Tails From the Shelter

Boomerang-a previous story that has since evolved

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

I was reading the book " Small is Beautiful Economics as if People Mattered" recently, and came upon a quote from St Thomas Aquinas "It is evident that if a man practices a compassionate affection for animals, he is all the more disposed to feel compassion for his fellowmen" I suppose I was on the right track in my previous blog post.

I had a favorite book when I was a child called "Part time Dog" it was one of those children's books geared towards the beginning reader.The brown dog in the above photographs, with my Australian Shepherd, is Porky, well at least that's what his name was when I knew him. The shelter staff had named him Porky because he was found covered in porcupine quills. I fostered this dog for 6 months deciding that since no one had claimed or adopted him I would keep him, until one day his previous owner found me while I was out walking with the dogs. Of course by that time I was completely enamored of the dog and so attached to it as in the way that people become attached to something when they decide to incorporate it into their life. Although for me,there is a strange Buddhist type of crossover emotional area, since I have grown fond of and worked with so many dogs. I have a strange sort of combination of deep love and yet at the same time non attachment, which pervades more than the dog/ human world for me but due to my rather odd upbringing, I am also not so attached to people in a way that may be different from most people. Of course as things go and people are tested, the one dog that I really loved in a possessive way, besides my darling old Blue Heeler,( I had not found my Aussie Shepherd at the time) the one I was going to make into my second dog, was reclaimed by his owner which you can read about in this link to a previous blog post.
http://tailsfromtheshelter.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-ones-i-love-always-go.html

Well now it's a year later, I have a new Australian Shepherd as a walking and shelter dog training companion as well as my old Australian Cattle dog. I got over the loss of Porky and helped some other shelter dogs along the way. I have an old man friend that lives near me. I met him while he was out walking with his wife when I first moved here 11 years ago. His wife died some years back and I go and check on him and visit with him when I can. His house is about 2 miles from mine at the halfway point for one of my walks so I often stop by and say hello and catch up with him when I'm out and about. The last time I went for a visit we were standing outside talking when out of the corner of my eye I saw a dog walking around,checking me out.My old man friend said "don't mind that dog, that's Bear", which was Porky's real name. I said " I know that dog" and then Porky came to me and we were reunited and I was so happy to see him and pet him and visit with him. My elderly friend has a rental property on his place and the family that the dog belonged to had moved into it.The dog looked healthy and happy, and had the run of the farm. Now I can visit two friends at once, and get a nice 4 mile walk in as well. That's the beauty of being connected to a community and walking around a lot. You get to meet all kinds of people, you get a feel for a place in such a different way than when you drive around in a car. You can even get a reading on the economy based on observations over time.When I now go and visit my previous foster dog , he jumps up affectionately on me and seems to remember me, he even tries to go on walks with us but I make sure that he stays on the property. I talked to the young man who is part of the family that owns the dog. He really enjoys his dog and is so bonded with him and showed me all the tricks that he taught his dog. He says that the dog follows him all over on his bike. So I guess my heart break and loss are someone else's gain. After all, he was such a nice dog that I knew people had to have cared for him. In the course of things in this world he didn't belong to me, but I can visit with him like in the children's story I used to read"Part time Dog" perhaps we set the stage for our lives at a young age. I said to my elderly friend, jokingly, " well now that the dog is here I'll have to come by and visit more often" he seemed taken aback by that, and I felt a little guilty for letting such callous words fly out of my mouth, despite the fact that they were true. I contemplated that exchange as I walked home and realized something about myself, that's it's always easier for me to relate to the dogs. They don't lay guilt trips on you, they don't care about your political persuasions,they just want to be treated well and have fun.There is not the muck of expectations, desires, resentments, imposition of beliefs, that often encumber human relationships. Well I really can't help the way I am, it resulted from a long history of not being able to trust the erratic behavior of humans in my life, but at least I try and accept the way I am and do my best with the dogs and people in my life. I'm glad I fostered that dog for so long . Had someone else adopted him he may have never been reunited with the family that loved him so much. Had I not been the type of person who walks the neighborhoods with my dogs, they may never have found me. Strange, the luck and synchronicity involved here and that these people are now living near enough for me to visit. It's as if the dog orchestrated it all in some mysterious way. Maybe there really is some strange kind of Native American Animal Spirit Guide at work, as we are surrounded by Native American culture here, or maybe I just have an overactive imagination! You decide

"I think I could turn and live with animals, they're so placid and self contain'd, I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and whine about their condition, They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins, They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God, Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things, Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago, Not one is respectable or unhappy over the earth."

Walt Whitman- excerpt from " Song of myself"

Thank you Mary Ann

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mary Ann Lindsay of Inland Northwest Rescue has passed away. You can read more about Mary Ann and her story here .http://www.pnwbcrescue.org/ Thank you Mary Ann for all the tireless work you did helping the orphaned animals. Thanks for our wonderful Australian Shepherd Cash he is truly a blessing.
I have often asked myself " Hm, I spend so much time around dogs, helping abandoned animals, but what do I do for humanity?" I used to help people too but found that the dogs are easier to help and not so resistant to taking help from a person and changing behaviors in order to improve their lives. Try telling a person " you need to eat better, get more exercise in order to be more calm and less neurotic, and that anxious behavior like smoking or overeating that you do, you need to sublimate that and do something more positive instead, here have a chewy toy(just joking) or knitting needles!" and see what kind of result you get! Most people really don't like others even focusing on their weaknesses let alone helping them to overcome them quickly. At least that has been my experience, so for me, I love helping the dogs but in a strange way, I think helping the dogs does help people, in that others see your kindness and care for something outside yourself and are reminded of their own humanity.One man I saw regularly while walking said"you're still walking shelter dogs?" That was three years ago, yes I am still walking them, only not so often lately. The dogs I help go on to help the people who adopt them. In helping the dogs to become better, well adjusted, loved pets, the people who adopt them can enjoy a beautiful relationship with a happy dog and spend time having fun and getting exercise together.
The dog in the photo is Ruby http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/20257983, an older dog who was still quite engaged and desirous of attention and enjoyed walking with me and Cash my Australian Shepherd

A stray Border Collie and an old Lab mix

2011-08-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

It was so nice to get back to walking shelter dogs after 5 weeks on the East Coast of the U.S. without a dog. Cash,my Aussie shepherd, and I walked Daddy Long Legs, the older black lab. I then played with the male 2 year oldish Border Collie who has gone unclaimed at the shelter for a few days and if no one claims him will be available for adoption. He was a nice fellow who really enjoyed playing fetch with his tennis ball. He was even pretty smart in catching on when I tried to trick him by fake throwing the ball in different directions. For more information on either of these dogs contact http://www.humanesocietyofthepalouse.org/index.html

Marking Territory

2011-08-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

I recently spent 5 weeks on the East Coast of the United States in the suburbs of New Jersey, taking care of my sick mother. I had left my dogs at home but to de-stress I spent an hour or more a day walking around my old home town. I noticed a regular group of friendly dog walkers, and I also noticed a small handful of signs posted on the edge of nicely landscaped properties, many of which were maintained by lawn service workers and not homeowners. While I am a strong believer in property rights, I got the feeling that many of the signs were put up not necessarily in order to fix some out of control problem, but instead as an assertion of human territory. I have lived in congested areas before and now live in the country where I get my fair share of motorists throwing their empty beer cans and candy wrappers out on the edge of my property but instead of putting up ugly signs that I'm guessing would be ignored anyway, I just pick up the garbage every once in awhile, and don't think too much about it. It's my contention that in crowded congested areas, New jersey being the most crowded state in the Nation with 1195.5 residents per square mile (Washington D.C. has 9856.5 but is not a state) Idaho having 19 residents per square mile, people get more defensive of their territory. So I was surprised to see what I thought were unattractive signs at the edges of lovely landscaped properties. To me the signage seemed more distasteful than the occasional overlooked dog dropping. I am a responsible dog walker and pick up after the dogs I walk, but this battle of land owners verses a few irresponsible dog walkers seemed to go deeper than the obvious. The one that made me laugh was the pretty sign with silk bows that asked for the dogs not to "Pee " on the shrubs. I'm wondering how they would even know? There were 4 of these signs spread out over the perimeter of this property and the ironic aspect was that this person's shrubs, attractive as they might have been, were also spreading out a good way onto the public sidewalk( note photos above). Do they really believe that ownership extends out to the public sidewalk despite the fact that they had made the initial plantings? I'm curious as to how the public/private boundary was not clearly understood. Was someone perhaps claiming more territory in an overcrowded area? The yard and shrubs were quite lovely, but once again the signage, complete with silky ribbons, did really draw the eye away and detract from the lovely plantings more so than any dog's pee, as far as I'm concerned. Oh well, more thoughts to ponder on a crowded planet where there are so many people and so many dog owners. I guess we creatures all try and claim territory, the trick is to figure out how to all get along.

Walking without a dog

2011-07-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks I have been on the East Coast of the United States taking care of my elderly mother. My husband has been home taking care of our dogs and my gardens. It's not been easy helping my mom through illness but she seems to be doing a little better. To relive my stress I go for long walks through the suburban neighborhoods. I choose routes with lovely historic homes and beautiful landscaping. I walk with my radio headset on tuned into the high paced world of the New York City Metro area. It feels so strange to walk without a dog. I brought my camera but forgot to bring the device that lets me up load photos to the computer so I apologize for the lack of photos with my post. I stop and talk with people who are walking their dogs. Most dog people are very gracious about letting me visit with their dogs and say they do the same thing when traveling without their dogs. I'm pleased to see that there are more mixed breed adopted dogs in this area, as in the past it was mostly designer purebred dogs, so I'm guessing more people are adopting dogs from shelters. There are even a lot more people out walking than there used to be as people are getting more health conscious in general. It's interesting to me to see the changes from year to year. I usually visit once a year or every other year. On the one hand, things seem more crowded and noisy, on the other hand more people are out walking and taking the time to stop and talk with others. It seems like people still hunger for connection even in this high paced, highly congested area, where there is so much competition for resources, we are still exchanging stories, information and ideas. I thought about calling the local dog rescue group but they didn't have any current dogs listed on their website, and the weather has been unbearably hot here, which is not good for dogs to be out walking in for the 4-5 miles I am covering, on hot pavement and in high humidity, so I thought I would wait to call if the weather breaks. Have fun enjoying your dogs and wonderful lives. I hope mom gets well and I get to go back to mine soon. Namaste

Some new Cow dog/Herding Breed mixes at the shelter

2011-06-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

These two guys are both fairly young. They are waiting to be claimed, or for enough days to go by until they become wards of the shelter. One seems like a Border Collie/Australian Cattle dog mix, the other, some kind of Aussie Shepherd/Border Collie mix. The black and white guy is named Deuce as in" what the Deuces is a cute dog like that doing here?" For the life of me I can't figure out why the gals did not name him Patches, but I will have to ask. For more info on either of these guys you can contact http://www.humanesocietyofthepalouse.org/index.html

George, my current favorite dog at the shelter

2011-06-10T07:54:00.001-07:00

My previous favorite Sara, the Black Lab Border Collie mix, was adopted rather quickly. I got to talk to the people who adopted her and told them what a sweet, well behaved 6 month old puppy she was, and I guess they sensed it too, and took a chance on her. It's always helpful to have first hand insight into a dog by someone who has spent time with the dog. This is George, a large German Shepherd mix with a dash of something wire haired, making his coat soft and smooth, but a tad wiry and perhaps less prone to shedding. He looks like a German Shepherd that someone stretched upward and outward. He's about 2 years old. His hips look good as far as I could tell, and he is sweet, playful, charming and loves to be paid attention to. He also enjoys playing fetch. He was not officially the shelter's dog yet, so I played with him in his kennel instead of taking him for a walk.I'm guessing no one will claim him as he was found abandoned in the dog park across the street from the shelter, but you never know.

Update-Luckily for the dog, I guessed wrong. As it turned out George's owner came and got him. Once again, someone's worst fears that the dog was killed by coyotes, because they found his collar but not the dog, prevailed. So one unhappy emotional roller coaster ride, and at least three days later, the people thought, why not call the shelter just in the off chance the dog landed there despite the fact it was some distance from their house. Lo and behold the dog was just sitting at the shelter waiting to be claimed by his people. It always amazes me that people will follow the lead of their worst fears before ruling out other possibilities. I wonder what that impulse is in human nature, to immediately assume the worst outcome and eliminate other scenarios? Well at least there was a Happy ending for all. If the dog had been micro chipped the owners would have been contacted right away, so despite the fact that a dog has a collar and i.d. on, they can end up lost and without identification, so it pays to micro chip as well.

On a side note on- The Hazards of Hi- tech clothing-(not a brand name, just style of sportswear) I had a scary experience with a pair of Hi- tech cross country ski pants recently. Idaho has had a cold and rainy spring, so I wore my ski pants out while dog walking, and then stood in front of the wood stove to warm up and dry off. I was about a foot away from the wood stove and had a funny sensation, and noticed that the pants, which did not look particularly synthetic, so I was not intuitively conscious of their hazards, started melting while I was wearing them. I quick took them off, and luckily they had been big on me to begin with so I was uninjured. It was quite the scary experience to have my clothes melting on me while I was wearing them and none of the other clothes I was wearing melted at that time and distance, so I kind of freaked out a bit. I called the company and got a snotty, non nonchalant, Oh yeah that will happen, and there was a tag on the pants when you bought them, too bad for you, response. I was sort of expecting an apology and maybe some coupons. Mind you they were about $100 ski pants and I told the woman that I also owned another pair of her company's expensive pants. I know, as my husband said, it was probably my fault. I guess I just have to be super conscious at all times or adopt a philosophy of wearing only natural fiber clothing that will be on the whole, less hazardous to my health. I think in the future, I will just keep my $100 and next time knit myself a pair of wool leggings or get some old kind of natural fiber ski clothes. I just thought I'd tell my story so other people don't get injured and/or ruin their expensive clothing. I was not touching the stove, and like I said, the pants looked more like stretchy cotton pants, so it was not foremost on my mind that they could melt like nylon. I also have a few other hi- tech, natural looking, sports wear, items of clothing which I will be more careful about. So be aware, that some hi- tech clothing is not reliable around wood stoves or heating devices, whether or not you think you are a reasonable distance away from the heat source. The woman representing the company also stated that the pants have melted in the dryer, so use caution with this type of clothing.

The joys of walking shelter dogs in springtime

2011-05-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

It's always so much fun to walk shelter dogs when the flowers are in bloom. This little 6 month old darling is Sara, the Black Lab Border Collie mix (with one blue eye), available for adoption http://www.humanesocietyofthepalouse.org/wp/?page_id=12. A perfect combination of friendly and smart. She passed all my good dog, tests. She came to me when I sat down, and shared affection. She looked back at me during our walk. She got along with my Aussie Cash, walked nicely on the leash. For a 6 month old puppy stuck in a shelter she was sweet, well mannered, medium energy level, and smart, traits which are not always easy to come by in an abandoned dog. She even came to me when I called her, and sat when I told her to "sit". What a sweetie pie, she can only get better from here, as she is still young. It makes me wonder why someone would get rid of such a nice puppy, but then I wonder a lot when working with shelter dogs.

There is the Dog Whisperer and then there is..,

2011-05-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

me, the "Dog Conjurer". When I am not helping shelter dogs I take a large, white, rescued dog with me that belongs to my friend who is a nurse and who works long hard hours in service to the sick. My friend's dog is 3 years old, as is my Australian Shepherd, so they are fairly well matched as playmates, in terms of energy levels, and play styles. I usually pick the dog up on my way to one of the many nice trails we have around here and then walk for an hour or more. On a few occasions I have taken her dog to my house which is about 4 miles away, and then walked from my house either with just my dog and friend's dog, or with my neighbor and her rescued greyhound joining the pack. My friend's large female dog had been to my house about 4 -5 times when one day about an hour before I was going to get her to walk, she just showed up. My dog's started barking and my husband said" there's a strange dog running down the driveway" and low and behold it was my friend's dog. I just gave her some water, threw her in my stall shower and cleaned her up and then let her play with Cash my Aussie. We later went for a walk a good 5 miles, and then I returned her to her house and shut the doggie door to the outside. It seems she had found a way through the fence. On another occasion my friend had been working a lot and her boyfriend was gone all Saturday volunteering for a charity event. Once again I had planned to take her dog later in the day. I was sitting on my sofa feeling a little off, as the spring weather around here has been snowy, rainy and miserable with a few scattered moments of sunlight breaking through before another bout of hail. I was debating the merits of which walking trail to take. Do I want to go to town? go down the paved bike trail? Take the gravel hiking path? I really wanted to stay at my house and walk out the scenic ridge past the farms. It's a paved road out in the open, which means I'd be able to absorb what little sunlight might be available, and not heavily trafficked, and there are long vista type views in certain places and two adorable cow dogs at the halfway point that come out to greet us. I'm such a sucker for cute dogs as motivation for keeping my spirits up while walking. I kept thinking "oh it would be so handy if my friend's dog just showed up here, then I wouldn't have to drive over, get her and drive her back later" Just as I was thinking to myself "I shouldn't even be putting that thought out into the universe, what am I thinking?" My dogs started barking and I looked over at the door and there she was! I guess the dog read my mind before I even thought it! A more reasonable explanation was she was bored and lonely, and knew where her friends were. So we went over the same routine again, I cleaned her up, gave her water, she played with Cash, my Aussie Shepherd, and then we went for a long walk. I told my friend what had happened and she was shocked that the dog had found it's way over here. It's about four miles by highway or perhaps shorter as " the dog runs" We were trying to figure out what kind of reasoning led her to find my house. Did she take a short cut? or follow the path the car took? Did she use visual landmarks? My friend got a little annoyed at her dog, but the dog was only trying to alleviate it's loneliness. Dogs are pack animals after all. I was reminded of how we humans can get rather annoyed when our children, pets, other fellow humans do not fit nicely into our plans. What may initially seem like annoying behavior or willfulness that disrupts our intentions, is only another creature trying to express in a communicative way, that it's needs aren't being met. Instead of just being annoyed with them, we should try and listen to them and identify the problem and rectify it . I suppose that's what communication is all about: listening, hearing the message, identifying and understanding the issue, and then solving the problem. Happy spring dog walking to all.

On a side note, I recently read Cesar Milan's book " Cesar's Way." I was touched by his sensitivity, especially given that he is such a powerful, macho guy. I thoroughly enjoyed the book http://www.amazon.com/Cesars-Way-Everyday-Understanding-Correcting/dp/0307337332

My Aussie Shepherd has a meltdown as I'm heartbroken over the devastation in Japan

2011-03-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Once again, perhaps it is coincidence or something else at work. I was very saddened and distressed at the devastation and destruction caused by the earth quake in Japan. The Japanese culture and people have been near and dear to my heart. I love the pottery, poetry, and aesthetics of Japan . I have been drawn to the beauty of homes built from natural materials, materials that were unfortunately, vulnerable to destruction. I was anxious about the state of the nuclear power plants, and I'm sure my very sensitive Australian Shepherd, Cash, was also picking up on at least my sadness and fear if not something deeper in perhaps a planetary way. I had decided to leave the dog home and take my older Blue Heeler with me in the car when I left to go to dinner at my friend's house on Saturday March 12th. Cash, my Australian Shepherd, had been out for a long walk with shelter dogs that day and my husband was staying home, so I thought it would be good to give my old Blue Heeler some special attention. As I was leaving the house, Cash tried to dash out the door and come with us so my husband grabbed his collar and pulled him back. I then left for my friend's house, without seeing what was going on behind me. Upon returning home, I saw about ten small puddles with paper towels sticking out of them, spread out all over the great room floor (he's not perfect, but at least he put the paper towels down!). I asked my husband what had happened and he told me that from the moment he grabbed the dog, the dog rolled on his back and peed and then seemed to be in a tizzy and kept repeating the behavior as my husband tried to assure him he wasn't going to be hurt. It's as if the dog just had a huge emotional meltdown. He had some fear peeing issues when we first got him out of rescue, but that had long since subsided, and usually involved only one incident at a time. So I'm wondering if anyone else has observed any odd behavior in their pets or farm animals, during the time of the Japanese earthquake and it's aftermath. I live in North Idaho, U.S.A., not too far from seismic activity and the Pacific Rim/Pacific Ring of Fire, so I was a bit worried that the dog may be picking up on some impending seismic activity. I wasn't sure if Cash was just reacting to my anxious state, or a situation specific incident to my leaving him and my husband grabbing the collar. It was so much more grander of a meltdown than what I had seen before, that I couldn't help wondering if what had transpired was one of those incidents of animal sensitivity to natural catastrophic force and grand scale suffering. I leave the dog unattended at night in the living room or when I go into my pottery studio without incident. I've left my two dogs alone together in the house, so I can't figure out what triggered this odd behavior. When I returned home the Aussie was also distant, and seemed shell shocked, he didn't come up and greet me as he usually does. By Sunday afternoon things were back to normal .Oh well, just another unsolved dog and human mystery that I'm still trying to sort out. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan. I'm so saddened by this terrible tragedy

Dogs have a sixth sense, maybe people too - Rocky's Story

2011-02-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Rocky's story- a story from my book
(this is Rocky in the photo)

Rocky

I showed up at the shelter one day and saw a big black and white border collie mix who seemed friendly and eager for contact with people. I tend to like the bigger dogs, and as he was fairly run of the mill in looks and on the large side, I figured he might end up there awhile so something inside me decided to focus on Rocky. There was something of the looks of Jake (another dog in my book) in him and there was a responsiveness and chummy sort of willingness to relate to me. When I first started walking Rocky he was fairly well behaved and happy to be petted and loved and talked to and he and Blue, my Australian Cattle Dog, and I would wander all over town. He was fairly good with cats when I walked him past the cat cages, and he was easy enough to handle, so I could drop in and pick him up and go for a walk when I had the time. None of the other dogs where particularly grabbing me, so I just sort of fell in with Rocky. Blue and I walked Rocky for a few months, sometimes he would pull but not too badly He really enjoyed walking all over town with us and rewarded us with his loving responses and looks back at me while on the leash walking. You could tell he liked people. I kept wondering as I often do with the dogs” how did you end up here?” He was so well adjusted. After being at the shelter for a while he grew more impatient and started to dislike cats and smaller dogs to the point where he would bark and lunge towards them and I’d have to really pull him back and reprimand him but something about him would make me continue walking him. He never seemed to become despondent or depressed at the shelter over time, just crabby and intolerant.

Porky as referred to in previous blog post
tailsfromtheshelter.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-ones-i-love-always-go.html

After some time Porky showed up and in contrast, seemed to go downhill rather quickly. He was sensitive and shell shocked by all the noise and commotion and some of the other dogs would pick fights with him to the extent that he would be reluctant to come out of his outdoor kennel in order to even go for walks.Rocky was a little too much of a handful to take with Blue and Porky at one time so I'd walk Rocky and then take Porky afterwards.I was getting a little exhausted from all this dog juggling, and I didn’t always have time to conveniently, devote to walking both of them separately so I started praying that Rocky would soon find a good home. I'm not a particularly religious person, more on the "new age spiritual" side, I always figure some of these dogs can use all the help they can get. Some people came to look at him once but they had recently lost their precious dog named Rocky and the woman was too distraught to get another dog named Rocky quite so soon. I kept thinking” you could change his name to Socks or something, because he had white feet, but these people just came to the conclusion that he was not the dog for them. So there I go back to praying and putting my spiritual feelers out for the right situation for Rocky to arise. I popped into the shelter one morning, and reached around the office door to grab a leash as is my usual custom, and the gals who work there said to me” have you heard the great news about Rocky?” and I’m like “no what happened?” Apparently the man who initially brought him in was a neighbor to his original owner who was going to adopt Rocky because his owner was in the military and got called away to transfer to a military base back East. The neighbor had told the original owner who loved the dog but thought it was unfair to drag him across the country and keep him in a kennel until they found appropriate housing, that the dog was doing well. The dog and neighbor were not doing well. The neighbor tried to surrender Rocky to the shelter, only they were full at the time and the staff told the man he’d have to wait before surrendering him, at which point the man said” I’m just going to go shoot that damn dog” or something to that effect. Well there was another patron standing there at that moment who generously offered to pay for the dog to stay at a kennel until the shelter had room to take him. I'm always so amazed at the kindness and generosity of some people. I had never heard any of this previous history of Rocky's until that moment. So all this time goes by and I’m walking Rocky and taking good care of him and putting my spiritual feelers out praying that he finds an appropriate home. Well the owner who apparently loved Rocky and was trying to spare him discomfort in moving had a funny feeling that something was wrong. He said he kept thinking about Rocky as they were finally settled into a new house and looking to get another dog just like Rocky to replace him. He kept having this strange intuition and said something compelled him to look on the Petfinder website http://www.petfinder.com/index.html for our Shelter and low and behold, he see’s Rocky’s picture on the site listing him as available for adoption. He called up and the shelter staff, told him what had happened with the neighbor and the previous owner said, if he had known how awful it was for Rocky and how dangerously close to being killed the dog was he would have taken him with the family across the country and kenneled him there until they found a new home. Besides, their 2 year old daughter had leukemia and Rocky was her special dog and I suppose it must have been really difficult to be sick, move and loose your special dog.Now they were going to surprise her and reunite them. The people made arrangements with a pet transport service to take the dog across country and reunite him with the family.
So all along I kept wondering why, as long as Rocky stayed at the shelter, he never went that far down hill? He became crabby and part of that was, we think the man who was going to kill him had had a smaller dog that was mean to Rocky as Rocky had never before displayed issues with cats or small dogs. I wonder if somewhere inside Rocky he knew he was going to be reunited with his beloved family? I wonder what compelled me to focus on him and pray for him and if somehow the previous owner heard those pleas through the psychic mists, from clear across the country? I hope the little girl is helped to heal now, at least she’ll have a big wallop of joy in getting her precious doggie back. I’m so happy for all of them. I too got my wish, and in Rocky getting reunited with his precious family, I was able to spend time with Porky who is so sensitive and really needs me, and is sitting by my side as I write this, as my foster dog, doing really well, loving to be loved and grateful for the peace and quiet of a home as opposed to the noise and racket and fighting between some dogs in the shelter setting. Porky too, had a miraculous twist which can be read in my blog post on his story http://tailsfromtheshelter.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-ones-i-love-always-go.html

I suppose this is what keeps me going back to help the shelter dogs. The longer I stay on, the more the stories twist and turn and interweave over time, sometimes in miraculous ways- or seemingly unexplained coincidences, take your pick!

(it takes a brief moment of advertising to get to the beautiful song- it's worth it)

Some of my observations on how to work with dogs while they are living in shelters

2011-01-25T08:19:00.000-08:00

This is just my list of do's, don'ts, and approaches I have come to after spending years helping shelter dogs. I have incorporated much of the info into my stories on the individual dogs, which I'm still trying to figure out how to edit and publish . I thought my observations and list of what I do and don't do might be of interest to other people who want to help the shelter dogs. I'll probably add to the list over time, but these are a few things that come to mind, not in any way a complete list. If anyone has any other bits of information to add, please feel free to comment or contact me. Learning and helping the dogs, and people who work with them is my main objective

This is Hunny the deaf lab that's been at the shelter since May. I had talked about her before but misspelled her name before assuming it was Honey, but I'll leave the topic of shelter dog names, for another blog post. I always hold the leash in my hand this way( I bring my thumb back into my fist), not putting my hand all the way through the loop which seems dangerous to me. It's easy to release the leash this way if it's a matter of releasing a dog or breaking my arm. I have broken my hand before while foolishly riding my bike while walking my Labrador Retriever, despite my husband's warnings, so I am a bit cautious.

I train the dogs to voice commands as well as hand signals from the start i.e. I say" this way" and tug on the leash for a change in direction. I say "wait", "stay", "sit","come" etc.., and give appropriate hand signals. That way if a dog accidentally pulls the leash out of my hands I can usually control them with my voice, at least long enough to catch them.

I usually ask the shelter staff for info on a particular dog, and then I try and assess the dog before walking it.I stand on the other side of the fence/gate and view the dog, talking to him or her and seeing what kind of response I get. I am conscious of my limitations and skills and will avoid a dog that is beyond my ability to control it in public.

I usually stop and lovingly pet and try and make some kind of bonding contact with a dog as soon as I get it out of the shelter and away from all the noise. I do this repeatedly for more normal dogs, it helps to establish a bond and connection and they are less likely to pull if they have made some kind of acknowledging contact with the person at the other end of the leash. It helps to calm them a bit.

If I have a dog that is just way too rambunctious and intent on pulling and pulling and I am on the verge of losing control, I run them in a circle- I stand in one place and direct their energy around in a circle. It gives a few minutes to regain control and tire the dog somewhat.

With big unruly dogs, I like to use a large link, "Barbara Woodhouse (English dog trainer) style," choke chain. The weight on the back of their necks is somewhat of a natural subduing gesture, and the sound of the jerk startles them and gets their attention, it's not used to choke them.

On smaller wound up dogs, I usually try a" Haltie" or "Martingale" collar if it's available, it's a humane way to get a dog under control. I've had a few large rambunctious dogs destroy them and escape so I'm more cautious with bigger, rowdy dogs. At times I have purchased my own equipment and keep it in my car, just so I have the right equipment for particular dogs I'm walking. There always seems to be an assortment of leashes and collars at our shelter and some disappear and reappear months later in different places with so many volunteers, so at times it's better to have my own favorite pieces of equipment that I keep under my own control.

For shy sensitive, abused dogs, I am very low key and non intrusive with them. I don't do my usual high pitched happy dog talk as it can scare them. I usually just act calm and let them come to me and sniff me and interact with me on their own time. I can usually give a trial, semi- happy talk, greeting, and see if the dog responds positively or becomes scared. If they get scared, then I back off. If they get really scared then I slow way down and take much more time just letting them get comfortable with me which might entail just sitting with them for 15 minutes at a time for a few days until they get the courage up to trust and feel comfortable with me. Sometimes food treats work in this scenario sometimes they don't but the most important thing is to observe their response and go slow and not push too hard. Once they have gained my trust I can work with them and the progress usually goes faster after they have accepted me as a friend. In the shelter scenario,- the dogs have been traumatized, ending up in a foreign place that is noisy and scary, so I try and make them feel comfortable and get them to see me as a trustworthy ally, not a trainer simply forcing a response.

I always check the collars, and leashes before I go out with a dog, sometimes collars can be way to loose and a dog can back out of the collar- I had a dog escape downtown this way, but luckily got her back unharmed. I have also seen dogs whose collars were too tight because they had put on weight after they had been fed properly. I also check to see that the leash is strong enough and in good working order for the dog I intend to walk- i.e. it's not seriously frayed so it could snap or break if pulled too hard.

I usually go into the kennel and put the leash on while the kennel door is shut, unless I'm confident I can slip a leash on quickly in the hallway. The main thing I try and avoid is having stressed shelter dogs come in contact with each other in close quarters.

I always try and make sure that gates to the outside are shut before I take a dog out of a kennel. I try and make sure that there are not two shelter dogs in close quarters, together as problems could arise. I let the other people and dogs go out then I go with the dog. I try and keep the dogs on a short leash while walking past the other dogs behind fences, and I try not to linger as tails and barking mouths can align in close quarters

I wear "play clothes" as I will inevitably get a few muddy paws on the front or back of my clothes. I wear comfortable walking shoes as I usually walk for an hour or more.I have actually seen people show up in flip flops! I bring a "belly bag / fanny pack"-pocketbook that closes around the waist. I take my wallet, cell phone, pooper scooper plastic bags, hand sanitizer, tissues, band-aids, the business card of the Humane Society- in case someone falls in love with the dog I'm walking and wants the phone number of the shelter to call them. Since I usually walk the dogs around town, I also ask the age of the dog and some background info on the dog in case anyone stops and asks me questions about the dog.

I try not to exchange bodily fluids with the dogs, that is I don't let them lick my face if I can help it. There is however, the occasional "stolen kiss." I'm real big on "air kisses" and conveying love and care through my hands, and happy talk voice

I used to spend quite a bit of money on treats for the dogs. After a while, I decided to just try love, attention, praise, and fun walks. I found that the dogs were just so happy being out walking around and having some positive attention that I really didn't need to use food treats to get them to respond to commands. I guess financial necessity can be the mother of creative training invention!

Some dogs need to be cheered up and respond well to happy talk, some dogs, hunting breeds in particular, are already excited and I've noticed, can be over wound with too much happy talk. Some scared dogs benefit from calm, direct, low key energy. I usually try and assess what is going on by observation and adjust my approach accordingly

When I am done with walking the shelter dogs, I make sure that there is drinking water in the dog's kennel. I return all the equipment to it's correct place and report any useful info on the dog to the staff i.e.- he chases cats, or squirrels, he's a lovely dog and responds well and is easy to walk, the dog is startled by .., Sometimes the staff is interested to get information on the dogs in order to help the people interested in adopting the dog have a good idea of what the dog is like. I try and be useful without overly burdening the hardworking staff with all my insights. The staff members also seem to have different insights and info on the dogs and are often the first ones to bond with the dogs, because they are providing warm safe housing, humane treatment, and feeding them regularly. This kind treatment is often better than the treatment many of the dogs have been previously used to and they are very appreciative of the efforts on their behalf.

When I am completely done I wash my hands before leaving

Well, these are just a few thoughts that came to mind. I will try and add to the list from time to time.

Funny encounters while travelling with pets

2011-01-16T16:33:00.001-08:00

I just got back from spending the weekend in Coeur d' Alene Idaho with my husband and 2 dogs. We stayed at the La Quinta hotel because they are always clean, nice, have very comfortable beds, a bonus point system, and they take pets and don't charge extra for them. I had a funny interchange with the receptionist at the hotel. I had been in the car for a while and she must have been at work for a while as miscommunication always seems to occur while people's reserves are low. I asked her" do you have plastic pooper scoopers?" and she looks at me and says "you mean like for dogs?" and I sarcastically said " no, for people" and she looked at me with a sort of horrified, expression on her face, and then we both started laughing. It's just that I couldn't figure out any other scenario where another creature would need a pooper scooper.This was after all, a hotel that is used to dealing with customers that have dogs, so she should have been more familiar with the question, and she did find some to offer me. I really get punchy when I've been in the car for along time, luckily she understood that I was just being a smart alec

The other odd encounter I had with a hotel receptionist happened in Spokane Washington a few years ago, again, after I had been in the car for a bit, feeling a little spacey, and I'm assuming the person behind the hotel counter had also had a long day. I walked into the lobby and asked the hotel receptionist "do you take pets? " and He looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face, and I said "do you take PETS, actually spelling it out P, E,T,S, thinking that maybe he hadn't heard me clearly, and he answered back to me "you mean like A.A.R.P.?" ( which is an acronym that stands for American Association of Retired Persons who are offered a discounted rate) and I said" no like dogs, woof woof" and after what had seemed like a twenty minute experience, waiting my turn in line to ask the clerk and then having this ridiculous interchange, all after a long car ride, he says" sorry, no we don't" Travelling can be so frustrating at times!

Happy Holidays and Big Thank You

2010-12-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays and a big Thank you to all those who have adopted and/or helped, abandoned animals

Another fun filled afternoon with shelter dogs

2010-12-15T18:50:00.000-08:00

I was able to spend a good hour and a half today walking shelter dogs. This little Shih Tzu is Drew, a 1 year old male. He was a stray and has been at the shelter for a few days without being claimed. How could someone not know he was missing, unless no one cares. If he is not claimed, in a few more days he will become available for adoption. He is so sweet, and loved being held in my arms. For the most part I am a big dog person, but this little guy just tugged at my heartstrings. If you are interested in him you could contact the shelter and place a hold on him http://www.humanesocietyofthepalouse.org/

The Black lab with my Blue Merle Aussie is Lady again. We had a nice hour long walk through town. My dog has this" why are you taking my picture, you know I am camera shy" look on his face"

The black and white guy with his tongue sticking out is Augustus, my new favorite. He doesn't usually have his tongue sticking out but the dogs have been cooped up lately and it's been hard to get decent photos of them with them being happy to be outside and all, so this wasn't a half bad picture, so I included it. He's on the large size of medium sized dogs, very sweet and well behaved considering he has not yet been neutered. If he's this nice pre neutering, he'll only become more calm and nice after. He needs to put on at least 5 lbs.
Augustus is typical of my favorite type of dog, sort of plain, non-descript but with a heart of gold. I love these big easy going guys, unfortunately I am only half of the household decision making process or I would have 5 dogs, but one often makes compromises in relationships, so in a way, the compromise is what keeps me coming back to help more dogs

Dog walking in winter- some new dogs

2010-12-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

We finally had a lull in the heavy snows and I was able to get back to walking the shelter dogs, which is always such a joy for me. This little adorable black and tan guy is about a six month old puppy. Someone has placed a hold on him and he will probably be adopted out soon but I thought it would be nice for him to get out and get some love , attention and exercise. He did well on the leash and I was pleased that my dog Cash the blue merle Aussie was very in tune with me trying to keep the puppy calm and walking nicely as he wanted to play and romp with Cash but I wasn't up for a tangled leash, animated play scene, enveloping me on the icy sidewalk so Cash was very good at understanding my intentions, and keeping the puppy in line. The other shelter dog is Lady, the black lab who was well behaved, came to me when I called her and was just a tad wound up as a result of the shelter dogs being cooped up in inside kennels during the snowy weather, but under more normal circumstances seems like she would make a lovely well behaved pet. Much like people, the dogs get cabin fever too, and need to get outside and have fun. Lady the black lab is available for adoptionhttp://www.humanesocietyofthepalouse.org/Available%20Animals.html as well as another big black lab Harley and an assortment of other adorable dogs. I see so many dogs named Harley, funny I never see many named Davidson! My new favorite is Augustus. I was unable to take him out because he has not been neutered yet but he is a sweet medium to large sized maybe Australian cattle dog,white German Shepherd looking mix that loves attention and is mellow and practically human in his responses. I hope to get a photo of him soon and be able to walk him if he is still at the shelter

the "Peace Accord" on the sofa

2010-12-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

I was at a dinner party the other night with some dear friends. I was talking about dog behavior and my friend said something along the lines of "It's so interesting to see a glimpse of what humans are like by studying the behaviors of dogs" I never thought of it that way before, that maybe we can learn how to act by seeing how dogs/pack animals resolve their disputes. As I watched the progression to family harmony from the introduction of a newly neutered male dog into my home and pack with a well entrenched 10 1/2 year old neutered male dog that we have had since he was 2 years old, I started to wonder if there was some sort of metaphor/model for human harmony as well. At first it seemed like I had one frightened new dog with some residual testosterone and one old dog who's home territory was being invaded. The newcomer was frightened, , half starved-25% underweight, had been tossed around from place to place with nowhere to call home, came close to being gassed, until some nice people rescued him and set about to finding an appropriate home for him. The old dog was very comfortable in his home territory, laid claim to the upstairs, the sofa, and strategically placed dog bed next to the outside view and had a long history with his people. The new dog finally had a nice comfortable safe place to call home where conditions such as food and comfort and threat level were in his favor. I guess he started liking his new home and feeling protective of it. "See that comfortable couch that I like to lay on? It is now mine. I never had one before and you, little old dog, seem old, weak and complacent. I've had to fight for survival and now I want to ensure it, get it? so it's mine and you stay away from it" This seemed to be the conversation between my new 2 year old Aussie shepherd and my old Blue Heeler. The Heeler was like" Hey wait a minute bub, this is my home territory and has been my sofa for years, who are you to invade and claim it?" I was somewhat of the Peace keeping Mission on the sofa. I would watch as they sorted out their differences. One time I tried to coax them both onto the sofa with me as mediator but my husband said no, "don't do that , let them work it out on their own" I had one long week of daily fights. Nasty sounding fur flying but not much actual damage to either dog. I figured that the new dog needed a lot of exercise in order to calm down. He also needed to know that his food bowl would be full, and that his needs would be met. The old dog needed reassurance that he was still important, that life would improve with this invasion- he got canned food instead of dry kibble every morning. Life was changing, but hopefully it could be a win win for all involved. I would have a new walking and dog training companion, the old dog could semi retire to guard duty in the car and house and occasional nature walks. The new dog would have a warm safe fun comfortable home, meaningful work to do, and his physical need for exercise would be met.For awhile, only the new dog would get on the sofa, and shoot dirty looks at the old dog in order to keep him away. I would intervene and make sure that the old dog was treated well and got attention and comfortable accommodations. As the new dog started to relax and settle into our routine, one day about 2 months after acquiring the new dog I saw both dogs on the sofa with me of their own accord. The old dog was brave and comfortable enough with the new dog to risk the retaking of his old territory. I sat and marveled at the progress we made. Then gradually both dogs started getting comfortable with allowing the other dog to feel a part of the home to freely move on and off the choice pieces of real estate, to share the attentions of their people and their environment and live as one family. Their are still mini power struggles, working out pack positions and duty roles. It seems that time, and minimum interference on my part and both dog's needs being met and the people as moderators to ensure that violence doesn't break out, and then both dogs have somewhat their own safe territory to retreat to. The old dog can go upstairs while the new young dog is somewhat afraid of the stairs. The new dog likes the chair with three comfortable protective sides surrounding him. I'm not sure how many parallels can be drawn between dog behavior and human behavior, dog's don't seem to have the big egos like humans have and are somewhat more tolerant of their species with less attention to their lineage as in not descending into "I am an Aussie Shepherd and you are a German Shepherd, therefore we are destined to disagreement." I'm glad my friend gave me a glimpse into another way to make observations about both dog and human behavior.

* I'd written this awhile ago, and both dogs are getting along just fine now.

Halloween,sheepdogs, and strange events

2010-11-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Halloween night we were sitting in the living room watching reruns of the old Simon and Simon detective show( 1980's television reruns) on netflix . It had been a long day of wood cutting and stacking and late fall garden chores so I just wanted to veg out in front of the t,v with a glass of wine, and the old man likes Simon and Simon because one of the brothers in the show lived on a boat and my husband is obsessed with sailboats lately. The dogs had had a long walk earlier and were laying down relaxing too. The lights were off and the t.v. was on when I heard this strange sound as if a body was being dragged across the floor. I'm thinking" what the heck is that?" as it is Halloween night, we are watching detective shows and I'm getting a tad spooked. I get up to check things out and notice that Cash, the new Australian Shepherd is in my husbands office. I look at him with a " what are you doing in here?" expression, and notice that there is a big plastic bag of my sheep fleece next to him. Now I know that my husband is very picky about what goes in his office and I couldn't imagine why he would have put this huge outside trash can sized bag of my sheep fleece in there and I asked him" did you put my giant bag of fleece in your office?" and I get a " no why would I possibly do that" back from him and I remember hearing that sound like a body being dragged across the linoleum floor and " bingo" Can you believe that this 45 lb sheep dog had dragged a huge bag of fleece into the dark office to have his way with it! I remembered that last Friday I had gone to my knitting club and left the dog alone in the car with my giant bag of fleece and when I came back there was wool fluff all over the car. It was as if he got bored and entertained himself by teasing apart the giant fleece which is actually what needed to be done in preparation for carding. So I suppose he was at it again, bored, and decided to take what he perceived as "his giant bag of fleece toy" into the office in order to play with his secret stash! I really need to get this boy some sheep or at least start him on agility training or sheep dog training. The Australian Shepherd is a little more intense than my Australian Cattle dog who when young, was very smart and not particularly high energy or high maintenance as long as he was with his people. This new dog is a little quirky, I still haven't figured him out quite yet

Cash's first day on the job, do you think he was nervous?

2010-10-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

So here we are with my new dog Cash, the Aussie Shepherd, and two of the shelter dogs. I wanted to see how he was going to do, walking and helping to train the shelter dogs and so far he is fine with it. He got along with the dogs and despite his lack of leash training, although he is good off leash, he was able to walk comfortably and help set the pace and relaxed tone. I think he will do just fine in his new role of helping to train and make comfortable the shelter dogs. Both these dogs seemed quite relaxed with Cash although it took some doing to get decent photos of them as they kept turning in different directions, so I kept taking shots as we walked hence the photos of the dogs relaxed in the street as I was not so relaxed but watchful and hoping to get a good photo while shepherding two dogs and my camera hand to safety. The big black dog, Honey was an unusual sort of case. Most shelter dogs can't wait to go for walks, and stay out of the noisy shelter. Honey got about 3/4 of a mile away from the shelter and then made an abrupt turn and kept pulling me back in the opposite direction that we were trying to walk in. At first I thought that perhaps she was spooked by the two male joggers behind us on the bike path so I pulled the dogs aside and told them to wait, but the joggers just passed by and the dog wasn't bothered by them but kept turning back and pulling me. I then thought that maybe she was trying to tell me that she recognized some landmarks and perhaps wants to try and go "home" to wherever she has lived before. I just decided that trying to wrestle a big lab mix who was determined to go in the opposite direction, wasn't going to be fruitful so we turned around and walked back to the shelter. As soon as we headed back she relaxed so I'm guessing that she liked the shelter, felt comfortable there and familiar with the staff and regular feeding. I was thinking," strange, she looks well fed and happy otherwise, why was she so scared to be away from the safety of the shelter?" We took Honey the big black lab out again, a week later, and she was really worked up and pulling while I tried to get her out of the shelter gates and I was using my stern training voice when one of the shelter employees said " you do know that Honey is deaf don't you?" " Actually no, this was the first I'd had heard of it" so that bit of info threw me for a loop. The last time I took her out she seemed fine, listened to my commands and or body language as well as that of my dog Cash's body movements, and we had a nice walk before she tugged and wanted to turn back. Maybe being hearing impaired made her more insecure when she got too far away from the shelter, often times it is the dogs who are super frightened or have been abused that are more comfortable in the shelter than outside of it but for most dogs they prefer to be out walking around.

The yellow Heinz 57 variety dog is Jake
Jake seemed pretty relaxed around Cash as well

Pascual in need of reform school?

2010-10-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, that even our dog children from time to time, get into trouble no matter how well they are raised. My friend and I often take our rescue dogs out for long walks around a reservoir where there are little camping areas that are available for public use. The campground
areas are often filled up on the weekends in the summer time. This summer we were walking and basically at the end of our walk. My friend and I were in the parking lot with her dog and my new dog and she says to me" where's Pascual?" I looked around and called his name, which usually causes him to show up immediately but, no Pascual. I walked over to the bridge because sometimes the dogs stand in the water underneath the bridge to cool off. He wasn't under the bridge. This was really unusual behavior for him as he never strays far off the hiking path and he's usually never far from me or out of reach of my voice. I called once again"Pascual" and all of a sudden, he comes sneaking out of the bushes with a big piece of baked chicken in his mouth! I quick figured out what had happened, and as I was bursting out laughing and trying to tell my friend what had happened while taking the fully baked piece of chicken out of his mouth and Pascual is looking at me like" do you know the trouble I went through to sneak that piece of chicken, and you're taking it from me? why it was masterful" and I'm trying to rush everyone into the car before the drunken, angry, camper I'm imagining comes running after us and I don't even have any money on me to pay for the chicken, and I'm laughing so hard that this little old dog was so sneaky in his escape through the bushes, as I've often seen him skulking around the furniture in the house trying to outwit other dogs so he could steal food out of there bowls, but I never expected him to do it in public! So we quickly made our getaway, my friend and I laughing so hard. As my guilt started to rise, I said" I really don't know if he stole it or someone gave it to him" as despite my fears, no one actually came out of the woods and yelled at us, and I was reminded of the time in Portland Oregon when I was dog sitting for my friend's yellow lab mix and walking up in the Hawthorne Blvd. shopping district, and my friend had the strange, bungee style leash which I never understood the purpose of; a leash with spring coils in it, and someone was walking past us eating a slice of pizza and the dog jumped up and I pulled back on the leash and got no resistance, and the dog was able to snatch the pizza right out of the guys hand as he was lifting it to his mouth, and I was terribly embarrassed, and apologetic, and explained that I was only dog sitting and not familiar with that type of leash, and again I had no money on me to even pay the guy for the pizza but he was very easy going and told me not to worry about it. So hopefully my karma was washed clean this last winter when I found a $100 dollar bill on the floor at Walmart at Christmas time and kept thinking that it must have been someone's special gift money so I turned it in to the store manager who said someone came around all upset and desperate because they had lost their money so I apologize for my dogs behavior and hope that somehow things get evened out in the world, but needless to say I watch the dogs more closely now, and Pascual, like any good hunter, keeps going back to that campsite, his happy hunting ground!

Dogs,those mysterious creatures-what motivates them ?

2010-10-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

When we got our new dog Cash from Inland Northwest Rescuehttp://www.aussierescuenw.org/INWR.htm he came with all kinds of toys; stuffed animals,a Frisbee, a teddy bear. I bought a brand new dog bed from Costco which has some of the best prices for large dog beds if you live near one. Do you think that the dogs would appreciate the efforts all these humans have gone to, no. No one, not the old or new dog has deigned to set foot on the brand new dog bed,"moi? dog bed? oh no,no no, Madame it is not for me, I much prefer furniture, of the human kind" "Toys? what would I want with toys, do I look simple to you? you throw it and want me to bring it back? why do you throw it in the first place? strange kind of human compulsion for frivolity? Why, bring me some sheep and we'll talk, what do you take me for?" so the toys sit in the corner. My friend has a large rescued Pyrenees mix dog, that plays with my new Aussie Shepherd, Cash. Last year the Pyrenees mix snuck over to the neighboring farm and stole the stuffed animal toys belonging to the neighbors German Shepherd. My friend kept finding new toys in her house every day for about a week. This year my friend heard a noise at her front door. She knew that her dog was already in the house, as it sometimes wiggles the door open with it's snout. She thought "hmmm, maybe it's one of the cats coming in" No, it was the neighbor's German Shepherd come to reclaim it's toys!Funny creatures these dogs, what interests them, what bores them, what they are motivated by. If only they could talk!This is the second time this year the above German Shepherd mix has come to my friend's farm for "toy exchange" I just happened to be there to witness all the fun and snag this photo. How did the dog know that my friend had just purchased this new toy? These dogs often have an uncanny sense of timing, and are always good for a few laughs!

Cash's Ontological Crisis

2010-09-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

So Cash,( my new dog) or Cashi as he is affectionately called from time to time is having a hard time coming to terms with the definitions and structural set up of the human world. I admit, I don't always have an easy time of it myself, so here goes our scenario

Me to the dog" Wooden knitting needle on the coffee table, may look like a stick to you but no, it is actually a human implement. Yes I do realize it is made out of wood like a stick, and the shape of the knitting needle roughly resembles that of a stick, but sorry you are not allowed to chew on this type of wood if it is in the house"

Conversation number 2-" That post that you keep lifting your leg on once I let you outside, may look like a tree, and yes we did open the door and technically, go outside, but in the human realm, that semi- outside area is called a porch and that tree you thought you were peeing on is actually not a tree, but a porch post, granted it is made out of wood, and covered in hops vines leading one to reasonably believe that it is treelike,and has outdoor, natural world characteristics, but the humans aren't very happy when you pee on it. Just to confuse your little dog brain even further- Outside actually begins when you are out the door, down the steps, and off the porch, a mere technicality but important point nonetheless. Sorry, I know we humans are complicated creatures, but we do provide sofas and feed you dogs well

http://www.amazon.com/Metaphysical-Foundations-Phenomenology-Existential-Philosophy/dp/0253207649/ref=pd_sim_b_4

Pascual flees the Czech Circus- a story in progress

2010-08-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

The Czech Circus is a term I use for events having to do with my Czech friend who is a very talented graphic design artist and a filmmaker, www.buffalogirlsproductions.com.
We call it the circus because there is always an atmosphere of creative chaos,a juggling of people, animals and situations, an element of absurdity, where one can almost hear the circus music playing in the background or one starts singing the circus music to drive home the point that things are getting out of hand.

So my husband and I were going to take an all day sailing lesson on Hayden Lake which is about 2 hours north of here. I didn't want the dogs hanging out in a hot car for 10 hours, so I arranged for my 10 year old dog to stay at my Czech friend's house in the country, and the new dog Cash was going to stay at a very nice boarding facility run by a very calm and lovely Swedish woman, where the rooms are filled with covered sofas, and there is a doggie door for the dogs to go into the fenced area which has giant water bowls and bowls filled with dog food.http://www.elisabetsdogboarding.com/and long walks in the fields with Elisabet.

So I suppose I am one of the few people who decides to have people over for dinner the night before going away for the weekend. I was running around like a mad woman, watering all the plants, landscaping, setting up my low tech greenhouse self watering system which basically entails plants in containers sitting in bowls or pools of water, packing for the people, packing for the dogs and then cooking and cleaning. My two girlfriends came over, and because one is the Czech friend she was going to cook some of the food at my house and we would make the side dishes and provide drinks. Why we didn't just go to her house is one of the many circus mysteries. We had a global buffet of sorts with Indonesian spiced pork, tortillas, rice and homemade salsa from my homegrown peppers and tomatoes. We also had wine and Planters Punch drinks a favorite in the summer. When my Czech friend left that night, she took my old dog Pascual with her and was going to keep him for a few days and then we would pick him up on our way back. We were a little sad that night with only the new dog. We've only had to keep Pascual, my Blue Heeler, away from us once, since we got him. That particular time he stayed with a neighbor who lives a half mile away. The dog is not one to chase things and never wanders off from my house but when the neighbor took him outside with his two dogs, my dog looked around and was like" I don't live here and I'm rather spoiled living in the house and not interested in sleeping in the garage with two lab mixes so I'm outta here" so my Blue Heeler, just proceeded to walk down the neighbors driveway, walk down the road a quarter mile and then down my 1/4 mile driveway with the neighbor close behind shouting"Pascual come, come back here"( I wish I could have seen that!) Luckily I had a contingency plan if things didn't work out I told the neighbor to put the dog in my camper which I had set up with screened windows open, and food and water bowls and dog blankets. So the neighbor just exercised all the dogs at my place and my dog was content to stay on our place in our camper which was familiar and comforting to him.
Now my Czech friend lives 10 miles away and my blue heeler has been there many times and was quite familiar with my friend, the Great Dane grand dog, and her property, so I thought he would be more comfortable there, than in the back of my car all day. Unfortunately you can't explain things to dogs like you can people, and perhaps he thought I was dumping him off there permanently. I called her at six in the morning just checking on him and seeing if he was adjusting well. She said he was fine in the car and didn't want to go in the house that night, but she put a leash on him and he was fine in her mudroom overnight, with the Great Dane and his dog blanket which I had brought from home.
She looked around in the morning and couldn't find him. I told her to look near the car thinking that the dog might figure that he had arrived there in the car, and perhaps could go back home if he could only get back in the car. I also told her to look near her animals as she has sheep and chickens, and maybe he would be interested in looking at them. I called back twenty minutes later, but she still couldn't find him. We were all packed for the weekend, including all the stuff for Cash the new Aussie who was going to the boarding facility. Although my friend's house is out of the way, we figured that we could loop back around and continue on our journey once we found Pascual. I told my husband to drive the shortcut as the dog has traveled that way with me and it is a mile less than the ten miles it takes going to my house via the highway. I also told my husband that the car's gas tank was basically empty but I just got a " don't worry about it " gruff comment. Mind you, in rural areas a gas station can be some 10 miles away or more if you actually need one, otherwise it is a course of humbly begging for a gallon of farm gas if one gets desperate. So off we went, nervous and panicked wondering where the old dog had gotten off to. Of course my husband took the highway, not the cutoff.

We got to my friend's house and she was frantic because she couldn't find him. The Great Dane was running huge circles around the property and my old cattle dog was nowhere to be found. I thought surely if he heard our car and our voices he would have come running if he could, which led me to believe that he was either injured in the woods and couldn't come or on his way home somehow. It's not like him to be interested enough to run off, as he likes his creature comforts of warm house and food bowl, heck he didn't venture out much when he was young let alone old. My husband decided to drive around the neighborhood in our car with no gas in it and I asked my friend if I could borrow her car. She looked at me and thought maybe I was too nervous and it would be better if she drove, for my sake and her car's sake! Now my Czech friend was raised by Artists in Prague, and she has some wacky kind of odd intuition at times. Instead of taking the cut off road she went to the road directly across the highway from her road. We stopped at houses along the way asking if anyone had seen the dog. I also checked my answering machine in case someone had found him and called the number on the i.d. tag. I also alerted the animal shelter that he was missing in case someone called in with a found stray dog. There was a weird dirt driveway paralleling the highway between the road we were on and the shortcut road. A house was being built there and there were lots of workmen and guys on 4 wheelers(all terrain vehicles) My friend's spooky intuition led her to take this dirt driveway and we came upon a bunch of guys who said that the dog was around there earlier. They asked " does he look like a dingo?" ""yep" that's him and with that, Pascual, my Blue Heeler came trotting over and I was ecstatic, as I had been relatively calm but had horrible what if scenarios running through my mind, so I let go of all the worry and grabbed him and he was so happy to see me. I realized that he had walked 3 miles from my friend's house and was on his way home, the rest of the journey being another 7 miles. Knowing men and dogs, the workmen were probably feeding him treats and pieces of their breakfast so he hung around. So we drive back to my friend's house, and luckily my husband shows up and we were reunited, but exhausted after looking for the dog for 2 hours. By that time I was in no mood to put both dogs anywhere but with me, as I couldn't stand any more worry so I just told my husband to cancel the other kennel. We pondered whether we should have put both dog"s there but the new dog was nervous and when we went the day before to check out the boarding facility, I think Cash thought we were going to dump him at yet another noisy animal rescue, as he was jittery and kept looking for me. We decided that if it was too hot and we couldn't get back to shore from the boat I would stay with the dogs and forgo the lesson. As it turned out it was a rather cool day and there were a lot of tall trees surrounding the parking lot and the guy teaching the lesson said I could come back to shore and check on the dogs from time to time, so it worked out after all. What a way to spend my birthday weekend! Thank goodness our little family was reunited. We didn't even run out of gas! The new dog Cash(the Australian Shepherd-longer haired dog), is finally settling in, there were a few trials and tribulations, like fear peeing. He jumped out of the window in the hotel parking lot, I screamed in a deep tone"noooo" he came to me and peed on my ankle right on the bare skin and ankle bracelet below my capri pants, it was such a perfect shot I just laughed, and realized I had to be careful with my reprimand tone with him. There was about a weeks worth of daily dog tussles, and Cash chewed up one of my favorite wooden knitting needles-he's a sheep dog after all,maybe he's trying to tell me I need some sheep! but the testosterone has subsided 6 weeks after his neutering and we're all getting along just fine. So getting a new dog is always filled with adjustment periods and having an old dog is never dull. Happy dog walking to all.
Thanks to my Czech friend for finding the dog, and for all the design and tech help over the years, oh yeah and for the great friendship too!

Getting to know you- Cash, our new Aussie Shepherd

2010-07-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Now that my Blue Heeler is 11 and not as active as he once was I went looking for a rescue Aussie shepherd or Border Collie purebred/ mix, to be my new walking companion and shelter dog, training helper. My Heeler is a tad arthritic and is now in semi-retirement, not to the golf course but to the sofa and truck. I was a little frantic there for awhile, looking for that perfect special dog in need of a family. The trouble with me is that I love most all dogs and trying to figure out exactly which one fit the criteria I was looking for became somewhat overwhelming. I looked in our shelter but the aussie we had already had a hold on her, I missed a day and someone swooped in and fell in love with her. I combed the http://www.petfinder.com/ website, where you can find a pet available for adoption. I Searched the Aussie shepherd and Border Collie rescue sites in my area and even some not in my area but within reasonable driving distance. For a dog obsessed woman on the hunt for the perfect additional dog, "reasonable," included Canada, Seattle, and Montana even though I live in North Idaho. We once had some people drive from Idaho Falls- nine hours away- to get a lovely purebred Springer Spaniel that was at our shelter, so reasonable is a relative term when one finds love on the internet! I combed the Spokane shelters last week and found an adorable Tri-color Border Collie who when I said excitedly, "oh your so cuute!" basically chimed back in the same tone and length of sentence in dog speak, reiterating" I want you too" but alas someone else got there first and he had a serious hold placed on him, and the girl who wanted him kept calling back to see if the owner had claimed him as he was not free to be released for adoption yet. I was feeling rather frantic, the kind of frantic and obsessed I've seen women become when desperate to have their second child. Since I have no children, this was the closest I'd get to baby fever. I persisted in making contacts and putting the word out for what I was looking for and called the wonderful devoted Mary Ann, of Inland Northwest rescue http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ID48.html
I also called and talked to Joan, one of the Idaho representatives, of Pacific Northwest Border Collie Rescue http://www.pnwbcrescue.org/ who is located down in Southern Idaho and she said that she often transports dogs up North here to Inland Northwest Rescue, which is how I came upon my beautiful Aussie Shepherd who we named Cash, after the musician Johnny Cash, and another favorite border collie mix named Cash we had a few years back at our shelter, who I had fostered. Initially our new dog's name was Simon, and then Rufus and Rudy but we weren't too fond of the name Simon, and I have seen many dogs at the shelter adapt to new names rather quickly, with proper bonding and repetition of the new name and he seems to respond well to Cash so that's his new name. The shelter staff have also given a dog a new name if it had come from less than terrific circumstances thus allowing the dog be born again/reborn into a new name and new, hopefully happier, life. We bandied about an assortment of names from Rudy, to Huck short for Huckelberry Finn, Lucky, Chance, Alfie, but the name Cash seemed amenable to us all. So here we go starting into a new adventure with a gorgeous wonderful new rescue dog, who is a tad frightened but doing well, he slept most of the way home in the car, marked inside the house once and went to the bathroom outside in the morning! Knock on wood ,so far so good. I'm always careful with new dogs to take them out frequently especially before bedtime, first thing in the morning, and about 10 minutes after meals, and use the same word" potty" and then praise them if they actually go. A few times I've actually stooped to lifting my leg and making "pst pst pst" sounds and saying "potty?" and oddly enough the male dogs understood what I was trying to say and urinated outside. Of course I live in the country with no neighbors, a person might look a tad odd doing this in a suburban backyard! My little Blue Heeler seems to be adjusting well to this relatively mellow, recently neutered new member of the family. It's been rather hot here so I'm taking a break from volunteering at the shelter as it's not good for the dogs to be out walking in the heat. I'm just having so much fun getting to know my new dog. Thanks Mary Ann for helping this dog and all the others you have helped over the years.Thanks for making it possible for us to adopt this special guy, we just adore him. Thanks also to Joan of Idaho Domestic Animal Welfare Group http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ID34.html
for helping to rescue and transport my new dog.

Mongo adopted

2010-06-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Well it just goes to show that there is someone for everyone. Mongo (the black dog)was adopted to be a running buddy which is a perfect fit for him, I'm hoping that they are long distance marathon runners!, The handsome boy who I worked with since January and another female volunteer also worked with,(she seemed more smitten with him than I was, it was more of a personal challenge for me), was finally adopted and can now hop up into his special persons car, instead of laying down next to mine, wishing to be taken home.He will now become a friend, companion and personal trainer. Funny this being said, I actually had bumper stickers made up awhile ago, with the design and graphic arts help from my dear Czech friend- http://www.buffalogirlsdesign.com/, with Mongo's picture on them .

I think Mongo had an attitude quickening of sorts because a week or so before he was adopted he was put in a pen with a large intimidating female Bulldog mix(pictured above,and available for adoption) who may have adjusted his attitude a bit, heck she certainly acquired a healthy respect from me, that's for sure. So who's to say that the companionship of a strong woman was enough to whip him into shape or not, but sometimes that's the way it goes. Happy trails big guy, you taught me a lot.

Close encounters of the Border Collie kind

2010-06-11T10:15:00.001-07:00

This was a very sweet border collie mix that showed up at the shelter and was adopted after about 2 weeks.I had one who looked pretty similar show up at my house once. I was sitting in my pottery studio throwing pots when my husband came back from town. He opened the door to my studio and the conversation went something like this;
" what's up with that one?"
me "what's up with that one what?"
"that dog you brought home"
me "what dog, what are you talking about?"
"you don't have to try and hide it, that dog, sitting on the front porch"
me "what dog sitting on the front porch?"
and with that I got up, washed the clay off of my hands and went out to see what he was talking about. On my front doorstep , which is covered by part of my wraparound porch, was a very sweet, very frightened, border collie Heeler mix(she looked similar to the dog in these photos) soaking wet and trembling. I brought her in, toweled her off, offered her food and water and proceeded to try and figure out who she belonged to.
She didn't look familiar, as I walk about a 3 mile radius from my house in many directions and had a pretty good idea of who the dog owners were and what kind of dogs they had.
I called the Humane Society and asked if anyone called in missing a dog of her description and no one had, so I left my contact info in case any one called in looking for her. She was an older dog, about 9-10 years old about the same age, weight, and height, as my Blue Heeler.
I put "found dog" fliers up at the post office and the library, asked the post man and U.P.S. man if they knew who she belonged to and got no answers. No one seemed to be missing her, or knew who she belonged to, so I decided that someone must have dumped her off as she was an older dog, and people often dump off their unwanted pets in the country thinking that they'll go live on a nice farm. She was a very sweet well behaved dog, and quickly fit into our routine. My blue heeler actually seemed to like her which was unusual as he is for the most part rather indifferent to the foster dogs and shelter dogs, preferring his position as my special dog, the others are just visitors in need of training. Pascual would frolick and play with her in an older dog kind of way,and seemed pleased with her company. One day my husband and I were out planting trees, a quarter mile down the property. It was a muddy day and I didn't want the dogs getting wet and muddy so I left them in the house. After twenty minutes, I see Molly the name we gave the border collie mix, and my dog, trotting down the driveway with Molly out in front, and Pascual sheepishly following behind her. I turned to my husband and said" I knew I shut the door" sure enough she had figured out how to open it. I went back and shut the door and then let them stay with us as they seemed to want to be outside with us. I was very nice and kind to Molly and having decided that after two weeks had gone by where no one had called to claim her I would just keep her, so she was swaddled in affection and got to sleep on the rug. I have many of my handmade hooked rugs all over the house that are particularly soft for the dogs, and I also had dog beds out for her so she just fit comfortably into our household. She bonded quickly and liked to sleep on the porch and would do 5 foot guard duty shifts, rotating around the porch like clockwork. At first I was thinking "where's Molly she was laying there a minute ago?" and then she would be five feet further down the deck. So she got used to us and we got used to her habits. At first I thought she was a bit daft or had a touch of senility, but then there seemed to be some sort of guarding method to her madness. Now, I have a very smart dog, an Australian Cattle dog a.k.a a Blue Heeler but he is a tad lazy or perhaps smart enough to know that he doesn't have to work that hard to get his needs met, but this Border Collie/Heeler mix took the cake. She was the smartest dog I had ever had first hand experience with. She could open doors, and then she really spooked my husband because she started closing them behind her( they could have been blown shut, but who knows, it happened often) I watched her do it once, she looked around first to see if anyone was looking and then jumped up and opened it with her paws. She didn't know I was watching her. Then she started opening drawers in the kitchen," hey Pascual, look it's the garlic and onion drawer" and my dog would trot over. I was starting to get a little annoyed, wondering if I was going to have to padlock the fridge, and then I stopped one evening and just looked at her. She looked back at me with a "so here I am what is it you want to know about me" look on her face and I just let go of the annoyance and then marvelled at her presence, spirit, and intelligence, and had a much deeper respect and admiration for her after that. I worked in the inner city some years ago, with disadvantaged youth and recall a 14 year old girl with an exceptional level of intelligence. When I was in my early twenties and college educated, this young girl had an intellectual grasp of subjects from History to Politics to Art and seemed like more of a peer than a student. One day I was able to see her in action with her mother, and was saddened to see that her mother appeared to have no clue as to what an exceptionally intelligent daughter she had. The mother seemed exasperated,and treated her daughter with derision as if she was just an insolent smart mouthed kid who needed to be put in her place and respect adult authority. It was so sad to me that there was such a huge perception gap and that the daughter had to live with someone who put her down for her talents and didn't recognize what an intelligent gift her daughter possessed. I just feel that it's so important to try and understand pets and people for their uniqueness, and see and work with what actually is there rather than what we expect or project on our pets or fellow human beings.

One thing that never sat right in my mind was the fact that Molly the dog, showed up at my door with a brand new pretty purple collar on but with no identification tags or rabies tag on the collar. I kept wondering why would someone leave a new, seemingly expensive collar on a dog that they were going to dump off, that didn't make sense. Months went by and she fit right into our routines. She was pretty low maintenance, easily trained, spent hours on the porch and then came into the house and was comfortable with my heeler. Even though she was older, she still went for 2 and a half mile walks around the neighborhood with me, Pascual, and my friend with her dog and horse. Molly got along with everyone and I had grown to love her and respect her intelligence. I often take my dogs with me in the car if the weather is good so I noticed every time I drove past a certain place about 4 miles from my house Molly would get antsy and jump around in the car. When she first showed up I had called everyone I knew in about a 3 mile radius asking them if they knew whose dog it was, and no one did. I took her to my vet to get shots and they hadn't recognized her. I also did everything possible putting up signs, asking delivery men if they knew who the dog belonged to. I knew one guy who lived in that area where the dog got excited, and he worked in town and I just so happened to be at his place of business, on a sunny afternoon while I had my dogs in the car with the windows down. I said hey J, do you know whose dog this is?, she seems to get excited around your house" Hey says no, and then "wait a minute" apparently there were some newer people who had moved in next to him and the woman had lost her dog. I asked for her name and then mulled over whether I should call her or not.The thoughts went through my mind"why didn't she call the humane society looking for her dog?" "why didn't she put signs up?" "what kind of person, what kind of scenario would make a person not look for their beloved pet?"why didn't she have Identification on her or a rabies tag?" So all these thoughts are going through my mind, and I'm wondering why I didn't think about all this before I asked the man for the womans phone number, and then sometimes things have a way of getting ahead of you and taking their own course. I asked my friend who is a good judge of human nature and an animal person what did she think about a person who didn't look for her dog, and she seemed to think that maybe it wasn't a good owner who didn't deserve their dog back so all this was going through my mind but I sort of allready started the ball rolling so I thought I should just call and talk to her and try and figure out what to do from there. I called the woman and was thinking to myself; if she's o.k and has some kind of reason for not looking for her dog, then I would return the dog. I was,however, going to ask for my $50 dollars back, that I spent getting the dog vaccinated at the vets office. I felt that it was only fair for me, the person who went through all the trouble and proper procedures trying to locate the pets owner, and then upon thinking I would adopt it, went to get the dog vet checked and vaccinated. I called the woman and explained that I had talked to the neighbor and thought that I had her dog. She was somewhat shocked, emotional and mistrustful all at the same time. I agreed to meet her at her house, which in hindsight probably wasn't a good idea and not something I would do in the future. I drove over there and the dog got out and seemed very happy, jumping and running around familiar territory and visiting with the woman. The woman was still pretty reluctant, unfriendly and dare I say, annoyed. I explained to her that the dog had shown up in the middle of a thunderstorm, and she said that the dog was always spooked by thunderstorms and that, that explained why she had run off and apparently kept running. I told her that I went to a certain veterinarian 15 miles away, for the examination and vaccinations and she was annoyed because she said that the dog allready had those shots and why did I go to that veterinarian's office, the vet in town was less expensive. At that point I was getting a little more than miffed.There I was, a good samaritan, taking your dog in for 3 months, caring for it extremely well, feeding it, taking it to the veterinarians and getting it vaccinated, going to all this trouble trying to reunite the dog with it's rightful owner and all you can say is in an annoyed tone" why did I go to that vet, it's so expensive, and the dog had allready had the shots?" Well how was I to know? what am I psychic? The dog didn't have any identification on it and no rabies tag. If she had only spent the 5 to 10 dollars to get identification on the dog she would have had it back the afternoon it showed up, at no cost. My own dog is microchipped, as well as having identification tags and a rabies tag on him. I had checked Molly for a micro chip at the Humane Society, but she wasn't chipped.

I suppose my annoyance was showing back, then she said I'll pay you your 50 dollars, which I thought was actually reasonable. The only reason I didn't go to the vet in our small town is that she is so rarely open and never seemed to have any vaccines on hand, that I stopped going to her years ago and forgot she was even there. Upon calling later, I realized that this vet was even more expensive for the vaccinations so I don't know what this woman was even talking about. The woman agreed to pay me and I told her she needed to switch the name on the rabies tag call number from ours to hers. She said her young son loved the dog and would be so happy that it was back, and she told me that the dog had run off years ago and came back to them from some 40 miles away so she thought that this time the dog, being older had just run off to die, that's why she didn't look for it. I thought that's strange that someone's projections of their worst fear would keep them from actually verifying whether it was fact or not, but whatever. So I gave the dog back, got reimbursed for the vet bill and went home feeling angry, annoyed, and unsettled but glad that at least a little boy would be reunited with his dog. Upon reflecting upon all this I remembered that I had met the woman in the summertime while riding my bike. The family was new to the neighborhood and I had remembered that the farm was for sale. I had to walk my bike past her place and saw her out with a horse. I said" hello" as I am rather friendly and most people out here are friendly and they were new to the neighborhood, but the woman seemed crabby, annoyed, and not wanting to be bothered. So I just thought the heck with you, here I go being friendly and she was just this side of rude which explained her demeanor when I returned her dog. So strange, that a young person with a kid, new to a neighborhood would be so standoffish and unappreciative of all that I had done for her dog, but whatever. It takes all kinds I guess, maybe that's why she moved to the country, to get away from people. When I drove past her house,and saw her with the dog, I waved a few times, but she would just look the other way, so I don't bother any more. This whole interaction also brought to mind a strange phenomenon I have observed where a few standoffish people I have casually known, had friendly, happy dogs. Most of the time the dog adapts to the personality of it's owner, that is a friendly person has a friendly dog, a wary, shy person has a wary dog etc.., I have run into a few people who have dogs that don't really match their personalities. I wonder if the dog in this scenario is some kind of benefactor, come to help the people with the difficult personalities. Oh well, just another theory to pursue. As for myself it is often the difficult people like this who make me turn to help the dogs as I find the dogs so much more pleasant and less complicated to deal with. I kept wondering why the dog didn't just walk back to it's home, as I had left her unattended for hours at a time on the porch while I was inside the house(I don't leave them out when I'm not there) We all easily walked close to the same distance around the neighborhood, and it would have been fairly simple for her to have walked a straight line home. I guess Molly was happy with us, she had a husband in my Blue heeler, a horse to walk with in my friend's horse. I guess her life was similar to what she had been used to, and I made it very comfortable for her. So there I was again, down to one dog who seemed to miss his special girlfriend, at least he had the pleasure of a partner bond for a little while. At times they looked like an old married couple together, where the woman was a little smarter than the man. Perhaps it's all part of pondering the imponderable, participating in a grander plan. For now I keep going, helping the dogs, trying to understand the people, trying to make sense of it all, and marvelling at how these stories unfold. People, dogs, community,non verbal communication, and time, strange ingredients in this recipe of life with dogs.

Solving Puzzles

2010-06-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

One of the things I find so interesting about working with shelter dogs, is that there is a puzzle to piece together, a mystery to solve. I was initially a Dance major in college before I switched to a major in Fine arts and then 2 more extra years after my B.A., taking undergraduate level Psychology courses. I was always a sensitive person who could glean information about people through body language. I was always intrigued by non verbal communication, and I've participated in various kinds of movement workshops. Recently, I have been exploring the concept of communicating/conveying ideas in terms of of training, or getting a desired behavior from the dogs and decided to try an experiment with my dog. I wanted to see if I could get him to come to me without using language. I usually call his name and then say "come" with or without a hand signal so I decided I would use no language or hand signals just sound and tone and the corresponding naturally occurring body movements that went along with the sound and tone. It worked. I just used high pitched happy sounding noises and my body made corresponding, non exaggerated, dancing around movements. It worked and the dog came running over to me, with a tad funny unsure look on his face, but wiggling around and all excited,and then I laughed and got all excited back as I was pleased that he grasped my intentions. I repeated this experiment about 6 times as I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and it worked every time. By that point my smart Heeler had seen this as a new fun game we learned to play,and he was visibly happy and excited like when we play fetch with his nylabone (now that he is older we don't play so much, so it was fun to see him all excited like a young dog again). I was then curious to know if the experiment would work with my husband. He was up for the challenge, and had his own male approach which was lower in tone but a kind of excited hum/kazoo sound, and it worked for him too. The dog came to him in what looked to the dog, like a fun game and the dog was all excited to have gotten what we were trying to do and to have seemingly pleased us in that we were both relaxed, and laughing. I tried the experiment with my friend and her dog. She took a different approach and made a puppy whining sound instead of a non specific sound. Her dog tilted it's head from side to side in a kind of "what is this, she usually doesn't do this" way and then went to her. I was also able to get her dog to come to me just using sound and intention. All throughout this process, I kept getting the feeling that we were reinventing the caveman/ dog bond that has developed over time in pre- language history. A fun time was had by all.

In working with the shelter dogs, I've at times had to use quick deep "ehh" kind of like a buzzer sound, direct, deep and to the point if I was caught off guard with a shelter dog who was about to jump into the street while on the leash, or pull after another dog. The sound- deep direct,short, usually stops them in their tracks and then I tell them to "come" or "this way" in command tone, to change direction.Since I am working with dogs I don't get to spend that much time with, I've developed my own short hand, works in a pinch method, as I'm usually walking one or two dogs in an hour and don't have time to put up with non cooperative, nonsense in the dogs. They usually read my, "I mean business" body language, and get with the program or they quickly learn that they won't get to go. The outside kennels are lined up in a row with 2 rows across from each other so the dogs can often see what's going on, who is walking which dog,which dog to human interaction is allowing a certain dog to get walks. On occasion, if a dog I'm working with is being stubborn I'll forgo him for another first, and parade it past him and praise the other dog's good behavior in the yard outside the kennels where the difficult dog can see that good cooperative behavior gets praise and walks.The difficult dogs, sometimes get it, although I am careful to not provoke too much jealousy(it depends on the dogs involved)The dogs are smart and watch what goes on. Each dog is different, within breeds there is variation, within litters there is variation. I have come to walk a dog and stop and objectively try and view it, that is, see what is going on without any preconceived ideas. I try and see what it needs; some need perking up, some need settling down and a calm demeanor in me, some need to learn trust, some just need to expel energy and get basic obedience, some need major socialization with people and other animals. The challenge for me is to see what the specific needs are and try and help that dog.

My father died of the disease A.L.S./ Lou Gehrig's disease some years back. When he was in the hospital and completely paralyzed except for the ability to move an eye, we had to use an alphabet chart in order to figure out what he wanted to communicate. For some reason, I was always the first person to be able to figure out what he wanted after one or two letters, sort of like the TV show Wheel of Fortune, where you piece together a word from single letters and win a prize. I knew my father fairly well, and then I was very present, that is not distracted by my own thoughts or what I was going to do in the future, etc.., so I just looked at my dad and around the room and put together what I thought he might want at that moment; water, the TV shut off, a nurse if he was really agitated. So we read the non verbal signs and signals around us and try and piece together the needs of those who can communicate, but just not with the same language we are used to.This is what I find so interesting about working with the dogs, the challenge of finding out what I need to do to help them. The challenge of understanding their unique world and what it takes to communicate with them.

puzzle image attributed to http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebruiker:Piero

My East Coast, Tough Guy, dog training voice

2010-06-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've found my dog training voice, sort of like how a writer finds their writers voice. Since I grew up in New Jersey it is a sort of "Hey you, I'm talking to you" East coast, tough guy vibe with a bit of an edge to it , along the lines of what you may have heard on a Soprano's TV show episode. I'm frequently in this mode when I have to convince a dog that is 2/3rd's my size to listen to me, and pay attention to me. With the dogs that are not quite so big or stubborn, I primarily use a crabby edgy tone to my voice that breaks through to them when giving commands, but doesn't scare them. How many times have I heard people talk to dogs in a non specific, flurry of words (without any specific energy behind them), kind of way that just sounds like so much mumbling to a dog. If you are specific, consistent and clear in terms of throwing your voice in an-I mean it- edgy way, like if your kid is about to get near a fire or something dangerous, you can get the dog's attention and respect. You are stopping them in their tracks with your voice and a command. You are basically communicating in tone first, that's what gets their attention.You are grabbing them with your voice. Tone with a consistent command will instill the behavior.To further grasp the concept I had a friend say negative things to her dog in a happy voice" Oh you're such a bad, naughty, dreadful dog" but all said in a happy tone, the dog wagged it's tail and just assumed she was happy and everything was great. The dog is listening to the tone, and reading your emotion and body language. In happy talk tone the dog thinks" oh things are good everyone's content" if you are talking to them in command tone they think" Oh I'm supposed to be focusing and doing something here" if you use the growly, deep, stop them in their tracks tone they think"oh I messed up" they stop and then you can re- direct them with a " come" and then praise, in happy talk tone. The dogs don't really understand words said without tone, tone gets their attention, gets them to think and key in, then the command tells them what to do.

The other observation I have about training comes from my initial introduction into true dog training by Barbara Woodhouse. Before watching the English Dog trainer at work in a video I used to think that training was sort of a mechanical, going through the motions, rote learning, repetitive act. In the program I saw, they asked Barbara Woodhouse why she was so good at dog training. She passed her hand lovingly over the dogs head and then answered"because I love them so much" This was eye opening to me. I made the connection that training is first about the loving bond you develop playing with the dog, caressing it, getting the dog to think you are the most wonderful exciting thing in it's life, and treating the dog like it's such a wonderful important part of your life. When you talk to a dog saying how cute and wonderful it is, and you mean it, most of the time you can see a beaming with pride or adoration reaction in them, for instance; a devoted look, tail wag, full body wiggle or a dancy little "I'm so cute" walk. If the dog is spacing out or not paying attention You might want to work on this bonding process. Also repeat the commands at various times of the day, in and outside of the house and then praise. A lot of people don't emphasize the happy praise enough. They seem to think the dog did what I wanted so I'll just say" good" and pat it on the head in a lackadaisical manner and that's enough. Well if you get the response you want that may be enough but if you want to have a dog pay more attention to you, you have to make it fun and exciting and up the emotional ante. Just some advice I've arrived at through reading training books, trial and error and experience, hope it helps those out there that need it. One of the books that helped me a lot in training dogs is
Good Owners Great Dogs http://www.amazon.com/Good-Owners-Great-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446675385

This is the only Mike Marino video I could find without cursing in it but you'll get an idea of the accent. He's one funny Comedian, a New Jersey born Italian with attitude. If you don't mind the cursing you can find more of him on Youtube

Here is my favorite dog trainer Barabara Woodhouse again for those who missed the previous post

Helping the ones I love verses helping the ones who need me

2010-05-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Some new kids, 2 adorable one year oldish German Shepherds who are off getting fixed and will be back next week and available for adoption. They seem very friendly, playful, and nice so far.

The black dog is Mongo, he's been at the shelter for months now, I've been working with him since January. He's at the point now where he's better on the leash and after we walk I put my dog in the car and then Mongo tries to hop in my car and when I tell him no and pull him back he lays down and goes limp next to my car as if to say" don't you get it I want to go home with you and I'm not budging" I'm not one to have conversations with dogs as if they were humans, very often but since he's rather a special case I tell him" you're going to have to learn to behave a little bit better and work with me if you're wanting that scenario" I'm not sure if it quite registers with him. I've tried all my training tricks ,assessments as to what his needs may be, but I fall short in that I don't have the time to train him everyday, and with gas at $3.08 a gallon around here I'm not inclined to go rushing off to town unless I have other reasons to go and can work dog walking in. So after ten years of volunteering I'm level headed enough to know that I'm doing the best I can and hope that it makes a difference.

This brown dog is Sophia a sweet Chesapeake Bay Retreiver, my current favorite, easy to walk a joy to be around, always has that happy camper tail wagging when I talk to her and tell her how cute she is.

Sometimes I am torn between helping the adorable dogs that I have an affinity for, which does not necessarily mean that they are the societal standard of cute but just that they speak to me, or helping the dogs that are more difficult and really need work and help. If I have time I try and do both as the more problematic ones will most likely end up being there the longest until they get socialized, trained, and learn to trust people. At times lately after ten years of volunteering I treat myself to working with an easy, happy dog. I've spent many hours with huge untrained dogs half to two thirds of my size in what amounts to a martial arts battle of wills, testing both my physical skill and mental acumen. I do a lot of work with these dogs, but every now and then I just need the reward of a sweet happy dog who's relatively easy to walk to help keep my spirits up and continue to reinforce my desire to help the more difficult cases

Blue/Pascual- post for Jackie

2010-05-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

This is my little Blue Heeler who came to us as Blue who is also called Pascual or lately Kiwi as he is an Australian Cattle dog who loves to eat kiwis. He will actually perk up and come running over as if I dropped a steak on the floor if I cut open a kiwi for myself and he stares at me as if to say " I want some" so I give it to him and he eats quite a bit of it. Jackie rescued him out of the Boise animal shelter and then gave him to us in 2000. We just love him to pieces. He's about 11 years old now and doing fine, perfectly healthy but slowing down a bit. He walks with me and the shelter dogs but is usually only good for about half an hour now before I put him back in the car. If we are hiking out in the woods he perks up and will go longer about an hour or hour and a half before he gets sore and favors his shoulder a bit. I probably need to put him back on the glucosamine and chondrontin but am leery as to where all the products are coming from lately and how high the quality is. This is Blue/Pascual out on the beautiful bike path which is part of an extensive bike trail system of about 60 miles. This part is around Lake Coeur d' Alene outside of Coeur d' Alene Idaho, a resort town north of where I live. We like to bike and walk on this beautiful path fairly often in the spring and summer.

Healing people training dogs

2010-05-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

(The dog in the photo is a dog available for adoption and not the dog referred to in the following story)

There is a woman I walk with from time to time. We take our dogs and go on long nature walks discussing life and business and the state of the world and our families. I noticed that she was having trouble getting her dog to come when she called her. I offered up advice. I said you should use three separate tones of voice with the dog. 1) a friendly, happy talk tone, praising good behavior, 2) a matter of fact,direct, command tone, such as "come"3) a growly tone when you have to say "No" and stop the dog in it's tracks if it's about to run off and get into trouble. It's the growly tone that sort of mimics a mother dog to her pup. Well I told her this advice on three separate occasions and my friend is a very bright woman with advanced degrees and yet she wouldn't try out the advice. Hm, I thought, this is interesting. I'm not one to push advice once I've offered it. My feeling is I offered what I thought might help her and explained the reasoning and need to be consistent with the commands to her. I thought to myself, this is interesting, she heard the advice but for some reason isn't interested in seeing if it would work.I just let the issue go and continued to view the problem silently to myself. Her dog would come to me but I was consistent with it and used the three different tones, so she could see that the advice actually had some effect. One day we were talking about our childhood memories and she explained that there was a lot of anger and yelling in her house, and it was very scary and uncomfortable for her growing up. Bingo, I made the connection. This was the reason why she could not use the growly tone with the dog because it brought up so many bad memories for her and made her feel uncomfortable.We discussed the insight and it registered with her. I asked if it would be okay for me to discuss this in a blog post and she said fine, as I thought it might give insight into the training issues of others. So it's not just dogs we are training but at times we are helping people to remain in the present state and perhaps help heal some past issues. I can't say that the problem is completely resolved but at least there is light shed on the issue, and some understanding . Healing takes time and dog training, depending on the dog and owner can take time as well

Lucky Lilly, Lenny, Wimbleton, and Chewy

2010-05-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

These guys were recently adopted. It's rather quiet around here lately, a few puppies, Mongo and a couple of red heeler mixes plus a starved pit bull who seems so sad and sweet. The Chesapeake Bay sisters are getting spayed at the moment. Mongo was incredibly good today and rather puppyish/ mellow in his expressions. Maybe he's finally calming down.Chewy was starting to be a favorite. Many people overlook black dogs but they are often very special. Chewy was mixed with Border collie and Black Labrador Retreiver, There is always something in the border collie nature that speaks to me. He had this uncanny way of snapping out of dog world and morphing into human, or at least dog that understands English or human speak, spirit. I was in his pen with another dog and they were both jumping all over me and trying to grab the leash out of my hands. One was jumping on my back and it was just overall chaos. I looked at Chewy and said very matter of factly "settle" and wouldn't you know he did just that. The light bulb went off in my head- here's one that will key in and listen. I started walking him and realized that he was very keen on learning and cooperating. He would even sit still for photos, or would stand and wait patiently if I would stop briefly for a phone call on the walk. I'm sure whoever adopted him will adore him and get to know how very special he is. Thanks to the community for all the adoptions, and remember, those black dogs can be so incredibly special.(I've had 2 black rescue dogs myself over the years)

Colby (the dog and the Starving Armenian)- a story from my book

2010-05-04T09:40:00.001-07:00

(A little background, in case you don't read my other blogs which can be found by clicking on-view my complete profile. I'm the granddaughter of an Armenian immigrant who fled the genocide in Turkey in 1915. During this time the term- Starving Armenian- was used a lot as the people who were not killed fled, often with no food and nothing but the clothes on their backs. Don't ask me what cosmic joke saw fit to allow me, the granddaughter of an Armenian genocide survivor, to end up with anorexia as a way to handle the distressing situations of my life, but so be it.The anorexia was in the past, I'm quite healthy and have been for a long time, it's just part of the overall story)

Colby

Colby and I had some karmic business to attend to, not that I always go in for this sort of stuff but often times life stares you in the face and offers you a chance to find resolution. Colby came into the shelter as a stray, and immediately became so disheartened that he stopped eating. As a former anorexic myself, how could I not be moved by such a dog. He spent his days curled up into a tiny ball with his hipbones sticking out, right up next to the gate in an outdoor group kennel. He wanted to make sure that if the door were opened he'd be the first one out. It was as if by lying in that spot he was willfully projecting himself out of there. His other dog mates would romp around with each other or lay up under the leanto, but not Colby. He was finally moved to his own private pen that had an individual doghouse in it, that we had put a blanket in. He'd crawl into the doghouse and sleep there most of the day. The staff was so worried that he'd starve to death on their watch, that they put him on anti-anxiety medication. I started walking him in the hopes that the special attention and exercise might help him to work up an appetite. If ever a dog could convey the persona of a disaffected jazz musician, he was it. He was a real cool cat of a dog. He stood fairly tall for a dog 70lbs. at normal weight, and was just so naturally low key. He'd walk alongside Blue( my dog) and I in a very well mannered disaffected way. He enjoyed being petted and receiving attention and had a lovelorn "I can't imagine why you'd want to bother expending energy on me" sort of look in his eye. We'd walk downtown at a leisurely pace. At times I'd stop to grab a coffee or snack, and tie the dogs up to a post for a few minutes. They would just sit politely waiting for me. Colby had the saddest eyes with the most pained look in them. It was a combination of pain and distance, with a touch of daring to yearn to come back from whatever faraway place he'd escape to. It was as if he wasn't sure whether or not to continue living, and whether engaging again with people, was really worth the trouble. He decided that his living situation at the shelter was intolerable and since he couldn’t escape he stopped eating. I had been in this situation myself years ago and was struck that this animal came to the same conclusion to handle its suffering as I had, but then his circumstances started to change a little with my consistent walks and attention. Perhaps this was truly full circle for me. I could intervene in his life and make a difference, even though in my own life my suffering went unnoticed. He wasn't needy, just dejected. His sadness just made you love him even more. I took to putting him in my car with Blue while I drove around town doing errands, just so he would be less lonely. He didn't always smell so terrific and he was too skinny for me to wash him and let him sit outside in the cold until he dried off, so I just damp towel washed him and put him in my car on a giant horse blanket. Such are the sacrifices one makes for troubled animals with broken hearts. Besides, the car had 100,000. miles on it anyway. I’d take him for long walks of at least an hour or so. He grew fond of us and started to finally regain some of the weight he'd lost and his hipbones became less pronounced. He would visually key in on my car as it pulled into the parking lot and also as it pulled away .He would sing in a low, muted, grumbly, "wu wu wu” at times when he saw me approaching, which was the height of enthusiasm for him. One day, I had him in the front passenger seat of my car while we were traveling to a small artsy town 15 miles away. He was curled up with his head facing me and resting on my emergency brake. He looked up at me with such profound love and tenderness that tears came to my eyes. I would have adopted him then and there but my husband wasn’t as smitten with him as I was. The shelter staff felt sorry for him too, and one of the gals was aching to foster him if he wasn’t adopted soon. We had our yearly benefit luncheon for the shelter at our local community center so I took Colby and my dog Blue over there with me in the car. I had had them in the car previously, but only unattended for twenty minutes at a time, before I returned to check on them. I got carried away at the benefit and found myself talking to a couple of the board members discussing the lengths we go to for our pets. I playfully found myself chiming in with ”yeah I know what you mean, I’ve got this dog who’s on anti-anxiety medication with me in my car” Then I realized they had been in the car for over two hours instead of the usual twenty minutes we were all accustomed to. All of a sudden, I was the one experiencing anxiety. I jokingly quipped “my husbands been wanting a new car anyway, maybe this will be the deciding factor” and I excused myself and went to check on them. I didn’t know what to expect; seat cushions torn up? Stuffing everywhere? When I finally reached the car, Colby was sprawled out on the back seat yawning and stretching, and Blue was in the far back. Not one sign of damage anywhere. Phew! A couple of weeks later Colby was adopted. I ran into the women who had adopted him while they were walking together downtown. She seemed so sweet, kind and gentle: a female complement to his sensitive nature. He came right up to me and I patted him on the head. I was so happy for them both. My little Colby cheese dog, my nickname for him, finally back to health.

what my book "Tails from the Shelter" is about

2010-05-02T14:11:00.001-07:00

I walked both these dogs today, along with Mongo and Lenny. The brown dog is Sophia a new Chesapeake Bay retriever, her sister who is a tad darker is also available for adoption. The black dog is Chewy, he is the one who likes to stand on top of his modernist dog house, he's in the post on the modernist doghouses.

http://tailsfromtheshelter.blogspot.com/2010/04/modernist-dog-house.html

This is basically the query I sent to a publisher. I'm open to any feed back on my query anyone would like to offer. I also sent a sample chapter.This particular publisher didn't pan out. I'm wondering whether I should self publish or continue looking for another publisher.

I started volunteering at our local no kill animal shelter 10 years ago after losing my beloved Labrador retriever. The book I wrote is the book I was looking to read and could not find, when I first started volunteering. I was unable to find information explaining how to work with frightened and disheartened dogs that had been abandoned and traumatized, except for some general information and one particular chapter in the wonderful book, “Beyond Obedience” by April Frost . http://www.aprilfrost.org/book.htm l This is an authentic telling of the stories of my working with the frightened, abused, neglected and harder to place dogs. The cute, adorable, young and purebred, the small to medium sized, spectacular and unique looking dogs get adopted relatively quickly, the larger, older, impaired, neurotic, average looking and black dogs take longer. My book is the true life story, with some altered identities, of the behind the scenes goings on of my local no kill animal shelter which is located in a small college town surrounded by a rural farming community in North Idaho. The story is also somewhat of a memoir that parallels my story of overcoming eating disorders as it relates to and overlaps with my being drawn to work with abused and neglected dogs. It is a story of triumph, of overcoming through giving, of reaching out to the dogs and helping them through. I have included a variety of stories differing in tone that give a representation of the humor, sadness, success, and both positive and negative outcomes of the dogs and people in my community. Although they are primarily stories of the dogs, they also relate the nature of the human beings that the animals come in contact with so they tell of the positive and negative intersection of animal /human ties. I have also included a lot of observations and training tips for both working with this special subset of dogs and for volunteering at animal shelters in general, as well as a spiritual approach to basic obedience training. I cover the stories of the different dogs I worked with including everything from; frightened, abused, neurotic, handicapped, dogs that were returned multiple times, a dog with anorexia, and heroic dogs that helped the people around them. I spent from 5 to 15 hours a week, volunteering to walk and train and spend time with the dogs. They are the stories of dogs and people on the edge, some turn around, some do not. My book also sheds light on the hard work performed by the dedicated staff and volunteers of our Humane Society, and the difficulties they encounter working in a no kill shelter as well. Inspired by the books of the late Caroline Knapp, particularly, the book, Appetites. I pick up where she left off, delving a little deeper into multi generational family dynamics, healing the self through helping abandoned dogs, performing a community service and helping to reconnect people and dogs while tying together stories over a ten year period in a small semi-rural college town community . The book was written in the spirit of The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle www.eckharttolle.com/home/ , living in the moment making observations finding out what the individual dogs needed in a Zen Buddhist spirit of witnessing. I feel that the book has broad appeal on two fronts; 1) telling the stories and giving insight into the dogs adopted from the no kill shelter, many have adopted from shelters. This gives them an idea of what some of the dogs have gone through prior to being adopted. 2) It is my story of finding a positive way of overcoming a dysfunctional family and overcoming eating disorders in a way that helped both me, and the neglected dogs. I see this as a philosophy of efficiency, meeting the many needs, of all involved at once, on both a physical and psychological level. So although the book runs the gamut of emotions all in all it is a positive real life story of overcoming on many levels, by reaching out to help others in a spirit of community service. Raw, deep, humorous, profound, both heartwarming and heart wrenching, this book has it all. Thank you for giving it a chance

I am a dog person- poem by me

2010-04-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

I am a Dog Person

muddy paw prints on my back
my shoes are always scuffed
pooper scoopers in one pocket
treats in the other
the dog park is my favorite place to socialize
it's become the new bar
leashes, toys and dog hair in my car
nose prints on my window

Modernist dog house

2010-04-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

This is our wonderful no-kill animal shelter humansocietyofpalouse.org.

The generous and talented members of the College of Engineering and Architecture at Washington State University,( which is 8 miles away across the state line) designed and built these modernist dog houses for our shelter. I just think they're great, and the dogs love them too. Can you believe it,modernist architecture where the form actually follows the function? Check out the one black dog who is standing on top of his lookout tower and loving it. We have some very satisfied customers here! Thanks W.S.U. College of Engineering and Architecture for a great job and service to the animals. www.cea.wsu.edu

Special thanks to www.buffalogirlsdesign.com for the tech support.

Lilly the Japanese Chin

2010-04-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

As of this post Lilly is still available for adoption. Anyone interested in her can contact
www.humanesocietyofthepalouse.org/ I would adopt her myself but I live out in the country where there are birds of prey and other wild critters and I would have to escort her outside all the time so I'm thinking it would be best for her to be a town dog.

Capoeira with dogs

2010-04-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

I walked Mongo and Pascual(my dog) together today. It was very windy and often times animals can get all worked up when it's windy or stormy. For some reason the animals that tend to be a handful to begin with are the ones even more affected by the wind. I took Mongo out and then brought him over to my car in order to get Pascual out. I kept him on a rather short leash so he would not jump up on my car and scratch it( I learned this from experience) as Pascual jumped out of the car Mongo got excited and lunged ahead to greet and sniff him, throwing me off balance to the extent of practically sitting on Mongo before I regained my footing, as I almost toppled over his back. That was incident number one in which I had a close call. This event alerted me to "the jogo perigoso" or dangerous game a reference to a Capoeira, Brazilian martial arts term, that was in store. I've had enough experience to know that windy, stormy days and one close call in terms of loosing my footing is a warning sign/ wake up call to cut things short and minimize risk. I kept thinking I'd take Mongo out for a longer walk along the lines of an hour but when we got to the fairgrounds and started running around in the big field, me encouraging Mongo to run in circles with and around me to expell energy, until he did some kind of lurching far ahead of me movement and I had to spin around in yet another Capoeira styled move so as I could side flip and land on two feet, with one more gancho(hook kick) to free my leg from the leash, at this point, I decided to cut it short to a twenty minute walk. Working with shelter dogs, one quickly learns that it is best not to tempt fate. I enclosed a youtube video of the Capoeira Mestre Bira Almeida a.k.a. Mestre Acordeon( he is playing the musical instrument the berimbau, while supervising the students). He has a more spiritual and creative/artistic approach/philosophy of Capoeira which has rekindled my interest, practice, and study of Capoeira after many years away( from the martial art form and Brazilian dance). I have also learned that this training helps in all walks or dog walks of life, it is a state of mind. Mestra Accordeon has a wonderful book explaining his view of Capoeira http://www.amazon.com/Capoeira-Brazilian-History-Philosophy-Practice/dp/0938190296#reader_0938190296

some new dogs

2010-03-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

The big brown chocolate lab/Chesapeake Bay mix is Wimbleton- he loves his tennis balls. He's a nice big cuddly bear type of fella who loves people and walks fairly well on the leash, which could turn into walking beautifully on the leash with a little training. He was tied up between two trees in the back of a yard for a lot of his life and is fairly well adjusted, considering this history. The little adorable one is Lilly, a Japanese Chin, who spent quite a bit of time curled up in my arms.She's cute as can be, 6 years old, loves men and women, gets along with dogs and cats if they are nice. It was very hard not to adopt her myself but I am only half of the household decision making process. She only arrived yesterday and I'm guessing will be adopted soon, as she is small, cute, with no major issues and 100% adorable.

Dog on wire

2010-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Beyond the heroic nature of Fireman rescuing dog, the artist in me sees the strange dance of man and dog, spiraling around on the helicopter line,while the dog's legs continue to doggie paddle/swim while in the air, as if the dog was still thinking it was in the water. It reminded me of the incredible documentary film about Philippe Petit "Man on Wire." This incredible act of man's created machine and man plus dog, triumphing over their environment.This age old relationship of man and dog, continuing their journey together from out of the cave, into the sky

One adorable kitty

2010-03-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

This little tyke was a favorite for awhile. It( I can't remember if it was a boy or girl) has been adopted but we have another one who looks just like it.

Pandemonium Saturday

2010-03-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

walked three shelter dogs in 2 and a half hours.,tried to let one black dog out who was in a kennel with 2 other similar looking black dogs. I accidentally let all 3 dogs out. They proceeded to run up and down the corridor of the outside kennel area, barking and chatting with every dog behind the kennel fence as if they were speed dating. I tried to grab them and put them back, only to realize that none of them had collars on. I quick saw an open kennel and corralled them in there. I then went and alerted the staff, of what had happened. They said they would come out and deal with it. I proceeded to get Lenny on the leash and take him out of his kennel. As Lenny and I are in the corridor, the three collarless dogs escape again through the gate of the kennel I had tied them up in. The kennel had a gap between the closure, they manged to squeeze through. The dogs hadn't been introduced to each other and a few of them were recently neutered so snapping and snarling ensue. I quickly see another open kennel so with one foot keeping the trio away from Lenny, and another hand opening the smaller kennel I quickly shove Lenny into the kennel and get the trio rounded up into another better secured kennel. The staff come out and try and address the three, "they had collars on this morning"" what happened to the collars?" Just another pandemonium Saturday at our busy shelter. Lenny who was in a smaller kennel looking at me like" Hey I thought I was going on a walk, what's this?" finally gets to go on his walk. Needless to say at the end of the day I was ready for a rest after so much walking on my feet, and thinking on my feet.

Lenny Returns

2010-03-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

Poor Lenny, he's such a charming, eager little fellow, desperate to be loved. It seems he chewed up the t.v. remote control, and that was enough to return him to the shelter. I'm curious to know how it is possible, that after close to a month of being adopted, the people hadn't bonded with him enough to overlook this, after all, remote control's are rather cheap at the big box stores but for whatever true reason, Lenny was returned. He recognizes me, pleads with me," take me out, get me outa here". I only have so much time, I pet Lenny and then take Mongo out with Blue. He did well, he's getting better walking more nicely on the leash. My corrections are easier, more of a one armed jerk back rather than a full body throttle like in the past. Pascual, my dog, is still lollygagging at his senior pace. I don't think I'll bring him next time with Mongo, that way I'll be able to walk faster, but I thought it would be good for Mongo to be around another dog so he's not alienated from his own kind so much. I have watched the great dog trainer, Cesar Milan, socialize dogs gradually this way, introducing them to other pack members, the right pack members so as not to cause a disturbance. Mongo is becoming more warm and playful with me. A friend of mine saw us walking on the bike path and said that he looked like a happy dog, which is a grand improvement over him looking like a frozen anxious dog. With his newly uncovered lab like playfulness I have come up with more lighthearted names for him the current list is; Mongo, Mango, Mongoose. For those readers new to the blog, Mongo is the black dog, Lenny is the golden colored dog

Howdy pardner

2010-02-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

This is what I like about rural Idaho, you can ride right up to the coffee shop and park your horse. This is a very nice woman who does dog and horse rescue in my area. We see her gang walking while we are out walking our dogs.The coffee shop is a nice amenity and serves up good food, espresso too!

the plight of Mongo

2010-02-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

Lenny got adopted, Bella got adopted and Mongo is still there. Improving in his leashwork,physically filling out after neutering, slowing down a touch. He's like some men I have known that had a rough and difficult start in life. They seem unable to feel, to trust, to get tangled up in a relationship they don't understand. The emotions seem frozen somehow. The thaw is happening, slowly but surely. He looks back at me and comes into a lean on my legs of his own accord now, a few times on our walks. He also allows me to smother him with hugs and praise. He's always been happy to see me initially and takes the leash in his mouth as if to cart me off on his walk. In that he is rather humorous. But somehow when we get outside in the street and neighborhoods there is much to much going on that is new to him for him to pay too much attention to me yet. I stop and sit on the steps in the park and watch him. He sort of comes to me now with some coaxing, although at times I'm still not convinced that he doesn't suffer from temporary self induced deafness. It's as if no one ever called the dog to come and then played with him, as if all that was ever done for him was to have given him food and water. It's as if he was just left in the back yard and given no more attention than a rock in one's back yard, which I don't really understand. He still seems more comfortable with men and will sort of warm up to them more easily than to women. Both myself,and another volunteer are working with him and with all these people pulling for him he can't help but improve and come around if not slowly, and on his own terms.

Bella of the ball

2010-02-06T17:03:00.001-08:00

This is beautiful Bella, a medium sized dog I'm guessing about 8 months old, maybe a Border Collie, German Shepherd mix with two gorgeous blue eyes. Like so many shelter dogs, she was way too wound up to sit pretty for photos although she did sit on command when I asked her, just not long enough for me to do the quick draw mc camera routine. Lucky Lenny got adopted and someone else was walking Mongo so I thought I'd take this pretty gal for a spin. She was a tad wound up at first dancing around me and a little jumpy/scared but after 15 minutes she calmed down considerably. With a little training and consistency she'll make a fine pet, and a gorgeous one at that

Cats from the shelter

2010-01-28T09:33:00.000-08:00

I primarily help the dogs but since I have to walk through the cat area to get to the dogs, I often stop to play with the cats. Some are just too cute to pass up. I took these photos and then turned them into cards for the shelter to give out

And so it goes

2010-01-19T14:18:00.001-08:00

A beautiful sunny winter day, no snow on the ground, and Mongo is cooperating, wowza, I'm a happy camper. I even got a brief couple of connecting moments with him. Maybe it had something to do with my Barbara Woodhouse dog trainer imitations. I told you I had to pull out all the stops, so there I go saying "Walkies" down the street with my put on English accent, but anything to help the dogs. Poor Lenny got bypassed because I didn't have enough time to take him today. When Mongo and I came back I saw a shelter employee playing ball with Lenny, so at least he was getting some exercise and attention. So such are the vagaries of working with shelter dogs. I didn't even have time to let Mongo run loose today and yet he was better. Maybe it has something to do with his diarrhea being under control, or the fact that the dogs can hang out in the outdoor pens, which are bigger than the indoor ones, but things were definately better today. The following video is of Barbara Woodhouse, my favorite dog trainer. One of the men being interviewed is Brian Kilcommons another wonderful trainer with an excellent book on dog training called " Good Owners, Great Dogs"
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Owners-Great-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446675385

the Mongo Mambo

2010-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

The Mongo Mambo is comrpised of-two steps forward, one step back. I don't really know what went wrong today, but frustration and regression were the key words. I was lucky enough to be allowed to run him first in the off leash dog park which I assumed would aid our leash work but that kind of flopped. I got no response from him while he was on the other side of the park, when I called his name, and whistled. I let my dog Pascual in with us and when the dogs ignored each other I put Pascual back in the car and Mongo came over to the fence and watched us, which was about the most care and concern I received from him all day. After Pascual was gone I let him run and then called him, and got no response, so I ended up going over to him and putting the leash on, at least he didn't run away from me, that was a plus. We attempted leash work, which I'm only striving for just walking together without pulling, being that he's nowhere near working on heel postion yet. During our walk I stopped to sit on a bench and observe his behavior, which I do with most of the dogs to get a sense of what they will do and how keyed in to me they are. Most dogs will come to me at some point and rub up against me or try and get my attention, or clown with me jumping on me and playing. Even if they also look off at what's around them, they somehow connect with me, but not Mongo. He's completely outwardly focused, so I'm not bonding with him quite yet which would even be O.K if we made some progress together walking peacefully. I've had some dogs who ignore me but are happy to be out and about and get with the program in terms of not fighting me on the leash. Mongo is 3 years old but occasionally lays down and refuses to move,( which is something younger dogs often do) if I try and guide him with the leash. I'm using the large link chain in the Barbara Woodhouse(English Dog Trainer) method, as a correction, not to choke him. I tried a Haltie on him but he's big and about slipped it and then tried to rub it off on the pavement and I've had another large dog break one in about 5 seconds by rubbing it on the pavement so I wasn't keen on the dog who is not bonded to me or trained to voice commands, slipping the Haltie and escaping. I am planning to try a Haltie with a second leash on just in case, maybe that will work. So here we go, two steps forwards, overall, and one step back. This sometimes happens, dogs like people have off days. My encouragement waned along with his behavior but there will be new days ahead, and hopefully we'll continue in a relatively forward motion, or I'm going to have to get super creative. Most dogs fall in line fairly quickly, he's rather an exception in the ten years I've been doing this, although some dogs react differently with different people, so maybe a large male rather than me, a smallish female, would have better luck with this rather strong, alpha, overgrown puppy. The only insight I can come away with today is that he seems more tied into the dog world than the human/dog world, in that he pays attention to my dog, who even though he is older and smaller, will snarl and put this youngun in his place. Maybe that's the key, bring Pascual with me. A friend also brought up the topic of food as a bonding mechanism as the shelter staff have grown closer to Mongo by feeding him although they don't have the time to work with him outside. So that's my food for thought, my observations to try and come up with a game plan. Any insight or advice by readers is also welcomed and appreciated.

Lenny

2010-01-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

This is Lenny, or as my parents had a friend who was a Lenni Lenape Indian,that of course is one of my nicknames for him-Lenny Lenape, or as is more fitting to his character, Lenny and Squiggy, from the" Laverne and Shirley" television show.Why is the name Squiggy more in character ? because the word squiggy is closely related to the word squiggly which sounds an awful lot like the word wiggly which definately characterizes this fellow. So goes the play on words, that float through my 21st century imagination, just to give you an idea of my creative nicknaming process. I walk Lenny when I have extra time, and after I walk Mongo. I'm not so worried about Lenny as he is a medium sized dog, about 8 months old, very warm and personable, and walks fairly well on the leash considering he hasn't had much training. The way I see it, Lenny will probably get adopted more quickly than Mongo. Most of the small and medium sized dogs get adopted fairly quickly, the big dogs and black dogs take longer. The black dogs take longer because there are so many of them and people see them as more common and often times want a dog for their looks more so than for their personality, but that is more of an observation and generalization on my part to explain the statistic. So friendly Lenny, who is smart and very engaged with me as we walk on the leash will go quickly. In fact the only major issue Lenny seems to have, which is easily overcome, is his overabundance of happiness and excitement when I call his name and he comes to me, and then jumps up and wiggles with intense enthusiasm and takes a few minutes to calm down. This juxtaposition to Mongo is rather odd to me. One dog will barely give me the time of day when he's on the leash and the other one comes when I call him, and overwhelms me with his enthusiasm! Well such are the strange scenarios of working with shelter dogs. Who knows what the real stories were behind their previous lives, we can only guess, and work with what is currently going on and try to help them find good, caring homes.

progress in leaps and bounds

2010-01-13T14:48:00.001-08:00

Maybe it had something to do with the rain mellowing out the dogs who were kept in their indoor kennels,because, when I took Mongo out he was relatively relaxed. I wasn't even able to let him run loose first in the off leash dog park as other people were there, and that would be against policy, so I was surprised that we got on so well today. I was even able to hold the leash in only one hand for half of the walk, which was darn good considering his overall situation, and having only worked with him 5 times. He does have an odd way of hearing without listening. I tell him things like"wait" or "this way" to change directions and he complies, but when I whistle and call his name and say "come" he acts like he hears something far in the distance and basically ignores me which seems odd, given that he was an owner surrender and Mongo had been his name for 3 years. Well, such are the mysteries when trying to understand a dog who doesn't speak your language. I'm just grateful that we are making progress and will observe the other behaviors and see if they become more understandable. He's had diahrrea since I've worked with him and is on medication for it , I wonder if that's nerves or part of his agitated state, but he's being well taken care of so all we can do is continue to help him and hope we(meaning myself and the shelter staff) make his life easier.

getting creative/ problem solving

2010-01-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

How to get a pent up dog in unnatural conditions to be more balanced and calm? Let him run around in the off leash dog park for 20 minutes before attempting leash work. How to make him feel more at ease? Bring my dog Pascual, the blue heeler in so he has some companionship. This strategy seemed to help a lot and I was able to walk Pascual and Mongo together for 30 minutes. Sometimes having my dog with me is a calming influence to the other dog and he can display the behavior of a good dog to the shelter dog who will hopefully pick up on what the pack members are supposed to do. I apologize for the lousy photo but dogs with a ton of energy don't stand still long enough for great photo's without putting the camara in jeopardy so this was the best I could do for now.

my philosophy of exercise

2010-01-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

I follow a wonderful inspirational blog called Everyday Gyaan http://www.everydaygyaan.com/. The topic of New Years resolutions came up and I wrote in about my philosophy of exercise which you can link to here http://www.everydaygyaan.com/2010/01/making-it-fun.html My basic belief is that exercise should be fun, edifying, and useful. So instead of working out on machines and paying for the privelege, why not hook the machines up to generate electricity,or garden and grow food for yourself or others. When I go for walks, I take shelter dogs with me because we both need the exercise, it's tons of fun and often rewarding. Sometimes I walk dogs with a friend and have deep philosophical conversations as we walk. I have arrived at my own version of the philosophy of efficiency, meeting many needs simultaneously. It's just something I came to acquire as a multi-tasker with a big heart. It's sort of a blend of the western concept of work ethic and resourcefulness combined with the Eastern philosophy of dharma.

Mongo the new dog

2010-01-09T17:18:00.001-08:00

This is Mr. Mongo or since I am a Latin Jazz music fan, Mongo Santamaria my latest nickname for him. Mongo is about 3 years old, recently neutered and I'm guessing, spent most of his life in a backyard, never having been acquainted with the simple concept of a leash. This being said, Mongo and I have been grappling with the philosophical ideas of leash, the outdoors, and the concept of teamwork. Patience and mindfulness on my part,and being excruciatingly present, as I deal with unruly dog and icy wintry walking conditions was also the order of the day. This one is a labor of love and a challenge for me as the poor guy has been quite cooped up due to the cold and nasty weather. I've taken him out, I was going to say walked him but that would be a stretch, as it was initially somewhat a battle of wills, about 3 times now. Today, seeing about 12% improvement over the last time which is actually quite an accomplishment in the big scheme of things. This guy is big, a lab/rottweiler mix and although he grew disheartened and stopped eating for a few days, he's still rather strong. After the first two visits I was on the verge of giving up, feeling too overwhelmed with his large size, strength, pent up energy, and outward focus. Many dogs will make some sort of eye contact, or recognition of me as a person attached to the other end of the leash, but he was so interested in the outside world, and so nervous from being cooped up in a cage, that he really wasn't connecting with me or making a whole lot of improvement. I am aware that I have my limitations, especially when winter is concerned, but as usual, I am a bit of a softie and decided to try one more time. Maybe he is getting used to me, as last time after our walk I spent some time with him in his indoor kennel. This last visit he showed some dog to human communication by being excited to see me, which at least inspired me to try. We progressed only a little bit, but enough to "break the ice" and make me feel like I was dealing with a concious creature, and not a brick wall. Hurray for small miracles! Someone else tried to walk him and gave up, so if I don't do it and get him under control he'll be less likely to be adopted quickly.There's my incentive, the tug at my heart strings,the push to nudge me beyond my reluctance. Here I go again, into another adventure with a dog in need. I wonder how his story will unfold?

Woo Hoo Dash got adopted!

2009-12-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

Our Happy youngster finally got adopted. I'm so glad, Happy Trails. Now I can stop feeling guilty that it is winter and I can't drive to town so much. Yes, I know there are other ones who also need me, a big black lab mix that has allready caught my eye, but I haven't started working with him, so my emotions are not quite so tangled up yet. It would be nice if I could foster dogs this time of year but unfortunately I'm not the only one in the household to make those decisions, so I do the best I can and hope that it makes a difference.

why do the ones I love always go?

2009-12-11T08:59:00.001-08:00

He came into my life, frightened and shell shocked. Something inexplicible drew me to him, perhaps the frozen, tentative look in his eyes. I walked him for awhile when he was at the shelter, but he really wasn't doing too well there. It was winter and cold, and the places we walked were icy and I'd slip and slide and barely catch myself. In the spring, when the quiet of winter began to give way, I asked if I could take him home and foster him. The policies had changed regarding fostering but a special exception was made. You see, the large blackish dogs don't usually get adopted very quickly as they are so seemingly common. He came home with me, and with a few frightening exceptions, fell easily into the comfort and routine of our home. He'd sleep under the porch and in various spots, like up against the outside wall of my art studio when the window was open so he could see and hear me, making a dugout little nest for himself. I put a dog bed on the floor next to my bed and he'd sleep there tucked into the corner, in a spot easy for me to pet him if either of us got upset in the middle of the night. Our little gentle routines went on for months. walking, patrolling the property, riding in the car, walking in town. Then one day, 6 months after I brought him home. Six months after figuring out he would be the one, the second one who would fit into our family and stay with us, each protecting the other. I was standing on the corner of the street talking to a friend who was tending her plot in our community garden. I saw a handsome couple looking at us from across the street, my friend and I talked some more, but the couple kept looking in our direction and eventually walked over towards us. My dogs greeted them and then the man said to me" Is that your dog?" " and I says " I got him from the humane society" trying to be coy, and he says"that's my dog, I lost him 7 months ago" and he called out the dogs real name, and with that the dog jumped into his arms and started licking his face all over, the man petting him, moved almost to tears by the event. I could tell he really loved the dog and the dog who had initially been afraid of men sure wasn't afraid of him. I grudgingly exchanged phone numbers with him and told him to contact the shelter as I was still officially fostering him. He called right away,but his circumstances had changed from when he lost the dog and his family was now in an apartment that didn't take pets so he wondered if I could continue to keep him until he could make arrangements which I agreed to as I was attached to him and not ready to give him up. I'd done this a hundred times before, helped a dog along, enjoyed them in the moment, and then was happy to see them go to good homes, but this one was diferent. He touched something in me, but as soon as he saw his former family and the 2 young boys he had known from puppyhood, his allegiances switched. He always seemed a little sad and lonely during the time I had him, like he was pining for someone. I'd take him around town for walks and we'd run into the wife and kids and we'd stop and visit and he'd want to jump in the car with them and look at me like" why are you holding me back from my happiness?" The first time the 5 year old saw the dog his heart was torn. After our visit,his mom said "go say goodbye to the dog" and his little 5 year old self couldn't comprehend the whole situation so he crossed his arms and got sad and pouty and refused to hug the dog, feeling maybe like" he left us a long time ago and broke our hearts and now he's back, but going away again with a stranger, and you want me to hug him and get attached again?" I looked at the parents and said"this isn't easy for any of us, including the dog" We saw them a few more times after that, more confusion, and then after about a month they came and got the dog. The whole situation was so bittersweet for me. They loved the dog, I loved the dog. The dog loved them and wanted to go back to them. So once again as had happened 10 years ago when I first started volunteering, I was heartbroken, left in the lurch, caught up in a complicated situation I really didn't seem to have any control over

parasailing with dog

2009-12-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

Took Dash out for a good 40 minutes today, cooold so cooold. I had to wear long johns and a scarf. He was happy to be out. The funny thing about running with dogs is that they don't realize, that you can't keep up with them. I was trying, at about one fourth his speed and it was an effort to keep the leash in my hands and my feet on the ground. It must have looked hilarious to outsiders, this woman basically, "parasailing with dog" I saw 3 separate frozen banana peels on the ground, what's up with that? People getting their winter potassium or something. One of them looked really cool, it was a deep caramel color. It must have been there a long time, frozen and stuck in place. Poor Dash, he's really doing well but when I go to put him back in his kennel, he sits on my feet so I can't open the door, and then he won't let me put him in and get back out without mouthing my jacket as if to say " don't leave me here, I don't want to go back in there" he never hurts me, it's more like he is just pointing out in the best way possible to me, what he wants. The general public doesn't always understand this, and often see him as overexcited and mouthy which is why he hasn't been adopted yet, but he is just fine the further away from the shelter we get, and with more repeated walks and training. He's really quite smart and charming and looks back at me a lot, and I tell him how good he is and his body language is all" I'm doing good" in a wiggly excited way.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luckyno3/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

To all the dogs I've loved before

2009-12-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

helped them along and then came more
I dedicate this song, to those who came along
to all the dogs I've loved before

"Shout out to Julio Iglesias" (some of the many dogs from the last 4 years)

Don Pascual patron saint of the kitchen-my dog

2009-11-29T16:07:00.001-08:00

Meet Pascual, patron saint of the kitchen. Other aliases; Blue, Blueberry, Blueberry muffin dog, Hullabalue,Panzon, Pascualito, Little Pascual, Bubba on occasion. It's funny how we come up with nicknames for our dogs. Blue was rescued out of the Boise Idaho shelter ten years ago by a wonderful woman named Jackie who then gave him to us. We have had Pascual for eight wonderful years now, we changed his name but, he had been Blue for one whole year prior to getting him and he knew that name well, so we have two names for him, at times more .

Born to run

2009-11-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

Here is Dash, Mr. Dashwood, available for adoption. As all wound up, cooped up dogs, he was not one to sit still while I got my expensive camara out to photograph him, with fingers crossed as to not drop the camara or lose the dog the leash, which I wrapped between my knees. I was a little nervous because the main road is close by, parallel to the bike path we were on. This was a long walk today, a good hour and a half. Luckily we both got tired after the first hour. At times it feels like a gentle war of attrition. I sure had my upper body workout today, using my body like a martial artist, with counter moves to his 1 year old lab/hound never been socialized energy.

Bye bye to foster dog

2009-11-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

Au revoir, we miss you. I hope you're doing well. You're family sure seemed to be glad to have you back after 7 months of being gone. I guess I now know who you were pining for, although I did my best to take excellent care of you. Glad to have helped out and to have had your sweet company for as long as I did.Happy trails

Memories whistle through the barren branches

2009-11-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

Something about winter when the leaves have died and fallen off the trees. I'm walking Dash around. A new dog for me, I'm walking through the streets of the old neighborhood. the memories of the big Polish man are haunting me, resounding through the cold and silent back alleys.His voice, booming through my memory. " Oh is that a German short hair pointer?" He new all the dog breeds. He and his amazing adult son, who worked on their apartments together,in the neighborhood I walked through, were always up for a chat. They adopted one of the shelter dogs I was walking one day, an adorable little heeler, much like my own. They saw her, spoke with me, and immediately went to adopt her. The big man always had a kind word for us a welcoming exchange, a bit of sharing. Such a huge man with a big heart and thick Polish accent and warmth that spread like wildfire. and now he is gone, taken by the natural world in such a quick and inconceivable way, falling in the boat hitting his head and gone to perpetual sleep in the mysterious waters below. I walk through this old neighborhood and the tears well up in my eyes. Dash has no memory of all this, he is happy to be out and about sniffing around, sliding on the ice, sloshing around in the slush, but I remember. That huge personality still echoes through the streets to me. The meeting up with his lovely wife on occasion, stunned by what had happened, but resigned to her fate, still having the distilled spirit of her dearly departed left remaining in her kind and devoted son. What a lovely family, and how sad that this mighty oak of a man has fallen. Why did this amazing person go, so seemingly before his time? Why those people who had such a warm and loving close knit family that touched everyone they met? We continue to walk on, year after year,my rescued heeler and I. New dogs, new people to meet and more stories to be found and discovered, pounding the pavement, walking the dogs, meeting our needs for exercise, kindness, and belonging.

and yet one more

2009-11-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

Ten years of volunteering at our local no kill animal shelter.
The foster dog I had for 6 months went happily back to his previous owner. I can't even count how many dogs I've worked with, walked in the last ten years but I have about 5 pairs of dead sneakers to show for it, and yet there is another. One more sad, young, huge dog with way too much energy, that needs me, needs an ally right now. He was a stray, a large 90lbs. ish yellow lab mostly with a dash of hound face and instinct, a la sniffing on the ground as we walk with head down, and part greyhound in terms of the speed he can run, with a dash of bunny rabbit thrown in. He was running so fast in the dog park, his back legs could not keep up so they would bunch together and hop ahead of him like a rabbit. I should have known better than to wear my new army peacoat the first day I worked with him as he jumped all over me, focusing on my head a lot with his big skinny dog legs and excitedly jumping and dancing all over me,with at least three days of unwashed shelter stink. Oh, but I am used to it, and it is a labor of love and I have no children to have cleaned up dirty diapers for, so the sacrifice is not much at all. His name is Dash. Allready I have many nicknames for him; Mr. Dashwood(Sense and Sensibilityby Jane Austen), Dashiel Hammet,Dish dash( a clothing item),Dasher, and a host of others.The first two days I was only able to walk him for about twenty minutes, breaking into jogs to help expell some of his energy. The main issue was the excited puppyish, jumping all over me behavior. Today, the third day was much better. As a matter of fact about 75% better. My consistency with reinforcing the no jumping and the leash corrections coupled with affection and verbal praise switching to harsh gutteral no's for bad behaior are catching on. That, coupled with the 4th week after getting neutered and I'm thinking maybe we have a pretty smart, soon to be nice dog on our hands.So the lesson for the day is; exercise, consistency with commands, positive reinforcement, and happy talk( hunting breeds love praise) and we're making terrific progress. This is what's so rewarding. The progress and walking the neighborhood of the small college town and remembering the people I've met along the way