Lexy Has a Crush!

Meet Max, the newest addition to our foster pack! He's a boxer mix who definitely has a boxer personality! If you know anything about boxers you know that means he is a big GOOFBALL! Sweet as the day is long, he's way more gentle than I would have imagined. He came running at me full tilt and as I got ready for the impact suddenly he gently jumps up and gave me a sweet hug! Literally he stood up and wrapped his front legs around me and laid his head down on my chest. Holy mackeral!!! How'd he do that???? Seriously, normally when I get a hug from a dog it leaves bruises, lol. Not with this guy. He was as gentle as can be. He's since given me several hugs and each time, he just stands up on those back legs and wraps me up in those front legs and leans. Don't know where he gets his good sense of balance, but he's good!

Lexy, my old booger, has a crush on him! She normally tries to boss the others around when they come in, but not Max. She's actually been trying to play with him. It's the funniest thing! She'll paw at him, trying to get his attention and he turns around and gives her a kiss then runs off with Pollock. She's smitten for sure:-) I guess it's true what they say, you're never too old to fall in love!

Now let's get to the tail. This dog has a tail that rarely stops wagging! Granted, he's only been here a couple of days, but he just wags, and wags and wags! I told Ellen he reminds me of a dog with no tail. You know, the one's whose butts wiggle nonstop in place of a full tail. Well he wags his butt AND his tail, lol. He's so cute!! I will say it's very hard for me to get a really good shot straight on. He has big brown eyes and the eyeshine from the camera makes it look like he has big green orbs where his eyes should be, lol. He is definitely a handsome boy though. And so fun to boot. It cracks me up that he can be playing hard and wrestling with Pollock one minute, then they are both crashed on the floor the next.
Even as good as he's been, Blue still wants no part of either Max or Pollock. And what's more, I can't help but laugh at their interactions. Blue is the sweet old beagle that I have staying here (looking for a home too!) and she's as easy going as can be until one of the dogs gets in her face. She had both Max and Pollock sitting on their butts looking at her with fear in their eyes as she barked at them for bumping her! LOL, no way can you imagine it as funny as it was to be here seeing these two big lugs sitting and looking to me for help as Blue gave them both a good what for!! Looks like Pollock may be finding his home this weekend so that will leave Max and Blue searching for their forever home. Remember, Blue is a member of the Seniors for Seniors program that we have through Stray Rescue. If a senior person adopts Blue, her vet care is covered for free at selected vets! She's a real sweetie (when she's not bossing around the young whippersnappers that is.) Come visit us Saturday at the Petco in Kirkwood!

Bossy dogs. . .

So I posted these in my facebook album, but I HAD to put them here as well. I don't think I've ever caught two yawns in one day. And never one for Cody (I don't remember if I did anyway:-) These pictures made me laugh so hard! All I could imagine when I looked at them was them yelling at me one moment, then looking innocently the next. These dogs just kill me sometimes!!

When One Door Opens, Another Door Opens?

Our boy Goldie got adopted this weekend, YAY! He went home with a family who came to visit him the previous weekend and came back this week with their dog, Trigger. Goldie had already demonstrated a liking for the family, especially the teenaged son. Now he was meeting the family dog and boy, oh boy, did they hit it off right from the start! After visiting outside they came in and still wanted to play. Seems Goldie finally found that perfect home we'd been waiting for. It seems like just yesterday he came in afraid of anything and everything. It didn't take him long to figure things out. He loved my little guys, but his true happiness showed a few weeks ago when Pollock came to stay with us. With them matched in size and temperment, they became fast friends. That's when I knew he would need a dog buddy in his life. Goldie became even more confident and even started to like the leash (as long as Pollock was with him.) So, Sunday Goldie went home to his new forever family to be a dog that's loved and cherished the way he should be. Heck, he didn't even glance back when he left. He knew he was going home.

Pollock, on the other hand, was relatively distraught when I came home without Goldie that day. He searched the house for him for a couple of hours after I came home. It really surprised me, but he and Goldie did play a lot. Course, a little extra love and attention fixed him right up. He does love to play though and so I thought perhaps I should see if there is another male in the group that would fit with him temporarily. There wasn't one big enough, mellow enough, and playful enough to fit in here with the pack I already have. Hence the door opening for another dog, Max, who is coming to me from JCAC later today or tomorrow. When the folks sent a picture I asked more about him. The lady referred to Max as being similar to Pollock. Okay, Ellen, let's do it. So Max will be meeting my pack sometime in the next couple of days. Hopefully he will fit in as easily as Pollock. I'm lucky that in the summer, the month of July, I usually have time off so I can do this. When these three (Blue is still here as well) get adopted, or at least 2 of them, I'll be back to one dog at a time during the school year.

It's so tempting to take as many as I can squeeze in, but as the group was talking about just a few weeks ago, we all want to make sure that we are giving our fosters the best possible situations while they are waiting for their forever homes. Being that we are only humans who have jobs and other things like everyone else, we can only do so much. It can be so frustrating to try to figure out how to convince folks to spay and neuter or stop just dumping their dogs on the streets or somewhere else assuming that they will get a home no matter what. The truth is, they don't. The few that we are able to help are the minority, even with all of the rescue groups out there. Until the general population realizes that pet overpopulation is a problem that affects everyone, we continue to try to educate folks and love and care for as many as we can and hope that things will get better. In the meantime, when a new family opens it's home to a rescue dog, it means we can open ours to another that needs it.

Hot Spot Relief

So who knew there was such a thing as a product called, "Anti Monkey Butt". I mean REALLY, they couldn't think of a better name for their product? Then I thought about it and really, it's perfect. I doubt anyone will ever forget the name of this stuff. Even when I called the hardware store where I found it the gentleman I spoke to knew EXACTLY what I was talking about?

Anyway, to the point, this stuff is supposed to work wonders for hotspots on dogs. A lady I met at an adoption event who has also been in rescue recommended that I try this for a hotspot Pollock has on his cheeck and neck. The skin looks great, but it starts itching and he tears it when he scratches. So I thought I'd give this stuff a go before making him suffer to wear an e-collar to try to help it heal. Well, today I've used it twice and so far, he hasn't scratched the skin again. And it smells good to boot:-) Pollock is such a champ about me putting it on him too. How many dogs will sit still and just look at you out of the corner of his eyes while he waits patiently for you to powder up his cheek and neck? I have to say, I never thought something called Anti Monkey Butt would be something that you could ever use on a face, but what the heck? If it works, it works right? I'll let you know if it actually helps to heal the hotspot. He's had it for at least a week now. Hopefully this will be the last he has to deal with it!

Sad Day

The looks on their faces describe how I feel right now. One of our volunteers passed away in a car accident on her way home from an adoption event today. She and her twin sister both have been volunteers with the group for a long time, maybe even from the beginning when the group started. She was such a lovely woman. A retired classroom teacher, she was always smiling, welcoming and friendly. I don't know all of the details, all I do know is that the world has lost one of it's angels here on earth. My heart goes out to her sister and the family. This is such a shocking, tragic loss. It's truly a sad, sad day:-(

Crate phobics

This picture is for all those folks out there who think it's mean to crate your dog. Goldie was a very frightened pup when he came to me. The only place he seemed to feel secure was his crate. Dogs are den animals and need that space of their own. Of course he might not want to sleep in there the first night or so. Not any more than some toddlers want to sleep in their own beds at first. But it's necessary for routines and for the happiness of the dog when he's new to your home. Seriously. You wouldn't feed your child only candy just because he cries for it all the time, would you?

This is a pic of Goldie I took just a little while ago. That crate door is always open unless I'm gone or sleeping (don't want him to get my little rattie when I'm not looking!) If he's not playing, his favorite place to take a nap is in the crate. What's nuttier, I've tried to put big ol' soft blankies in there, but he pulls them out. I don't know if they are too hot or he just doesn't like them taking up space (more room for toys I guess.) The only thing he'll leave in the crate are his toys (a must!) and a sheet. Half the time he pulls that out. So the point to all this is when you get a dog, get him a crate when he's new to your home! Both you and he will be much happier in the end! You just may find, when you can't find your dog, he's in his crate taking a nap. (remember, the one you didn't want to use because it seems so mean:-) Pass this along to any other crate phobics that you know of. It might just help:-)

Pup is now Pollock

I just couldn't leave this dog with the name Pup. Just doesn't fit him. So I've been trying out names and the one he seems to like most is Pollock. Meaning, he comes to that about as well as to Pup which is pretty well. I wouldn't normally try to change a dog's name when he comes to me, but this sweet guy is not a Pup. He's more dignified than that, honestly. You'd have to meet him to know what I mean I guess. (Of course, you CAN meet him this weekend at the Petsmart in Bridgeton on Saturday or the Petco in Kirkwood on Sunday!:-) He's been here since Friday and I still can't figure out how this dog ended up in a shelter. Calm, friendly, loving, he's another one of those pretty much perfect dogs that got the shaft again:-(
Boy, does he take good pictures or what??? His sad eyes don't seem quite as sad as they did the first night, but they still have that "sad factor". He's very playful with Goldy, but seems to be almost too gentle for the little guys (read that, they try to play with him but he won't knock 'em around like they do each other. He kind of stands there nosing them and touching them with his paw. They get bored pretty quickly with that since they are quite the rough and tumble pair when they're playing.) Since he's still got his stitches from being neutered, I won't really let him get going too hard with Goldy either, but he will try with him. The two of them are like old chums. I don't imagine he'll be around too long. He's going to be an easy boy for a family to have around. Goldy will be as well, but folks are just put off by his shy nature when he's away from the home, I've found. He has such an outgoing personality and is a big goofball, but is so sedate and nervous at the events. Perhaps having Pollock there this weekend to keep him company will help him to build that confidence that he needs in order to find that perfect home. We can hope anyway!