.

Special Ops 6

With the adoption of Joseph, we are down to six in this special forces team.  Specializing in ground work, search and destroy, stealth attack, covert observation and silent infiltration (ok, well, not exactly silent) but each individual is in training for their special mission of Operation Endless Fun with a side goal of Early Warning System.

This is their first time outside.  As I observed them gamely digging holes, pulling on the shade and generally seeking anything to chew, I found a rope/ball toy for them to chew.  This will also serve the purpose for a rousing game of tug-o-war should the notion take them.

This mob was born at my house after their mom turned out to be pregnant.  She did an admiral job of raising this bunch of hooligans and is now resting–poor thing–worn out from non-stop mother duty to a group of seven rowdy youngsters.

At any given time, this Special Ops Force will be known as the Monsters, the Babies, the Clowns or the Early Warning System.

Individually, they are the most huggable bunch of babies you’d ever want to meet.  Together, they are a force to be reckoned with–albeit a totally disorganized force.

They are an active bunch–being Rat Terriers and puppies.  They love to play and are extremely curious.  Despite their size, they are hardy little pups and have been eager for just about any task or game we can ask of them.

I am hoping that lots of play outside today will make for a quiet bunch of sleepy puppies tonight…one can only hope.  ~Cindy

Suzy

Suzy was brought to us by a local supporter.  Suzy strayed onto their property with no sign of an owner.  She was brought to us on May 3, 2011.

She is approximately one year old.  She has a very sweet disposition and loves being around people.  She has not shown any aggression at this point towards other dogs and tends to be submissive.

Suzy is scheduled for her spay and after her recovery period will be available for adoption.

Kellie

Kellie was found running on a local highway and was brought to us by a good Samaritan on May 4, 2011.

She is a Sheltie mix with possibly Heeler or Aussie.  She’s a little girl, about 20-25 lbs.  She is sweet and quiet and sometimes a little timid.

She loves quiet attention and will sit to be petted as long as you’re willing to stay with her.   So far she has gotten along with other dogs she has been around and does not seem to have any major behavioral issues.

She’s around 1-2 years of age.

This sweet little girl is now out of quarantine is ready to find a home.

Candy

Candy came to us on November 6, 2010.  She and her sisters were extremely emaciated.   They were sweet, happy puppies but it was a struggle from the beginning to keep them going.  We were dealing with starvation issues.  It had been so long since they had eaten that their little bodies were having trouble absorbing nutrients.  It took several weeks before the food we gave them started putting on weight.

The girls overcame their early issues with us and all earned sweet names: Candy, Licorice, Twizzler and Sweet Tart.  They are Doberman/Lab mixes.

Candy is the last girl left from the litter.  She is in foster with Kaycee right now and doing very well.  Housebreaking is well in hand.  She loves to go for walks and play fetch.  She’ll play with her toys and keep herself entertained for hours.  She has a calm disposition and has still retained her sweet demeanor from when she arrived.

We figured the girls were born around early September 2010 so we put their birthdate as September 1, 2010.

Candy is a great girl and would be great in any home situation.

Liberty’s Pups

  The pups are just over 6 weeks now.  They had just gotten their first puppy shots and some medicine to help them with the stress of weaning from mom.  They are extremely playful and outgoing puppies.

With seven pups, Liberty has had it and doesn’t want any more mom duty.  We’ll keep her nearby in case the puppies get too stressed and to allow her milk to dry out and then she’ll be ready to go back in a pen with some buddies.  She’s done a good job of raising these pups although she is skinny and needs to put some pounds back on…a common problem with a mom with a large litter.

In about a week I’ll split the litter in half so they can start the process of separating from each other and hopefully before pack rank starts to set in.  If we leave the litter together they will start duking it out for ranking within their own little pack.  And being terriers, these pups know how to tussle lol.

They’ll be ready for adoption on May 21st.  They’ll be over 8 weeks old and have had their second shots and be completely weaned by then.

And my household will be ready for some quiet time

Great Adoption Event

It was a great adoption event for us.  Kaycee carried the work for us over at Circle F on Garden of the Gods Rd. getting both Freckles and Tammy into foster-to-adopt homes.  Both placements look promising.

Meanwhile, Dawn and I handled business at the PetSmart located at Citadel Crossing where Kaycee later joined us.  It was a busy day to say the least.  Lots of great people stopped by and visited and gave the dogs some much appreciated attention.  Ten of our dogs found homes over the two day event.  Six more went into foster-to-adopt homes.

As of today, only Candy did not work out in her foster home and is back with us.  It’s not always the right fit, so the foster program allows for that determination to be made before the financial commitment is made.

It was a great weekend…allowing for a gangbusters end to April and a rousing beginning to May.

This wouldn’t have been possible without the invite from Ric of DreamPower .

Some of our residents with the lengthiest stay all found homes or foster-to-adopt homes.

Thanks to everyone who helped, attended, adopted, fostered and just stopped by to play, pet, cuddle, or walk a dog.  You are appreciated more than you can ever  know!

R-E-O

R-E-O is in a foster home with hopes of a permanent placement!

The first time I saw this boy I thought: REO Speedwagon.  I don’t know why…maybe my midwestern roots decided to scream out at me that day.  He is a rockin’ kind of dog.  Hard playing; a raucus boy who loves the world.

REO came to us January 15, 2011.  He had been found running in a local cemetary located north of that town.  He was underweight and skittish at first, not knowing what to expect.

But his friendly Boxer nature reasserted itself after a few good meals and some time spent with us.  He’s now our bouncing baby boy who loves attention and is always game for a good rompy session of play.

He gets along with most dogs but has an in-your-face attitude towards challenging dogs.  And would do best in a home with other dogs that are spayed females or submissive males.  It would be a good option to let a family dog meet REO before deciding on him.

He’s about 1 1/2+ yrs old.  We believe him to be a purebred Boxer but of course that’s only a guess on our part as we know nothing about his background.

We feel REO has the makings of a great family pet but might be a bit overwhelming for smaller children.  He is a boisterous boy and loves a rompy kind of play.