Carl Update

Carl is doing great! He's such a sweetie and loves everyone. He came to me  already house trained and loves to cuddle up and watch TV.  

I bring him to the studio every day to hang out and he greets people slowly, mostly waiting for them to come to him. I haven't tried him with kids, yet. He did meet a few younger teens at the Rescue Halloween party and did great with them.

He went dressed as an artist with a little beret. Adorable. 

So now we have an application for adoption on Sweet Carl and he does his first meet and greet tomorrow.  The family sounds great and they already have another rescue dog. Just a little younger than him but the other pup also has a squirrel chasing habit so they can go on the hunt together.  We'll see how it goes tomorrow.  

Hoping for a great furever home for this special boy. 

💙💙💙

Every time a foster dog leaves my house I cry. 

Then I do it again, knowing when the next one leaves I'll cry again. 

And so it goes....

New Foster Pup Today

Meet Carl. Just arrived in our home and so far so good. 

He came from a yard in Georgia with his mate and puppies. Kind of snarky with other dogs at the rescue hotel, but that place can be a bit chaotic with a bunch of dogs all barky and excited.  

Carl seems to listen well enough so far but he's only been here about a half hour. :) He's 3 years old and about 35 lbs. Vetted and ready for his new home. 

I'm heading out to work in a bit and thinking I'll bring him with me. It's a quiet day with no classes so he can just hang out. 

More on Carl's adventure into a new home coming soon.... 

To adopt Carl go to Fluff Animal Rescue & fill out an application. 

Must be near Pinellas County in Florida. 

New Foster Dog

 This little boy lost his mom & is now our new Foster. 

A Lasa Apso, he's 12 years old and playful. He chases his ball & has a little stuffed toy. I can tell he was well loved during his 12 years. As he was friendly right from the start. 

We're just getting to know each other. He explored the house and the yard. He didn't come when I called but I just put the leash back on him and he came right along. Walks very well on a leash. He's been hanging by the sliding back door, quietly watching the door and I wonder if he's a bit depressed. 

When he first came in he growled a bit at our dog, but that ended quickly. Most dogs work at first to establish boundaries and once that's done they settle in. I don't think this little guy ever lived with another dog, so he needs to set his boundaries. We'll get past it as he gets used to the house. 

He's adorable. :)  We'll get him groomed & soon he'll be available for adoption. 

Problems with Dogs

 Hey! He's a good dog but.... 

Yeah, I hear that all the time.  Mostly because people don't know the basics of dog training or where to turn to for help.  

So you adopted that adorable dog. Cool. Now let's help him unpack. 

    He came with a past. Before this pup got to you he was somewhere else. Either with his mom and siblings or abandoned or maybe with a different adopter or a rescue. When he was there he learned their ways (not your way) and knew what was expected of him there. Now he comes to your house and doesn't even know where the bathroom is or if he'll be fed today.

   So what do you do? First thing on your list should be patience. He may not pick up on your clues the first time, or the second or even the tenth. But he'll get there if you give him time and patience. Be consistent. Use the same command every time. If you say "Go out!" a couple of time then "Go potty!" it could be confusing. Make sure the whole family knows the commands and what they mean. 

   Dogs are usually treat driven. BUT be smart about this. The dog gets the treat for good behavior. Make sure its a healthy treat and don't give too much. 

One of the first things you should teach your pup is to sit on command. That way they should sit when getting a treat. They'll soon know sit gets rewards.  Don't force their butt down but encourage the sit by repeating the command and slowly moving the treat backward over their head so they sit. Once that butt is down give lots of "GOOD BOYS!" and the treat. Repeat, repeat, repeat. 

Off topic I once had a Golden Retriever who went after the mailman. She raced out the door before I could grab her and raced toward him. Terrified the poor mailman jumped up onto the hood of the mail truck. I yelled the one command I knew she understood well, "DUSTY, SIT!" The dog dropped in her tracks, sat down and looked back at me.  This is a good example of how knowing the right command at the right time can help. :) 

    

Now about all that unpacking. Your dog might come with some quirks like they're jumpy when you move your feet or cower when you pull out the broom. This could be a sign that they were abused with that before they got to you. Solution? Go slow with them. Trust is earned and not automatic especially in dogs that have seen rougher times. 

   If your dog jumps every time you get up from the couch and move your feet then give them a warning. Say, "It's okay, good boy." as you get up. This alert them you're going to move and they won't be so startled. 

   If your dog panics at the broom or other item? Take them out of the room so they don't see it. Direct them to their bed or other safe place like the couch. My dog sits on the couch and watches me vacuum. It's all good. 

   Rescue dogs are the best but they just need time to learn what you want from them, where the bathroom is, what time they eat and what to expect from the household. 

Time and patience are the key to a happy dog and a happy family. 

   

Not Fostering Now

I've fostered dogs for about 10 years now. Its been a crazy, wild ride and I wouldn't change one minute of it. Not the sad, sick pups I had to nurse back to health, not the wild, untrained dogs who gnawed on my table legs and not those who made me a foster failure.          ---->


Those days were full of fun and laughter and also some heartbreak. There were dogs I was happy to see move to their forever home and those that took a piece of my heart with them when they left.

Now I'm beginning a new life adventure and can't foster where I'm staying because of these two rambunctious beauties.

They are big, they are young, and they would probably squash any little dog that happened by. Not because they're mean, but big dogs play rough. They can push the couch 5 feet when they rock into it.
I'd hate to see them trample a little guy and due to an old shoulder injury I usually only do small dogs.

I miss fostering so much! I miss those sad little eyes looking up at me when they enter my house for the first time and I miss watching them transform into the happy-go-lucky pups they always should have been.

As soon as our house situation is settled I'm back into fostering. There are too many dogs out there who need me, you, us.

Training a Dog at 5 a.m.

This is Gracie. She's my 5 a.m. alarm clock. This is the time my husband gets up for work. Gracie hears that alarm and she's on her feet pacing around the bed.
We have maybe 10-15 minutes till the barking starts.

If the power ever goes out, we're set. Our furry little alarm clock always goes off at 5 a.m no matter what. Even if the regular alarm is quiet, you know, Saturday, Sunday, holidays, this little fuzz-ball still goes off right on time.

I've tried to explain the difference between weekdays and workdays, but she's not getting it. She refuses to relent until we're out of bed. Gracie would make a good Drill Sargent.

What happens once we're up and moving? Gracie goes back to sleep....

The Throw Away Dog

Got a call today from a friend who works in a shelter. A family was dumping their 7 month old dog off because it bit the father. He said the dog was aggressive toward his daughter and he got in the middle and it bit his hand. As he turns the dog in he says he's had problems with the dog from the beginning. They said they adopted the dog from our rescue. We looked it up and will be picking up the dog tomorrow. He'll be evaluated and we go from there. We'll pay for training and socialize him. The shelter says so far they've seen no aggression and he seems to be a normal exuberant puppy. Hopefully, he'll be adopted. We've done it before, we'll do it again. And probably again and again and again...

Okay, listen up...if you're going to get a dog you have to train it. Training takes time and patience. If you're having problems figuring out how to train a dog, hire a trainer. A good trainer. One who will train all the family members, too. Dogs need to know how to behave, but people need to know (and practice) how to train a dog. Some stranger taking over your dog for a few weeks is not training anyone. Everyone in the family has to be trained right along with the dog. That's how you create a successful relationship with your dog.

Next issue; A dog is a family member. You are his pack so treat him with the same love and affection that you treat the rest of your family/pack members. Learn to work with them, learn from a good "positive" trainer to make a successful relationship with the family and the dog.

You don't give up on family members. You don't dump them in a shelter where they'll be stuck in a cage, confused and scared and away from the only people they ever loved. You wouldn't do it to your children, don't do it to your dog. If you can't promise the dog forever, then you aren't ready for a dog.

Okay, sorry. Vent over.

Two Lives Saved

Not me, nope, never!

One thing a foster home has to struggle with is love. Of course you're going to care for each dog that comes through your house. The injured ones and puppies are the hardest because your heart aches as they heal from their wounds. Puppies are all goodness and love wrapped up in a furball. How could you not love?
But a foster has to harden their hearts to their own feelings and do the right thing. Find them a good forever home so we can move on and save the next one.
It's what we do.
We are rescue.
My latest foster is Buffy the Shih Tzu. She's a puppy mill dog from Missouri. She came with two ear infections and an infected spay incision. Very sad case. She was saved down to fuzz from the matting. I still see strange black little clumps in the hair close to the skin. We vetted, administered meds, cleaned her wound on a daily basis and slowly she perked up.
I took her to one home to adopt but she didn't get along with their dog so that was a no go.
Then the impossible happened. I fought hard. Suffered. Wrestled with my conscious. Weighed it. Discussed it and finally couldn't change the fact.
Buffy had stolen the heart I tried so hard to keep guarded.
My confession: I am a foster failure.
Here's my heart:

Bonding with Dogs

When a dog first comes into the house they're usually really scared so we leave them alone. Show them food, water and where to go out and then give them time to find their own way.
Some refuse to meet my eyes, others stare at me as if looking for something. A friend? Someone to trust? Each one has their own history. We never know exactly what it is, but it's a burden they will carry for a long time. Most are such great dogs I wonder how anyone can give them up. I wonder this about 7 month old Penny.
Penny was one who refused to look at me. She would turn her head whenever I looked at her and when I took her chin to meet my eyes, her's would dart away. Looking for anything, but to meet mine.
She's been here three weeks. The first week the tail was down all the time and she slinked from place to place as if waiting for a smack. She freezes when picked up. I don't hold her too long. She doesn't need the stress.
Week two the tail is up some of the time. A wag here and there and a little play time. She's loving the other foster dog and when he's adopted she searches for him.
Week three she's a wagging maniac! As soon as we wake up she's wagging her tail and running through the house at top speed. Still scared when picked up, but she'll sit on the couch with me for belly rubs.
A couple of days ago she met my eyes. Now she looks at me all the time and wags her tail. Something in my soul smiles.
She still fears being picked up and will freeze and shake. I think someone must have dropped her (or thrown her?) and now she will hold that fear for a long time.
But all the wags and happy yaps make up for it. I think someday she'll trust completely again and know that being picked up can be a good thing.
I have numerous applications on Penny and I'm looking for a calm family where she can find the trust and love she needs to forget whatever happened in her past.

Free Spay/Neuter for Large Dogs

From People For Animals:
PFA is Offering FREE of charge spay/neuter for Dogs larger than 45 lbs! (Hillside, NJ)
(PFA) People for Animals is now giving completely FREE spay/neuter for dogs that are over 45 lbs. (before surgery). Please check our prices online on our web site at Low Cost Dog Spay/Neuter | http://www.njspay.com/services. You will realize that our already low cost is cheap to you. If not, just tell the receptionist that you would like to take advantage of the Large Dog Voucher Program once you schedule your pet's surgical procedure. Your dog MUST be greater or equal to 45 lbs. (at the time of surgery) to meet the requirements. The voucher program can cover the whole cost of surgery meant for you if essential. However, if you'll be able to afford to make a donation of any quantity toward the cost of surgery, that can facilitate our funds go further and permits us to reach a lot of animals in need.

*This voucher program is designed to help low income households afford spay/neuter services. If applicable, please use our normal low cost fees.

Call us at 973-282-0890 to schedule a FREE neuter or spay designed for your dog that is 45+ pounds or visit http://www.njspay.com/schedule-surgery/ to get additional info.

Sweet Sally...

This is Sally. She came up from a high kill shelter in North Carolina. When the transport truck arrived she was huddled in the very back of her cage and wouldn't come out. She literally had to be dragged from the truck. She cried and shook uncontrollably.
Sally was first taken to the home of one of our volunteers where there were about 10 of the other dogs that were rescued. She was bathed (some of these dogs come up a real mess) and put in a crate with a soft bed. She slept.
When I came to get her she was put in my arms and her little paws wrapped around me like she was holding on for dear life. The whole ride home she trembled.
She met Halston (golden retriever) and Gizzmo (cranky old cat) and Elvis (African Grey Parrot who thinks he's the boss) and began to settle in. We gave her treats and lots of love and slowly she began to come out of her shell. She loved hugs and cuddles and always wanted to be by my side.
The first night I put her in the crate out in the family room and she ate the plastic bottom out of the cage. When I came home I found all these little black pieces around her cage and couldn't figure out where they came from until I pulled her blankets out to wash. Sally didn't like the crate.
My favorite part about fostering is watching how the dogs transform. Scared, shaking little creatures turn into wonderful members of the family with their own personalities. Sally had a great personality. She always wanted to be right next to me and listened well. She was truly a dog who wanted to please.
When we got a great application on Sally my heart broke a little. The family looked great and I knew from our phone interview they would be prefect for Sally.
It was time to say goodbye to my little girl.
When I handed her over, Sally looked at me as if to say, "Please don't give me away!" and she left a little chip in my heart. Some dogs stay with you. They nuzzled their way into your life and under your heart and you never forget them.
I've had emails and pictures from the family that adopted her and she seems to be ruling the house. That helps.

Rusty

A puppy? Me with a puppy?
When I was first approached to foster a lab mix puppy I felt a ripple of fear run down my spine. It had been 13 years since I last had a puppy in this house. Years since I had to house break a dog or deal with the perpetual energy that comes with a puppy.
Me? Foster a puppy?
...okay....
Rusty was a rescue from a high-kill shelter in North Carolina. He and his brother were pulled the day before he was to be euthanized. Whew!
When he arrived, Rusty moved slowly around the house, cautiously sniffing each person, animal and piece of furniture before settling down on our golden retriever's (Halston) bed. He'd watch us from across the room, then get up and run over, only to skitter back to the dog bed if we reached for him. He must have decided Halston was safe because he began to follow her everywhere. After a few days Rusty would wait till Halston was sleeping and then climb on her back and go to sleep. Halston's nice and fluffy.
We showed Rusty where the food and water was and the bathroom. Every twenty minutes we showed him where the bathroom was...and he caught on fast.
One thing about puppies...the adopt out fast. We had three applications for him the first week he was up here. We read each one, checked the references and called their vet. When everything checked out okay we asked them if they would like to come up and meet Rusty. They did and it was love at first sight. Rusty had a new home.
And then along came Sally...

Since the Gulf oil spill, one shelter in Louisiana euthanized 900 animals in a single month. This is due to families, devastated by the loss of jobs caused by oil spill, had no choice, but to put their pets in a shelter because they can no longer afford them. Castle of Dreams Animal Rescue in Aberdeen, and Pet ResQ, Inc in Tenafly have teamed up with Pilots N Paws to help these animals find new homes here in New Jersey
.
On September 18th Pilots N Paws will be bringing up 20 dogs from Louisiana for Castle of Dreams and Pet ResQ Inc. They will fly into New Jersey and then be placed in foster homes until permanent, loving homes can be found.

Pilots N Paws, www.pilotsnpaws.org, is an online forum that connects animal rescue groups with volunteer pilots to rescue thousands of homeless animals around the country. This enables rescue groups like ours to help animals in areas that really need us. The oil spill has devastated Louisiana in many ways and we’d like to help give these innocent victims a second chance. Many had families who loved them and are victims of the oil spill. Their owners are just barely surviving. They no longer have the means to care for their pets, but we can help.

To adopt, foster or donate please visit our websites; http://www.castle-of-dreams.com
and www.petresqinc.petfinder.com
These animals need help now.

A Confession...

I confess...I had a Petfinder obsession. Like an addict I'd surf that site to see the dogs and wish I could help. I thought about adopting and hesitated. I wanted to be sure the dog would fit our lives. Since we work I wanted an older dog, one that was slower and wouldn't mind lounging around all day. I wanted small since I had a shoulder injury that never quite healed. I wondered what else I should look for as I surfed the pages. It wasn't an easy decision and I wanted to be absolutely sure. After all, I was committing for a lifetime of love and care.
Then I started poking around on the rescue sites. I read about how they pulled the dogs from shelters, vetted them, and how there were many ways to help. And that got me thinking. Instead of adopting just one, what if I could help more?
I emailed a few organizations, made some phone calls and visited their adoption days. Finally, I found Castle of Dreams. They were always quick to respond, answered all my million and one questions and took their time to explain how it all worked. I volunteered.
Up top is a picture of Peanut, a little brown beagle mix. She was rescued from North Carolina. She was my first foster dog and my whole family fell in love. Shy and sweet, Peanut just soaked up love and gave it back tenfold. When the email came that there was a family for her we all cried. No one wanted this gentle dog to leave, but off she went to her forever family.
Next came Sally...a black chihuahua mix.
I think the trick to successful fostering is to remember that if you let one go, you can save one more. Because until there are none...we foster one.