Best Laid Plans

In the summer of 2011 we put our house up for sale and ended up having it on the market for just under a year.  Nearly every summer, I've expressed my desire for an in ground pool and we figured that it would be easier and more cost effective to find a house with a pool already done.  Our home sale was a nightmare of epic proportions so we took it off the market and installed a pool. 

After not even an entire year with our wonderful pool, we have again put our house on the market.  With the pool, we have limited space for Ray to run and very little space for a foster.  Priorities, right?   Naturally with a pool we've had a lot of showings in just a week and one of them, I discovered was for the day after I first met the puppy.  Knowing the kind of stress we have, especially my foster-resistant husband, on the eve of a showing, E and I formulated a plan; I would pick up Puppy on my lunch hour and E would puppy sit until I get off work. 

The best laid plans crashed when I lost the scrap of paper with the address, and I ended up driving up and down the street a few times searching.   It ended up not being  the same one I was near when I found Puppy.  I narrowed had it down with the help of my memory and the recognition of the car from the previous day.  It was parked in the drive, so I began ringing the doorbell, pounding knocking on the door and "helloooo"-ing at open windows.  I saw a dog chained in the backyard.  She lay there without making a peep, but I saw nary a sign of Puppy.  I texted E with my findings and went back to work vowing to return  at five. 

At five, the same car was in the drive and after the same knocking and shouting, I just stood near the back gate and  shouted G's name over and over until a young man appeared.  I asked if they still had the puppy and if they were still willing to turn him over to me.  "Smokey" was wearing the collar that I had gotten from the shelter and though I was told the previous day that he already had a rabies tag at home, my tag was on the collar. 

He was obviously confused by being handed over, but in the truck he settled with a dehydrated duck foot and rode off to a new future.  What that future held for him was still a bit murky about the details.  He definitely needed a bath, some TLC, a microchip and a neuter, so in that order we set out to check off the list.  I had gotten my sister's agreement to foster if necessary and her rescue could arrange adoption if we needed to go that route, so I felt pretty good that no matter what, he would be taken care of. 

Kevin spent most of the day that I was to pick up "Smokey" on the phone trying to find an adopter. Because of the upheaval in our lives right now and because of the mystery of the pup's past, Kevin wasn't sold. Until they met. I had lined up a foster (with my incredible sister) and gotten a Rescue committment, if necessary, but waited to see what Kevin's reaction would be.

I had been considering the name Marcellus (he's black, he's bald...) but this lanky little guy was not up to carrying that name so after we bandied about a few possibilities, we chose the one that was nearly Ray's name. Julius.

Julius was understandably timid the first day or two. We knew he was not housebroken so opted to crate him in the smaller of our two crates. This is the one Ray used for his first six or seven months and was the perfect size for Julius. He seemed grateful for the safe spot and took to it right away. Because the weather has been cooler, and we had to keep the boys separated at first, we put the crate in the garage so that he would be close to the family room and us.

The first night went extremely well with a dry and clean crate, the successive nights followed suit and we've kept the crated door open during the day and have been rewarded with a clean and dry garage. We've also had successful visits in the house. With these early visits, I anticipate a little bit of counter surfing, but he is so easily corrected so far.

Surprisingly, or maybe not, I'd say that I was the hardest sell. Adopting Julius would put an end to my fostering plans, at least for the forseeable future and if we could be assured of him going to a great home, I would be all for it. The other tough sell would be Ray himself. Back when we came so close to adopting or at least fostering King, I shared a reservation that I had in a conversation with Jessica, our shelter Director. My fear was that with King being so awesome, that Ray may suffer by comparison and Julius appears to be no different.

Ray is a work in progress, he's challenging, frustrating and awesome. He is my baby, my puppy and my heart dog and nothing will ever change that. Julius is great and I love him. He has the makings of a great ambassadog and will probably be the one taken out to many of the outings Ray previously attended. Ray will still shop in his favorite stores and we will never stop with his training.
I can't even begin to count how many hearts Julius has collected in just  a few days.  He's absolutely adorable and beyond sweet. 

So, is he a Foster or a Lockhart?

If You Name the Puppy

I was out for a walk with one of my current favorites from the shelter recently when I encountered a big surprise.  Rapunzel and had stopped briefly for some poochie smoochies when all of a sudden I glanced up to see another dog running toward us.  He looked quite happy and sweet, but like with any off leash dog (without a collar) I felt a flash of apprehension.  He turned out to be just a dog of the neighborhood, about 5-6 months old and looking for some fun.  He was also somewhat dirty, had thin hair and a huge open sore on his ear. 

Had to Check
I had to make sure that whatever was wrong with this little guy's ear wasn't contagious and secondly that he wasn't a stray roaming the streets so with the the help of some neighborhood folks and a loaned belt as a makeshift slip lead, I got them both back to the shelter.  Once in the intake kennel, this little guy started collecting hearts with his sweet demeanor and soulful eyes and I soon found myself sitting on the floor with fellow volunteer, E, making over this sweet pup.

A Dime a Dozen
Unfortunately our kennels were full so I soon discovered that Animal Care and Control was called to come pick up our little stray.  Being that he was clearly under a year old, I knew he had no chance of entering the Pit Bull ambassador program that AC&C offers so unless he was pulled by a rescue, his chances were slim and despite his winning personality, dogs who look like him are a dime a dozen in our area.

My buddy volunteer, E, began brainstorming.  E is at his city limit (5 dogs) but could take him home as a foster if he was in a program but that wasn't guaranteed either.  I couldn't let him go but knew I was possibly jumping into something by following my heart rather than my head.  I would take him to the vet to make sure the sore was not contagious and that the thinness of the hair was not mange.  We wondered what his name was or what we would call him.  I told E I had an idea, but "once you name the puppy, the puppy is yours" so we held off.

One of the great staff at the Shelter found a collar and leash we could use so E and I walked Puppy to the vet clinic for a check up where the entire staff of the clinic quickly became smitten.  He didn't have mange and the sore on his ear is from fly bites.  Ick.  Dr. R said a topical antibiotic like neosporin would clear it up and since it looked like he'd be coming home with me, I had him wormed and vaccinated.  I nearly said his 'secret' name out loud, but I held strong.

Walking back to the shelter, we decided that E would take Puppy home until I got off work when a car came screeching up behind us and the driver said "HEY!" then glared at us.  The lady in the passenger seat got out and said, "That's my dog."

I asked her where she lived, and the street was the same as where I found him and she said he didn't have a collar because he was playing with the other dog and it came off.  She said his name was Smokey and that he was the last of a litter that her dog, Onyx, had.  Because it was clearly her dog, with a heavy heart I handed him over with his new collar, a rabies tag, and a heartworm tablet.  We introduced ourselves and G took her dog away, saying he'd already had his vaccinations and this would be his second rabies tag.

About an hour later, I was surprised to get a call from E.  He actually sounded just as surprised as me, when he said G had returned to the shelter and decided that I might be able to provide a better home for "Smokey" and if I wanted him, I could come get him!

Tune in tomorrow for what happend next.

A No Grainer

Because I’m still constantly trying to figure out what Ray is allergic to and sensitive of, I have to be very sparing in introducing new treats and foods, especially in the summer months it seems.  I’ve learned from experience that I can’t just rip open the BarkBox and let Ray sample one of everything right off the bat and therefore, I just got around to letting him try the No Grainers Soft Chews. 

You may recall that he went bonkers over his Max & Ruffy’s Tree of Life treats, so just having those in our BarkBox was a huge hit.  I decided to try the No Grainers when I wanted to do a quick training sesh in the morning and I figured we could check them out.

When I opened the bag and Ray caught a whiff of the meaty aroma, he got so excited and tried to pull out a majority of his arsenal of “tricks” in an effort to get one.  My poor little guy started quivering, sitting, running to his mat, lying down, etc. just to offer a behavior that would yield a tasty tidbit. 

Talk about a High Value treat!  I’m definitely going to have to add these to my list of good treats. 

If you haven’t ordered a BarkBox yet, what are you waiting for?

Wordless Wednesday

Who is that girl and where did she get those ears!

Setting Up For...

Failure.

Recognizing your weaknesses.  Acknowledging your prejudices.  Knowing your limits.

Every Thursday throughout the summer we have Lunch on the Square, where a local musician plays music, the food trucks descend and people fill the square and enjoy lunch al fresco.  We also bring a couple of adoptable dogs from the SPCA to strut their adoptable stuff and hopefully find a home.  After one near fiasco with a dog who didn't do well in crowds, we stuck to the best of the best, so to speak.  We brought some true ambassadors for the shelter and by that same token, heard some valuable feedback.  People sought us out to see the star of the week and we heard more than one surprised person say that they had no idea such awesome dogs were available.  Too often the public's perception is that of the broken and abused dog who will need so much work.  People don't realize pets make their way to the shelter for a multitude of reasons and some of the most wonderful companions are waiting for their second or third chance.

Recently during some extreme heat, I decided to sign up at the last minute for a Lunch date and showed up to collect my date.  I knew it was probably a bad idea because of the heat.  I knew there were several dogs that I wanted to spend some time with and if I went to Lunch I would forego their company. 

I was paired with a long haired small dog who pancakes when being taken out of the kennel but is a happy little wiggle butt when outside.  I had my doubts.  I felt apprehensive.  This dog walked in swirly little circles in front of me.  This dog jumped at noises. 

We arrived at a parking garage and had to park on the uppermost level.  This dog doesn't do stairs or elevators so we walked down the ramp to the street level.  She sat for a few pets then hid under the park bench and quivered so I knew that since neither of us were having fun, we should head back. 

I felt horrible because this dog is literally one of the sweetest little gals ever, but in my breed specific prejudice, she started out with a strike, in my mind.  The hot day and my disappointment at not being with one of my big-heads made me small and mean spirited, but also taught me a little bit more about myself.  I knew this wasn't a good idea with the heat and a slightly hesitant dog, so I should have felt confident enough to express myself.  I should have acknowledged that staying close to the shelter and going for short walks would have been the best option for all involved.

A lesson learned.

How Timely

Right on the heels of our post last week where we wrote about our new Organizing Utility Tote and About Town Blanket, but noted that we misplaced our folding water bowl, our July BarkBox arrived. 
This month's BarkBox was so full of doggety goodness that I could have sworn that it was packed with things especially selected just for Ray.

Yes, that is a SafeMade flexi-bowl that I can add to my doggie bag as well as some great treats and dispensers.

While we haven't yet tried everything, the Max & Ruffy's Tree of Life treats were a HUGE hit.  They smelled a bit like a gingerbread cookie and I was somewhat tempeted to sample one myself, which I could do because they are made with organic human-grade ingredients.  As if that wasn't enough, they've included a coupon too!  I've perused the Max & Ruffy's site a bit and I can guarantee that we will make use of that coupon.  I try to be very careful with introducing new treats to Ray with all of his pink piggy sensitivities and these are definitely winners.

What was your favorite part of this month's BarkBox?

Doggie Bag

So often while heading to the shelter or while actually out on walks, I remembered things that I wanted to bring with me.  This began happening so often that I decided to get a bit more organized and luckily I had an occasion to purchase some Thirty One items.  Actually what had happened was I borrowed a bag that Asia had purchased and I loved the functionality so much that I decided to give hers back and get one in a color that suited my needs and with a saying of my choice. 


Thus, this became my dog walking bag that I keep in my vehicle.

I decided not to have anything embroidered on it about Ray or Peaceabull just because it will be used for  so many different events and dogs.

backside



 The multitude of pockets is perfect for just grabbing things I might need and the inside is roomy enough for other essentials.



So what all did I decide are essentials that I either use regularly or just want to have "just in case,"  you ask? 

From the top, a spare harness (and leash) that actually no longer fits Ray but will fit many of the dogs I might walk, though the only other pooch who has worn it was Glamour/Kya and it was a bit large on her.  Clicker.  I don't really click with the shelter dogs but if I have Ray out and about I like to have my clicker handy.  Carabiner.  If you have a dog, have ever walked a dog or needed a free hand or extra hanger you know how valuable this is.  I could hang carabiners all over myself and be very happy.  Comfy, flat walking shoes.  Although I've written about walking in 3" heels,  I've found that while I still do it occasionally, I'm getting wise enough to utilize the flats more.  Bio spray and lip gloss.  Only one of those are for pooches and the other is for me.  I stash lip gloss all over the place like a squirrel hiding nuts.  Seriously, I have at least seven different kinds in my desk at work and two more in the door handle compartment in my truck.  Groom mitts.  These came in a BarkBox and they're completely awesome.  I'm also not above admitting that on a super humid day, I may have made use of one on a certain human before heading back to work.   Lint roller, because dogs shed.  Treat pouch and poop bags.  Kind of self explanatory.  Last but not least is my new "dog mat."  I didn't even know Thirty One made anything like this, but it will be so handy for the truck or any other time we need something portable and washable to sit on.

Fleecy side

Water resistant side

I love that it folds up and closes with velcro and it even has a zippered pouch for money or other things I don't want stuffed into the open pockets.  It's also roomy enough to fit at least one person and a dog. 

So tell me, what is in your doggie bag and what am I forgetting?

*Not pictured is our foldable water dish...I misplaced it, so we've been making due with water bottles.

Question

Has your heart grown fonder?  Because we have been absent for over two weeks and really have no excuse.  Well, no good excuse.  We've been doing a lot of this:

...and a lot of this:

....while always still making time for this:

We've missed being here and do have some posts planned, so thanks for hanging in there with us!

Heads or Tails

One of my favorite people in the world is my sister.  I'd say that statement is true 95% of the time but that's a pretty darned good percentage, if you ask me.  She is fun and we have a history that goes back, obviously, a long time so that we get each other's quirks and twisted sense of humor.  We are totally alike and totally different.  She says we are like the two sides of the same coin. 

She had a Pit Bull-type of dog way before I was interested in them and recently she has been doing something that I've been wanting to do for the longest time.  In the last week of May she got her first foster dog and tomorrow she will be sending her second foster dog to his forever home!

Buddy

 Her first foster, Brutus, was losing his foster home due to a medical issue with his foster parent, so my sister took him in until he was adopted.  That actually left her foster-less for a week or two while everyone ensured that Bru's adoption would "stick." 

In the meantime, a call was put out about Buddy.  He had been in rescue since April and was being kenneled on location, though clearly not liking it.  When my sister's spot opened up, she took him in and after their first adoption event together, she texted me that they had received a good application on Buddy.

Not one to usually dress up her pets, but rather one to mock Ray endlessly about his "outfits," I was pleasantly surprised to see her make use of the Adopt Me collar from Just Dog Gone Cute.  If you are in the Michigan area and are looking for a great pet, check out Seven Star Rescue in St. Joe.

I don't really say it ever often enough, but I'm proud of her.

Kya

I think that I might have started this post in my head nearly a dozen times, but when it came to typing it out, I couldn't formulate a coherent thought.  Maybe that's a sign that I'm addressing this too soon.  Maybe the emotion of the week is still wearing off and I'm still riding the waves of such a new and life-changing experience.

Last week, one of the folks at the shelter that I was talking to called me something that meant the world to me.  Something that made me feel like a super hero.  She called me "Glamour's foster mom."  Today, I
am proud to announce that Glamour, now known as Kya is:

Her perfect family has found her and she is now the happy little sister to her Doberman brother and is already loved and cherished by her people.  How do I know that?  They have messaged me and graciously friended us on Facebook, so we'll get pictures and updates!