Foster Failure - Sweetie Pie

Fostering is rewarding. I think I've said that like a million times before. 

Still it's true. 

Until you fail. Then it's even better. 😉

Meet Sweetie-Pie. 

She was found as a stray somewhere in Florida. She was very pregnant. If a shelter is full sometimes they just have no room. If no one can step up and rescue the pup, pregnant or not, sometimes the dog is just put down. Its a sad ugly truth of our world. 

Very good mama

The rescue I work with got a call about a very sweet but very pregnant mixed breed pup. We said yes, let's arrange a transport. Then the night before she was supposed to make the long trip to our rescue, Sweetie Pie gave birth to 6 puppies. The transport drove up to check on her. Yes, the shelter thought she was done having pups. They put her on the transport and then.... two more puppies popped out on the ride. 

 Sweetie Pie was emaciated. Every rib and hip bone clearly outlined over skin stretched thin. Her hair was thinning and she had several white marks on he black coat. We had no idea where they came from but didn't think she was treated too well before she was picked up as a stray.😭

Sweetie Pie and her 8 puppies were given a nice pen, a soft bed and good nutritious food three times a day. As the puppies grew they seemed to drain poor Sweetie of all nutrients as she just didn't put any weight on. Still thin as sticks. 

Off to the vet! The vet found a bacterial infection so at 5 weeks the vet didn't want her nursing any more. She had to go on medication. We supplemented the pups with puppy milk mixed in with soft puppy mush and kibble. These pups grew fat and healthy. Sweetie finally started putting on some much needed weight. 

As the pups reached 8 weeks and started to go to their furever homes, Sweetie would need to go to foster care. 

Unsure of this car ride

Guess who volunteered to be foster? 

So that's how Sweetie Pie became my foster. As she got more and more comfortable here, her real personality started to come out. Although her paperwork guessed her age at almost 4, she acts like a baby herself. 

We went to an adoption day. She did really good. Loved everyone and everyone loved her sweet personality. No one stepped up to adopt. 

The next event was planned as a big one. Hundreds of people would be there. I looked at Sweetie and knew if she met that many people she'd be adopted. 

I got a text asking if she would be at the event. I didn't answer. I could step up to adopt her myself. Should I? Am I ready for another dog? (I lost my LoveBug two years ago. My heart was broken)  But was I ready? The words went round and round in my head. 

The next day I decided to adopt. It was a tough decision. All the questions like; Am I ready? Should I? Is she too young for me? What should I do? Universe send me a sign! 💙💚💛💜💖

Please meet my Foster Failure; 

Maggie Mittens!  

(yes, we renamed her) 

Adopted! This little boy got a new Home!

Zeek is adopted ! 

 This was one of the fastest fosters I've ever had.  Little Zeek found his forever home with one of the kindest ladies I've ever met. She was looking for a little buddy and wanted one who would get along with other people and dogs. 

At our meet and greet other neighbors came out to meet sweet Zeek and were all excited to have such a gentle little boy in their community. 

I love this match for a few reasons. Zeek is a very shy boy and seeks out love whenever he goes. He's a gentle soul who hasn't had the easiest life so far. I could see the small scars on his body where he might have had a fight. Yet, these things didn't make him mean. He only held love and hope in his heart and wanted to give that to everyone around him. For this reason he needed a calm environment. His new mom is home all the time so he'll get lots of love all day long. She has experience with little dogs so knows the ins and outs of taking care of them. She likes going for walks which is a great thing for dogs. Walking gives a dog a chance to uses all 5 senses and lets them get a taste of what's out there in the world in a safe way.  

Zeeks life will now be filled with lots of hugs and cuddles and walks around the neighborhood. There are friends and neighbors around him that will all show him the love his short life had been missing. 

Yeah, he got a good match & a furever home. Have a happy life little one. 

Thinking About Adopting a Puppy Mill Dog?

Thinking of adopting a Puppy Mill dog? 

One piece of advice; Do it! 

But read this first. 

You'll need patience, since this dog has never lived in a home before. It might not understand  the big deal about housebreaking issues and will need some positive reinforcement to learn where to eliminate. It might not understand things a normal dog would seem to know. His life before you was a wire cage. There were no warm beds, rugs, or cuddles. Go slow, have patience.

Your puppy mill dog will probably be older, so give it some time to learn the ropes. For all of it's years there has been a different set of rules. They were probably handled roughly, check for pregnancy, back in cage, take puppies as soon as they were old enough to go (sometimes even before that,) sometimes fed sporadically depending on the mill. They weren't bathed or groomed.

Everything must be learned and old habits need to be realigned. That takes time. Like children, each one is different. Some will learn quickly, some might always have problems. For the tough learners-wee-wee pads will be your friend in the housebreaking process.

I have a Puppy Mill dog and she is an absolute dream. Gracie, a Shih Tzu, adapted slowly. Luckily we had another dog and she kind of followed the lead. Gracie would follow Halston, our Golden, outside and quickly got the "where to go to go" down quickly.  Since she is a small dog, I do leave wee pads down when I leave the house for any length of time. Small dog, small bladder.

And she hates to be groomed. A Shih Tzu needs a groom every 4 to 6 weeks by a professional groomer. Shih Tzus have hair that will continue to grow and needs to be trimmed regularly. (Something to think about BEFORE adopting this type of dog-are you ready to take your new pup to the groomer regularly and can you afford it?) Gracie will twitch and move every time the groomer lines up the scissors which makes for some crooked haircuts.

When Gracie first arrived she was sick. A recent spay and both ears were infected. We had to get her well before anything else. I was her foster mom so she came to me right from the mill. If you're adopting a Puppy Mill, you might get it from a rescue that will take care of any health issues before adopting.

Our Halston has since passed, but she was Gracie's best friend to the end. They would cuddle and go everywhere together. Now Gracie has a new sibling, Cupcake (nee Corona) the damaged dog. She's not as cuddly as Halston, but they've come to an understanding.

Gracie loved to be petted, but not picked up. She'll cuddle by my side, but not so much on the lap. She follows me everywhere and will sit by my side while I'm at my writing desk. I never get a bad critique from her. :)

Adopting a Puppy Mill dog takes patience but the rewards are many. You'll get a best friend who will reward you with unconditional love, warm cuddles, and the knowledge that you gave her a chance at a life she never could have dreamed existed beyond that cold wire cage.

I Love Animal T-shirt!

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Foster puppy Coriander Playing in Backyard

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Dogs and Surgery

My sweet little Gracie is in for surgery on her paw today. Last week we found a growth on the side of her paw, under her dew claw. It feels like a soft bubble but the vet said he didn't like the look of it and wanted to remove it.

So here I sit by the phone waiting and worrying.

Gracie was my foster dog two years ago. She came from a Missouri puppy mill. When she arrived she sat where ever you put her, looked at the floor and didn't move or make a sound. She had infected spay incision and double ear infections and was shaved to the skin.

After medication she was feeling better but still shy. She'd sit in her little bed and just watch us as if she expected something bad. She was so gentle and sweet that she stole my heart as none of the twenty or so previous fosters did.

Gracie stayed. She warmed up slowly, learned to play with toys and after a couple of months she actually barked. Hearing her bark for the first time brought tears to my eyes. It was a sign she was truly home and felt comfortable enough to express herself.

Now I sit and wait for the vet to call and tell me that the surgery went well and I can come get her.
Time drags.....

Foster Dogs & Training

Foster dogs come into my home with all kinds of issues. Where to potty, not sharing toys, snapping at visitors, excessive barking, fear, shyness, aggression...the list goes on. We learn about their problems as days pass and work with each as best we can. Some are quick to heal, other's take time.

A few months ago I had a foster dog that would wake up at the crack of dawn barking. I don't know if it was the light or maybe something she could hear outside, but every morning come 5 or 6 o'clock she was up and insisting everyone else wake up too.

That little pup is now adopted out to a good family who are having a great time with her. Her 5 a.m. jaunts were over and she fit into her new life just fine. A great match up for family and pup.

Now my little Shih Tzu, Gracie, rescued from a puppy mill two years ago, picked up this bad habit and runs around the bed barking, 5 or 6 a.m. every morning. She doesn't know the difference between weekends or weekdays. Sun up? Gracie up? Everyone up!

Any advice as to how to stop this crazy behavior?

Dogs; Love them enough...