Adventures in Puppy Sitting

The arrival of Angel has caused quite a stir. In case you missed last week’s post, I found a little white puppy, covered in mud, standing in the driveway I share with my neighbors. They decided to adopt her.

As these things sometimes occur, she did not exactly come at a convenient time. My neighbors had planned a trip to the beach this past weekend. They asked us if we could keep Angel. While we had some reservations about how Gracie would react, we agreed. We were pleasantly surprised and, by the end of the weekend, completely smitten with the puppy too. In this week’s posts, I will give you the play-by-play for the whole weekend.

When I first brought Angel into the house on Friday, Gracie was less than pleased. She growled and lunged at the puppy – and earned a spritz in the face with a water bottle. After two more blasts of water, she stopped trying to attack the puppy.

Angel was a little uncertain at first. She hesitated as she walked around the yard and in the house. Gracie’s icy attitude did not help the situation. When she spotted Gracie’s toy basket, though, her fears melted away. Here is a picture of her enjoying one of Gracie’s toys as well as one of the cat toys:

Tune in on Wednesday to hear about how things progressed as the weekend continued.

Progress, More Work Ahead

As you have read this week, the arrival of a new puppy in the neighborhood has caused quite a stir. Gracie’s reaction was quite shocking. Lately, I had noticed she did not like being around other dogs, yet nothing had happened like the first meeting with the new puppy.

The first time she saw the puppy, she lunged at it, barking and growling. She was clearly very upset. Her reaction was basically the same the second time. I do not think they are going to be best friends, particularly since the pup has decided to respond in kind.

I could be extremely upset and disappointed at Gracie reaction – and I am, to a certain degree. However, when I look at how far we have come, I realize there is a lot to celebrate.

As I may have mentioned in previous posts, Gracie has made a lot of progress in recent months. She finally trusts me fully. She is getting much better with recall (coming when I call), particularly in situations where she is highly focused on something other than me. Riding in cars is still not a favorite activity, but she is improving. Now, she does not bury her face; she raises her head and has even rolled over for a tummy rub. Sure, she still pants and trembles for awhile. It remains to be seen if she will ever truly love car rides.

After the incidents with the puppy, I reviewed notes and articles a trainer gave me for Gracie. The information dealt with fear-reactive dogs, which Gracie most likely is. The first thing you must do is have the dog look to you in uncertain situations. Until you can have the dog do that, it is difficult to do anything else. Well, she just started doing that over the last few months. Now, we can begin the serious work.

The whole point of this post is to tell you that training is never ending. It also can take a lot longer than you expect. Be patient. Celebrate the small victories. If you do not, then you can be easily discouraged and miss the whole point of what you are doing: creating a bond of love and trust with your furry buddy. Good luck!

Rescue Mommy

Free Pet Training Classes

I received an e-mail from the Asheville Humane Society recently. Along with assorted news about happenings at the shelter, it mentioned pet training classes.

The classes are offered by Pet Behavior Aid. Some of the classes are free; they simply ask for a donation to support ongoing efforts. Other classes have a $100 fee.

I was particularly intrigued by the Dogs WIN class. WIN stands for “What Is Normal?” The class teaches you what behaviors are normal for your dog and offers tips for helping your little buddy with inappropriate behaviors. They have a puppy version too. Here’s the best part: the class is free!

They offer other classes that cover topics such as housetraining. You can visit their website for more details: www.petbehavioraid.org. Classes are offered at the Asheville Humane Society. Read class information carefully because some classes, such as the WIN series, are for humans only.

I hope to see you at one of the classes!

Rescue Mommy

A Visit from an Angel

I popped up to my parents' house for a visit Thursday evening. On my return home, I passed my neighbor’s house. Out of habit, I slowed at the top of a hill, carefully peering over the hood of my car. Their dog died months ago, yet I cannot shake the habit of watching for her. In her older years, she had a tendency to stretch out in the road and sometimes did not hear your approach.

It was a good thing I kept the habit. In the middle of a road, a little puppy stood, terrified. The puppy dashed down the road a bit. I stopped the car and switched off the engine. The puppy would not come near me.

I knocked on my neighbor’s door and asked if they had a new puppy. She thought I was joking until she saw the little puppy in the road. As it turns out, they had visited Brother Wolf last Monday. None of the dogs really caught their eyes. Her husband said as they left, “The right one will come to us.”

We brought the puppy into the house. It turns out the puppy was a little girl. She was wet, cold, and covered in mud. A nice hot bath revealed a cute little puppy who looks a little like a Dalmatian. Her ears are not quite long enough, though.

No one in the neighborhood has reported a missing puppy. We suspect someone just set her out. That happens a lot in the country. Rather than take the dog to Brother Wolf or other rescue groups and shelters in our area, heartless people leave animals on the roadside to fend for themselves. It is a thoroughly despicable act that does not always have a happy ending.

Fortunately, for this little girl, it seems she has found a happy ending. My neighbors are smitten. They have named her Angel. That was my idea. She appeared out of the nowhere and is white. It turns out last Thursday was also the anniversary of a beloved aunt’s death, making her appearance even more poignant. Hey, we have Celtic blood flowing through our veins around here; we are a little superstitious.

We hope little Angel enjoys her new home and wish her many years of happiness.

Rescue Mommy

Barknetwork.com

While watching the same agility show, I also saw another advertisement for a different website: Barknetwork.com. This website is “for the active dog,” according to the site’s ad.

Like petcentric.com, the site is sponsored by Purina. You can expect plenty of their ads, of course. It is an interesting site where you can watch videos from agility challenges and search for events in your area. Check it out.

Rescue Mommy

Petcentric.com

While watching a dog agility show over the weekend, we heard about a website: petcentric.com. Sure, Purina is the sponsor of the site, and you will see lots of ads for their food.

It is still a neat site, though. I especially like the section where you can search for stuff in your area such as dog parks, groomers, et cetera. Enjoy!

Rescue Mommy

Interceptor and Sentinel Production Suspended

I received an alert from Whole Dog Journal stating that Novartis has suspended production of its heartworm medicines, Interceptor and Sentinel. Here is a link to the post:

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/blog/Novartis-Canine-Heartworm-Medication-Shortages-20448-1.html

A few days ago, it was announced that certain human painkillers could have been compromised. I guess this issue stems from the same problems that caused that issue.

Be sure to read the comments that follow the blog post too.

Rescue Mommy

Brother Wolf "Car for a Cause" Raffle

Brother Wolf is holding its first Car for a Cause raffle. Only 500 tickets will be sold. Each ticket costs $100.

The prize is your choice of a new 2012 Subaru Forester or $15,000 in cash. The drawing will be held on April 22, 2012 at the Run for the Paws race. You do not need to be present to win.

For more details, please visit Brother Wolf’s site at: http://www.bwar.org/.

Rescue Daddy

Train Your Dog Month

January is National Train Your Dog Month. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is celebrating by offering a series of webinars and Facebook chats on their website. Here is the link:

http://www.trainyourdogmonth.com/events/#anc_webinars

The site also has lots of other valuable tips about selecting a new pet, training, and other useful topics.

Enjoy!

Rescue Mommy

Give Them a Chance

Each week as I prepare the Adopt Me page for this website, I notice that the same dogs and cats languish at Brother Wolf’s shelter. It is such a shame.

I had the good fortune to meet Ford and Louie on Saturday. They are wonderful dogs. Ford was so chill even though a dog was barking aggressively nearby. Yes, he is a large hound, not a fuzzy, little puppy. That should not be a deterrent though.

Keep in mind that the fuzzy puppy needs house training. He or she will chew up furniture, your favorite shoes, et cetera. An older shelter dog may already have house training mastered. The chewing stage may be over. I do not mean to disparage puppies. Just keep these things in mind. Puppies come with a lot of work.

So, let’s be open-minded when we consider adding a new friend to our family. Sometimes that older gentleman in the corner might just be the perfect friend for you!

Rescue Mommy

Book Review: Jack: A Book about a Dog Where the Dog Doesn't Die at the End by Ray Braswell

The title of the book, Jack: A Book about a Dog Where the Dog Doesn’t Die at the End, caught my eye as I was surfing Amazon for a bit of light reading. I have never read Marley and Me and never intend to read it. I have zero desire to read a book where the dog dies at the end. Why torture yourself like that?

The book is amusing. Ray Braswell (a.k.a. Tall Guy) and his Labrador Retriever Jack take turns telling you various stories throughout the book. Jack’s “voice” is not grammatically correct.  I guess Labs are not as literate as Jack Russells.

It reads like a compilation of blog posts. In fact, the author has a blog, dailydoseofjack.blogspot.com, where you can follow Jack’s exploits. Like most Labs, Jack is a bit goofy. You learn about Jack’s affinity for destroying things, particularly Frisbees. Some of the stories and pictures are laugh-out-loud funny, such as the first night with Jack. I particularly like the discussion about “butt shots” in photos. Yeah, I have a lot of those with Gracie too.

Like the Dogtown book I reviewed on Wednesday, this book is light reading. You can read little sections here and there and have a giggle. I also recommend that you check out the author’s blog. You will find recent videos of Jack and more funny stories.

Rescue Mommy

Book Review: Dogtown: A Sanctuary for Rescued Dogs by Bob Somerville

For Christmas, I received Dogtown: A Sanctuary for Rescued Dogs by Bob Somerville. It is a great coffee table book.

The book tells the tale of the Best Friends Animal Society, the nation’s largest no-kill shelter. It is located in southern Utah. The shelter has its own show, “Dogtown,” on the National Geographic Channel.

The book tells you about the origins of the rescue group. It has great photos of some of the shelter’s residents and staff. You learn about the sad tales of abuse these poor animals endured and are greatly cheered by the wonderful rehabilitation they experience at the shelter. In particular, you learn about some of the dogs the shelter took from the Michael Vick dog-fighting ring.

Dogtown is a great gift for any dog lover you know. You can read it in a sitting or two. You will be inspired by the stories and great pictures in the book. Enjoy!

Rescue Mommy

Outward Hounds Hiking Club

Is starting an exercise program part of your New Year’s resolutions? Well, I have a great workout suggestion for you. If you live in the Asheville area, you might want to check out the Outward Hounds Hiking Club.

The Club meets on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at the Brother Wolf shelter on Glendale Avenue. You will be paired with a dog from the shelter. The group will visit popular trails in the area such as Rattlesnake Lodge. Wouldn’t that be a fantastic way to get a little exercise while getting to spend some time with a dog who could use some exercise too? For more information, contact Brother Wolf at 828-505-3440 or e-mail volunteer@bwar.org.

If you do not live in this area, check with rescue groups or shelters in your area. They always need someone to walk the dogs. They may have a similar program there too.

Happy hiking!

Rescue Mommy