Come on in and share our fostering experience. We can't save them all, but we can tell you about the ones we did save. One by one...until there are none.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
12 Months a Foster Dog?
What do you call a dog whose been in foster care for 12 months?
Corona
She's a 9...wait...10 year old, Chihuahua rescued from a hoarding situation in Tennessee. Castle of Dreams Animal Rescue brought her up last August with 4 other dogs. All were adopted except Corona.
This little dog had BIG fear issues. Mostly of people, outside, cars, noise, other dogs, and well, everything.
In hoarding situations the dogs rarely have human contact so a simple thing like a rub behind the ears can send the dog into panic mode. She's never been touched by humans so why should she trust you?
She's never been outside in all her 9 years and it really is a big, scary world out there. Cars? Never imagined such things. Other dogs? In a hoarding situation she had to fight for food, to protect her puppies, and even for the small spot of bare floor she called a bed. Her whole life was a fight.
In August 2012 she went to another foster home. She was emaciated, shaking, and so fearful she'd explode in barking fits at the slightest movement in the room. Although she was starting to come out of her shell in that home, things happened and she was moved to my home.
I recognized the fear right away. I could see it in her wide eyes as she tracked my movements, her growling as my own dog or cat went anywhere near her, and her tightly curled body. I set up a crate with a soft bed and blanket. Put a dish of water near by and fed her just outside the crate. She barely left the crate for over a week. One day I looked up and she was exploring the perimeter of the room with slow, hesitant steps. A day later she came up to me as I sat on the couch, gave me a sniff and ran back to the crate. Each day brought a little more daring on the part of this little Chihuahua, everyday she relaxed a little more.
We got a trainer for her. This trainer used positive training and things got a little better. She's more relaxed now, will walk on a leash (actually runs to the door now when the leash comes out instead of hiding). She's a great companion dog now with one exception; she barks at company.
Constantly.
I feel this is her last issue. Other than that she's a great dog. As I write this she's curled up by my side on the couch taking a nap. We're working on the barking. She's still up for adoption, but she is one year in my house this month so its going to hurt so much if she gets adopted.
Do I let her go so I can save another?
Corona
This little dog had BIG fear issues. Mostly of people, outside, cars, noise, other dogs, and well, everything.
In hoarding situations the dogs rarely have human contact so a simple thing like a rub behind the ears can send the dog into panic mode. She's never been touched by humans so why should she trust you?
She's never been outside in all her 9 years and it really is a big, scary world out there. Cars? Never imagined such things. Other dogs? In a hoarding situation she had to fight for food, to protect her puppies, and even for the small spot of bare floor she called a bed. Her whole life was a fight.
In August 2012 she went to another foster home. She was emaciated, shaking, and so fearful she'd explode in barking fits at the slightest movement in the room. Although she was starting to come out of her shell in that home, things happened and she was moved to my home.
I recognized the fear right away. I could see it in her wide eyes as she tracked my movements, her growling as my own dog or cat went anywhere near her, and her tightly curled body. I set up a crate with a soft bed and blanket. Put a dish of water near by and fed her just outside the crate. She barely left the crate for over a week. One day I looked up and she was exploring the perimeter of the room with slow, hesitant steps. A day later she came up to me as I sat on the couch, gave me a sniff and ran back to the crate. Each day brought a little more daring on the part of this little Chihuahua, everyday she relaxed a little more.
We got a trainer for her. This trainer used positive training and things got a little better. She's more relaxed now, will walk on a leash (actually runs to the door now when the leash comes out instead of hiding). She's a great companion dog now with one exception; she barks at company.
Constantly.
I feel this is her last issue. Other than that she's a great dog. As I write this she's curled up by my side on the couch taking a nap. We're working on the barking. She's still up for adoption, but she is one year in my house this month so its going to hurt so much if she gets adopted.
Do I let her go so I can save another?
Monday, September 9, 2013
Housebreaking a Chihuahua?
I have a foster Chihuahua. Anyone know if it's possible to totally house train a Chihuahua? She's 9 years old and came from a hoarder so she's never been trained.
I fostered a puppy (the Chihuahua's been with me since January) and once the puppy started using the wee pads, Corona, the Chi, decided it was beneath her to use the same wee pad as the intruder. After the puppy was adopted, I babysat two cats for my daughter. Corona still didn't want to get back to the wee pads. Now the house is back to normal. . . or as close to normal as we ever get...and she's still missing the wee pad. So do Chihuahua's ever get totally house trained?
Monday, August 26, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Tear Stains and Shih Tzu Dogs
If you love dogs, it's definitely going to put a smile on your face. Check it out and you'll put a smile on my face!
Tear stains plagued my poor little puppy mill survivor but since her health wasn't the best when she arrived I make it my work to keep her as healthy as possible and give her a nice relaxed life. She's my angel and my best friend.
So the thought of treating her with a low level antibiotic (Angel Eyes) or going near those dark, button eyes with any kind of chemical had me cringing in fear. I searched and search for an alternative.There had to be a natural cure out there somewhere!
I posted in forums and every place I could find to ask for a natural way to help my little friend.
Someone told me to only let her drink filtered water from my refrigerator door.
Really? Are you kidding me?
But I tried it. Why not? I have to fill her dish everyday anyway, so why not take the water from there?
I did nothing, NOTHING else to resolve the tear stain problem. You see the results. Her face and paws (the tears stained her front paws too) are now snowy white. I didn't even realize we had such a dramatic change until i was going through some old photos. These two pics were taken 6 months apart. The result wasn't instant, she improved slowly, but you can see how great she looks now.
Makes me wonder what's in our tap water.....
For a feel good read, check out Soul Mates:
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
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