Counter Surfer

"HEY, where's my steak!" is what I hear from the kitchen one night last week. "Oops..", I think to myself. I answer, "I forgot to tell you that Raven is a counter surfer. My bad!"

You can't turn your back on your food for a second! I guess we didn't learn our lesson because last night Raven also snagged 2 homemade veggie burgers. At least the plates were licked clean as not to leave any evidence. 

Oh Raven, it's a good thing you are so cute and act apologetic. 

Pathetic face

PetSmart #2

No takers for Raven last weekend at PetSmart but there is a family that is interested. Stay tuned!

Ain't nothin but a hound dog ...

Every shelter dog is bound to have some issues. They just can't help it. If they didn't have issues before they were surrendered, then they developed them in their caged dog-eat-dog world.

Raven is no exception. Raven is part hound. For those of you who don't know, hounds are very vocal. It's in their breeding to alert their hunters that they're onto something.

That being said, Raven also has separation anxiety. UGH... I don't blame her. Her former family of grown-ups, little kids, and other dogs abandoned her because they were "moving to Germany". She wasn't going to let that happen again! Her unsettled hound mind gets very upset when a human leaves her sight. It's so bad that I can't even leave the room. I can't even pee in peace! She frantically starts whining and pacing. If you've ever heard a nervous hound whine, you know it's relentless and annoying. So begins our training...

I blocked off access to the hallway and bedrooms with a baby gate so she couldn't follow me everywhere. We started slow with me going to a bedroom for a couple minutes at a time. I would supervise her at potty time and then leave her outside for a few extra minutes to ween her off me. Of course she whined and cried but I remained strong. At bedtime, we have a routine. The dogs go outside one last time and when they come in they can have a treat after laying down. For Raven, she had to go in her crate and sit. (baby steps) The first couple of nights she whined and shook her cage. Luckily, after being told to lay down and be quiet, she did. I heard random whining through the night but nothing too concerning.

Fast forward to day 7. Raven has settled in and her spirit is calm. I can walk around the house without her getting upset. She looks forward to her bed time snack and goes into her crate automatically. I didn't hear a peep out of her last night. She goes outside to take care of business on her own now and stays to play instead of jumping and whining at the door. She stills whines in her crate when I leave the house but it's getting better every day. Such a good girl!

Now let's work on that jumping on people...

Related links:

5 Tips for Separation Anxiety | Cesar Millan

Walky Dog Bike Leash is made in Heaven

On Raven's paperwork it said "high energy". Boy, they weren't kidding! Throwing a ball in the backyard does nothing to wear her out. I want to see collapsing! Gasping for breath! Well it looks like I'm going to have to take it up a notch. I'm not really an energetic person myself so what am I to do? Take her for a run? Work on getting myself in shape? NO! I like to think of myself as working smarter, not harder. That's where the Walky Dog Bike Leash comes into play. I attach this baby to my bike then attach said doggie to the contraption from heaven. We cruise down the street at 6 - 8 mph. While I barely break a sweat, Raven is at a full trot with her tongue flopping out the side of her mouth.

MISSION COMPLETE!

Try to keep up!

Meet Miss Raven

When Kitty was adopted at PetSmart after only 2 weeks living with me, I was devastated. So I did what any dog lover with a hole in her heart would do; I picked another dog on the spot! Raven caught my eye because she seemed like a PetSmart regular. She was a favorite among the Haven volunteers but just couldn't seem to get adopted. That just won't do!

Instead of describing Raven to you, I think a video montage is in order.



Raven is a 2 year old lab / hound mix.

Pookie Bear

This is my neighbor's dog. She gets out of her yard every day to come visit me and give me a tail wag and puppy dog eyes to come in. I said "No, dog, regardless of what you hear I am not running a doggie hotel in here." So she sleeps under my truck all day and guards me from the occasional delivery man. I thank her with a belly rub and bowl of ice water. I've named her Pookie Bear.

How Mya Saved Jacob

Dogs are so incredible. Here's an article about a service dog who helps a veteran with PTSD.

After the war, Jacob thought he had put the worst behind him. Then the panic attacks and depression began. Just when he had nearly given up hope, he found an extraordinary soul who ended the nightmares.

Mya senses something wrong. Sitting in the back of the SUV as they barrel down a back road, she detects a change in the air. Jacob is driving, on their way to camp in the Grand Canyon. Though Mya met Jacob only a month ago, she knows him better in some ways than he knows himself. With his ‘yes ma’am’ Southern twang and lanky, broad-shouldered, 6-foot-3-inch frame, he can seem like a big, easygoing guy. But there are times, urgent times, when Jacob needs Mya.

Outside the window, the desert hills that stretch as far as the eye can see might as well be in the Middle East. A car comes up behind their SUV-the first car they have seen for many miles-and it passes them, kicking up a whirlwind of dust. Mya doesn’t even look to see Jacob’s shoulders tighten. She leaps into the front seat just before Jacob slams on the brakes. They skid to a stop, and in an instant Mya is on top of Jacob, licking his convulsing body so hard she almost seems to smother him.

read the rest of the article here

Kitty is adopted!

Kitty found her forever home after 2 weekends of being at PetSmart. Good luck with your new family, Kitty. I'll miss you :(

The UN-welcoming committee

Don't they look sweet and innocent?

This is my UN-welcoming committee, Mysty and Leo. When I brought home my first foster dog, Kitty, they were not pleased to say the least. My sweet babies turned into ugly, snarling monsters going for blood. My Dr. Jekylls turn into Mr. Hydes

I couldn't have this civil unrest in my house. This is MY house and I'M the Alpha here! (she says trying to convince herself) With a calm, assertive manner I started my training. The 3 monsters were supervised at all times. If I couldn't pay attention to them even for 1 minute, Kitty went in her crate for protection. Here are some tips from what I figured out:

• ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO yelling! - It only escalates the situation and does nothing to calm anyone.
• Stop the madness before it starts - Figure out the signs just before the attack. In my dogs' case they froze in each other's face, head down, and their tails stopped wagging. Butt sniffing OK, eye staring BAD.
• Snap out of it - When you see the signs, intervene. Put your entire body in between them to back them away and show "dominance" while making an abrupt noise to get their attention on you, like clapping your hands once or snapping your fingers. Once I had their attention their tails starting wagging again and crisis averted.
• Exercise, exercise, exercise - In the morning I would exercise my dogs vigorously using the Walky Dog Bike Leash. At night we would all go for a family bonding walk. All the dogs walked peacefully side-by-side, with determination on the road ahead. 

That's basically it. I had low expectations for them. I was going for co-existing by ignoring. Much to my surprise on day 3 they actually played together for a couple minutes! It ended in a fight but still... so proud! Each day got progressively better until by the 2nd week there were no more fights. 

One big happy family!

Sharing a bed!

Meet Miss Kitty

Kitty with her new pal, Sofi

This is Kitty. She is my first foster dog. She is a 1 year old Pointer mix from the Haven - Friends for Life shelter. Sofi and I were at the shelter putting in some volunteer time by going around to dog cages and feeding them medicine, checking for boo-boos, and giving general love and affection. For me, by the 100th dog, they all blended in together and I was in love with them all. Hey, I don't discriminate. Three hours later we were pooped (no pun intended) and ready to go home. I asked Sofi if there was any dog that stuck out to her that we could take home to foster. She led me to Unnamed Dog, remembering that she had seemed very friendly to me and gave me kisses when I was in her cage. Sold!

Sofi named her Kitty. Don't ask me...

In honor of Kitty and our momentous occasion, we made it on the local news! A reporter, Maggie Alexander from NBC17 Raleigh, was at the Haven doing a story on the Haven's deadline for meeting the Dept of Ag demands. What a special way to start our friendship!

Up to no good

Welcome to my Foster family!

This is a blog about my adventures with foster dogs. They come with their hang-ups but boy they can love. I can't believe I didn't foster sooner.

As a welcome, the fosters wear their very own collar and tag, complete with phone numbers on the back.

When we go out in public, they wear this cape. It's too adorable!

Stay tuned for the doggie adventures!