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.

Ziggy's Adoption Video

Recently I took a short video to add to Ziggy's online adoption information. The previous video on his bio was Ziggy looking cute while eating treats. He looks cute because he closes his eyes each time he takes a treat, in order to fully enjoy the experience. That was a cute video, but it wasn't convincing anyone to adopt him. So I decided a new video was in order. One which demonstrates what a smart dog Ziggy is. One that shows off many of the tricks that he has learned.

View directly at Youtube

What is amazing about Ziggy is not that he knows so many tricks in spite of being deaf. It's that he knows so many tricks in spite of the fact that I spend almost no time teaching him these. If I try to teach him something and he doesn't learn it within 30 seconds, I usually just give up, because I'm lazy. But fortunately Ziggy is smart enough to learn all these tricks in 30 seconds or less, so he makes me look good (if you ignore the part where he always tries to steal the food out of my hand). This also explains why Ziggy knows all these commands and several more, while my own dogs only know like three things each. Maybe this video will help Ziggy get adopted... but probably not.

Just a Puppy

I fell in love with this puppy on Saturday.  She's probably a Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel mix, maybe with a few other breeds thrown in.  She's twelve weeks old and just adorable.  She was found wandering around a state park along with her brother.  They'd been dumped there - we assume they were left in a box because they were both covered with urine as though trapped in a small box for quite some time.  I don't understand how someone could do that.  But I'm glad someone else happened along at the right time and rescued them.  Both puppies have been adopted into good homes now.  I just hope that those were the only two puppies left there.  Because now all I can think about, is that maybe that box is still out there, with one or more puppies still inside.  It happens more than you ever want to know.  So give your dog a hug today and be grateful that when they were a puppy, they weren't abandoned to die because they were "just a puppy".  

. 

How Big of a Crate Do You Need?

When transporting dogs to adoption events, it's always good to have them in crates, for their safety and the safety of everyone in the vehicle.  Generally a dog's crate should give the dog enough room to stand up and turn around and lay down comfortably.  Someone forgot to tell this to Evie.

At Saturday's adoption event, I met Evie for the first time.  She is a German Shorthaired Pointer.  She was used as a breeding dog and then when she stopped producing puppies, she was shot and left for dead.  She was rescued and has been in foster care for a year now.  She is fully recovered and ready for her new home. 

Evie is a pretty large dog, as you can see from this picture.

So it would be nothing short of animal cruelty to force her into a small dog crate like the one pictured below.

 Unless of course you watch as her foster mom sets down the crate (which was used to transport a small puppy to the adoption event) and Evie makes a beeline to the crate and climbs right in.  And then manages somehow to actually turn herself around so her head is sticking out the opening.  It was amazing to behold.  I didn't manage to catch it on video, but I was able to take some pictures of Evie looking oh-so-happy to be in her oh-so-small crate. 

 So next time you're measuring your dog for a crate, you may want to ask the dog what size they prefer!

Peanut was adopted!

On Saturday, my foster puppy Peanut went to his forever home.  This is great news for Peanut.  But for those of us left behind, it means a bit of an adjustment.  Things are going to change around here.

For one thing, Peanut won't be annoying Noelle anymore.

Are you my mommy?


He also won't be using me as a jungle gym.

I'm King of the hill!

He won't be giving out little Peanut kisses.

I WUV you so much!

And he won't be entertaining me with his cute little Peanut looks.

Can we cuddle?

I will miss my little peanut, but I'm happy for him that he has a wonderful new family where he will be very spoiled and loved. 

Update on Ziggy

It's been three weeks since I wrote a post specifically about Ziggy. So for any new readers out there, let me give you a quick summary. Ziggy is an overzealous, highly intelligent, extremely food motivated, deaf American Pit Bull Terrier. I started fostering him over a year ago, and in spite of being listed for adoption on several websites and attending weekly adoption events, he has never been adopted. In fact, he has only received two applications in the past year - one of whom lived in a city with breed bans, and the other of whom changed their mind after filling out the application.  I have tried everything - hired a trainer, taught him tricks, changed his adoption listings/pictures/videos numerous times, made him wear adopt-me vests and bandanas everywhere we go, and even tried shrinking him in the dryer when someone liked him but wanted a smaller dog! Okay, fine, I didn't really put him in the dryer. I did consider the use of a hair dryer though.

Suffice it to say that I refuse to give up. I continue to hope that someday he will get a real home of his own. And that home is definitely not mine. Some foster dogs just "fit" into a household very easily, and those are the hardest ones to adopt out. Ziggy is not one of those foster dogs. I love him, but life will be easier for everyone, including him, if he can go to a home that is a better fit for him. So we'll keep trying.

Now for those of you who don't know Ziggy well, you may be curious why he hasn't been adopted yet.  I'm curious too.  But I think it might have something to do with the fact that he's a pit bull, he's deaf, he has food allergies, he has way too much puppy exuberance, he chews on everything and everyone, and oh yeah, he will only "listen to" roughly 1 of every 100 people that he meets... unless they have food - then he'll listen to anyone.  Until they run out of food.  He's fickle that way. 
Here is how Ziggy has spent his last few weeks:

Chewing the vaccum cleaner cord into two:

Signing "no" to a deaf dog while taking his picture is not an easy task!


Waiting outside my visiting stepdaughter's bedroom for her to come out.

Rachael has become Ziggy's favorite chew toy. Suffice it to say that Rachael is NOT in the 1% of the population that Ziggy obeys. He does not mean to hurt her - he just likes to play with her just like puppies play with toys... by chewing them! This is the reason that Ziggy needs a home without children. Sigh...

Ziggy has also been busy teaching Noelle how to circumvent the ex-pen that was being used a fence between the kitchen and the living room for the safety of Peanut and Cricket. 

Ziggy figured out if he jumped up onto the glass-topped end table, then pushed aside the wire ex-pen with his nose, then stepped onto the kitchen trashcan, he could then jump down onto the kitchen floor.  And not only did he figure this out, he did it often enough that Noelle eventually figured it out by watching him.  This picture is of Noelle trying out Ziggy's new route for the first time. 

In other words, Ziggy has been up to his usual tricks - nothing new - just general Ziggyness. 

Featured Blogs

To Other Blog Owners:

I have always enjoyed reading blogs on my lunch hour, but several months ago a new security feature at work caused my work computer to block all blogs - even before and after work hours!  I can still read them through Google Reader currently, but I'm unable to leave comments.  This makes me sad since those of you with blogs deserve to know how much I enjoy your blogs.  So I found myself left with a few options.  First is to read the blogs from my home computer where I can leave comments.  This doesn't work well since I am usually too busy chasing after Ziggy doing foster-related tasks at home.  Second was to find another way to let you know how much I enjoy your blogs.  So I developed a Featured Blog listing.  I will pick five blogs each month to feature on my blog.  I will do one post each month to share why I chose those blogs, and then the links to the blogs with the most recent post information will stay at the top of my blog all month long. Featured blog owners will also receive a badge showing they've been selected as a Featured Blog.  I hope those of you with blogs will forgive me for not commenting more often!  Please check out these featured blogs for the month of January, listed here in alphabetical order:

Daily Dose of Jack - Jack and his person (Tall Guy) always make me smile.  They are very funny - a perfect pick-me-up for a work day!

Frankly Speaking - Frankie, the Mayor of Blogville, is one of the nicest doggies I've met.  He put on his Christmas list to Santa that he wanted Santa to find Ziggy a real forever home.  I don't even think 87 gazillion thank yous could really show how much I appreciate that! 

Mayzie's Dog Blog - Mayzie's blog is always the first blog I read.  She is a Most Wonderful dog and has the best, most positive attitude anywhere!  I'm considering painting Ziggy with brindle stripes and trying to sneak over to Mayzie's house and trade doggies.  Do you think anyone would notice?

Stumpy's Daily Dose o' Dirtville - Stumpy's blog is one of the most recent blogs I've started reading.  Stumpy has a pretty amazing life in Dirtville, quite different from my life in the suburbs.  I love reading about Stumpy's life. 

Tucker - When I first started blogging, I deliberately went looking for a blog about a Harlequin Great Dane like Remi.  Then I found Tucker and I've been a big fan ever since.  Tucker and Remi are a lot alike, and I think if Remi got his own blog it would look like Tucker's blog.  Except Remi complains a lot more than Tucker does.  So maybe it's good that I just stick with reading Tucker's blog instead. 

Stay tuned next month for more featured blogs!

The Truth about Small Breed Dogs / Cricket Was Adopted

 I've never really thought of small breed dogs as actual dogs. They were a whole other species, somewhere between cats and real dogs (i.e. big dogs). Real dogs were at least the size of a beagle. All those little yappy dogs were more like noisy decorations. I've seldom fostered small dogs, since having a horse pony Great Dane in the house meant large playmates were needed. There have been a few exceptions - but even those didn't completely change my mind.

He's a Peanut.

 Now that I've fostered two adorable Chihuahua/Toy Fox Terrier puppies, I can tell you from personal experience, that I was right. Small dogs are a whole different species than real dogs. I'm sure the experts will tell you otherwise. They'll say small dogs are just like big dogs - only smaller. But I'm not convinced. Small dogs are not all yappy - Peanut and Cricket are some of the quietest puppies I've ever fostered. And small dogs are not just decorations - Peanut can play a rousing game of fetch or tug. But I'm still not convinced they're real dogs. Oh don't get me wrong, I love them very much. I could even see myself owning a small dog someday. I just don't think I would consider it a real dog. Peanut and Cricket seem more like toys than dogs. Adorable little stuffed toys that move and bark and give kisses. Stuffed toys that I can dress up (yes, I spent way too much money on a little hoodie to keep Cricket warm). Stuffed toys that I can carry around in my arms everywhere I go. They're absolutely wonderful - they're just not real dogs.

Peanut makes new friends at an adoption event.



Cricket finds a friend

Many trainers will tell you that if you have a small dog, you have to treat it like a regular dog. The reason some small dogs become yappy and high-strung is because they are treated like toys instead of like real dogs. This is very good advice. It is also a very good reason for me to never own a small dog. Because although I do my best to treat Peanut and Cricket like real dogs, it is not easy. I try hard. I walk them on leashes, and play games with them, and if they ever did anything wrong I'm sure I'd be able to manage a stern look. I even put them in their own little crate at the last adoption event.


Homeless puppies - will you take me home?

Fortunately Cricket was adopted before I had to issue any stern looks. Because seriously, how do you expect me to manage a stern look when faced with this?


Cricket

Cricket went home with a wonderful family who has a Mastiff and another Chihuahua. Peanut, on the other hand, has not been adopted yet. Stern looks should be a bit easier to manage with Peanut. Until he looks at me with his big eyes and wrinkled forehead.

Peanut

Then I'm done for.

Results of Study of Puppy Behavior At Adoption Events

Saturday's adoption event involved a lot of puppies. After a lot of research and hands-on evaluation, I have determined that there are three stages of puppy behavior at adoption events. I've decided since there isn't a lot of information on this out there, I would share my results first with you. Then perhaps I'll write a paper to be published in the Journal of Puppy Behavior*.


Puppies at adoption events generally follow a set pattern of behavior which can be recognized as it progresses through the following three stages: the Obnoxious Stage, the Calm Stage, and the Stuporous stage.

First is the Obnoxious Stage. You may question how such cute little creatures could ever be considered obnoxious. Unless of course, you've experienced life with a puppy first-hand. Then you will quickly recognize that this is a stage that is repeated at several times during the first year of a puppy's life. Obnoxious behavior can be observed at adoption events when the puppies begin wrestling, playing, chewing, exploring, and tugging on objects all around them. At this point, the best chance anyone has to control a puppy is just to hold onto the leash and stay out of the way. It's tough to get a picture of a puppy in this stage, but I have provided some examples below to demonstrate various puppies engaged in the Obnoxious Stage of Behavior:

Out of control puppies





Plotting puppies




Puppy attempting an escape from his collar.


After the puppies have used up most of their abundant energy supply, they enter the second stage of behavior, known as the Calm Stage. This is the stage where the puppies are most often chosen for adoption, because potential adopters only see a cute little puppy that licks their face, not the obnoxious chewing creature that was on a mission to destroy all shoe laces in the world just ten minutes earlier. Here are some examples of puppies who have entered the Calm Stage of behavior:




A great example of how looks can be deceiving




Innocent look perfected.

 

This puppy is beginning to transition from stage 2 to stage 3.

  Finally, energy reserves fully depleted, puppies enter the third stage of behavior - the Stuporous Stage, also known as the "Dead to the World" stage. At this point, you can do pretty much anything without the puppy waking up. You can make as much noise as you want. You can transfer the puppy from person to person. For all intents and purposes, the puppy has been "turned off" while it's energy cells are recharging. Enjoy this time, because it seldom lasts as long as you'd like. Here are some puppies that have fully entered the Stuporous Stage during the adoption event.

Down for the count



This puppy would make a great doorstop.





This puppy knows how to make herself comfortable before shutting down to recharge.

*Not an actual scholarly journal - but wouldn't it be great if it was?

Catching Up

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, and I have so much to say, that I'm not sure where to start.  So let me give you a quick summary, and maybe later this week I'll share more about some of these things. 

1)

First, let me assure you that life around here continues as usual.  I still haven't closed on the log home that I've had a contract on since September.  I'm told it could happen any day now.  In the meantime, Ziggy continues to be Ziggy (yes, he was laughing at me when I caught him chewing on the vacuum cleaner cord).  Please note that both the vacuum and the carpet spot cleaner have taken up permanent residence in my kitchen since they are put to use so often.  Also please note the silver exercise pen that has been turned into a fence to block off the kitchen from the living room.  This serves two purposes.  First, it limits the destruction caused by Ziggy to just the living room.  Second, it keeps Peanut and Cricket safe in the kitchen.  Please ignore the chew marks on the windowsill.  These were not caused by Ziggy! 

2)

Remember the thirteen puppies I talked about several weeks ago?   They grew up and got adopted.  At least ten of them did.  There are three left, including the one shown above.  I am guessing they will all be gone by next weekend!

3)

Cricket and Peanut are doing great.  I am so crazy about these puppies.  One of them actually went to their new home yesterday, and the other one has received two applications (we are waiting on the vet check and home visit to be scheduled).  I'll tell you more about them later this week - I promise!

4)

I was recently contacted by a teenager who lives in Illinois.  She is a volunteer with Forever Home Feline Ranch, a 501c3 organization that provides sanctuary for homeless cats in need of a forever home.  Owen has not only fostered special needs kittens for this group, but she's actually written a grant proposal that has been accepted by the Pepsi Refresh Project!  That's pretty amazing for a 16-year-old to do all on her own.  The organization sounds like a great group of people, so I hope you will support them and Owen by voting for them as part of the Pepsi Refresh Project.  You can vote every day, once a day, throughout the month of January.  And if you have a blog or a twitter account or Facebook account, please share the link below with others.

Vote here: http://www.refresheverything.com/felineranch