Welcome Winston!

Winston is a two-three year old dark brindle male boxer.  He is cute, sweet, and about as friendly as they come.  He already went through heartworm treatment in the spring and is now physically healthy.  Sadly, we are Winston's fourth foster home since he was rescued from a shelter in Louisiana almost seven months ago.  He was also in boarding for several weeks in between foster homes when nobody would take him.  

The reason that Winston has had no success in his various homes is because people have had a hard time dealing with him, saying that he is out of control.  He has anxiety issues which unfortunately most people don't understand.  He isn't fearful at all and the anxiety doesn't seem to be related to separation.  It's unusual behavior and I haven't encountered a case quite like him.  I don't know where it stems from, but I'm sure being passed around from place to place to place has only made it worse. 

He has endless energy but you don't even notice the anxiety until it's time to settle down.  Even when he is exhausted, he doesn't know how to relax and you can see that he is stressed trying to figure out what to do.  He is completely restless.  He pants heavily, he licks constantly, and he paces around the house.  

This anxious behavior needs special attention.  In the past, he has been sentenced to a crate. He is very good in a crate, surely because he has spent so much time in one, and locking him up would certainly be easier for us, but he will never overcome the behavior unless we help him to by facing it head on.  Avoiding these types of issues for our convenience isn't being fair to our dogs.   Although this type of behavior is unwanted by us, it isn't an intentional behavior and therefore should not be punished.  It's misuse of the wonderful training tool that is the crate.  It's comparable to something I was just talking about with my neighbor the other day- a bark collar.  Not a fan!  Sure, it may stop a dog from barking but it certainly isn't addressing the issue. The barking itself isn't the problem, it's a symptom of a problem.  A dog that barks for no reason is usually a dog that is bored and/or frustrated.  Punishing a dog for releasing energy in the only way it knows is just not fair.  Continuing to keep Winston locked up so he is calm and doesn't bother us will only make him worse in the long run. 

We have started the rehabilitation by only crating when we leave and at bedtime.  No matter how frustrating, Winston stays out of the crate with the family.  I even put up with him during the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy!  And that was not easy.  I have also been using the Thundershirt when it's time to try to relax.  He is taking a supplement called Composure a few times a day.  I try to do relaxation exercises with him.  They must be working a little because the other morning after an hour and a half of play time, I put the shirt on him and laid on the couch with him and we both fell asleep and I was 40 minutes late to work!  Most of all, we try to practice our own calm behaviors.  We usually play pretty rowdy in this house and are trying to adjust our overall energy a little bit until he can handle more stimulation without instantly flipping out. 

Dixie and Jax have been great, as usual.  He was getting beaten up by the dogs in his most recent foster home, which is why he was removed. He has scars all over his face and legs. Our dogs are used to unstable behavior so they put up with him as best they can when he can't control himself.  For the most part, they love to play with him and he is keeping them very busy and getting them in shape for hiking season, which is just around the corner! 

He is a great dog, but he needs a lot of work.  He will probably be here for a while. 



 

Bella Pictures

As promised, here are some fun pictures of Bella!  The two pool pics are older, but the rest were all taken her last morning at our house and then at Jen's. 



Surfer Dog!



Jax and Bella "floating"

 



 

Action shot!  (Buster was a temp foster.  He lives in NH now)

 

The plus side of having two fosters at once. Never a third wheel!

Napping with big sis.



This is one of my favorites of her!

 

Jen, Daisy and Bella.  The new family!



Another family photo.



My last night with my girl:-(

Big Bella News!

This is the story of Bella's adoption. 

I started to write this post several times.  I wanted to do a pre-home visit post and then a follow up.  Each time, I got only a few sentences written and I stopped.  It just wasn't working for me.  I couldn't put into words exactly how I felt about Bella leaving me, because I didn't really know yet.  My emotions were running high because I was so attached to her that I just broke down when I tried to write. 

I knew that our girl was ready to face the world without us, but I couldn't say the same for myself.  She had become such a big part of our family.  I no longer saw her as a foster dog, but as one of us.  She had become an ambassador to other temporary fosters that had come and gone while she was with us.  And to be perfectly honest, there was a long time that I didn't think she would ever leave us this way.  I thought that she would live out her last days in our home.  I spoiled her rotten.  She slept next to me in my bed for two months.  I hand fed her not only her food, but meat, eggs, and even homemade doggy ice cream.  I thought that she was dying and I wanted to give her the most pleasurable experience possible before that happened.  Obviously her leaving us for a new home is a miracle and so much better than her leaving us for the rainbow bridge, but nevertheless, it was not something that I had prepared myself for. 

The only thing that kept me from totally losing it was that the person applying to adopt Bella was already a part of my life.  Jen!  I knew that she had been considering a companion for her dog, Daisy, for quite a while so when I found out that she was planning to drive out to spend labor day with us, the wheels in my head started turning.  When Jen arrived, there was an instant connection between the two of them.  We talked casually about Bella possible joining Jen's family all weekend.   I was not allowing myself to get excited.  I didn't want Jen to feel any pressure and I didn't want to be disappointed myself.  I think Jen was doing the same thing, for the same reasons.  When she left, I told her to take some time and really consider it and how a second dog would change her life.  A few days went by and I received a text from Jen.  "Ok, I have thought a lot about it and talked to Daisy about it and we both think that Bella would be a great addition to our family!"  And so it began.

I knew that I needed to be completely unbiased and treat this like any other adoption.  I couldn't approve it for the selfish reason that I would be able to have Bella in my life forever and I couldn't approve it because I didn't want to hurt Jen's feelings either.  Jen and I discussed everything and both agreed that there would be no hard feelings on either side if either of us decided it wasn't a perfect fit.  Of course Bella and Daisy had to meet and be on board with becoming sisters too.  The only way to know for sure if Bella would fit into their lives was to try it out.  So, we planned a trip. 

Three weeks later, on Thursday afternoon, Bella and I were on our way to Fort Worth, Texas to spend the weekend.  I admit, I almost changed my mind before I was even out of the driveway.  I had packed up all of Bella's stuff, including her crate, and loaded it into the car.  As we pulled away, I could hear Dixie howling.  It was a long, sad, pitiful howl.  She had never done that for any other foster before.  She too had come to think of Bella as one of us.  It broke my heart. 

The weekend was amazing.  We laughed, we cried, we drank wine...lots of wine.  The dogs, although hesitant at first, did wonderfully.  My biggest worry going into this was that Bella would be too high energy or rough for Daisy (who is a 7lb Chihuahua X Dachshund).  I didn't realize that Daisy was such a feisty little girl!  She matches if not beats Bella's energy for sure!  It was hilarious and adorable to watch them play.  Jen's neighborhood is very dog friendly.  Pretty much every house on her block has at least one dog and they all seem to get along and play at the fence lines with each other. 

Saturday morning, we took a long walk over to Jen's work so I could get the tour. (Jen is pretty big stuff, by the way.  So proud of you Jen!)  Although Bella hadn't been exposed to much in her life, she acted as though walking through the city traffic and into a big fancy building was the norm.  She stepped confidently into the elevator and after meeting some of Jen's employees, laid down and made herself comfortable at our feet.  I was filled with pride.  On the way home, we stopped for gelato at the Central Market (Some people have gelato for breakfast.) and my girl impressed me again.  She sat quietly watching the hustle and bustle as we enjoyed ourselves.  By the time we got home, Bella was exhausted.  I think it was probably the most excitement she'd ever had in one day. 

Jen and I were both crying when I left on Sunday morning.  It was so hard leaving Bella.  But, I didn't feel the same sad that I felt before.  After spending a few days there, I could tell that she would fit in well.  I knew that Jen was going to do whatever she could to give Bella the life that she deserves.  Thank you for that, my dear friend. 


Pictures to come!

Guess Who!

Guess who this handsome dog is!  (Jonathon didn't even recognize him.)



 It's Enzo!  All grown up!  He was still a pup when he left here for Washington DC in February-  about 9 months old, around 40lbs and still had a few bare patches left over from the mange. 

 

Just a refresher, here is baby Enzo when he first arrived at my house last Dec.

 

 

 He now weighs in at over 65lbs and look at the gorgeous coat!  Enzo's mom writes that she and Ezno go to the dog park almost everyday and he has a core group of friends there.  She also writes that not a day goes by that somebody doesn't stop her on the street to say what a good looking dog he is!   

 

Enzo with one of his buddies at the dog park.





 

 

Enzo's mom's email came at just the right time.  I had been feeling pretty deflated.  Lot's of sad things going on in the rescue network and hopelessness filling up my mind because of it.  Seeing Enzo looking so happy and hearing how great he is doing really warmed my heart.  I need moments like this to recharge myself! 

 

Bella and Charlie Sittin in a Tree!

Bella has a boyfriend!  We have a short term foster dog here for the week.  His name is Charlie and he is a Red Heeler, a pretty rare breed in these parts.  It's surprising that he ended up in a shelter.  He is about 5 months old and full of piss and vinegar!   He and Bella adore one another.  They play and play.  She got off restriction just in time. 

Although puppies tend to be obnoxious with their never ending energy, I do enjoy the unbridled happiness and innocence they bring with them.  Charlie spent 15 minutes playing with an acorn on the patio yesterday morning.  He was having a great time, all by himself.  The simple pleasures make me smile. 

On Saturday, Charlie will make his journey to his rescue in Tallahassee, Florida.  I will take him (and another dog that we will pick up from a shelter on the way) as far as Brinkley, AR where our second leg driver will meet us.  That night, about 10 drivers later, he will reach his destination.  I am told that he has an interested adopter already.  The family lives on a 700 acre working ranch.  Sounds like a dream come true for a cattle dog!