Keeping Things Straight

Migo is coming in tomorrow.
My TG Foster, who I will not name until they're on the bus for me, will be here Sunday.

In my few moments of saneness between school projects (I'm done 1/2 big projects though, and a couple of days early to boot!) I've become a bit more organized. Since I'm fostering for a few different rescues, I need to keep the stuff organized. So, I divided one of my TV armoir's bottom draws into three and will get a couple of labels tomorrow. So, I can keep straight which collars are whose --the Island Dogz ones always come with their tags, but just in case-, papers, records, any other supplies, receipts if I need them, etc, etc.

Turtle Gardens, Island Dogz, Ocean Dog Rescue.

No more! I don't want to have to subdivide the drawer again. And really, three is enough and I've been a good girl and haven't caved to any more Cali dogs. It's easier when there's really no funds for them. Besides, who am I kidding, if shit hit the fan, I'd be the last person to know what to do. Allie was a good eye-opener that I shouldn't be going in blind. At least with the Taiwanese dogs, I get plenty of video, and I know they are dog-social because they have to live with multiple other dogs continuously. So, no more taking chances for awhile.

I also bought a third food bin too. Previously it was: Our food bin, bin for Island Dogz, and the closet for the TG food. Now we have 3 bins :) And they will be labeled with each rescue, and Beckett/Lemon food will take up the closet.

It's all a bit more organized than I'm used to, but I'm lucky that my rescues don't mind me fostering from different places co-currently. So, best do my best to stay organized.

Oh, and moment of the day. Jersey the Great Dane is staying over tonight. Zephyr slept through her coming in -he must REALLY be used to loud dogs, cause she was REALLY happy to be here. Anyway, he saunters out of his crate an hour or two later, turns the corner and BAM. He's paralyzed in his tracks and you can see his eyes bug out of his head like "BIG.... DOG...."

After about a minute or so he figured he was safe enough (for being 120 pounds, Jersey is a small dog in her brain). Still, funny.

And that's all she wrote tonight.

And Jas is on Trial

We dropped Jas off at her trial today. And for only ever having one accident in the house in the month she's been here, what does she promptly do upon entry to her new home. Both a pee and a poo. Oh well, the couple were very nice about cleaning up after her -they already had doggie doo bags ready to go for a walk.

She'll probably take a couple of days to get used to being in a new place, and as an only dog, but she wasn't worse for not having any other canine companionship about, which was good. Unlike TG, Island Dogz, who I work with for the Taiwanese dogs, almost always does a trial period just to make sure. (I'm not really for the trial, as people either stick to it, or they don't, but I'm just a foster mum). We'll see how it goes. I'm not going to say its in the bag until the papers are signed, but I have a good gut feeling. My brain has lied to me, my heart sometimes lies to me, but my gut. My gut is rarely wrong. Hopefully its still working correctly with all the school chaos going on.

In the upcoming few days:
I get to board my favorite Great Dane for part of the weekend. The funniest part is that I usually go to bed an hour or so before Jerrad, and she comes to bed with me. Negotiating bed space with a Great Dane isn't very easy. Most of the time he ends up on the couch :P Hey, she's a paying customer!

I get Migo this weekend, who has been months in the making. He has interest still, but needs a real meet+greet with the current dogs to make sure. It's much easier for dogs -whether from as far away as Taiwan, or from up north like TG- to get interest in the city. More and more people want to meet their dog before committing. I totally get it -especially if you're looking for dog #2 or dog #3. So, Migo shouldn't be staying long, but he has a spot here for however long he needs.

Getting ready for Canada.

TG Bus is on Sunday too, so we'll see whose coming. I've told both Denise and Yvette just to let me know an hour or two before the bus actually leaves who is coming, so it might come as a surprise.

And now, I'm sitting with my two dogs, and Zephyr on my feet, and have my fingers crossed he finds his home soon. He certainly is a fantastic catch. A shame most people would think he's an old, fat, plain kind of guy. Don't worry Zeph, I know how awesome you are :)

Happy Dogs in Happy Homes Updates

Okay, so I scooped the pictures off facebook, so no real 'updates', but the pictures say it all!

Alfie hanging out in Tofino.

Alfie tackles the beach with his dad.

Tye is proud to be both a 'sled dog' and have a new baby in the house!

Tucker, my very first foster, having an off-leash blast at China Beach.

Tucker at China Beach Take 2

Having a nice relaxing week dog wise. After the first two weeks in foster, the dogs settle in well and besides normal exercise and such, usually don't pose a lot of issues that need work (unless they're terriers that suddenly figure out they're terriers!). Or, they're an Allie. The Tuapas are definitely not Allies! They walk, they eat, they lay at your feet, they head to their crates for quiet time. They're nice and easy. Good housemates.

Otherwise finishing up my final projects at a good pace, and enjoying the weather. Jas leaves for her trial Thursday, and I will bug Miranda in the next day or two whether Josh will be putting in an application for Zephyr. I might send Zephyr over their way to spend more time there too.

Have you heard of those companies that 'rent' their dogs out for walks. I think you could do that with Zephyr and make some good money ;) Or, maybe better, find him a great home. Hmm... I ought to try that with Lemon :P. Wherever we go people like her. I don't bring her to homechecks or meet+greets with my fosters anymore, as she tends to steal the show. Funny, in the month or so she was here before we adopted her, she had absolutely 0 interest. But, I always figure, even in the down times, or in adoption fall throughs, or whatever, that things happen how they're supposed to. The right home is out there, sometimes it takes a weird string of events to get there.

Emily Out

Happy Update: Kaiser!

Since there was no bus run yesterday, we decided that instead of Miranda taking Zephyr out to meet a person potentially interested in him, that we'd just all go to the lake together. (We'll see if the interested party puts an application in ;) ) So, we got to meet up with Kaiser!

For anyone not familiar, I saved Kaiser as a gift to myself for my birthday, back in September now. He spent over a month in a shelter before that, and then almost a month in boarding afterwards. He went through a somewhat sketchy foster home (at this point, I couldn't have any more dogs at my old residence), but in the end, he landed right where he belonged.

Some video out on our trip:

Beckett loved Kaiser right away. As soon as he got out the house she was like 'thank dog, a big dog to really PLAY with'. Lemon is good for every day kind of play, but not let loose and conquer kind of play.

And some pictures, cause I really like fiddling with my camera. I think I might just put that very kind donation Chow's people gave to me into taking a photography lesson or too. Hey, it'll help the dogs out too right :)

Here are some of Kaiser and the Crew from our walk:

Kaiser Playing Tug with his Dad Dan

Exploring the Lake

Forgot the sports mode, but what a shot!

Take off! (With Josh, Dan's brother, who was interested in meeting Zephyr)

Kaiser enjoys his stick.

Looking Old and Wise.

No Dad, I don't want to go home yet!!

And a couple of our crew from the day too:

Zephyr with Josh.

We three Brindles

Beckett Tentative about the Water

Zephyr: Can we PLEASE get back to Hiking!

Playing hard to get with Josh.

Beckett looking all Puppy

Lemon on the Trail

It took about 4 months, but Lemon is a great physical (non-butterball) condition now.
She's also changed colors -she's quite a bit darker now and her freckles are more prounounced.

Beckett walking Jasmine on the trail.

Lemon and Jas down by the water with Jerrad.

I'm so glad its spring! I'm walking around in a sweater and feeling like going on longer and longer hikes. Be prepared incoming foster dogs, we're going to be walking a whole lot! Fingers crossed Zephyr made a good impression -he was a bit of dork being standoffish, but got quite comfortable in the end. Well, off to work -its nice days like this that make me kind of sad I work at an indoor daycare. But when the rain comes, I'm so glad I do :)

Emily Out

TG Bus Run Postponed

We're postponed to next week. Which, kind of means -MINIATURE PARTY TODAY-. I make sure on bus run days that I'm home pretty much all the time so I can jump to go when I'm needed. So, today, I'm going to do a bunch of homework this morning, and go out for the afternoon.

Dan and Kaiser

Miranda, Dan and Kaiser are going to come out for our Elk Beaver Lake walk, and they're bringing someone who might be interested in Zephyr too :) I'm charging the camera!

Don't worry whoever is coming to me, I'll be ready for you next week! Jas will be on trial, I might even have Zephyr off on trial (I'm getting a little too optimistic aren't I!), and next weekend I believe Migo gets here too. One and a half week, and WE'RE OUT FOR THE SUMMER everybody!

And now, back to that mountain of homework!

Emily Out

Such a Nice Day!

Minus the fact that my scholarship stuff is screwed to pieces, it was a really nice day. GORGEOUS weather, and here I was slaving away until mid-afternoon on homework (April 3rd is my final day of school for the year). It's going to be a BUSY week. At 3:30 I gave it up and decided to get out to enjoy the weather.

We piled everyone in the car and headed out to Elk Beaver lake to do a shorter run (our usual 6-7km instead of the full ten).

Boy, was the trail pretty packed, but that didn't stop everyone from having a good time.

With regular exercise and a good diet plan, Zephyr's looking pretty good!
He's lost 3 pounds already, and has about 5-8 more to lose.

Lemon off leash with the Tuapas.

Tuapas out for a walk -The jingling is Beckett's tags

(he uses them so he doesn't run into stuff)

Jasmine is heading off to trial on Thursday. Yeah Jasmine! Tomorrow we're moving the TUAPAS back downstairs, or at least Zephyr as he's getting grouchy. To the point where he'll shut down Beckett and Lemon before they even start playing. Time for Zephyr to get some alone (ish) time. Of course he'll still be going on the hikes and Jerrad is down there most of the day studying, and Lemon is a sneaky little bugger and defies the baby gate any chance she gets. Most of the time she'd rather be up here with Beckett and me, but she'll go down and visit. Zephyr quite likes her anyway. I'm very glad for the set up we have here now. If somebody needs some alone time, its fairly easy to accomodate.

We're picking up our new TG foster tomorrow. I do believe its Cubby, but I haven't gotten the usual confirming e-mail, so I might be totally surprised when I go to pick up whoever is coming. With homework out the wazoo, as long as it isn't somebody that's going to take up a lot of time, we can deal. Pictures tomorrow of our new TG arrival :)

Emily Out

Dogs Know Best -When it Comes to their Forever home Anyway ;)

I had a greet meet and greet with Zephyr and Jasmine this morning and a young couple who have quite a bit of dog experience. I had thought going in that Zephyr would be his typical loving self, and Jas would be a shy, skittering ball. Wow, did I NOT have that pegged.

They pretty much swapped roles (which is both surprising, and so interesting, because the couple were mostly interested in Jasmine to begin with). After a few minutes of walking and warming up, Jas was a happy, curious, ear-scratch loving girl. She went back to their place and confidently walked around and sized it up and asked for scritches and gazed adoringly at her reflection in the many mirrors. She liked the man right away, and quickly liked the girl too. Zephyr on the otherhand was very standoffish and not his usual self. I wonder if he knew he needed Jas to have the attention.

It's funny how dogs seem to know when/where/who they need to be with. I think today Jasmine picked her people -and I think they picked her too-. We're gearing up for a 'trial' (have I mentioned I really don't like TRIALS!) for early next week :) They seem very committed though.

It's not in the bag yet, but Jas went in and conquered. Go Jas go.

We also got to visit with Suhki, Veda, Cheryl and Peter today. I love my goofy little Suhki pants -poor guy is recovering from a sprain, and I'm sure we didn't help that recovery at all! Suffice to say he always remembers us :). As per usual, he has the most stunning temperment, and gives the best kisses. Veda (previously Fala) is also quite the sweetie. Fiery too -like good redheads should be! Hopefully we'll get out again with them soon. If I get to foster some pups over the summer, I know who will want to play with them!

Lexi goes home tomorrow, and I'm going to miss her. She can stay for as long as she wants :) She's such a funny little goofy girl, and as cuddly as Lemon. I need to convince her family she'd do well to have a confident housemate to help her become more confident. With the dogs here, she's super confident. There's nothing quite like a stable, happy pack.

Little Lexi after a play session -and yes, that's a tiny wiimote
beside her.  Talk about your pipsqueak dogs.

Oh, and one of Lemon for good measure -I'm sorry, I haven't been so good with the camera lately. This is one Jerrad took :) She's so hard done by.

Talk about Stressed

Grumble, Grumble

Alright, before I go into mini-rant, I just want to say all of Zephyr, Jasmine and Beckett are extremely dog social. They have good communication skills, they have good meet+greet skills. Zephyr doesn't like high-energy dogs in his face and is a bit of 'you get once chance' type -much like me-. Pay attention to me the first time! Jasmine is scared by high-energy dogs, she is 'too submissive', like the person who runs around being mousy and thinking they're going to be beaten by a hard word (I'm sure you know them). But overall, they are all very well socialized as far as dogs are concerned.

But good golly, I'm getting just a little bit sick of Zephyr and Jasmine picking on Beckett -and Beckett letting them get away with it! Zephyr has tried to pick on Lemon but she's told him off. I didn't really know Jas had a bone to pick with Beckett, but apparently she's following whatever Zephyr does these days. (she's really just the odd time here and there). Beckett is the biggest dog here, he has an extremely good tell off, but will he use it. NO! Gah. He very sullenly does what he's told, even when its verges on being mean.

Zephyr gives him the hairy eye from the corner and raises his lip. Fair warning, but Beckett can't see him. So Zephyr kicks him off his bed and will basically herd him wherever he feels fit. Beckett just does what he's told, even if that means Zephyr's pushed him into the bedroom and won't let him out. Zephyr will let Lemon cuddle with him, and if he's in a particuarly good mood, he'll go cuddle with Beckett, but if Beckett moves one toe out of line, Zephyr turns the snap on. Now, its not like there's been any damage or whatever -Zephyr is just obviously in charge as far as dog pecking order goes. Well, that's not true, Lemon is at the top. She doesn't boss, but she doesn't put up with being bossed.

So I'm trying to make the boys sort it out themselves, -its not anything bad, it's just ANNOYING and I can tell Beckett isn't all to happy about it!- I just wish Beckett would grow a backbone and Zephyr would stop being a jerk --he's only a jerk to Beckett, he's a really great boy otherwise, and especially loves the little dogs--.

Oh, and Zephyr briefly found out yesterday that couches are very comfy. Until Beckett came by for a scratch and Zephyr went guarding dog and Emily went 'F-off, this is MY couch, Beckett is MY dog, and YOU are TOAST!'. I don't think he'll want to hang on the couch for awhile. I might have overreacted a titch, but someone's gotta snap around here for time to time!

I think Jasmine might be hiding in her crate for the rest of the night mind you -any correction and she goes into 'OMG, I'm so sorry' mode. Sigh, don't worry girl, I don't think I'll ever really need to correct you, and if I do, you have a dirty look reserved. Just like people, everyone needs to be told a bit differently.

Oh, and going to Zephy/Jasmine meet+greet tomorrow morning. Hopefully they'll be liked :) There's more interest in Jasmine going in, but I wouldn't doubt Zephyr's power to win over people. Hopefully they will see what I see: nice, fairly easy-going, friendly dogs ready for families. If they want Jasmine, they'll just have to be ready for a week or two of possibly difficult transition. Which reminds me, I should probably start up the 'walk Jasmine alone, develop confidence without the pack' thing cause if she ends up being an only dog, that might be a fight to conquer for people who aren't knowledgeable about building confidence.

And today, I've decided, providing TG is up for it, over the summer, I want to foster some puppies! I miss my Dayo (now Suhki) and curbing behaviours right from the get-go. I never used to be a puppy person, but by golly, I do think it would be nice to have one I could work with from the very beginning. I've been spying on Duck Tollers online, and although I very much doubt I would get a purebred puppy (mostly because, you know, rescue), I must admit, I'd really like a toller. And, I've convinced Jerrad, providing we get to renew our lease, that we can foster-fail a puppy ;). If he had his way we'd still have Dayo.

I have my hairy eyeball out. Until then, I'll enjoy whoever comes my way, and all the puppies at daycare -its puppy season and they're starting to flood in!

Alright Zephyr, you better be a gentlemen the rest of the night. I'm in a pissy mood, and if Beckett won't tell you what's what for being a big bully to him, I'll get my bully on you myself!

Hopefully some good news tomorrow :)

Emily Out

Allie Update, California Save comes to the Boarding front, and a Meet + Greet for Zephyr and Jasmine

Well, first the most exciting news. An Allie update!

She's doing great and you're never getting her back :)  Allie's adapting to family life and getting more and more active and snuggly.

Whoot! Go Allie go. I knew Brenda had the patience to wait her out. I'm sure she had more than a few nights of 'what the heck have I got myself into!' But Allie is worth the wait. I betcha now that she's rediscovered her inner puppy, she'll an unstoppable force of confidence within her safe zones.

Then, a couple of days ago I got a weird call. It was Lexi's mum. At first I was like 'Lexi??', but then I realized this was the mum of one of the Chis I'd saved from California. Lexi came up with Chula and Netty, and was fostered by my friend Allie.

Well, Allie can't board anymore (new job), so I'm next in line :). Lexi has a very sweet family, but she is a timid girl. BUT, after the first hour or two of 'OMG, new people, new place, new dogs', and shaking and panting suddenly she's quite confident about it all. Hmm, to convince her family to get another dog ;) She plays with Lemon and is snuggly. I like her very much, and its too cool to have a dog you've helped save come back and spend some time with you.

Oh, and Zephyr loves her. He tails her around everywhere. I think Zephyr is a little Chihuahua addicted. Lemon is the only dog I've ever seen him try to play with.

Which comes to the last cool thing today. Zephyr and Jasmine have a younger couple (I never know how young is young, since we were really young when we adopted Beckett, and are still 'young') interested in seeing both of them. I really hope they like Zephyr. He's the perfect 'first dog'. Not that Jas isn't a great dog, as she is, but she's going to take a longer time to transition. Zephyr is kind of ready-made, and he would adore to be a single dog. Hopefully they don't think they're too old like the other people. Not quite sure when the meet+greet is yet, but hoping sooner than later :).

Dog run this weekend, not sure whose coming -I think DimSum has been scooped-. I leave that in Yvette (and Denise's) capable hands and figure they'll let me know whose coming before I pick them up on Sunday.

Fingers crossed for the TUAPAS. Someone has to appreciate a nice middle-aged dog :)

Emily Out

Where's my Camera when I need it!

Sorry for all the hodgepodge of smaller blogs. I've been treading water chin-deep in homework. I'm thankful for lazy dogs who like their quiet life inside, and then turn it on when they get outside. (The 1-2 hour walk is still in the forecast!)

Anyway, the camera is on the table, and just when I'd really like to snap a picture. Usually Zephyr doesn't really care for Beckett, but after Beckett's been gone for a night, I can tell Zephyr has missed his blind buddy. The two of them are curled up on Beckett's dog bed having a cuddle. Zephyr looks incredibly content and Beckett's got one of his long, long legs wrapped around him.

And, when I decide try grab the camera, they're going to move and pretend it didn't happen. But I caught you spooning boys!

Moved, and Some Sad News

Well, we got everything moved over -safe to say, our 1st livingroom looks like a disaster zone, but hey, I think we scored a lot of goodies out of the deal. The TUAPAS had a good day hanging with Miranda, Kaiser's mum and won over her fiance on fostering too ;) Sometime soon I hope! The dogs proved to be who they usually are: indoor couch potatoes, outside active, spunky dogs. Sure, they're no young pups, but they're no on death doors dogs.

Which is sad, because their homecheck was a bust. "Too old." Too old my butt. If I could freeze Beckett at almost seven, I totally would! That's okay, they're more than welcome to stay, and I'm sure they'll find great homes that appreciate them for the middle-aged dogs they are.

Sheesh, when I get old, I want to be considered well-seasoned and experienced, not 'too old'.

The wheels of rescue go round. I had that itch it was too good to be true to see them both go together. I hate when those negative itches turn out to be true.

But there has to be nice 'seasoned' people wanting nice 'experienced' dogs. For now, they'll enjoy their cushy blankets (or in Jas' case, her crate with its open door). For them, its just another day in a comfy place.

Signs your Dog is Pretty Much Completely Blind #47 + FOILED AGAIN!

Ahh, my poor sight-challenged dog.

We parked the car out front this morning instead of around back like usual. When I called Beckett to come get in the car, he ran to me and Jerrad (who was stocking the egg fridge a foot or so away from the car), and what does my husky try to do?

He tries to jump in the egg fridge instead of the car.

Yep...

My dog tried to jump in the fridge...

I think its safe to say, there's very little, if any eye-sight left in #1.

The look on Lemon's face was priceless though. "WWHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTT". Me too Lemon, me too.

Oh, and what's another giggle or two. I have no idea why I bother trying to pick my TG fosters anymore. I really should just get in the habit of phoning the morning of and seeing whose left who needs foster. I tried to get my greedy little paws on Enya (TOO FRIGGING CUTE!)

But guess what, she's ADOPTED. Yep. Apparently I needed yet another swift kick in the bum going 'girl, get it together, you really don't have a say'. But that's okay. I can keep trying right :). I'm not considered a pest without cause.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Vancouver to spend the day helping my mum and dad move, and bringing back a crapload of stuff for our place (you suddenly get a big place and kind of become a dumping ground). I'm not passing up freebies though. Lemon and Beckett are hanging at Jess' for the night and tomorrow, and my friend Miranda is coming over tomorrow to watch the TUAPAS (I figured it would be easier one them, especially Jasmine, not to have to go somewhere new).

And guess who Miranda is owned by?

Don't I look familiar!

Yep, The Kaiser Man. I did a homecheck with Miranda last week and got to reunite with Kaiser. He remembered me :) :) :) I love this dog so much. Though I'm sure Miranda loves him bunches more! It's funny how dogs unite people.

Well, off to clean some more Beckett fur bunnies. Gotta have a clean(er) house for company!

Emily Out

Under the Weather, and Homecheck for the TUAPAS

Well, some nasty flu has gobbled up me and spit me out, and two days later I'm just starting to give a real kick back. I've still got three weeks until I call it an end to the school year, got to keep kicking.

No new pictures as the dogs have been mostly homebound the last couple of days, still going out for their walks with Jerrad, but not a lot of Emily time. The Tuapas don't mind -Jerrad isn't around, they usually just hole up in their crates or find cushy pillows, or Zephyr will tail Beckett around trying to be the big, posturing Kahuna. Zephyr is nice and dog social, he just isn't fond of Beckett, almost 100% for the reason that Beckett is mostly blind and doesn't really know where he's going.

This weekend there will be a homevisit for Jasmine and Zephyr together. A retired couple who are interested in one dog, but have seen the pictures of these two together. Good luck TUAPAS. It would be nice for you to find a home together!

And just over a week until the TG Bus lands again. Our possible candidate is DimSum, Chow's sister, but we'll see what's in store. It might be the flu talking, but a completely and udder couch potato sounds better right now!

I have my fingers crossed that the current two will find their home before somebody new comes. But that is asking for best case scenario, which unfortunately, doesn't happen a whole heck of a lot.

Now, back to the couch. It's so sad that getting up to go to the washroom and come back to the computer is so draining. I'm such a whiner though.

Lemon is making sure I'm kept good care of, and Beckett keeps standing watch at the door of the bedroom or the bathroom. They're both going to be nuts if Sunday hits and they don't get their big hike.

BLAH. Go away flu, go away!

Delaying my Anniversary

It's been one year today that Tucker came to me, and I've got so much darn homework I can't get a good post together. So, I will defer my anniversary for a week :)

Stay tuned!

4 Zonked Pooches, and Longing for a Greyhound

So, the TUAPAS continue to love Jerrad much more than myself. I think its because I'm the 'commanding one' of the household. I'm used to my own dogs, that don't have that 'eager-to-please' thing going on in their heads. They are 'do what she says or we'll get torn a new strip' dogs. Sigh. Most dogs aren't, and I would be more than happy to use only positive reinforcement, if it actually worked.

But, I tried the off-leash hike a couple of days ago starting with nothing but positive, and by god Beckett was in one direction, and Lemon tore after a jogger, and they were like 'freedom suckers!!!'. So, Emily the bitch came back out in full force. If I maintain the first five minutes of mean mother, we're good for the rest of the walk. Sigh, must I always be the bad cop?

Zephyr and Jasmine are soft dogs. Not exactly 'eager-to-please' types, but dogs that don't like raised voices, or quick movements, or the whole 'leader' thing. So, they gravitate to Jerrad -the good cop.

Tonight, after Jerrad left for work, they both whined for about two minutes, and then headed into their crates of their own free will. Thanks guys. Good to know I'm not really worth spending time with! I'm so loved. (Yaya, whine whine, complain complain. I actually don't mind that much, and Jerrad is pretty giddy he finally has fosters who LOVE him and don't want much to do with me.)

In other news, while I'm supposed to be doing a mountain of homework, I finish a small boulder sized chunk, and get to looking at greyhounds for adoption.

Why greyhounds. Cause Meshum and daycare and badly bred dogs are scaring me senseless that Beckett, being 7, is 'old'. (He's MIDDLE-AGED!). But still, its scary. He could live another 7 or more years, or he could only have a year or two left. And basically, when he goes (hopefully not for a long LONG time), I want another Beckett dog. I can understand why people clone their good dogs.

So, I've decided #3 will be a greyhound (rescued!). (Hahahaha right, I'll probably somehow end up getting a dog I never thought of, but you know, I'm keeping myself occupied). But really, aren't they gorgeous!

Still, I'd rather just freeze Beckett. Don't get old on me man. You are the best dog I could ever ask for!

I'm not looking old to you am I??

Darn Meshum and scaring me!

Update from Chow, Pics at the Lake, and Dear God, It's that Time of the Semester Again

First off, an update from Chow!

Hi Emily

Well, we have renamed Chowmein "Lucy", and her first day was better than we
could have hoped for.

She settled in quickly, slept quietly all night and in the morning was
reintroduced to Midas.  They played together all day in the garden.  Midas
started with his goofy behaviour, but quickly got sorted out and by
afternooon they were sharing a bone and running around the yard together
like best buds!  Lucy has good manners with the cats and walks very nicely
on her leash.  I think Midas behaved better than usual on our walk to the
mailbox as Lucy set a good example.

She follows me from room to room and is a fast learner.  She was coming
when called yesterday afternoon (except when she was hiding under a shrub
chewing on a bone and wanting a few minutes to herself.)  This morning one
of the cats joined us on our walk up the driveway for the newspaper and
Lucy settled at my feet when I sat down with my coffee and paper.  Aaahhh.
She's the perfect dog for us and seems to enjoy life in the country.  Today
we are going into Sooke together and she can meet some of the locals.

All the best,
Linda

Secondly, some pictures of the TUAPAS from our trip to the lake!

Zephyr on the move.

Beautiful Jasmine

Loose Leashes on the Lake Walk

Zephyr wants perfectly in line with Jerrad and Beckett.

Other news is that the semester is really picking up, and my brain just doesn't want to get into school mode. My problem is that I write a ton when I'm not in school, so that when I'm in school, I find it hard to write new stuff for deadline -I do best without judgement. Granted, I need those deadlines. So, I'm quite glad I've only got the TUAPAS for the next couple of weeks, as I really need to remind myself I'm a student before I'm a dog daycare worker, and before I'm a foster mum. I CAN do it all, I just need to remind myself school needs some focus! That I can't just sail through a master's like I did my bachelors.

Besides, I'm paying way too much just to coast!

So, if there aren't too many updates over the next week or two, I apologize. When I'm in extreme school mode, I lose all track of time anyway. I will resurface at the end of the month, when most likely I'll be getting my new TG foster -who will remain a mystery, even to me, until a couple days before the bus comes down.

And now, to that mountain of schoolwork I've been ignoring for the last week or two!
Emily Out

Early Anniversary

Well, Chow left yesterday, and I got a very nice thank-you card and present as well. How surprised was I! I don't usually get gifts, nor do I expect to. Getting to foster great dogs is gift enough for me, and no, I'm not just saying that. You can be assured that present is going to go back to the dogs in some way. It might be fate that recently another California dog has been eating away at me... I really am trying to stay away.

This particular dog looks the spitting image of Alvin though. So, we'll see. What's one four pound dog more? If I have any part in it, I don't think I'll be able to let me be turned into cosmetic products (what most of the bodies are made into.. :( ).

Also, with Chow's adoption, and the next TG bus run for at least a couple of weeks away, I realized the next run would be after my year fostering 'anniversary' which is March 12, when Tucker came down to me to start my whole fostering journey. So, to give myself a little pat on the back, I decided to fiddle with a cool program.

These are my Year One TG Fosters!

I'll make another collage with all my fosters to date when I actually hit my real 'year' anniversary in just under a week, but TG is heart my rescue, and will always be my first commitment in rescue. To another great year of fostering with TG!

Emily Out

(PS: I've hit my capacity for pictures, so if you're looking back not quite a year, some of the pictures may be missing, this is my doing, and the computer isn't having a fieldday with your mind.)

Adopted!

Chow goes home tonight to her 7+ acre property and new big, goofy, active housemate. She's gone to her last day of daycare (or with me anyway), is having her two hour midday nap, and then we're off for a hike later on in the day.

I will be sad to see her go, but at the same time, I must admit to myself, I'm not a terrier person and in the last two weeks she's become a real TERRIER!

She's come a long way here in confidence, maybe even too far, and although I love her to pieces, I'm going to enjoy some peace for the next couple of weeks. They don't call terriers terrierists for nothing!

The girls get in trouble!

In other slight news, I decided to 'pick' my next TG foster, which we all know is a recipe to suddenly get them adopted. I had wanted to foster Toffee, a medium sized shepherd girl who could use some confidence building.

Toffee

And who goes and gets herself a really good application in Victoria?? Yep, you guessed it. Toffee. There are still a number of steps to go through of course beyond the application, but JINX!

So I'm going to keep my big mouth closed and not pick anyone until we get closer. Heck, I shouldn't even kid myself that I get to 'pick' anymore. Oh well, I know Yvette well enough that she'll know who to send, and who to stick away from.

Still, it would be nice to pick a dog and you know, foster them. But really, an adoptive home is what its all about!

And now to catch a nap with my Lemon-Zinger, and go for a long hike this afternoon.

The Day You Keep Refreshing Your E-mail Every 5 Seconds

Well, I decided.

We're going with Home #1: Linda, her family and Midas the Shep x.

I got really stinking lucky that I didn't have to send the 'heartbreak e-mail' to Cody and crew, as they were very nice and thoughtful and sent an e-mail just after I sent one to Linda that although they like Chow very much, that they think she would do best in a home with canine companionship. I agree, but it didn't make the decision easy! I kind of wanted to clone Chow and let both homes adopt her! But there is Mr. or Miss Heart Dog out there for Cody and crew. They're definitely pre-approved at TG :)

So, now I'm playing that waiting game of "Oh please say yes, that you still want her, that there isn't one of a million different little things that means Chow doesn't get her home. Please tell me adoption is close at hand." I never count my chickens. Rescue is less smooth than a pair of thining scissors.

Rescue's like a Pair of Thining Scissors

So, although I've been trying to do some homework all morning, I've more been obsessively refreshing my e-mail. I hate the 'not knowing'. This is the hardest part of rescue for me. Waiting for the answer that will give a dog their happily ever after.

I have every part of me crossed. I'm going to be a bit of a jittery, excited mess at work today. People things are so much more stressful than dog things!

You'll know as I know!
Emily Out

Here Comes the Hard Part

It's sometimes just feels wrong to say "there is only one perfect family out there". That mytical 'it was meant to be' thing. Truth is, there are multiple awesome families out there.  Tonight here I am to try to decide which family is just a titch more perfect. I've had multiple awesome applications before, multiple meet+greets, multiple excellent scenarios. But I've been lucky that 9 times out of 10, the dog let's me know where they need to go. Unfortunately, this time Chow hasn't given me 'the sign'.

We met with three different families today, and each was awesome in their own way. Ultimately, home #2 had a middle aged dog that I'm pretty darn sure Chow would pester the heck out of (she doesn't take no for an answer when it comes to playing with Beckett, who has a similiar temperment to the Rotti mix). And a short fence she would probably jump. So, great family, not Chow's home.

The other two homes were perfect in different ways.

The first home we visited was a gorgeous fenced acreage property. (Could I drool anymore?) With a current higher-energy dog living there, Chow would have a great playmate, plenty of exercise, and at the same time have commitment to doing some obedience and making sure her socialization with people continues despite the rural location. Although the two dogs would have need a couple of days living with each other to figure out the relationship (the teen dog is very good natured, but isn't sure how to really communicate with Chow and get her to play), I'm sure they would very quickly figure out how to be playmates. Chow is too playful to not play with him quickly :)

The third home, Chow had really good chemistry with the people very quickly. She followed them around, and pretty much ignored us. Very nice backyard, people that are home almost all day, and lots of dog friends (but no housemate) on the block and that friends have. The husband is very active and will be able to give her ample exercise, and the wife works at a hospital and would love to be able to train Chow to be a therapy dog for seniors and children living at the hospital. (Something I think would really benefit Chow and continue her love for people). It isn't that Chow wasn't great or didn't like the first people (she was much more distracted by the big dog trying to get her attention with whatever gimmick he could find), just that for whatever reason I felt the energy was more spot on for the people in this home. It's really like pulling at straws though.

So, I'm going to think on it tonight. It's not just a question of what I think best, or what energy I feel more, or whatever small thing. It's the whole package. Chow has never been an only dog, I don't know if she could be an only dog (the third family is pretty sure they will get a #2, but that might be far off and not something I can make the decision on). Chow has come as far as she has only be the power of the pack. Would she be okay being an only dog? No, not would she be okay -she'd get through it-, but would she be HAPPY.

It's like judging an intense dance or something. There's a 9.9999 home, and there's the full 100, and I'm not quite sure which is which. So, I will sleep on it and hope the answer finds me by morning. I will make one family very happy, and I will have to break the hearts of the other.

Rescue, even in adoption, isn't all roses. But on the brighter side, I think Chow has found her home :)

The Zen Den + Trip to the Lake

Without daycare for the last day or two, the two young dogs + young in body Beckett have been playing like loonies. They go up and down the couch, from one side of the living room to the next, wrestling, tackling, and being young goofy dogs. Plus, when one is mostly blind, and one is a pup who doesn't know where her legs are going, you get a little bit of chaos. (It's chaos before you even enter Chow into the mix. Lemon and Beckett play for HOURS on their own. My seven year old dog has the stamina of a three year old.)

Zephyr is getting a little cranky with all the flailing bodies, and Jasmine is getting tackled a little too often. And of course, me trying to settle down the playing dogs needs to be loud so they can hear me through their play, but my louder voice scares Jasmine -she buckles and cowers, poor thing-. Chow tried to guard her bed today, and when I went 'HEEY' Jasmine yelped and went and hid. Not my intended result for sure!

So, to give these two middle-aged guys a retreat, I've set up the gaming room and Jerrad's study room as their room. It's quite a big 'room', more like a den really, so they have plenty of room to move around, grab an interrupted nap, or hang by Jerrad's feet. I've put their crates down there, and left them open, and put cushy blankets around the room too. Jerrad is down there at least 5-6 hours a day, and of course they're still going for their 2-3 half hour walks and getting lots of attention. When I put Chow away for her nap, I go down and give them scratches and lovings and talk quietly to them. They are softies. They don't ask for much attention. I sit on my computer and type and they enjoy my company. Mostly, I just stay quiet with them and they sit around and snooze happily.

They don't mind the move at all. I'm feeling a little guilty that I'm not around them as much as before, but I know its in their best interest. I'd rather they get their quiet, loving time for 3/4 of the usual time, than full-time annoyance.

After all, they are dogs that haven't had to deal with 'puppies' in a very long time -if ever for Jasmine-. Sudden exposure to kids has me wanting to de-stress too. But they are such good, loving dogs. Not clingy or needy, just thankful.

It's only been one night, but they are already less cranky, feeling better about their surroundings. I feel a little bad that they aren't apart of the group most of the time, but they are welcome upstairs whenever they feel like it. But to have their own safe location will keep them happier. NO KIDS ALLOWED!

We also went out to the lake with everyone today. The TUAPAS handled the hour and a half very well. They are good on their leashes, and Jasmine is gaining confidence by walking in a pack. She will need another dog (hopefully a bigger, confident, middle-aged one) in her new home. She's not ready to be with only people. That said, who knows for down the road. But for right now, home with another dog is one of the boxes that must get ticked.

Unfortunately, no pictures are both Jerrad and my hands were filled with leashes, but if Chow is adopted soon, I'll make sure I get some of the TUAPAS enjoying their walks.

Two homechecks combo meet+greets for Chowmein tomorrow. I'm hoping she'll tell me what home is right for her. :)

Will let you guys know how it goes tomorrow night!

Emily Out

Mid-Life Paradise or Mid-Life Crisis?

Zephyr and Jasmine are settling into routine. They both are gentle, loving, quiet dogs who don't ask for much, sometimes anything. A place to lie their heads, fresh water, meals twice a day, a good scratch from time to time, a nice brisk walk at morning, mid-day and before bed -Zephyr REALLY likes his walks. They're sometimes so quiet and unneedy that you lose track of them.

Jasmine is having a harder time of it than Zephyr. Both these dogs have pretty much lived their lives in crates, only getting out when by miracle, volunteers come by. There are over 2,000 dogs in the TUAPA shelter. Zephyr was luckier than Jasmine -he was in a building that had more volunteers come by, and more outings. At least once or twice a day he got supervised time with a caregiver, and once a week he got to go out to 'the playground', a big field where the dogs can let off some steam. Can you imagine only getting to go for a walk once a week :(

Jasmine wasn't quite so lucky. She was in a building of semi-senior to senior dogs, who if they were lucky got out once a week. The kennels weren't painfully small (but not nearly as big as what you think of when you think SPCA). At least Jasmine was lucky -she got to spend her time with some other dogs.

It's taken a toll on her though. Although her body is in really good condition, she's having a hard time adjusting to having space. Although most of the time she's okay and settles, there are a couple times a day when she starts pacing. She doesn't know what to do with herself. If you were about a 50 year old person who had been couped up in 10X12 or so for nearly your whole life, half of a house seems really big. It's almost the opposite of feeling clausterphobic. Jasmine needs time to heal her mind. Physically she is top-notch, but mentally has a ways to go.

So, although I was hoping I wouldn't crate her -she's spent so much of her life in one already-, when she starts to panic, I give her a small massage, and put her away for 10-15 minutes. (And I've started crating her for bed-time, as twice she's startled herself waking up in the middle of the night and doesn't seem to know where she is. She's never worken up not in a kennel. So that is what is safe for her.) Sometimes she instantly goes to sleep in her crate and I just leave her be, there's no point adding more stress to her. Most of the time she comes out again fine. She needs time to transition. The anxiety will lessen with time and patience. Although adult dogs have tons of advantage, the big disadvantage is that usually they take a longer time to transition. She hasn't realized yet her whole life is behind her. This is where she'll get to be Jasmine, to be loved, petted, taken for walks. It's a whole new world. And although a heck of a lot better, that doesn't mean its not scary at times.

Jasmine poses pretty for the camera.

Resting peacefully, with Zephyr to keep watch for his crate.

Zephyr on the other hand continues to be quite confident. He's getting a little bit peeved with puppy play, and likes to retreat to his own crate a lot. However, once things have quieted down, he comes out looking for some attention. He's a very lovely gentlemen who really shouldn't have to put up with the likes of Chow and Lemon. Luckily, Chow plays non-stop at daycare, so when I get home at 7:30 I put her to bed with her supper, and the Tuapas get their loving. Balance.

He can be a bit of a pushy guy sometimes too, but he's a dog that's had to get along for years with very little human intervention. So he can be snarking, lip-curly, sometimes the odd snap, (he was peeved this morning that Jasmine tried to climb in his crate with him), but despite sounding kind of scary, I haven't seen him actually make physical contact yet. He could if pushed too far, but I won't let it get to that point. Still, he's quite happy. Warm blankets, good scritches, nice walks (his FAVORITE, he's figured out the timing fast and seems to know when he should be getting his walk!) and hanging by your feet is what makes him happy. Now, if only he could find a forever home where he could do that without the ruckus of the young and rambunctious crew.

Eventually my sweet middle-aged man.

This one taken an hour after they got here. We kept the leashes on for the first 4-5 hours.

We have a homecheck combo meet+greet with Chowmein out in Sooke on Sunday! A retired couple, one shepherd mix, and 3 fenced in acres. Sounds like fun to me! So we'll see how the two dogs get along -I'm not too worried about Chow, the only dogs she doesn't like are 3 huge shepherd mixes at the daycare who play like absolute idiots and think the proper way to greet dogs is to grab their back legs-. Sometimes, it would be nice to be adopted hey!