Trying a New Vet

A few weeks ago, we took Gracie for a pawdicure. As we were exiting the groomer’s shop, I spotted a sign on the door. A vet’s office just up the street was having an open house that afternoon. They had just completed an expansion of the office and offered tours of the new facility.

We were impressed. The facility has digital x-rays and ultrasounds. Normally, we had to visit the local emergency animal hospital for that kind of technology. They are open later in the evening and offer some emergency hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. They also offer 24-hour hospitalization, something that would have been helpful when Maddy was sick.

They have a separate wing for cats. The cats even have a separate entrance and waiting room. The exam rooms are quiet. All of this is meant to calm cats.

It was a very difficult decision to transfer care to this vet practice. We had been with our vet for many, many years. We absolutely love the staff. They have been so compassionate and kind to our furry family. However, the lure of advanced medical equipment coupled with more flexible office hours was irresistible.

We have an appointment for Kiki soon since she has not been to the vet in awhile. In retrospect, we probably should have taken Gracie first. Kiki is so hateful at the vet’s office. They may kick us out and tell us never to return!

We will let you know how things go. Let’s hope all the cat-friendly enhancements help Kiki to be a calm, sweet kitty.

Rescue Mommy

Blog: Speaking for Spot

I heard that several poodles were confiscated from a local home. They may have been victims of a puppy mill or hoarding situation. I was not sure.

I searched the web in vain to learn more information. Our local newspaper and television station are awful. The story might appear weeks from now. Or maybe never, if it would dissuade tourists from visiting.

I will get off my soapbox now. Anyway, while searching for the story, I stumbled upon an interesting blog: www.speakingforspot.com/blog. The blog is written by Dr. Nancy Kay. She has written a few books. Also, she recently moved to Western North Carolina.

Her blog is really interesting. She talks about situations she has encountered in her veterinary practice. She also discusses training issues such as dog park etiquette. She has links to other blogs and websites she likes.

Check it out when you have a chance.

Rescue Mommy

Blog: Animal Hospital of North Asheville

A local animal hospital has an interesting blog you might want to read sometime. The link is: http://www.ahna.net/blog.

The doctors in the practice write articles about various situations they have encountered such as accidental drug overdose. They offer training tips and other useful information.

You can also see cute photos of some of their patients. Who does not love to look at photos of cats and dogs? Check it sometime.

Rescue Mommy

Send Me an Angel

In January, a little white puppy showed up in the driveway I share with my next-door neighbors. If you will recall, we never found the owner, so my neighbors adopted her. Her name is Angel.

I posted pictures when she was a cute little puppy. You have to see how much she has grown.   She weighs at least 40 pounds and towers over Gracie, yet she still acts like a puppy.

She tries to grab Gracie’s whiskers and eyebrows. She nips at Gracie’s feet and invariably lifts Gracie off the ground in the process.  As you can see, Gracie is quick to discipline Angel when things get out of hand.

Angel bounces in the air as if she has springs in her feet.  That's not so bad when the dog weighs 17 pounds.  It is a bit of a surprise when she weighs more than that.  I had forgotten how strong big dogs can be.

Every time Gracie and I take a walkie, Angel is there. Most mornings, she is even waiting outside the door for us when it is time for our walkie. Gracie cannot escape her.

I will admit that her constant badgering does bother Gracie (and, if I am honest, me) sometimes. However, I must give credit to Angel for socializing Gracie. Since Angel is always there, Gracie must deal with her. She cannot puff up and do her little Rottweiler routine. I really believe Gracie’s good behavior in public lately is due in a large part to her daily interactions with Angel.

Well, it is time for the morning walkie. I hear Angel running around the front yard.

Rescue Mommy

Fun at the Dog Day Afternoon Festival

The inaugural Dog Day Afternoon festival was held last Saturday. I am always looking for ways to socialize Gracie and thought the festival would be fun.

I was shocked to see so many people at the event. Asheville is definitely a city of dog lovers. Cars lined the road alongside the park. We were lucky to find a parking space – and we were only 30 minutes late to the kickoff of the festival!

Gracie handled the crowd very well. She walked among the dogs, observing proper doggie etiquette. She loved all the attention from people. Everyone stopped to admire her. Who does not love a Jack Russell, especially one with cute little whiskers?

We spotted a few other Jack Russell terriers there too along with just about every other breed. I admit I was a little nervous when she approached big dogs, especially a Great Dane. She was very polite though. The only time we had a problem was when another dog tried to dominate her. She quickly nipped that in the bud.

I did not escape carrying Gracie during certain times. You may recall that, in the past, I have carried her the entire time we were in unfamiliar situations. The fact that she strolled around for long periods of time on her own was a huge improvement. She is slowly gaining confidence in herself and me. She knows that she can turn to me for support if the situation becomes too overwhelming. I consider this a major milestone in her training.

I really hope they have the festival again next year. It was a lot of fun. Of course, I will let you know if they do!

Rescue Mommy

Dog Day Afternoon Festival

On Saturday, August 18, the inaugural Dog Day Afternoon festival will happen from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the East Green of Carrier Park in West Asheville.

The festival will benefit as well as showcase three local rescue groups: the Asheville Humane Society, the Animal Compassion Network, and Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. All three rescue organizations will have large areas where you can visit dogs available for adoption or learn more about their work.

The event kicks off with a fun run at 10:30 a.m. The fee for the run benefits Brother Wolf. Other events include a weiner dog race, an agility demonstration from Companion Dog Training, and live music from Xanderfly and Big Daddy Love.

Admission is free. Bring some cash. Local restaurants and brewers will be there selling refreshments, and vendors will have doggy products.

To learn all about the event, visit www.dogdayasheville.com. See you there!

Rescue Mommy and Daddy

Cool Dog Tags

I have been searching for new dog tags for Gracie. The brand I have been using for years simply does not perform as well as it once did. The letters are already faded after only a few months’ time. At the bottom of Brother Wolf’s website, I noticed that they provide their pets with tags from Dog Tag Art, a company based right here in Asheville, North Carolina. Their website is www.dogtagart.com.

When you visit their website, you will see a HUGE selection of tags. I picked out several designs I love for both Gracie and Kiki. It will be hard to pick just one!

You can also design your own dog tag. How cool is that? They show designs that others have submitted for their pets so you can get an idea about how your art would look.

They offer an interesting program called Virtual Leash. If you use Virtual Leash, your pet will have his or her own website. The web address will be printed on your pet’s tag. You provide the company with multiple contacts – your cell phone, a friend’s home phone, your mom’s e-mail address, et cetera. Then, if your pet is lost, the finder can log onto the website and post a message. All the contacts you selected will receive an alert about your pet. The company states the contact information is kept confidential. You can click on the “Virtual Leash” link on their website to learn all about it.

I am really looking forward to seeing the tags. As I mentioned, I am having a hard time selecting just one design. Since Gracie has lots of collars, maybe I should get more than one tag? I will post a review after I have given the tags a test drive.

Rescue Mommy

Great Time with Gracie

Over the weekend, we attended a dog festival and had a blast. We attended the same festival two years ago. Then, Gracie tried to attack the larger dogs and frantically ran around the venue. She was overly anxious and overly stimulated by all the sights, sounds, and smells.

This time, Gracie still dashed around the city’s streets. However, when she encountered other dogs, she acted like a normal dog, smelling them in all the right places and allowing them to smell her. To my surprise, a pair of Boston Terriers actually snarled at her instead of Gracie being the first one to snarl.

She enjoyed all the attention. You have to admit; she is pretty darn cute. One little boy even walked up to her, patted her on the head, and said, “I love your dog.” This made Gracie’s day.

It was ridiculously hot and humid so we only stayed about an hour. As always, the important thing is to provide Gracie with a positive experience when we take her on little adventures. We were so tickled with her progress that we had big smiles on our faces all weekend.

She is doing so much better riding in the car and engaging other dogs in social situations. Be patient. You can reap the rewards of all your hard work too. It took three years for us to get to this point.

Rescue Mommy and Daddy

Tip from Rescue Mommy: Avoid tightening your grip on the leash when your dog meets another dog. You are telegraphing anxiety down that leash when you do. Slacken the leash and think positive thoughts.

I know that sounds a little “New Age.” It works, though. Your dog knows you better than you probably know yourself and can sense your anxiety. She will think the source of your anxiety is the other dog and react accordingly.

Yes, it is hard to do. It will take practice. Just try; it works.

Great Progress

I like to update you guys about Gracie’s training progress from time to time. Some of you may have rescue dogs that are driving you nuts. As we all know, our little rescues are mysteries wrapped in a bundle of fur. When we adopt, we have no clue what happened in our buddy’s past and must spend the rest of their lives figuring it out.

After almost three years with us, she finally seems to be enjoying car rides. During the last few car rides, she has sat upright for a good part of the trip, instead of cowering and trembling in the corner of the seat. She popped her head out the window and felt the wind in her face when we neared the house or drove through the Biltmore Estate. (Yes, she is properly restrained.)

As I mentioned in a previous post, we recently began trying walks around the yard off leash. That has been a challenge. For the most part, she does very well. She always returns to us, even if she takes off after a rabbit or deer. Naturally, we would prefer if she did not chase animals in the first place. However, she is a dog - and a terrier at that. It is her natural instinct to chase.

Being around Angel, the next door neighbor’s puppy, has helped more than anything else we have tried with socialization. She has no choice. Angel always accompanies us on our daily walkies so she cannot be avoided. I must remember to give Angel an extra biscuit for helping us.

Of course, there is more work to be done. As I always say, enjoy those moments when training and perseverance pay off. They are truly wonderful.

Rescue Mommy

Love Connection

I am such a sucker. I absolutely love dogs. I would have lots of them if I had the time, money, and space for it. You have to face reality, though, and realize that you have limits.

Since I must visit the Brother Wolf website to update the “Adopt Me” page, I am required to periodically review the pets available for adoption. Sometimes, I feel, in the interest of journalistic integrity, I must visit their shelter too so I can meet some of the wonderful pets who have caught my eye. It is simply the right thing to do. (OK, you can stop laughing now, Rescue Daddy.)

I wanted to meet a different dog but spotted Bart instead. He is billed as a Norwich Terrier; I am not sure how that breed was picked. He looks more like a wire-haired dachshund mix to me. He shared a crate with Dorothy, a dachshund mix.

Dorothy was spirited while Bart was laid back. I liked the vibe enough to bring Gracie for a meeting. To my surprise, Gracie was indifferent to him. This is shocking not because I expected them to immediately bond. It is shocking because Gracie has historically hated all other dogs. If you will recall, we have tried bringing two different dogs into our household. She soundly rejected both.

Is Bart lounging at my feet as I type this? No. I am still mulling it over. While they were fine around each other, they did not have much interaction. They strolled separately, pretty much ignoring each other.

He is a really nice dog. Is he the right one for us though? I am not too sure. Maybe I am being idealistic in thinking Gracie and I will feel a spark when we meet Mr. Doggie Right. I felt a certain something when I met all of my other pets, including the cats.

Adding another pet (cat or dog) to the household is a commitment for the rest of that pet’s life. If it does not feel right, you should not do it. Too many pets end up at shelters every day because things did not work out.

So, we will continue to look around. Perhaps the canine equivalent of George Clooney will appear, and sparks will fly.

Rescue Mommy

Paws for a Cause

Every year, Freaks and Geeks Tattoo Sideshow has a benefit for the Asheville Humane Society. For $40, you can get a paw print tattoo. They have four designs from which to choose. All proceeds go to the Asheville Humane Society.

I saw one of their paw print tattoos. It looked nice. If body art is your thing, you might want to check them out. The benefit will be this Sunday, August 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Visit the shop’s website at http://www.freaks-n-geeks.com/ to see the designs and learn more.

Rescue Mommy

Kittens Galore

It seems that most of the local shelters and rescue groups have been inundated with kittens this season. This past weekend, the Asheville Humane Society offered a drastically-reduced adoption fee of $3 for kitten adoptions. Other shelters and groups have slashed prices in an effort to find homes for the wee ones.

Obviously, I want to encourage you to spay and neuter all pets. In the Western North Carolina area, low-cost (or free, in special cases) spay-neuter is available. If you do not live around here, check with your local shelter or rescue group. You might have affordable options in your area.

If you have been thinking about adopting a cat or kitten, now would be a great time. Shelters and rescue groups are overcrowded. Your next great love could be waiting for you!

Rescue Mommy