Not So Wordless Wednesday!

On this particular Wednesday, I just have too much to share to go "wordless."

My sister, brother in law, and 8 and a half month old niece (Emily, Patrick, and Olivia) came to stay with us for a week.  Although super excited about them coming, I was also very nervous about how the dogs would do around Olivia.  None of them had ever been around a baby, to my knowledge.  I had conjured up all these possible scenarios in my head, trying to come up with potential solutions to the potential problems.  Knowing my dogs like I do, it never even crossed my mind that they wouldn't "like" the baby, or that they would be in any way malicious toward her.  I was more concerned about the energy level in the house.  I thought they would be too rambunctious, too loud, and too careless.  I was also concerned that Rheagan could be very nervous around her. 

My worries were put at ease very shortly after their arrival.  The dogs were all wonderful with Olivia from the start.  They were enamored, especially Dixie, who rarely left her side.  Olivia is an animal lover just like the rest of us, so she really enjoyed all of the doggy attention that she received, slobbery kisses included!

Since Dixie hates the pool so much, she was very concerned while Livi was in the water.

Kiss from Rheagan!

Giddy up Jaxy!

On Friday morning, we all piled in the car (4 adults, a baby, and 3 dogs!) and headed up to Petit Jean Mountain State Park for a hike.  It was a beautiful day.  This was both Olivia and Rheagan's first hike and they handled it like troopers!  At one of our longer breaks, Rheagan literally fell asleep standing up! We were in no hurry, taking our time to stop several times for water, snacks, and geocaching (nerdy, yes, but surprisingly entertaining!).    A good time was definitely had by all!

Pre-hike.  Anxiously awaiting.

 

Hanging out in the Grotto (big cave type thing)

Pat enjoying the view.

Our house guests have gone home to Minnesota.  The house is feeling empty and the dogs are a little down.  They sure love having visitors.  We all do.  Thanks again for coming guys!

Off to Virginia!

Great news!!!   Rheagan has found her forever home! 

We will miss her so much.  She has come out of her shell so quickly and is a really fun dog.   Her issues were easy to work out.  She is totally comfortable with the crate training, and hasn't had an "accident" in over a week now.  She certainly isn't fearful of people anymore, quite the opposite actually.  Leaving the house is no longer a battle.  She now runs toward the leash instead of running away from it, and hops eagerly into the car.  If only they were all as easy to rehabilitate as Rheagan was.

She will be moving out to Virginia.  Her future "mom" and I have been emailing regularly since Rheagan first peaked her interest.   Over the past week, she has purchased a crate, a bed, blankets, food, and a collection of treats and toys.  She has apologized to me for "asking so many questions" and for being "too excited."  I explained to her that nothing means more to me, as a foster mom, than to know that my dogs are going to be well taken care of.  She has followed all of my suggestions and I know she truly wants the best for Rheagan.  She has a bright future waiting for her across the country!

There is a transport going out east this Saturday.  Hopefully they will have an open spot for us.  If not, she will get on the one next weekend. 

Here in this house...

This poem was recently posted on the site of an area rescue.  It wonderfully expresses what I hope that each and every dog experiences when they come into my house.  

  
Here in this house......

I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs 'out there'.
I can sleep soundly, assured that when I wake my world will not have changed.
I will never know hunger, or the fear of not knowing if I'll eat.
I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from the heat.
I will feel the sun's heat, and the rain's coolness,
and be allowed to smell all that can reach my nose.
My fur will shine, and never be dirty or matted.

Here in this house... 

There will be an effort to communicate with me on my level.
I will be talked to and, even if I don't understand,
I can enjoy the warmth of the words.
I will be given a name so that I may know who I am among many.
My name will be used in joy, and I will love the
sound of it!

Here in this house... 

I will never be a substitute for anything I am not.
I will never be used to improve peoples' images of themselves.
I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone’s idea of who I should be.
I will never suffer for someone’s anger, impatience, or stupidity.
I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all.
If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for
blame.

Here in this house... 

I can trust arms that hold, hands that touch...
knowing that, no matter what they do, they do it for the good of me.
If I am ill, I will be doctored.
If scared, I will be calmed.
If sad, I will be cheered.
No matter what I look like, I will be considered beautiful and known to be of value.
I will never be cast out because I am too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute enough.

Here in this house...

My life is a responsibility, and not an afterthought.
I will learn that humans can almost, sometimes, be as kind and as fair as dogs.

Here in this house... 

I will belong.
I will be home.

~Author Unknown

Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday!

Introducing Rheagan!

Since Ezra has become a part-time foster, and we have a long list of "urgent" status dogs waiting in shelters, we have taken another foster dog. 

My only request was that he or she be physically healthy.  My reason for this, believe it or not, is not that I am totally exhausted from the extreme cases we've had recently, but because hiking season is right around the corner!  We are planning several over-nights this fall and we can't afford to be boarding a dog every weekend.  Ideally we'll have an adoption by then, but as we all know, it doesn't always pan out that way.  

Last weekend, Bonni and Chris visited us (Thanks again for coming Bons!) so Bonni was actually with me when I picked Rheagan up from the vet where she was being held.  Paralyzed in fear, she had to be pried off the parking lot and placed into the car. 

Her background is that she had belonged to a back yard "breeder" and was never inside.   She is only a year and a half old and has had three litters already, her last being in May.  Clearly, this means that she was only a pup herself when her first litter was born.  She definitely grew up too fast. 

Bonni and I did the "pack walk" when we first brought her home.  It's nice to finally be able to do that again.  It's been so long since we could actually walk on the pavement without scorching their paws!  Things were fine and she was thrown in full force to the experience of what a dog's life can be.  I say that, because we had great weather, so we all spent the majority of Friday, Sat, and Sunday outside having fun.  We played yard games, grilled, swam, and relaxed.  All the while, she learned to interact with us and the other dogs.  She was overwhelmed at times, but in a good way.  She didn't know what to make of all the fun going on around her. 

She did have a minor set back with Jonathon her very first night here.  She was standing behind him and when he turned around, she accidentally backed up into the pool.  He was right there so he quickly pulled her out.  She couldn't have been in the water for more than a second, but she totally blamed him.  She ran away from him so fast only to turn around and give him the evil eye.  She honestly wouldn't go near him all weekend!  In fact, she still hesitates to approach him.  The only exception is when he is petting one of the other dogs, in which case her jealousy outweighs her fear.  I Guess that's one of the down sides of having an in-ground pool.  They all fall in at some point, but she is the first one to hold such a grudge!


This little dog is young, healthy and cute.  She is also AKC registered.  She should be a fairly quick adoption (knocking on wood right now) if I can work out her minor issues.  These issues are 1) Potty and crate training.   Having never been in a house, she has no experience with either.  2) Walking on a leash.  She must have had only bad experiences going places because unlike my other dogs, who go crazy with excitement at the mere sight of a leash, she runs away from it.  I have to literally drag her out of the house.  3) Learning to trust people.  She is pretty shy, almost fearful.  I would bet anything that she has been hit in the past because she cowers pretty badly when you reach out to pet her.   Enter Dixie and Jax! Teaching other dogs that life isn't scary is their specialty:-)

Doesn't she look like Bindi? Apparently I think so, cause I spent the first several days calling her that!

I'm a stage mom!

Ezra is doing as good as can be expected at the boarding facility.  She really seems to like her caretakers.   Some days I pick her up and bring her to work with me.  She loves all of the extra attention she gets from the guys.  She welcomes every stranger that she meets with enthusiasm.  A guard dog, she is not:-)  We continue to hope for an ideal home for her. 

This Saturday, Jax and I participated in a charity dog show.  It was put on by the local Rotary Club and over 200 people showed up.  It raised over $16,000 for orphaned children.  We didn't come home with the trophy, but had there been a "fan favorite," Jax would have had it in the bag!  I didn't realize what a ham he was.  Many of the dogs got understandably nervous walking up the stairs and across the stage.  Not Jax!  He marched right up and stopped in front of the judge's table.  He turned and scanned the crowd giving them his best boxer grin.  It was as if he knew exactly what he was there for.  After our initial introduction on stage, I had people approaching us throughout the event.  Everyone wanted to meet the deaf dog.  They all had so many questions about him and communicating with him.  Even the MC, a local news anchor, didn't hide the fact that he had a favorite dog, asking for a kiss from Jaxy as we exited the stage after one of our passes.  Everyone laughed and cheered as Jax gave him a nice sloppy one right at the microphone.   A couple times, children surrounded him and he couldn't have been more thrilled to be covered in little hands.  Perhaps there is therapy work in our future afterall.  Unfortunately, we went by ourselves, so I have no pictures of our fun day to share.