Friday, July 29, 2011

Easy on the thunder please

Was this Tuesday or Wednesday night? I don't remember, but our Charlee  isn't fond of a good 'ol thunderstorm. Now don't panic, I'm not talking about a scene from Marley & Me. She just would pass on them if given the choice. No crying or pacing or trying to escape, she just likes to be in a safe spot. In this case, behind the couch.
It is much nicer back here thank you.

 Like you guys don't sit back here?
 A little safer now, but a blanket helps.
Now that Dexter is here, I feel much better. I love to snuggle with my human friends too.

No more pups for me

Monday was a big day for Ms. Charlee. We traveled to HAWS and she got her spay. She is not feeling very well here as you can see.

Here is Dexter watching out for her. Doesn't every gal dream of a handsome male nurse?


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Charlee Bear

 Just after her bath and style...
 Here you can see her little white socks!
Looking much more relaxed now.

Time to get cleaned up

Now that Charlee has had time to settle in, I gave her a bath. Not crazy about the water at first, but once the washing started she really relaxed. Here you see her waiting for her style. This also gives you an idea of how small she is since she fits in the kitchen sink.

She is just a little doll. Low energy and I've yet to hear her bark. She doesn't seem to shed much, but her coat isn't its healthiest either. And almost a myth in foster mom world...she asks to go outside!!! She wants nothing to do with a leash, so this is inhibiting her routine of going potty. But, getting her leash trained should be no problem.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Another little girl...Welcome Charlee!

Ms. Charlee just arrived today. After seeing those horrible pictures from the other day, I knew it wouldn't be long before we'd see her here in the Degrandt home. We welcome her and consider it simply a miracle that she arrived. I was so worried they wouldn't be rescued in time. But anyway, here she is.

She is still a little scared as anyone would be. I'm happy that she drank quite a bit of water when we got home and ate maybe a handful of food. As I always say, they'll eat when they're hungry. I'd like to get her a nice grooming as she really is very pretty under the scruff. Lori commented on how awful looking her coat is which is probably due to poor nutrition. We'll start feeding her some Taste of the Wild to get her coat in order.

Charlie hasn't shared much of her personality yet, but as of now it looks like she prefers her foster dad over foster mom. Her face lights up when she sees Tom. She also tells me she doesn't mind her androgynous name, but still needs to learn it. A good night's rest will help her get settled in.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Unbelievable.




These are the heartbreaking pictures I received this morning from Lori. This is an actual animal shelter in Alabama. Thankfully she was able to get these dogs pulled out and their transport is in the works. We don't realize how bad it is down there so it's important to spread the word.

All in the Family

Yesterday I got news that Lucy has an approved application. I'm so happy for her because she will have the best parents who also happen to be my parents. Yes we'll be seeing more of Lucy in our family. Mom and Dad fell in love with her over the 4th weekend. She's been such a good girl for us too.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Lucy's story.

Lucy was adopted from Fluffy Dog about three years ago. She was returned this past week by her owners because of potty training issues and separation anxiety. We have her on routine potty breaks and she goes just fine when outside. She does not even hint at trying to go indoors. We've been told that her owners did not kennel her during the day and came home to accidents. Lucy will absolutely be kenneled at our house. There has not been one accident.

We have a lab who is extremely anxious so we have experience in that department. Of course the best thing to fight that behavior is lots of exercise. In Lucy's case, she isn't very active so we've not had a problem. She will bark in her kennel for a while if left alone, but having another dog in a kennel next to her is helping. (The fireworks this weekend are not helpful though.) When dogs are bored, they act out. Today we played with the doggie puzzles. If you've never seen these, they're great. Dogs need to be mentally stimulated as well as physically. Check out the link: http://www.nina-ottosson.com/

Whoever is approved to adopt Lucy should be prepared. She is not a turn-key dog, but no rescue dog is. There will be some work involved with her, but already I know she is on her way. Today we had her outside with my parents on the patio. We had a leash on her, but never needed to pick it up. She just relaxed under the table. She knows sit, come, down and will stop what she's doing if you scold her a little. Keeping her socialized will be a necessity.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Welcome Lucy!

Gizmo: Corgi, Dog; Hartland, WI

Well here she is. Lucy has arrived and is doing quite well. She will start out by sleeping in a kennel in our bedroom and we'll see how that goes. Dexter really was pushing her buttons at first, but she is learning to tolerate him. After all, he's still a puppy. She already has attached to me, but loves Tom as well. After a long weekend of getting to know her, I hope to have new pictures and more info on her.