Mouse Racing Contest

I recently learned that the rescue group I volunteer with will be participating in a Mouse Race fundraiser, along with two other animal rescue groups. Don't be concerned - no mice will be harmed during this event. Unless I talk them into letting me take Ziggy to the race with me. Then I can't make any guarantees. Did I tell you about the spider that was in the kitchen yesterday? Ziggy and Noelle chased it under the vacuum cleaner. Then Ziggy proceeded to guard the vacuum cleaner from Noelle so she could not have the spider. I don't know if it's because he wanted to eat the spider himself, or if he really is such a compassionate, nature-loving dog, that he was simply trying to protect the spider from Noelle. I never found out since the spider somehow escaped the vacuum cleaner and disappeared. Does anyone else hate it when big black spiders escape in the house and you know they are there but you can't find them? Ziggy does. Anyway, back to these mouse races.

Mouse Races have become the latest and greatest fundraiser in and around St. Louis. They don't seem to be catching on as fast in the rest of the country yet, but around here it seems that they are quickly replacing the traditional fundraising Trivia Nights. So in March, we will have Mouse Races to benefit All Paws Rescue, Metro Animal, and Pets Second Chance Corgi Rescue. As part of the fundraiser, we are selling naming rights to the mice. For a $20 donation you can name one of the mice that will be in the race! I thought about making the donation and naming a mouse Ziggy. Then I decided it would be more fun to let one of you name the mouse. So here's the deal. We are having a contest to name a mouse. The winner gets to choose the name of the mouse. Pictures of the event will be posted on my blog, and I will let you know how your mouse does in the race. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post on or before February 7th. Then on Feburary 8th I will use choose one winner at random and that winner will get to name the mouse. If you're commenting Anonymously, make sure to include your name so I know who you are if you win.

Silent, Snuggly, Sleepy Sunday

Noelle and the Taste Test

Noelle took the taste test today, to compare the taste of Eukauba Large Breed food to both brand A (her regular food) and brand B (Ziggy's regular food).  Did I mention that Noelle is a bit of a finicky eater?  She's not one to gulp down her food, and prefers to inspect all food closely prior to eating it to ensure it meets her standards.  Please watch this short clip of the beginning of Noelle's taste test to fully understand.

I was worried for awhile that she was never going to pick one!  Fortunately she finally did.  Her first selection was Brand A, which is her usual brand of food. 

Once she had finished all of Brand A, and licked the bowl clean, she proceeded to her second choice. 

And it wasn't until she finished off Brand B, and licked the bowl clean, that she moved on to the last bowl which was the Eukanuba brand.   

I have two theories for this behavior.  The first, and most likely theory, is that she was saving her favorite food for dessert.  We're big fans of dessert in this house, and while we sometimes even have dessert before the main meal (or instead of the main meal), there's a good chance that Noelle was following the classic manner of eating which is to save the best for last.  And then there's the second theory.

This theory states that Noelle, being the brilliant, two-year-old dog that she is, can spell.  And since she likes things to be orderly, she decided to eat her food in alphabetical order.  She ate Brand A then Brand B then Eukanuba - a perfect job of placing them in alphabetical order.  I'm willing to admit this theory is slightly less likely than the dessert theory, but I don't like to rule anything out.

So there you have it.  It's obvious that no matter which theory is correct, Noelle CLEARLY enjoys Eukanuba over the other two brands of food.*

*Being the conscientious blogger that I am, I will only share actual test results for items that I am given to try out in exchange for a review on my blog.  However, I am not above bestowing my own interpretations on any such results.  Pet Companies - feel free to send me your products for review. ;-)

Let the Challenge Begin..

We were invited by DogTime Media to enter the 28-Day Eukanuba Challenge.   This means all three dogs (Remi, Noelle and my foster dog Ziggy) get to eat Eukanuba food for 28 days, and I get to tell you about the experience.  So I decided that the most fun thing to do would be to have a taste test.

I ordered the Eukanuba Adult Large Breed formula for Remi and Noelle, and compared that to Remi and Noelle's current food (let's call that Brand A) and Ziggy's current food (let's call that Brand B).   Remi and Noelle eat a relatively inexpensive brand which has more fillers and probably a higher fat content, which also means although it is not as healthy, it is usually more appetizing to dogs.  As a result, I expected Brand A to be the most popular, and was more interested in whether Brand B (a higher quality food due to Ziggy's allergies) or the Eukanuba would be next most popular.  So let the testing begin.

I like to be scientific, and since I didn't have three matching bowls, and I was late for a fundraising meeting, I decided I would just put a handful of kibble in three separate groups on the floor.  I needed to mop the entryway anyway. So this is how the taste test began:

Remi started out at Brand B, the closest pile of kibble.  He sniffed it, then moved on to the Eukanuba.  He stopped there and started eating the Eukanuba brand kibble as quickly as possible.

At this point, I wanted to be fair to Brand A, so I led him away from the Eukanuba and over to Brand A.  He then started gulping down Brand A as quickly as possible.  No surprise there - Remi loves to eat.

But then, with absolutely no coaching from me (this is a scientific study, remember?), Remi left Brand A before finishing it and headed back to the Eukanuba.

It wasn't until all the Eukanuba food was gone that he headed back to Brand A.

And as for Brand B?  Well, it didn't fare so well in Remi's taste test.  Even when all the other food was gone, he only ate about half of Brand B before leaving the scene.

So at least according to Remi, Eukanuba is a pretty good tasting food!  Come back tomorrow when we'll perform the same taste test with Noelle, the only finicky eater in the house.

Introducing Zoe and Venture

These are not my foster puppies, but I am dog-sitting them for a few days.  At first I was worried I wouldn't be able to tell them apart, since they look very similar.  I shouldn't have worried.  I think the following pictures can explain why better than I ever could.

I am pretty sure these are NOT the pictures that the foster mom will be using to try to get these puppies adopted.

Vote for Ziggy!

Yesterday I entered Ziggy in a photo contest. It's not really a photo contest. They call it that, but it's actually a popularity contest. Whatever dog gets the most votes wins their picture on the website for the following week. I was looking at all these pictures of cute dogs and puppies, and realized this would be a great way to get out the word about Ziggy. So I picked this picture.

This is not a great photo in any way, shape or form. The color, editing, and all those other things that professional pictures have are missing. And as for the subject of the photo... well, this is not the photo that would make any normal person want to adopt this dog. But here's the thing. All the other pictures in the contest are of cute, normal dogs. So what better way to get people's attention than to show them a picture of a very NOT normal dog? Hopefully they'll see the small picture, and want to take a closer look, so they'll click on it. Then they'll be able to read all about Ziggy, and even follow a link to his Fan Page. And maybe, just maybe, someone will read about him and say "I know a great home for that dog!".

So, if you're a Ziggy fan, please go vote for him. You don't have to log in or anything. You can vote once every 12 hours, and although he has almost no chance of winning, maybe it'll help him get noticed if he gets a lot of votes. Plus, if you vote, you can download this awesome "I Voted" sticker and let the world know that you voted for Ziggy. Feel free to put it on your blog or website or Facebook page with a link to Ziggy's voting page! Or if you really want to help Ziggy, just skip all the advertising and go ahead and adopt him. Really, that would be great. I'll drive him to you. No problem.

Ziggy's Voting Page: http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/photocontest/dogs/11/01/24/ziggy

The Predator and the Prey

 You know those wildlife shows that they have where the predator is always chasing the prey, and sometimes they catch the prey and sometimes they don't?  I watched one of those episodes last night - live - in my own back yard.  It went something like this:


He sets off on the hunt, filled with purpose.



The snow flies behind him as he races toward his goal.



With intent focus, he approaches his prey.



Nearing his destination, he crouches down to hide.

 

The snow covered rocks hide him from his unsuspecting prey.




The unsuspecting prey continues to search for a dry place to stand, unaware that she is being stalked.




Suddenly, something causes her to become alert and look for potential danger.




She looks in both directions, but does not see the predator behind the rocks.




She soon resumes her search for dry ground, unaware of the danger that awaits her.




She makes her way ever closer to the rocks, as the predator patiently waits.




There is a brief interruption as the wildlife photographer is distracted by the sight of the frozen saliva on her Great Dane's muzzle.



Returning to the scene of the action, we find the predator has pounced out of his hiding spot, mouth open and teeth bared.  However instead of running, the prey simply sticks out her tongue in a show of defiance.

The predator and prey then pose together for a group shot, and I realize that this episode lacks a bit in the action department.

Casey and the Snow

I love hearing from the people who adopt dogs I have fostered.  I recently heard an update from Casey's mom, and thought you might enjoy it as well.  Casey has always been an easy dog to care for.  He even tries to keep his yard nice and neat.  Here is what his mom sent me:

Casey Jones is sure a creature of habit. I noticed all the snow in the neighbor's yards was all messed up from their dogs. Then I looked at mine. This is a picture of my back yard four days after the big snow. Maybe Casey is afraid he will not find his way back to the door.

Snow Dogs

We had over a foot of snow on Thursday.  This was viewed quite a bit differently by each dog. 

First there was Remi.  He was not overly affected by the snow... but then again, even a foot of snow only came up to his ankles.  Do dogs have ankles?  Nevermind.  Suffice it to say that the snow did not slow him down at all.

Look at me - I'm finally the fastest dog around!



I can leap invisible snow banks in a single bound!



Then there was Noelle, the Princess.  She prefers not to get wet.  Therefore a foot of snow on the ground was not her favorite thing. 

If I just walk in Remi's footsteps, I think I'll be okay.

And finally, there is the Snow Monster.  I mean Ziggy.  Ziggy likes the snow.  In fact, he likes it so much, that he makes really strange faces as he is running around in it.  Someone warned me that if I shared this photo on my blog, it would ruin all chances of Ziggy ever being adopted.  But since it's been a year and no one has adopted him yet, I think I may as well share the photo anyway.  Because really, everyone should see this photo.  I believe it is proof that the Abominable Snow Monster does in fact exist.  And he's living in my house.

Yep, that's Ziggy.  Strange.  Silly.  Cute, in a strange way.  And mostly just strange.  You, too, can have an abominable snowdog living in your house!  


Please adopt me?

Ziggy and the Waiter

The waiter's name is Pierre.  He's French.  And yesterday he had a very unfortunate encounter with Ziggy.  An encounter where Pierre ended up in bad shape.  There was broken glass everywhere.  Some people will say that Ziggy is to blame.  When my husband finds out what happened, he's sure to blame Ziggy.  But I take full responsibility.  I was not supervising Ziggy closely enough.  And more importantly, it was my own fault because I was the one who decided that Pierre would make a great leash holder.

This is Pierre.

Several years ago my husband and I won a $100 gift certificate to a local furniture store.  We didn't have the money to spend on new furniture, so we went shopping in their decorations area and found this wine holder for exactly $100.  We don't drink wine, but I was immediately smitten with this waiter.  We named him.... well, I named him Pierre.  My husband mostly humored me.  But I think he'll be as upset as I was once he learns about Pierre's injuries damage.

Pierre stands right by the door to the garage, and he has these convenient hooks underneath the round glass tray that he holds used to hold.  I think the hooks were originally designed to hold a towel.  But they worked so well as a leash holder, that he gradually began to be overtaken by leashes and harnesses and collars.  Until yesterday.  When, tragically, Pierre was attacked by Ziggy.  The attack was totally unprovoked.  Pierre was just standing there, reliably holding up whatever I asked him to, when Ziggy happened along and decided that since he had not had a walk in a few days, he would help himself to his leash and take himself for a walk!  Pierre, being the responsible, conscientious waiter that he is, refused to relinquish the leash to Ziggy without my authorization.  Sadly, the result was rather unpleasant:

That's right - Pierre ended up face down on the ground, and despite his best efforts, one of the wine bottles broke and glass and wine went everywhere.  He did manage to hold onto the leashes though - he refused to let Ziggy win.  Saddest of all, his glass tray that held extra collars was shattered into exactly 3,742 pieces.

As a responsible pet parent and a blogger, I rushed into action.  First I placed Ziggy back into his crate.  Then I blocked off the area with broken glass with the first items I could find, in order to keep the dogs safe.  Then I proceeded to take pictures, before cleaning up.  And being the factual, detailed kind of blogger that I am, I kept careful count of the pieces of glass as I picked them up in order to give you an accurate description of the situation.*  

*May not be 100% accurate

Now you may ask yourself, why would a responsible pet foster parent ever, EVER, use a wine holder as a leash holder without first removing the wine bottles and glass tray from said holder?  If anyone figures out the answer to that very reasonable question, please let me know, because I have no idea what I was thinking. The only good news is that Ziggy did not get his paws on any of the wine.  His beer addiction is bad enough - I did not want him adding wine to the list.

Housing Saga - Part Fourteen

It's been awhile since we covered my housing saga in-depth, so I thought you might enjoy another update. I'll start from the beginning, for any of you that have lost track of the previous thirteen parts...

Part 1
To start at the beginning.... five years ago, my husband and I bought this house, located in a subdivision in O'Fallon, Missouri.

At the time, we did not have any pets. At the time, I didn't want any pets. So the clause in the subdivision bylaws that limited each household to only two pets did not particularly concern me. In fact I never even really noticed it. So a few years later, when I started fostering, I was surprised to find out that I was breaking the subdivision rules by having more than two pets in the home. One neighbor complained, and suddenly we began receiving letters advising us of our legal requirement to obey the subdivision bylaws. I'll skip the ensuing back-and-forth that resulted, but it eventually came down to the fact that we either had to get down to two animals or would be facing legal action. This led to me announcing to my husband that whether he liked it or not, I was not giving up fostering, and we should move immediately. Yes, I really said that. He was not happy, and made his own announcement that he loved our house and didn't like me fostering, so we were NOT moving and I should deal with it. This happened in June 2010.

Part 2
My husband and I soon reached a rather strange compromise that works for both of us. We would buy another house, I would move into a really cheap house, he would stay at our current house, and in a year or two when the housing market improved, we would sell the home in O'Fallon and possibly use the house I bought as rental property, and move to yet a different home together. So in June I signed up with a wonderful Realtor and started looking for just the right home. I tried not to be picky, because I was in a hurry to move. I didn't care what the house looked like or what shape it was in or how many bedrooms or bathrooms it had. My requirements were pretty simple, or so I thought. I wanted a house that wasn't in city limits or in a subdivision that had any pet restrictions. Mobile homes were fine, especially since they were the most common type of home in the areas where I was looking, and in my price range. So I searched and searched, and quickly found my new home.

At least I thought I had. I placed a contract on the home at the beginning of July. I was pre-approved for the loan and the contract was quickly accepted by the seller. Then came the bad news. The lender would only do an FHA loan because it was a mobile home and was not on a foundation. And the seller would only accept a conventional loan because the home was a foreclosure. No other lenders could be found that would loan on a mobile home without a foundation, so the contract was canceled and I was back to searching for the perfect home.

Part 3
The next house seemed too good to be true. It was close to my work, private, and in an area with no restrictions. I was sure that this was going to be my house. There was some mold in the basement, which is the only reason I figured it was so affordable. No big deal - I had a friend whose son-in-law did mold removal for a living, so that could be arranged... or so I thought.

Then I tried to get financing. And found out that mold in a house is a Very Bad Thing. And no lender would touch it. So that one was out too.

Part 4
Every day after work I'd go out and search for a new house. With the threat of a lawsuit looming over my head, I was anxious to get moved as soon as possible. By now it was almost August, and I soon found another house that would fit my criteria.

It was small and had no back door, which would make it a bit more difficult for fostering, but I would manage. Except for one minor issue. The basement had cracks in the walls. Large cracks. Large horizontal cracks. The kind that require major repairs. And I quickly found, the kind that no lender would touch. So I moved on, wondering how I could have perfect credit and a decent sized savings account and still not be able to find any lenders to give me a loan. They obviously felt I had poor taste in housing, but the only houses that I felt comfortable being able to afford were all houses with issues of one sort or another.

Part 5
So the search continued. I looked at many, many different houses. And then, I found it. The house that was perfect for fostering. In fact, it was so perfect that the people who used to live in the house had also fostered dogs. Everyone agreed it was meant to be.

I loved it. The sellers accepted the offer, and we started the process of inspections and loan paperwork. This time it wasn't until the appraisal was completed that the lender discovered a problem. The home had been listed as a modular home instead of a mobile home. I knew from way too much recent experience that I would have trouble getting a loan if it was a mobile home, but the seller assured us the home was a modular home. Thus when the appraisal was completed several weeks later, and we learned that the home actually was a mobile home, I was so disappointed. We did find a lender that would loan on a mobile home, but the price was already at the top of my price range and because of the type of home the interest rate would be more than I felt comfortable being able to afford. So with regret, we backed out of the contract. We were able to receive a full refund from the seller's agent for the money spent on the inspections, but it also meant another month had been lost in my search for a place to move.

Part 6
So by this time, I've learned my lesson. No more assuming I'm going to get the house that I am trying to buy. I have continued searching for potential houses and have quickly identified another possibility. Within a few days of canceling the contract on the last house, we make an offer on this house.

This time, it was all me. The house was okay, but it had a lot of potential problems found during the inspection. Also at the time of the inspection I met the neighbors, who were very close, and decided that it would not be ideal for fostering. So based on the issues found in the inspection, we canceled this contract.

Part 7
By now it was mid-September. By this time I've sent my cat Merlin to live with my parents until I can get moved, because the two-pet subdivision restriction includes cats, and it was easier to relocate Merlin temporarily than it was to relocate Remi or Noelle. On September 13th, I make an offer on this home.

 It is another foreclosure, and I'm warned by my Realtor that because it is a HUD foreclosure (as opposed to a bank foreclosure), it can be a difficult process. But my husband and I both fall in love with this house. It has issues, but compared to the other homes in the same price range, it is by far the best. It is on two and a half acres of property in a rural location, surrounded by farmland. We're both so excited when we learn that the contract has been accepted.

Part 8
Thus begins my education on purchasing a HUD home. First, I learned that the home is a log cabin. Well, of course it is. But according to the HUD inspection, the home is a frame home with log siding. Uhmmmm... okay. But it turns out it wasn't okay. Because the lender approved the loan based on the HUD inspection. And once they learned from the appraisal that the home was in fact a log cabin, they said that they couldn't give a loan on a log home unless there were comparable log homes sold within 20 miles in the past six months. I'm not even sure there were log homes sold within 200 miles within the past six months... we don't have a ton of log homes around here. Thus, once again, financing was not available. This time I was not going to be deterred. I contacted other lenders. I contacted banks and log home manufacturers and brokers of all sorts. It took the entire month of October, but FINALLY, my mortgage broker found a lender that would give me a loan on the home. I could have the home after all!

Part 9
So by now it is early November, and I still haven't moved. I'm told we're waiting on the appraisal to be redone, and once we receive that we'll be ready to go. Then by mid-November I'm given a list of requirements from the loan underwriter, including some estimates for needed repairs that were identified on the HUD inspection and a well/septic inspection. My awesome Realtor jumps into action, calling inspectors and contractors and HUD to get the necessary information. We get all the information provided by the beginning of December, and wait anxiously for the closing date to be assigned.

Part 10
We wait.... and wait. We sign contract extensions every two weeks, and continue to wait. Emails continue to go back and forth as my mortgage broker and Realtor work hard to get HUD and the lender to do whatever is needed to close on this house. Finally, just before Christmas, we hear that everything has been approved by the lender, and there are just a couple of minor things that need to be completed. So, another contract extension is signed and we wait some more.

Part 11
Christmas comes and goes. During all of this I had believed I would be in the new house by Christmas. So I didn't put up Christmas decorations or a tree, and it was a very strange holiday for me. I was extremely stressed out and felt that we would never close on the house. Two days after Christmas I have a minor breakdown and send an e-mail to my Realtor and Lender threatening to, well, let's just say letting them know how stressed I was. Remember the mobile home in Part 2 that I tried to buy back in July? It's still on the market, and the price has dropped enough that I could afford to pay cash by borrowing against my current home. Which means I would not have to depend on any lender for anything, and I could move! I am assured that everyone is doing everything they can, and we should be closing any day. I ask them to not talk to me unless they are calling to tell me they actually have a set closing date. I then go hide under the futon with Ziggy for several days.

Part 12
We have a closing date!  Everything is ready and pressure has been put on the title company to get us closed. They tell us on January 7th that if the lender gets them the closing numbers that same day, then we can close on the 12th. I'm cautiously hopeful as I share the good news on Facebook.

Part 13
I find out that the lender could not get the numbers to the title company the same day. I also find out that since the last contract extension we signed was only good through the 12th, we have to sign another contract extension and wait. Again. Soon enough we're given a new closing date of the 18th.  That is this Tuesday - only three days from now! I'm told that all of the paperwork has been done and there should be nothing that will keep us from closing on the 18th. I announce the happy news to everyone I meet.

Part 14
Fast forward to today, January 15th. I plan to meet my Realtor at the house to do a final walk-through before we close. The house has been vacant for a year, and I expect a quick look just to make sure it didn't get blown away by a tornado, and we'll be good.  Instead, I pull up and get out of my car, to hear my Realtor ask if I have a cell phone signal.  I check, and answer no, then ask why. She proceeds to tell me that the house has been broken into and someone has stolen all of the copper pipes. I ask her if she's serious, half believing it has to be a joke. But it's not. The window in the back door has been broken in, and there are pipes missing everywhere. The home is totally unlivable, and will require major repair. We call the police, and three quarters of the entire county's police force responds.  Seriously!  They only have four officers in the county, and we had three of them at our house because due to a poor phone connection they were under the impression that there was a bad guy still in the house.  After that excitement, I acknowledge the reality of what this means. Since we're dealing with HUD, this means the house closing can't take place on Tuesday. So I'm back to waiting. And hoping that Part 15 gets here quickly, and that it's the last part of this very long and drawn-out housing saga.

Life With Ziggy

I can think of a lot of words that might be used when thinking about life with Ziggy, but boring is not one of them. Challenging, aggravating, difficult, entertaining, rewarding...and did I mention aggravating? These are all good descriptions for life with Ziggy. And sometimes, it can't be described as anything other than just plain fun. For example, after shooting Ziggy's adoption video, I tried to get him to pose with me for a few still pictures. I have a remote for my camera so I can do this without anyone's assistance. That does make it a bit more difficult to get him to look at the camera. But I had a lot of fun trying. Here are some of the pictures from our "photo shoot".



Ziggy glances at the camera, so I press the button. 

By the time the picture is taken, Ziggy is looking away again.

We try this a few more times, and then switch sides. 

 No improvement on this side.  So I decide to see if some food motivation will help.

 Nope, that just sets him to begin begging.  Another dozen tries, and finally...

 we have a decent picture.

Thank you Ziggy!

No really, kisses are not necessary!

 No Ziggy, I don't have any more treats in my hand.  It's just the camera remote.

Yes, I know you would settle for chewing on the remote.  I'm sorry, but you can't have it!

No, you can't convince me to change my mind. 

 And you can't chew the remote through my hand.

Yes, I do think you're adorable!

But you still can't have the remote.