It is really hard

It is so hard right now, I am watching a friend and fellow rescue person struggle with the number of dogs that need her and it is breaking my heart. I am absolutely no help to her at all and I feel horrible. Mostly b/c it should be me struggling, me getting the emails, me trying to figure out which JRT's to save and which can wait.

It is nice not getting all the emails, I will be honest. The guilt is much less not actually seeing the faces of all the JRT's in need but at the same time some of the guilt is still there b/c I know there are A LOT that need help.

Every foster home for MBR is full, one foster home has 3 dogs right now. UGH! I know I need to get out and do adoption events but I am still not up for being around a lot of people. Legal crap and harassment is still going on and well it just takes a toll on you, ya know?

I still haven't heard from the judge on the photo album and still dealing with the misplaced foster dog. The good news is the sick dogs I had are doing better. Frosty had a teething cleaning and is loosing weight. Now we just need to find him a home and or a foster home. Zoe is doing great. I think we have the rash on her belly cleared up and her poo is good!! YAY!! Henry is doing good too, he is starting to get more hair back and his hair is shinny. Chai isn't doing so well, he is still scared to death but I have seen a little improvement.. I stress A LITTLE!

I have Greta's 9 puppies which she is refusing to feed and that is VERY time consuming and stressful.

I think other then that everyone is pretty health and good to go....now if we can get them adopted. LOL!

I desperately need more foster homes. Mostly b/c there are so many that I want to help.... there are some REALLY nice dogs in kill shelters right now. It is just so sad. It is bad right now with the number of homeless dogs, really really bad.

Greta and the puppies

Well poor Greta, she is a good mom when it comes to protecting her kids but feeding them NOT SO MUCH :-( Friday she started acting strange, like she didn't really want to be with the puppies but I didn't think much of it. Saturday I moved the puppies from the puppy nursery to there 10 X 10 dog stall in the barn. I thought Saturday she wasn't that interesting in feeding them because I had just moved them. Then on Sunday I think she feed them but not enough. I did worm them on Sunday too. BUT unfortunately on Monday I had to get milk replacement and now 3 - 4 times a day depending on my work schedule I have to make mush for the puppies. Then I have to help them eat. They don't really understand the idea of NOT walking through the food dish.. LOL Tonight was so funny... I have 2 food dishes and in each food dish was a puppy with its legs all spread out and face first in the food. LOL! Puppies are so cute when they eat or actually try to eat. Hopefully I will be able to get pictures and put some up soon. Work has been so crazy busy I haven't really had time :-( Tonight would have been a good night to take pictures but it was my dad's 80th birthday party.

Oh and I thought of a theme for the puppies... PLACES :-)

Paris
Brooklyn
London

If you have any good ideas for please share.

There are 9 total puppies. 6 are girls and 3 are boys.

Watching Eddie

There are nights when I can't sleep that I look over at the floor next to my bed and look at Petey and Eddie and for the last week Cola sleeping on their dog beds. Petey is usually upside down or curled up like a cat if he is cold. Eddie is almost always laid out flat in his dog bed. And Cola is usually laying flat out as well but on the floor, she doesn't seem to like dog beds.

I watch them sleep and twitch and sometimes for a moment they open their eyes and look at me before quickly closing them again. It is almost like they know I am watching them sleep.

My mind begins to wander.... who owned you before? what did you look like as a puppy? why didn't they have you fixed? did you run away or did they leave you behind? did you live in a cage? were you part of a family? where did the people who left you, where did they get you from?

I look at Eddie and think if only... if only they would have given you a heart worm prevention pill once a month you wouldn't be dieing. If only you could talk to me and tell me what you have been through because it is very clear you were not treated nicely.

I look at him and I think how long will you live? Another week? Another month? Another year? I am not sure it is better to know they are dieing or to have it happen out of the blue like it has happened with several of my other dogs.

Some times the look on his face is so sad, so confused, like he knows something is wrong with him. I wish I could fix him, it makes me sad that I can't. I just want to fix them all and find them good homes where they are loved and wanted.

I wish people who treated them badly karma will return the favor. Although with all the bad stuff that has been happening to me I am not sure I believe in karma any more. It is a nice concept though.

Poor little Eddie, I have had him a year now. How much longer will I have him?

2 more puppies

Today 2 more puppies went to their forever homes today. It is so nice to have the puppies going to their forever homes. I LOVE them so much but man oh man, I have like ZERO things to do in the mornings and when I get home from work. LOL! I don't have to take care of 13 crazy pooping eating puppies. LOL

Easter Sunday one more puppy goes home which leaves just Misty who is going home on the 30th. But she is in a foster home so that is nice.

Poor little Frosty I picked him up today at the vet office, he had 10 teeth pulled. Poor guy. But in the long run he will feel better and he lost an entire pound in a week so we are headed in the right direction with him.

Jean, my sweet Toy Fox Terrier went for a trail this weekend. PAWS CROSSED for her!!


And FINALLY I took a few pictures of Greta's puppies... still NO idea what they are mixed with :-)

Today's adventure

Everyday you learn something new or experience something new. Well today was interesting. I had to take the day off from work to go to small claims court. A women who I WAS friends with had left a photo album at a mutual friends house 3 years ago. The mutual friend gave me the book to give back to her and I lost it. I offered the women money to reprint her negatives but instead of taking me up on my offer she sues me, along with 3 other people for money to re print her pictures. Anyone else confused?? I offer to pay to re print her pictures and she sues me to re print her pictures... Um?? Maybe it is just me but don't you usually sue someone if they refuse to to pay you money they owe you or in this case if I would have NOT offered to re print her pictures? I AM SO CONFUSED.

I think the judge was confused to. The entire thing was so strange. He said he is going to review everything and send his judgment in the mail. SO, now I wait to find out what his decision will be.

Oh and what is super funny is IN COURT under oath she admitted that she considers herself a professional photographer and has/does get paid to take pictures but she has NEVER claimed the income on her taxes... um isn't that tax fraud? Just saying!

I will be honest I feel bad for the lady, she is an absolute laughing stalk among everyone in the rescue community. This whole thing was so ridiculous. Someone offers you money to replace something that was SO IMPORTANT to you that you left it at someone's house for 3 almost 4 years and you sue them for the money they already offered you...

Well since I had to take the day off from work for this non sense, I had Henry the dog hoarder dog to the vet. We changed his medication around a bit. He is doing pretty good. He has so come into his personality and just so darn cute. His hair is coming in and he is so happy and so good. Every time I look at him and think about how the APL wanted to put him to sleep I just shake my head, he is such a great dog! I really hope things have changed there....

I also took Zoe to the vet. Zoe is this really sweet JRT that a nice lady took from Richland County pound 6 months ago. Poor Zoe was having bloody poo issues and the women and her vet couldn't figure out what was going on and the women couldn't afford any more tests. Poor lady, poor Zoe. Well my vet was able to figure out that she had MAJOR worms and we treated her and now she is doing so much better. Unfortunately she has worms for so long that her little stomach got a bit upset so we are getting her better and she will be just fine with some time, love and medication. YAY Zoe. She is so freaking cute. I just love that little dog.

AND I took Frosty the American Eskimo to the vet. I am having a dental done on him tomorrow. HE NEEDS IT! That dog has some seriously bad breath. Like can clear a room... can't wait to see nice teeth tomorrow when I pick him up :-)

I went to the tax account today and signed all the paper work for the Federal Government and STATE taxes for the rescue. Geez! Hard to believe the paper work that goes into this stuff... ugh, I have this HUGE binder full of paper work stuff so crazy.

Then this evening Cherry, the final puppy got adopted and Pepper another one of the puppies went home. Tomorrow 2 more puppies go home, Sunday a puppy goes home and the last puppy goes to her home on April 30th. 13 - puppies in their happy homes YAY!!!!

I had a busy day, somewhat productive b/c I was able to get some dog stuff taken care of but ugh the anxiety of being in court ALL morning took a toll on me. The anxiety of dealing with all these irrational people that seem to have entered my life is just too much. I am so tired.

Housebreaking A New Puppy or Adult Dog

by Cherie Marquez

Repost from http://smartstartdogtraining.com/blog/

housebreaking a puppy

If you are planning on getting a puppy, you should learn how to housebreak him or her before you bring them home. You will save yourself so much added stress in your life. There are some important points to successful training and a strategic approach must be taken if you want to have a successful house training experience.

We learn from being on a schedule and having some structure in our lives. Well, dogs need to be on a schedule as well because they learn from repetition and consistency. They need to be fed, given water, and taken out at the same time, so eventually they let you know when they have to go out and you learn to read their body language. Also, you should confine your dog in a crate, playpen, or a small room during the house training schedule.

The crate is a safe place for your dog. It is the dog’s well protected home. The crate is comfortable to your dog because it is like his or her wild ancestors, the wolf, he or she instinctively seeks the safety and security of a “DEN.” The security of the crate is better than the confusing and sometimes frightening outside world.

You, as the owner, will eliminate many messes from the dog urinating or defecating all over the house. You will save plenty of money because the dog will not have the opportunity to bite and destroy furniture. I have seen some horrible destruction of the home caused by one dog.

By using a dog crate, the owner creates positive behavioral patterns, which enables the relationship between the pet and his or her owner to develop and grow. Most crates come with an extra metal piece that allows you to block off a portion of the crate. This is done because usually most dogs are clean animals and they don’t create a mess where they sleep or rest, so if they do have an accident then they have to lay in their mess. The dog has to have enough room to turn around and lay down.

If you are going to be gone for more than three hours in the beginning, you can get a doggie playpen or keep the dog in a small room because you cannot expect a puppy to hold his urine for a long period of time. Separate the playpen or room with his or her toys, chew toys (no rawhides because they are not safe), and a blanket or small bed on one side and newspaper or pee pads on the other side. Once the puppy goes to the bathroom in the morning outside, blot the pee with the newspaper or pee pad, so their scent is on it already and put it in the playpen or room. You can also leave some music on for them to feel more comfortable.

Think of your puppy as a baby. You would not leave a baby unattended for a certain amount of time, right? Well, that is why you should never leave a puppy alone either. The most important benefit to the pet owner, who utilizes crate training, is the control of the puppy or adult dog when it is alone at home. When dogs are left alone and allowed to roam too large of an area, they can become anxious, lonely, or bored.

When you are home, you should always have the dog on a watch or confine. When you can watch them, you should put the loop of the leash through a belt and put the belt on, so the dog is with you at all times. You can also put the loop of the leash under a heavy chair or table. You are able to read their body language to see when they need to go to the bathroom by sniffing around or turning in circles.

If the puppy or dog is not used to being on the leash, then put the leash on them and let them walk around with the leash dragging behind them. Please get a 6 ft. or 4 ft. nylon or chain link leash and not a retractable. Your leash is your tool and you have no control with the retractable. After about 2 days the dog should be used to the leash.

When you CAN NOT watch the dog, even if it is for a quick minute, put the dog in the crate. This is when the dog takes advantage and has an accident because he knows you are not watching. Also, it is peace of mind to you because you know that you are not walking out to find and have to clean an accident.

If you catch the dog in the act of having an accident, make as much noise as possible to stop them. If you do, then pick up the leash and take them out, so they can finish outside. Give them plenty of praise when they finish outside, so they realize that they did the right thing. If you do not catch them in the act and they had an accident already, as long as it is about 30 seconds afterwards, you can reprimand the dog. Walk the dog over to the accident, point to the nose then to the accident, and say “No, bad girl or boy,” then take the dog outside in the grass to show them where they need to go.

You can not yell at the dog after a minute of having an accident because their attention span is like a one year old. They live in the moment. Dogs react and cower after the minute because of your tone of voice and your body posture. DO NOT HIT THE DOG OR RUB THEIR NOSE IN IT!

Try and take the dog to the same spot every time to go to the bathroom, so they have their scent there. Every time the dog goes to the bathroom outside, give them plenty of praise. If the dog doesn’t go to the bathroom after 10 minutes, bring the dog back in and put them in the crate for 1 – 3 minutes then back outside, so you do not get frustrated waiting for 30 minutes or more.

dog training

HOUSEBREAKING SCHEDULES:

During feeding time, feed your dog in the crate. This is done so that we start creating a pattern of going to the bathroom for the dog, as well as letting the dog know that when it’s feeding time, it’s feeding time and not play time. You’re making your dog concentrate without any distractions on EATING.

We’re basically giving the dog a no distraction environment, so that the dog realizes that there’s nothing else to do but eat. You should always feed a puppy two times a day and give them water three times a day. Remember to keep them on the same dog training schedule, so there is consistency. You cannot keep the water down at all times because their bladder is small and any kind of excitement and stimulation will make the puppy pee. If the puppy is running and playing outside, you can give them a small amount of water, so they do not get dehydrated.

Just remember:

• For every 10 pounds a dog should have 1 cup of water.
• Take your puppy out approximately 30 minutes after eating and drinking.
• Every single time the puppy wakes up they always have to pee!
• At first, when you are home, take your puppy out every 2 hours, then progress to 3 hours after you are for sure the dog can hold it for 2 – 21/2 hours.
• Keep a log of when your puppy is peeing and defecating to see the pattern on a daily basis. The same way you potty train a child is the same for a puppy.

The most important thing to remember is that dogs are creatures of habit and they learn from repetition and consistency. You must take the time to get your puppy on a schedule and PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR DOG! It is trial and error, so give your puppy a chance and expect some accidents. PATIENCE IS KEY!

Click hear to get a free Dog Training Video

Puppies fixed and ready to go

I woke up this morning at 5am, ugh! I had to load 13 puppies who have NEVER been in a crate (well small one by themselves) and who have NEVER been on a car ride. Seriously the drive to the clinic which is by my work was the LONGEST drive ever. LOL! Screaming puppies, they sounded like they were being torched. I guess to them they were being torched.

I got to the clinic right at 8am. I unloaded each puppy and took them inside to be placed in yet another crate. These were much large but they had to be in a crate by themselves something they have NEVER been.. by themselves. Oh the screaming.. LOL

Puppies are so funny, life is so dramatic when you are puppy.

Took me about 1/2 hour to get everyone unloaded, paper work signed and pay the bill... boy was that a lot of cash. YIKES. LOL!!

In a few hours I go back to the clinic to pick up all the puppies. 1 is getting adopted at 3:30 from work, 2 are leaving for foster homes from work (their families can't pick them up for a week).

A few more get picked up tonight and 2 puppies leave fora foster home, just till Wednesday where their family comes to them and um... that leaves 1 puppy without a home :-(

I am honestly a little mad about it. I had an application all approved and looked great, I was really excited about it. I called him and it took him 2 days to get back to me. When he did I already had appointments set for the remaining puppies. That means assuming (which is what happened) that the 2 people who scheduled appointments already picked a puppy there would be only one left.
The guy was all annoyed that he couldn't pick. Well should have called me back sooner.

So, then he comes out Friday night and looks at the remaining puppy. As he was leaving he said I will call you in a few days. I said no I need you to call me tomorrow before noon. I have 2 other people waiting to hear what you decide.

Well Saturday noon came and went and I never heard from the guy. So, I called him around 3:30pm. Phone went to voice mail so I left a message that said if he could please call me back before 6pm and just let me know either way.

NEVER CALLED!!!!

So, that evening I get an email from the one person who was waiting to hear that they went to the shelter at got a puppy. Good I am glad they went to the shelter but darn! The puppy missed out on a home because the guy didn't call me back like he was supposed to... so I email the other lady and told her I would call her Sunday around 11am. She emailed back and said she too went to the shelter on Saturday and adopted an older dog. UGH! So that means the puppy missed out on ANOTHER home because the guy didn't call me back.

Really guy, really! Your a jerk. I mean you couldn't have just said you weren't interested? Now the poor puppy doesn't have a home.

I am happy the other 2 people went to the shelter and they adopted but I feel bad for the puppy.

Seriously, people are rude!

I am hoping that today when I bring the puppies into work that someone will fall in love :-) If not I do have one more option but we will see.. LOL