A NEW DAY AND A NEW DOG

"Are you sure I'm 12?...I feel more like 2"

I could have sworn that they gave me the wrong dog at the end of daycare today.  Isabelle came out of the dog area and into the office and jumped up on the half door to reach up to see me.   This dog who has been moving around like a senior all of a sudden showed me her younger side.   The staff at dog daycare said she was more active in coming to see them today and she had a definite spring in her step.   Once out the door she sat next to me and bounced her front feet off the ground to get my attention.   I'm not sure if its the cooler temperature today, the glucosamine kicking in, the positive effect of daily walks or just Isabelle feeling comfortable in her new surroundings.   It doesn't really matter what the reason was...it's just so cool to see her so much more energetic.   She makes me smile with her cute little ways and the changes in her may be subtle but she is definitely changing.  

On Friday night I took Isabelle to a friends place and she fit in with the other dogs well.  She made herself at home and laid down for a good nap on the patio and when we were finished with dinner she made the rounds, around the fire and made sure she got everyone to pet her.   Most dogs would just go to one or two people who were closest but she made sure she gave all 4 of us equal time to give her attention, one after the other.  



Walking in the water...off leash.

On the weekend we went down to the beach and I decided to let her off leash.  She can't run too fast afterall and it wouldn't be too hard to catch up to her.   She stuck by me as we walked up and down the beach and she helped herself to brief dunks in the water as we went.   She will actually stay in sometimes and walk a bit in the water even without me joining her in there.  It must feel good to take some weight off and to be cool.   At the end of our walk back up the beach we stopped to sit for a minute or two and she flopped down next to me.  Her head raised up and that nose started working madly on a scent.   She got up and started to head back down the beach again.  I let her go to see how far she would go before turning back.  Well, she was probably a couple of hundred feet away and wasn't turning back.  I all of a sudden remembered seeing people heading along the beach with chairs and bags and realized she must have picked up the smell of lunch!   I ran after her and caught up in time to ensure she didn't steal some food.   I can't believe how good this dogs nose is.   No other dogs on the beach were concerned with the picnic except Isabelle who could smell the food from really far away...and it wasn't even cooked food on a bbq.   Once turned around she was happy to follow me again. 

When we were at the beach again today she was jumping over the logs.  Not stepping over them like earlier in the week but jumping.  Check it out...

Another accomplishment for the weekend was Isabelle's bath by garden hose.  I've been trying to figure out how to get her bathed as her belly won't clear the edge of the tub and I can't lift her up and over.  My first thought was to use a product called Sea Suds which is designed for salt or fresh water bathing and is environmentally safe but had visions of people giving me crap for foaming up the river and having to explain to everyone what I'm using.  I obviously haven't washed my truck in quite a while because it took way too long to occur to me to wash her at our carwash station with a hose.  It was a warm day and she let me soak her down and wash her.  She is now quite a bit fluffier and her coat is very soft.   She is also really enjoying getting brushed every day and she awkwardly rolls onto her back to make sure we get her tummy too. 

Riding home in the truck.

ISABELLE'S DEEP DARK SECRET....

Don't tell anyone that I told you but Isabelle found out today that she's 88 pounds.   It's a blessing that dogs don't need bathing suits to go swimming because if they did, she would end up with one of those aweful, crying in the changing room, kinda days.   So, what are we going to do about it?   Excercise, good food and extras that are good for senior dogs.   I have her eating regular dog kibble and I'm slowly introducing some Medi Cal Weight Management/Mature to her diet.   We received a donation of a couple of bags of food (compliments of Amherst Vet Hospital and thanks to Kathie for arranging that and bringing it to Richmond) and we also received a donation of some Salmon Oil and Glucosamine from Cynda.  I can't wait to start seeing some results!   Isabelle is getting more energy and can walk further than she did on Sunday so she is already improving. 

We drive to the beach after dog daycare and she starts getting excited once we get to the parking lot and she can't wait to get out of the truck and get down to the water.  



We're at the beach....I just know it!


She likes the water, will go in up to her shoulders and walk along side me for a ways which has got to be a pretty good exercise for her.  

She is quite enthusiastic about getting out of the truck when we get home as I'm sure she's smart enough to know that food will be waiting for her once we get inside.   She wolfs down her food fast enough that I can just tuck the Glucosamine in the middle and she didn't suspect a thing. 

Yesterday I went for a hike with a friend at Lighthouse Park and was sad that Isabelle couldn't come along.  She is nowhere near ready for that.  She went to dog daycare in the morning and then Aunty-Dalia picked her up and spent the afternoon with her (thanks so much Dalia).   When I got to Dalia's to pick Isabelle up she looked very happy to be there and seemed to make herself at home quite quickly.  I think that maybe she might even want a home with other dogs who will spur her on to be more active.   Once she starts to lose some weight and with some more excercise I feel really optimistic that she will get her endurance up and will be more springy and playful.  I see a look in her eyes that tells me she still has it in her.

She may be 88 pounds but she is full of love.  She craves attention and I just love her personality.   She is a very good, easy going girl!

ISABELLE'S FIRST TRIP TO THE BEACH

It's different fostering a 12 year old compared to all the teenagers I've fostered, because it's likely that Isabelle has already seen alot of different things and maybe knows some basic obedience already.   She certaily sat quickly tonight when I asked her to, but then I did have the valuable dinner dish in my hands at the time.  I honestly have never seen a dog hoover down dinner so quickly.  She was so tired after her journey yesterday that she ate from the dinner dish, drank some water and then laid down right next to the dishes.  She only got up...and rather quickly I might add, once I opened the fridge door.  It seems Isabelle and the fridge are good buddies already.  She has turned her nose up at any vegetable I've offered her (other than canned pumpkin), so that leaves me wondering what wonderful things used to come from the fridge for her. 

When we went for our first walk around my block yesterday she was tired and the full block seemed like just enough for her to do all her business and then come back in for a long nap.   She was much more energetic today and she had her first day of dog daycare.  She showed up at their door full of wags and went in willingly.  Apparently she slept most of the afternoon but she did well for her first day with all the dogs. 

After daycare I took Isabelle to the beach to see if she liked to swim.  Yvette had suggested swimming as a good exercise to help Isabelle lose some weight.   She went right into the water and bowed her front end in for a dip.  I assume she enjoyed the cold water and was dunking herself in to cool down.  When I went knee deep in the water she was happy to walk around a little deeper and almost to the point of swimming but not quite.   We covered more distance in our walk today than we did yesterday, and she had a little more spring in her step.  She was giving me alot more eye contact today too and was almost a little playful. 

She is the funniest thing when she greets other dogs.  She has a bit of a growly voice when we're approaching a dog that I interpret as just communication with no threat behind it.  It's almost as if she's asking for their respect in advance and all the dogs treated her differently than any other dog I've fostered.  With some dogs she went up to them and sniffed and they just stood without sniffing her back, and then she would move on when she was done with them.   They do actually give her respect, it was interesting to watch.   There were a couple of over eager pups and she just barked at them and they too seemed to understand quickly not to mess with her.   She's like the grandma putting the young wipper-snappers in their place. 

She was very interested in a couple of people on the beach as the woman was holding a container of fruit.  I guess I have a very food motivated dog here.  She didn't want to leave their company in case something was going to come her way.  She is good on the leash though and with a little prompting she was willing to leave with me.  

Isabelle catching an interesting scent in the air...there's
definitely nothing wrong with this dog's nose.

She gets willingly into the truck now but needs a little boost to get up.  We went home and she ate her dinner and has been sawing logs ever since.   She's been twitching alot like she's dreaming about running at the beach still.   She's so cute and she loves attention.  She nudges your hand if you dare to stop petting her.  She has enjoyed a good brushing and tonight she rolled right onto her back to have her belly brushed.   It took her three tries to get onto her back and stay there without rolling back to her side but once there she enjoyed a good grooming.   I can't wait to see her trim down some more.  We are going to work slowly on building her endurance as we're working against weight and age and I don't want to push her too hard.  I'm going to take her to the fenced dog park next and since you walk a loop I can see how far she chooses to go on her own.

A short break in our walk, which I chose for her and she got
up a few minutes later wanting to carry on.

DAY OF THE DOG RUN

Well, today TG brought the dogs to Delta and many happy families came to pick up their new companions.  There were a few of us volunteers helping with the adoptions and it's a shame we didn't have just one extra hand to take pictures because it would be great to capture that moment when people first meet their dog.  Adopters are excited and happy to meet the dog behind the picture they've been starting at for the last week or so and now the live version is in front of them.   It was just over a couple of years ago that one of my friends adopted her TG dog.  I had never heard of Turtle Gardens and I thought it was amazing that people were adopting dogs without having met them first.   Two years later though and I completely see how it works and I'm always in awe of all the great matches that are made.  In fact, in some ways its almost better this way, as I think people don't get as caught up in the looks of the dog as much as the description of the personality.  With Yvette knowing the dogs as well as she does she is a dog-matchmaker extraordinaire.

Isabelle, my new foster dog, came with all of the adopted dogs and other foster dogs.   She is such a sweet and gentle girl.   I don't usually get too caught up in any of the dogs sad history as I want to be a positive energy for each and every dog and pity and sorrow is not a part of that.  But, Isabelle makes me a bit sad.   She is such a beautiful dog inside of a body that is growing old and has grown too big.   She still has so much to offer an adoptive home, like all of the other senior dogs, but for her to have all of these changes so late in her life is what is sad to me.   She needs to lose some weight and she needs to build up endurance.  She needs love and a nice comfy place to relax. She looks solefully into your eyes and wags her tail and she wants to greet people that we pass on the sidewalk so she can wag her happy tail at them too.   I'm very happy to have her here and we will be working slowly but surely on getting her endurance up and hopefully with short walks a few times a day she can continue to trim down.

NEXT FOSTER

Now that the van is loaded and on the road I'm sure I can safely announce that my next foster is Isabelle.  It seems sometimes that if I announce my next foster too soon they either get adopted before I can foster them or a change in dogs happens and I get to meet someone else instead.  

I haven't fostered any dogs in the adult/senior category yet and really look foward to Isabelle's company.

Isabelle in the TG dog yard.

RILEY HAS BEEN ADOPTED

Riley has met his match.  They are a young couple living in the Lower Mainland and they were so excited to get Riley.  They asked alot of great questions about Riley and when he met them he was really comfortable going to both of them for attention.  They were looking forward to having a good buddy to walk with and cuddle up on the couch and he is the piece that completes their puzzle.  More importantly though, they are the final piece of the puzzle for Riley.  I left him at their place yesterday and they report that they are already in love with him and that he is doing really well.


Riley learned quite a bit in a few short weeks.  He learned that people aren't scare and he is so much more confident about greeting strangers.  He fetches the ball at home or a stick at the beach like nobody's business.  He finally figured out that when he saw me reflected in the mirror that I wasn't on the other side of that wall.   His confidence, out in the big world has grown so much and he really was ready for his adoption.   I miss him already - he was such good company to have around, but I'm very happy that he's getting to start his life bonding with his forever home.   Good luck my little foster buddy.


And a final picture and video...

Waiting until he's invited to get out of the truck.  Riley learned this in
his first few foster days - that he's not allowed to dart out of the opened
door.  A good skill that every foster dog has to learn from the get-go.

And on Thursday Riley had his first, unassisted swim in the River.  He walked out towards me, hesitated at the point where he would have to swim and then went for it.

...FINALLY SOME APPLICATIONS

Riley has been posted on Petfinder for at least a few months and people are finally giving him some attention.  He is a good size, good temperament, easy to have around, cute, cuddly, etc etc.   Just the kind of dog I would have thought anyone would want.  Maybe some dogs are of the 'to-know-them-is-to-love-them' variety and pictures on line just don't do them justice.  Riley is certainly very lovable.   There are multiple applications now and hopefully one is a good match.  We have gone and met 2 couples already, so maybe I'll be posting his departure soon?

In the meantime, we continue to go to various places for walks - around the city, at the beach, trails, etc.  He really loves to run around and smell all the new smells.   So much smelling in fact that he has been doing that reverse breathing/sneezing noise.  Maybe he has a summer cold or he has inhaled something.  We tried a nose rinse with saline...which you can imagine went over really well (at least he was still hanging around me afterwards, he didn't run and hide).   He seems to be making the noise alot less so whatever it was is resolving itself.  


Sticking his tongue out at me...no doubt
remembering the nose rinse back at home.


We have spent the majority of our time down at the dog beach.  It's the best place to take a dog, who is shy around new people, because you can be guaranteed to run into dog lovers who are happy to be patient and help Riley learn that almost all people are good for some affection.   He has come a long way in two short weeks.  He now goes up to strangers and allows them to pet him, as long as they don't come on too strong and reach to grab him before he has a chance to have that first tentative sniff of their hand first.

I was asked by one of Riley's applicants if there's anything they would need to watch out for in adopting him and the only things I can think of are that he loves to run with anyone who runs down the beach.   He will chase after them, catch up and run long side them (he will also chase bikes).  No harm done, but one smaller kid was a little shocked to see him all of a sudden running alongside and it made him stop in his tracks.   He once ran to a picnic table full of people with good food.  He looked like he was thinking about how to get onto the table to help himself, or rather trying to find the best side to jump up on.  Fortunately after a few times of calling him and increasing the tone in my voice I was able to override his interest in the food.   I was very grateful to have been saved from the embarrassment of having to apologize for stolen lunch.  I haven't been able to test him very much around kids so he will need to be supervised with toddlers (and even some adults who he doesn't know) to ensure they are respectful of his shyness and also to ensure that kids don't chase him to pet him and accidentally corner him.  This would still scare him today, but hopefully his fear/shyness of well-meaning strangers who come on too strong will lessen as he has more positive experiences, giving him confidence.   He seems to be quite good with kids who are playing on the beach but in my opinion caution with kids and dogs is aways a good thing. 

All in all, I really don't think there are any negatives with Riley.  I've even had the chance to take Riley to two different homes with cats and his reaction was just what I wanted to see.  The first cat he encountered he sniffed the air from a respectable distance and that was it.  In the second house he went nose to nose with a resident cat and he treated it no different than he would have, had it been another dog.  

He is a good catch for a very lucky adopter.  I will miss my little foster-buddy once he's adopted!


Proudly surveying HIS beach.