Tuesday, December 27, 2011

GRAELEE - PICTURE UPDATE

Graelee is now called Zumba (for all her energy).   Here are a few pictures of her - two at the office and one in the car:




I think she looks pretty content with her new life!!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

SPOT HAS BEEN ADOPTED

A really nice family came to meet Spot last week and there was instant chemistry.  The kids are 8 and 3 and they threw a ball for Spot and he continued to fetch it back to them.   They walked him outside for a bit and he was very well behaved on the leash.   And so...he went home yesterday just in time for Christmas.  He was not a Christmas present for anyone, just a great addition to a young family.   I called them today and they report he is doing really well.  Spots new name is Jack (very funny don't you think considering his best friend was Jack at Turtle Gardens?).  I think the name suits Spot quite well and its a secret tribute to his good friend that he was rescued with.   Apparently he has been for a couple of walks already and does all his business outside and slept through the night really well.   The perfect new roommate.

Since I'm dogless now, I won't have as much to blog about, but will try to add something occassionally until I get another foster dog, possibly at the end of January.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!!


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

SPOT GOES TO SCHOOL

Is it a magical time of year?  Or is it a big drain on your time that has you wishing the time away and getting it over with?   I think Christmas is great, if only it could be just one day of the year and not the 1 month, packed malls, more traffic, more eating and drinking than anyone should do kind of 1 month holiday.  I find it funny that for a holiday that everyone loves, people are sometimes cranky and mean spirited with each other over that same event.   That is until you take a cute little dog like Spot and walk into shopping central in Richmond (aka No. 3 Road) and then you see the serious shoppers who are rushing around take a moment to smile.  People melt and light up when they see a dog, a bright Spot in their day they weren't expecting.   Dogs are the true magic of any season!!  (...especially TG dogs right?)  Spot has the cutest look that people are drawn to...if someone looks directly at him his ears either press back or perk up inquisitively and that tail starts going.   He looks right at you with his gorgeous hazel/amber eyes.


So, the reason for my lead in to this blog is a way of getting to why I haven't blogged much. I have been busy.   Dinners with TG friends, a Christmas party, Christmas lunch, last night of curling with Christmas dinner, etc etc.   Lots of outtings with little time on the computer.   And now, 5 days later I can post my pictures from my visit to MacNeill School with Spot.  We went last Wednesday to see Yvette make her presentation and for the rescue club to have one more TG dog to meet.  An adoptable one at that.  

To open up the presentation Wayne, who runs the group, got on the microphone and barked into it to catch everyones attention.   There was a speaker overhead and Spot kept looking up at it for quite a while afterwards, maybe trying to figure out if the dog was in that large black box suspended from the ceiling.  

Spot - watching the speaker on the ceiling
Spot did really well in the school and during the presentation.  He was a little stressed at the beginning - panting a bit, but he soon settled.  He was very well behaved the entire time.  He is good with the kids, especially since they had just finished a hot dog lunch and there were pieces of bun to be found between the auditorium seats.   I passed his leash a few times to some of the students so he could visit a little while Yvette talked and then he went to see this guy at the front of the stage area.  Here he is giving that soulful stare...the one he gives to people he is comfortable with.  


Jim's adopted TG dog Lola was also a bit of a stage hound during the presentation.  Going to the end of the leash to get in on the action. 



Prior to that Lola had a special moment when she went over to visit with Yvette before her speech.

Lola remembers her TG momma Yvette

Spot watching Yvette.


A quick glance back to check in with me.

In the hallway - Lola, Belle, Mya, Lacy, Misty...oh ya and
their people at the ends of the leashes. 

Mya's mom Jude tells me that taking the camera out of my pocket
and holding it up may as well be a juicy dog bone...and Mya jumps up
in excitement to demonstrate, just as I went to take her picture.
 
On further investigation she looks a little disappointed
 to confirm it is just a camera afterall.

Jim's dogs Lola and Misty with a big stress relieving yawn.
The presentation was great!  A good experience for little Spot, giving me a chance to see how great he is with kids of varying energy levels.   It is also alot of fun taking a dog into a school as you get alot of attention from the kids who are surprised and excited to see dogs in their hallways. 

On another note, the picture that I posted at the top of this blog was used on Spot's Petfinder profile and the stats jumped up with double the visits to his profile.  It also prompted about 6 or more applications and inquiries.   What a popular little dude and what a difference a new picture can make!

"Ain't I cute?'

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

FINALLY...THE BEACH


"Okay...I'm ready for my close-up now"
Last weekend we finally made it to the beach.  Spot was great off leash.  He would come right back to me whenever I called him.   He is friendly with other dogs, although he can sometimes be a little hesitant with some of the more excited-in-your-face dogs.  He found a few dogs to run around with but mostly just explored the beach and stuck nearby.  

Saturday looked quite misty/rainy outside when we headed out the door so I gave one of the foster jackets a try on Spot. I have tried the jacket out on many a foster in the hopes of keeping them dry in the rain, but either a dog likes a jacket or they don't.   Sometimes they act like their in an alter-universe where dogs can't walk with jackets on.   But, not Spot, he seemed to hardly notice the jacket.  And, it looked good on him too!   (I hope Maureen, who shared her pack's jacket photos on the TG blog, reads this blog and sees my little guy dressed up - room for another one Maureen?)




On Monday and Tuesday nights this week, I had dinner plans and Spot won himself front cab priviledges in the truck.  He has shown no signs of chewing anything inappropriately and no sign of any separation anxiety.  Which actually surprises me a bit for such a cuddly sometimes clingly little dog.  It was cold out and I piled up the dog beds and blankets in the front seat.  He has a good thick coat of fur and really seems unphased by our Lower Mainland climate so he was quite content being snuggled up while I was inside having dinner.

He is such an easy dog to have around in any and every situation, and that especially includes how he did at McNeil School today.   I have some good pictures of the event and will share those in my next blog.  

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

BIG CITY : LITTLE DOG


Since our daylight hours end so early Spot won't get to my favorite beach with me until the weekend.   So we walked the city streets.  He is not afraid of anything and if anyone makes eye contact they are rewarded with a tail wag.  Spot likes everyone and everything pretty much.  The feedback from daycare is good too.  He plays with some dogs if they ask him to play, but doesn't prompt much yet.  He can get a little carried away with the barking but they figure that was part of his settling in.   He also seems to be enjoying cuddles from the staff.  He is a good travel buddy in the truck and walks well on the leash.  What more can you ask for in a dog really.   He is clean and quiet indoors and sleeps through the night (on the bed of course).  He fetches toys and is very playful.

Here are a few pics of Spot out-and-about.



Check out Spot's adorable ears...little tufts of hair at the end : )

Saturday, December 3, 2011

DAY 1 - FEELING GOOFY AFTER THE BATH

Spot - picture taken by Turtle Gardens (good pic Yvette!)
So, in my last blog I said I was worried about mentioning my foster dog before the TG bus hit the road, because of the supposed JINX.   Well, I didn't jink which foster but then the whole dog run had to be called off.  So maybe jinxed, maybe not.  But, notice that I didn't blog anything else after the last blog...why risk it.  Well never mind, the weather was great today.  Rain on a dog run day is not the end of the world but it's so much nicer to work with the dogs and with the adopters and paperwork on a dry day.  We are outdoors for most of what needs to be done.  

Things ran pretty smoothly today.   Most of the adopters were there before the TG van so the paperwork could be mostly out of the way before the dogs showed up.   With adopters there ahead of time that means that the dogs can go directly to their new family without a stop in the horse stall.   After all of the dogs were adopted and the van hit the road again, I ran to the ferry with Panda, Miika and Spot.   Walking three dogs that are all probably new to leashes is pretty amusing.  After a couple of minutes they got with the program and we made it up to normal walking speed without so much criss-crossing. While we were waiting for the ferry this guy came along with a new bike he had just bought in the Lower Mainland.  He spent his spare time waiting for the ferry talking about the dogs and petting Panda.   I noticed he didn't have any gloves and thought his hands would freeze riding that bike home.   He said he had been give a ride to the ferry so hadn't had to worry about that yet.  I ended up giving him my 99 cent stretchy gloves and he seemed happy to take them.  Women's stretchy gloves look funny on guys when they're too small for them!  I met up with Mike and handed over Miika and Panda and then back home with Spot.  

A quick walk outside for any last minute business and then we came inside for food, water and then a bath.  Spot was a pretty good sport about the bath.  He only tried to escape a couple of times.   After he was out of the bath he ran around drying himself off the rest of the way on the carpet.  He was absolutely goofy.



Spot is a very loving dog.  The kind of dog that gazes into your eyes and wants affection.  He has had a couple of naps and then we went for a walk around the city streets.  He is having a little trouble settling in.  Maybe he is missing his buddy Jack who was adopted today.   He is quiet so far, walked super well on the leash for our first walk and was happy to cuddle on the couch for a nap this afternoon.   He is going to be a good buddy to some lucky adopter.  

I'm used to the dog runs being on a Sunday so I spent today feeling like I should be going back to work tomorrow.  So Sunday is a bonus - to be able to spend a full day with Spot and venture out somewhere fun.  He can have good run at whatever park we end up at.  I'll try him on the 80' leash to ensure he gets a good run, without worrying about his recall just yet.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

ANOTHER 'DOG RUN'

Turtle Gardens is planning another dog run for this Sunday.  As usual, with it being winter we will have to wait and see if they are able to drive down.  From what I'm hearing the roads are pretty crazy with snow, but the TG bus has good drivers and good tires, so I think I will have my new foster by the end of the weekend.  Its funny but we probably have more to worry about if it snows in the Lower Mainland for all of us getting to the barn to pick up dogs.   Us 'city drivers' don't have the same skills that Brian and Dave have on the winter roads.

I hope I'm not jinxing things but it looks like I will be fostering Spot.  He is a small, cute-as-a-dickens, little ball of fur and I couldn't resist asking to meet him.  There are a few dogs on my foster wish-list but they will have to wait until the New Year when I have a longer stretch of time in case they aren't adopted very quickly.   Okay, so now that I've officially mentioned my next foster dogs name before the TG bus has even left home, lets see what happens. 

Pictures and stories to follow.  I always take my camera to the dog run but never seem to have the time to use it.  I'll make a better effort this time to get some pictures. 

I was looking back through my list of fosters and this time last year I had Abby and she was just about to get adopted.


Beautiful, blue-eyed Abby
... and in November two years ago I was waiting for Little Bear to come to me the following week.  I wish I had started blogging from the beginning.  



Little Bear with his best "I didn't do it" look

Sporting his TG bandana waiting to meet
an potential adopter


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

GRAELEE IS IN HER NEW HOME....AND GOES TO WORK

Graelee has been adopted by a really awesome couple from the Lower Mainland.   As part of their household she gets to go to work and a quick report tells me that she did well on her first day.  She was quiet and only barked when one of her fellow office dogs came in.   There were four great applicants that met Graelee in the last week and its funny that it was the last meet and greet that resonated with me the strongest as a match.  I could have seen each of the applicants giving Graelee a great home, but the last couple felt like it was meant to be.  They are happy to have her in their home and describe her as playful, snuggly and smart.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

CRAZY WEATHER

I took Graelee down to McDonald Beach yesterday and I'm sure lots of people in the Lower Mainland experienced the same crazy weather than came around in the matter of minutes.  We arrived at the river with sunshine and very calm river waters and all of a sudden a cloud passed over, bringing hail. Then there was the thunder and lightening and major winds blowing leaves off the trees all over the white caps on the water.  And....to top this off, we finished with a full rainbow.  Wow!




Graelee has met a few people this past week.  There have been a couple of home visits completed and there are still some great applicants that haven't even met Graelee yet.  I'd be surprised if she isn't adopted soon.  Sometimes we have the fortunate problem of needing to clone one dog because its hard to choose.   We did meet one very nice lady and her dog at Queen Elizabeth Park and Graelee was curious about a pumpkin that was left behind.  She was undaunted by the carving and just preferred to see it as potential food.  I'm sure if I'd had Sail still she would have barked at it.


Last weeked we went to Deas Island Park with my friend Kathy and her two dogs - Booker and Rosie.  Rosie is a TG dog previously known as Buttercup - my shortest foster before Matt and Kathy adopted her.  Graelee had fun running with Booker and following Rosie through the bushes.  Rosie is usually busy on the hunt for squirrels but Booker shares Graelee's love of soft sand to run in.  


Graelee trying to steal the stick from Booker
 




Such a busy little girl...she had to be held by the collar to be still enough for a picture

Buttercup at Turtle Gardens (now Rosie)
The other day I put Graelee's favorite squeak toy aside and she discovered the squeaky beer bottle instead....


She doesn't play-growl with any other toy this way
so I'm not sure what's so special about this one.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

BEAUTIFUL FALL DAY

Wow...this is such a beautiful time of year!   I couldn't have asked for a better day than today's sunshine and crisp cold weather.  Graelee and I went to the beach and got some exercise.  I can't believe how much energy she has, but fortunately she doesn't need to cover distance to wear herself down.  With sand, water, logs to jump over and other dogs to play with she is self-exercising for the most part.  She played with lots of dogs and she barked at and ran after the waves when boats went by.  She is so much fun to watch.  I let her off leash and she zips back and forth.  Most of the time she comes right back when called but when she outright just ignores me...I go get her and its back on the leash for her.  I think she figured that out pretty quickly because when I finally let her off leash again she came to me every time after that.  





A fun play buddy...

A video of Graelee having just as much fun on
three legs...oh ya...and check out how she
comes back to me after I whistle


Thursday, November 3, 2011

RUN GRAELEE, RUN

I wanted to share a video from the weekend.  I have slowed it down so you can see Graelee in motion.  She spends quite a bit of time using all 4 legs and some of the time lifting her back right leg and running on three.  I will try to catch a video of her running on three because she seems to move just as easily either way.  




So, tonight I'm noticing that when I ask Graelee to sit for something she immediately goes to lay down too.   I have asked her for one after the other too consistently.  Tonight we were working on isolating each command so that she understands that they don't always go together.  She has chosen a stuffed toy with two squeakers in it as her favorite and holding this toy is a great motivator for her to try to do whatever it takes to get that toy thrown across the room.   This toy is the first thing she runs to when we get home after dog daycare, the first thing she plays with in the morning too.  At first she didn't have the 'spot' figured out to make the squeakers work but believe me she has found it now!


Sunday, October 30, 2011

GRAELEE'S WEEKEND

This weekend Graelee and I caught the Ferry over to Sechelt to visit mom and dad.   We'd had a good walk in the morning and she was quite happy to sleep in the truck on the ride over...I had a nap too.  She will do whatever, whenever and she is a good companion. 



When we showed up at my mom and dads house she met their dog Ralph, a large Airedale who gets along with everyone.   She barked her little head off at him.  She stopped if I corrected her and then she'd start again.  I picked her up and turned her around so Ralph could sniff her bum.  She wasn't too impressed with me but after that she was willing to meet him properly.  She was a bit uncertain with him for the first while but about an hour later I let them both back out into the yard and they chased each other around and played like they've always been friends.   Graelee made herself at home, including hovering in the kitchen watching for anything falling to the ground.   She settled next to my chair and slept on and off and was basically zero problem to have around.  She even learned quickly to ask at the door to go outside.   My mom and dad were quite taken with her and she jumped up to sit with them later in the evening...although we're not sure if that was to get attention or to check out the couch for dropped popcorn.  

Today was a trip home on the ferry and we walked around the terminal to pass some time.  We even ran into a friend of TG.  Her and her husband were parked behind me in the line up and she spotted Graelee.   I was surprised when she came up to my truck with a quiet tap on my window.   TG people are everywhere....I love the surprise of running into people in places you're not expecting to see them. 

Graelee and I shared a yoghurt in the Ferry line-up...well I had the yoghurt and she got to clean the container...



When we arrived back in the Lower Mainland we had a few errands to run.  Graelee stays in the truck quite easily.  She stands and watches, very alert, at the window waiting for my return but she does not seem stressed in the slightest and while she is happy to see me come back I don't make a production about seeing her again and she is calm and just waits for us to get going again.   We stopped at MacDonald Beach and gave her a good run.   We ran into Dalia with her crew of three dogs (yes...you see TG people are everywhere!).  We said hello and then carried on our way down the beach.  Graelee went off leash and she ran back and forth so many times I couldn't believe she had that much energy.  She ran with other dogs and on her own.  She leaped over logs and zoomed back and forth.   She is not nervous about being away from me and runs quite far down the beach.  A loud whistle or two and she zips back to me.  














What an awesome fun little dog!!