Introducing Sage

Koda was adopted at PetSmart yesterday. Actually it was a great day for adoptions, as three other puppies also found homes, as well as Daphne and Buddy! However, my husband is very sad about Koda. Even today he's walking around the house frowning and saying "we should have adopted her". I really miss her too, but I'm glad she has a new home that I think she'll be very happy with.

So last week at this time we had 5 dogs - our dog Remi, a previous foster Murphy(Coal) who we were dog sitting for, and foster dogs Hunter, Selena and Koda. Now only Remi and Selena are left. We thought Selena might be adopted, but the people who put in an application on her decided that she would be too active for life in a condo. So I'm actually glad she's sticking around for awhile - its hard enough to miss Koda without missing both of them at the same time! I've found the best thing for feeling better when missing one of my dogs is to save another one. So today we brought home Sage. She is a beautiful dog, no idea what kind she is, but I think she'll be adopted quickly. Here is a picture of her:

and here's one more...

Fostering - Save a Life!

The most common thing people say about fostering is “oh, I could never do that – it would be too difficult to give the dog up!”. And most foster volunteers would agree – it is a very difficult thing to do. You get attached to each and every dog that you bring into your home – you learn their personalities, and you teach them, and learn from them. They give you so much love and affection, and it IS hard to give them up. But if you don’t, who will help save the next homeless dog? The feeling you get from watching one of your foster dogs go to his new home is not only sad, but also very rewarding. To see them being showered with love and affection from kind people who can’t wait to make the dog a part of their family – that is incredible! And you know that because those generous people adopted your foster dog, you can go save another dog that is homeless and will be put to sleep if no one steps up to rescue it. There is no more meaningful way that I can think of to make such a difference to so many animals, and to save so many lives.

Want to know more about fostering? Read on…

The benefits of fostering a dog:

a) Its rewarding to be a part of saving a dog that would otherwise be put to sleep.
b) Its fun! Dogs are loving, and entertaining, and great companions.
c) Fostering means no vet expenses – these are usually covered by the rescue group!
d) Many rescue groups also pay for dog food and other supplies. It’s the lowest-cost dog you’ll ever have.
e) You can choose who you foster! Rescue groups will often work with you to find the right dog to fit your lifestyle.
f) Short-term commitment. Adopt a dog and it’s a commitment of at least several years. Foster a dog, and it’s a commitment of a week to several months. Then once your foster dog is adopted, you can decide when you’re ready to do it again!

The responsibilities of fostering a dog:

a) You must provide a safe, loving environment for the dog in your care.
b) You will need to take the dog to adoption events in order to help it find a permanent home.
c) You will need to work with the dog in your care to prepare it for adoption. This might be as simple as giving it food, treats, play time and exercise. Or if you’re ready for more of a challenge, it could include basic obedience, house-training, socialization or perhaps care for a medical issue. Another benefit of working with a rescue group is they can match the foster dog to your ability and availability to work with the dog.

If you’re interested in volunteering, or need help finding a rescue group in your area, please feel free to e-mail me for more information! dogfostermom@aol.com

Hunter was adopted!

Hunter has a new family! He was adopted on PetSmart on Saturday, and he'll be going to his new home tomorrow. He's also going to be cousins with Murphy (previously Coal)! It turns out that the family who adopted him is related to the family who adopted Murphy a few months ago. And since we're dog-sitting for Murphy this week at our house, Murphy and Hunter got to spend a few days together getting to know each other before Hunter goes to his new house. I'm very happy for Hunter, and I think he'll be a very spoiled dog.

Baby Expo, Foster Dog Update

Selena and I attended the baby expo on Saturday, and it went very well. I was hoping someone would want to adopt Selena, and several people did, but they all either had too many dogs already, or a husband or wife who wouldn't allow it. SO, Selena didn't find a home this week. However we met several nice people, made some new contacts for Heartland, and hopefully someone who picked up one of our cards will be looking for a dog or cat very soon.

Next week, Murphy is going to return to our house for a short visit. Murphy (previously named Coal) was one of my earlier foster dogs. I've stayed in touch with his new family, and they're going to let him stay with us while they go on vacation. I'm so excited - I fell in love with Murphy the first time I saw him, and I still miss him. I can't wait to see him again.

Hunter, Selena and Koda are all doing great. We haven't had any accidents from any of them in awhile, and they aren't being crated anymore except when we aren't home. They've chosen new sleeping arrangements at home. Remi sleeps on the love seat in the living room, Koda sleeps in between my husband and I in our bed, and Hunter sleeps on the other side of me in our bed. He likes to burrow under the covers until you can't even tell that he's there! We aren't sure where Selena sleeps - or IF she sleeps. :-) Actually she seems to prefer to start off on a dog bed in our room, and then move to a dog bed in the living room later in the night. Once my alarm goes off in the morning, she's right there next to me ready to jump on the bed and give me a lot of licks to get me up. The dogs are all settling in nicely and I'm going to be sad when one of them gets adopted. They'll all three be up at PetSmart this weekend to try to find a home, and I hope for their sake that they do find their own permanent family. In the meantime, I feel lucky to get to spend a small part of life with each one of them.

Here's a new picture of Koda - she went from 16 pounds when we got her, to 31 pounds and still growing!

Family Expo

There is a family expo coming to the St. Charles Convention Center this Saturday. (http://www.fabulousbabyexpo.com) As of yesterday, I officially volunteered to go and set up a booth for Heartland. I actually more like begged for the chance. :-) I am still new and inexperienced in the dog rescue world. Everytime I see a large group of people gathering, I think "wow, look at all those people who could help us save some dogs!". I fear it won't be long before I become jaded - or should I say pragmatic. Maybe not one person there tomorrow will want a dog, or be the right home for a dog, or even want to donate money to save a dog. But I hope if nothing else, I can teach a few kids how to interact safely with dogs, and maybe educate a few parents as well who already have pets at home.

While searching for handouts I could use to educate people about their pets, I came across a website (http://www.mysmartpuppy.com/). It was started by two of my favorite authors - they wrote the book "Good Owners, Great Dogs" that is my favorite dog training book ever. I was glad to find articles on their website that they kindly gave me permission to give out at the expo on Saturday. As for the expo itself, I'm scared to death. Because it was such short notice, I haven't found anyone else to go with me - and this is kind of scary to do alone! If you don't know me in real life, I'm actually very shy and uncomfortable talking to people. But if it helps save a dog, I'll do it anyway. :-) However, the lady in charge of the expo did mention in an e-mail yesterday that if anyone backs out of the planned events on the main stage, she might ask me to go up and cover for them. I'm afraid that's asking too much of me, even to save dogs. If any of you reading this want to come help me out though, and always wanted to be a star - this could be your big chance! :-)

I'll be taking Selena to the expo with me on Saturday. I wonder if I can teach her how to "high five" the kids before then. Hmmmm...

Introducing Hunter

Selena and Tulsa spent the day at PetSmart again on Saturday, but neither found homes yet. One thing I've read over and over about deaf dogs is they are always a dog first, the breed second, and deaf last. I've definitely found this to be true with Tulsa, and I'm sad to say that I've decided I'm not the right foster home for her right now. Tulsa is only six months old, and she's very high energy, and as sweet as she is with people, she still needs a home with someone that can work with her. Since my husband and I both work full-time, and have three other dogs to take care of, we weren't able to spend the time with her that she needed. She liked to nip at other dogs during playtime, and that's a natural thing for her breed to do, but it was beginning to hurt Remi and since we couldn't spend enough time training her, I thought it was best if she went back to her original foster home for now. I feel really bad about sending her back, but I know she will be well taken care of, and it will make the situation better for our other foster dogs as well as my husband and I.



While our eventual goal is to get back down to only two foster dogs (plus our own dog and cat), I did not want to give Tulsa back to her first foster home without taking another dog to make space for her. So I talked to the Heartland volunteers in charge of dog fostering and we decided that Hunter might be a good choice. Hunter was taken in by Heartland from a kill shelter when he ran out of time. He is a pointer/great-dane mix, and he's about 1 1/2 years old. He was unhappy at his first foster home, because its more of a kennel environment and since he'd been in another animal shelter before that, I'm sure he was anxious to get back to having carpet and couches and a few more "creature comforts". I think he's a typical Dane in that respect. Hunter reminds me of Remi in so many ways. He has the same face (on a much smaller body), and he even acts the same as Remi in many ways. He is goofy and funny, and loves to play with Selena, Remi and Koda. He drips water everywhere after he drinks, which we're used to because Remi does the same thing. He behaves really well so far. My goal with him is to teach him to stop jumping on people, and my #2 goal is to teach him to sit. He is already housebroken which is a big plus. He is VERY skinny and looks like he's been starved, although I think that might just be his body type. But I'll keep feeding him a lot (he was eating 8 cups a day at his last foster home!) and see if we can get his weight up some. In the meantime, if I take him anywhere I will have to make sure to take one of our other dogs so people know that I'm not really starving him. :-) In fact, Koda is starting to gain a little TOO much weight. My husband says she looks like a piglet, and I have to agree. She's pretty good at cleaning up any stray pieces of dog food that the other dogs leave behind, and I will need to start cutting back on her food pretty soon. She always acts so hungry, but I do want her to stay healthy and not get too overweight. I'll try to post some new pictures of her soon - I think she's growing quickly! She goes to the vet this week to get spayed and another round of shots, and then she'll be ready for adoption on Saturday if she's feeling well enough!



Here is a picture of Hunter:

Update on Selena, Tulsa and Koda

Selena and Tulsa spent the day at PetSmart hoping to get adopted on Saturday. Although no one picked them to take home, we (Heartland) did get three puppies and one other dog adopted, so it was a very good day! And I didn't mind taking them back home with me - things are starting to settle down as the dogs get used to their new routine. I've heard how important routines are for dogs, and now I can attest to it myself. They are much calmer and quieter now that they know what to expect - when they get to eat, and when they get to go outside - and when playtime starts and ends. It definitely helps with the house-training too. As soon as I get them to quit chasing the poor cat, we'll be all set. ;-)

Selena is doing better every day. She's settled in quickly, and is very smart! At first she was always hyper and desparate for attention, but now she has calmed down quite a bit. She has almost completely quit jumping up on people, unless they aren't quick enough to pet her while she's sitting at their feet. :-) She listens very well and comes when called every time. We went for a hike and then to the dog park yesterday, and she had a great time with all of the other dogs. Selena is quickly becoming one of my favorites - she is very eager to please and gets along with other people and other dogs. I think she'll make a great and easy pet for someone.

Tulsa continues to be a source of entertainment and a challenge! She gets a lot of attention when we're out, due to her unique look and coloring. She looks a bit like a fox, and sometimes when she's playing, she'll get a sneaky look on her face and "stalk" her prey (one of the other dogs). Of course, as soon as she "catches" the other dog, she's ready to have them chase her! She loves to play tag, and its a lot of fun to watch. The challenge comes in due to her wanting to bark a lot -- she's very loud for such a little dog. :-) We're still working on that and she's starting to improve. I was a little worried on the hike yesterday, since she would bark at any dog that she saw. I wasn't sure how she'd do at the dog park -- barking dogs create "instability" and can precipitate dog fights. But when we got to the dog park area, she did great - no barking at all! I was very happy about that.

Koda made her first appearance at PetSmart on Saturday too. She's not ready to be adopted yet - she still needs to be spayed and get her second round of shots. But my husband brought her up for a short amount of time so I could introduce her to the other volunteers. Several people asked about her, so I hope that is a sign she will be adopted quickly when she is ready. I want her to find a great home before my husband and I decide we can't part with her! She is so cute, and loves to cuddle. My favorite thing with Koda is to watch her get stuck in our fence. Okay, I know, that's probably not something I should share - but its so darn cute!! I thought she was too big to fit through the fence, but a few days ago when I was in the garage and all the dogs were in the backyard, all of a sudden she appeared in front of me in the garage. That's how I learned she could in fact wriggle through the slats in the fence. So now she isn't in the backyard unless my husband or I am back there with her. Yesterday we spent several hours in the back yard enjoying the beautiful weather, and there were two occasions where she decided to stick her head through the slats -- and then couldn't go forward or backward! I helped her once I stopped laughing - next time I'll get a picture. :-)