THANK DAWG!

I thought you loved me!

Something unpleasant happened yesterday but I have now found two reasons to be thankful for it.  I took Buffy and Sunshine to the school field for their second walk of the day and for Buffy to have a good sprint because our first walk was on leash.   So we got to the middle of the field and I started to run circles to get Buffy going (we run circles so Sunshine doesn't have to try to keep up) and all of a sudden Buffy does a wide loop pretty far away so I ran the other direction so she'd have more distance to run back to me but what I didn't realize was that either someone had dumped fish oil or fertilizer on the field in one bit spot or there had been a bunch of fish guts that someone had picked up but leaving the stench behind, and I looked back to see Buffy rolling to her hearts content.  I ran back to her but it was too late...her whole back, leash and collar were all covered in the stink!   Why was this a blessing?  Well, I was less than impressed with her and her new smell and she was certainly less than happy with the bath she got so as of today we're just a little less in love with each other which makes parting ways a tad easier (actually that's not true...she was extra playful with me this morning and extra cute darn it!).  The second thing I'm grateful for is that I found that spot before flight day today.  If I'd taken her to the field today for a run before her flight she would have had to fly to her new home like a stink ball. 

'Please don't make me have a bath too'

Buffy 15 lbs + Sunshine 6 lbs

LEAVIN' ON A JET PLANE

Guess who's going on a plane?  Buffy has been adopted and she will fly to her new home tomorrow.  She will have a 4-legged sibling and two humans to love her to pieces.   She will get to go on some great adventures and I already can't wait to see the updates and she's not even home yet.   So I wish safe travels to an adorable cuddle buddy.  This is the benefit of two fosters...I won't be without!  Sunshine and I will be going on some adventures of our own in the coming week and I will blog about them soon. 

SMALL AND SMALLER

Buffy seemed so little to me until Sunshine came along.  Sunshine is half her size.  The two dogs get along but haven't been overly interactive with each other.  They both still need a little more confidence and also seem to be more people than dog motivated.  There was a moment last night when they both play bowed but that's where it ended.  With a little more time they will probably play.  Buffy in her first two weeks has shown zero interest in toys but this week is starting to bat the ball around and has chewed on a rope toy a bit. 

With Sunshine just having her spay we haven't been going for too big of a walk.  To keep Buffy happy we walked to the school field and put her on the 80' line so she could get some energy out of her system.  She will go for as long or as short of a walk that you want and if given the chance will rip off some energy, which doesn't take very much.  A few laps running around me and she's happy.

I had to pick up Sunshine while Buffy was running circles around us so she wouldn't get wrapped up in the line. 

Buffy would like a home where she can be with her people/person most of the day, go on some adventures and she loves car rides and snuggles on the couch. 

Sunshine needs to continue building her confidence, but so far has been pretty good about meeting people and other dogs.  With meeting dogs she might need to be picked up from time to time if the dog rushes up to her.  Once the dog is relaxed she is happy to meet them and seems pretty confident with big or small dogs if they are gentle.  She is probably the first dog I've had that's made me want to 'baby' her.  I finally get why people are the way they are with the little Chihuahuas.  She walks really well on leash and is great off leash too.  

I don't usually have treats on hand for dogs.  When I foster I like to keep their food pretty consistent to start with so after a week I start to try them with things like carrots, cereal, etc.   Sunshine LOVES food!  She gets very excited when I bring my own dinner out of the kitchen and for the first few times she pestered me to no end, just about turning inside out to get some people food.  She has since figured out she won't get anything off of my plate so she has relaxed about it more.   I love watching dogs eat corn puffs though ...so I thought I'd share the view.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

When I heard that Bamboo the big dog was coming to the Lower Mainland and was being driven by Vicky I figured there had to be extra room for a 6 pound chihuahua so Sunshine came on the trip too.  I'm sorry that I didn't have my camera because you really had to see how funny it was ...the well over 100 pound dog beside the 6 pound dog.

Sunshine needed her spay which was done in Vancouver on Wednesday and she's recovering from it very well. The vet said she is in good health.  

Sunshine is such a pretty color.  She looks almost black and tan in her pictures but she is more like a chocolate color.  I looked up Chihuahua colors and she seems to match what is called chocolate blue.  I'm told the tips of her ears were probably frost bitten so she has a tear in one ear and the tips of both are a little rough on the ends.  I find it hard to not feel sorry for how that would have happened.  Her right eye looks forward but sometimes she shows a bit of white...which is pretty endearing.  What a cute little dog she is.  She really deserves a new life with someone that will love her forever.

Today, we went to Delta to run some errands and stopped in at Nancy's place to say hi.  Sunshine showed us how much she liked the soft grass and for once I had my camera ready for a spontaneous moment.

In case you're wondering, I do still have Buffy and her nose is just a little out of joint with having to share her foster home with another dog.  She bumps Sunshine out of the way when we're walking and practically sits on her in the truck trying to be in the spot closest to me.  I'm hopeful in the next few days after Sunshine is healed up that they will discover they can play together. 

BUFFY - 1 WEEK UPDATE

Buffy has been a complete joy to have around.  She is happy and cuddly with those that she knows and is learning to enjoy meeting new people and dogs.  She sleeps on the bed all through the night, never attempts to push me off, and is happy to sleep in to a reasonable hour on the weekend.  When we go for a walk her tail is wagging the whole time and she has the cutest bounce in her step.  She likes car rides and sits up for most of the trip to watch the road.

She has had a couple of off leash walks and she was best when we had another dog with us.  We went to the beach on Saturday.  She was nervous about all of the dogs that she saw when we first got out of the truck but she quickly realized most dogs were going about their own fun.  She seems to find it easier to meet dogs her own size although if the dog is gentle in their approach she was curious about bigger dogs too.  If any dogs approached too quickly I just picked her up so she didn’t have to worry about what was going to happen. She wasn’t bothered by the water at all.  So I put her in the water a few feet out so she could swim and once she got to shore she looked quite happy about it.   

 

At the waters edge

When we got to a quieter part of the beach I let her off leash and she got the zoomies.  It was awesome to see her run full tilt and burn off some energy like that.  We had a couple of moments where she was maybe 25 feet away and she had that look of decision on her face...’will I come back to you, or not?’...so I ran the other direction and she gave chase until she caught up.  She was clipped back on leash and we finished our walk. She was happy whether she was on or off leash.

 After walking the length of the beach and having a good run, we sat in the sand for a bit and watched other dogs running and playing.  Buffy is relaxed and happy to keep you company whether its on the go or sitting around watching the world go by.

I had some plans on Sunday that couldn’t include a dog so she went visiting with my friends (thanks Maggie an Roger!!) and I was told she behaved herself very well.  Asked for the door when she had to go out and made herself comfortable on their couch in between the walks she was taken on.  They had another dog over and she was a bit grumbly with the pup's approaches for playing but eventually started to become a bit playful with him. 

On Saturday we discovered that Buffy is good with cats too.  She met about 5 or 6 cats and she was mostly curious, wanted to go up to them to sniff, but was cautiously hanging back to figure them out.   So not much more you could ask for in a dog than what Buffy has to offer.  I think Buffy would suit a home where she can be with her people most of the time.  I haven’t had to leave her alone yet and I don’t get the impression she would have any problems with it, but I think she would prefer to be with her people or person. She is not overly playful yet and I'm not sure if that's from lack of confidence, that she's never learned, or that she's a bit more of a serious dog.  Only time will tell.

MALCOLM'S FOSTER MOM GETS CREATIVE

Malcolm is a Turtle Gardens dog being fostered in Port Alberni and his foster mom sent the following picture to post on his Petfinder page.  I felt it deserved to be shared.  Good job Sharon!

Click on the picture to make it larger, so you can read what is written from Malcolm.  Also, here's a link to Malcolm on Petfinder - click here.  And the latest Turtle Gardens blog update - click here

BUFFY THE COUCH SLAYER

This was a busy weekend!  Dog run on Saturday with new dogs coming to town, Griffin going back up and a new foster coming for me.  Griffin is a great dog.  He is an easy foster but just not as easy to find the right match for an adoption.  He needs a home that does not underestimate him.  One that gives him reassurance that he won't ever be given the chance to catch, chase or corner a cat.  And believe me, he really can fool you into thinking he's relaxed with no thought of cats in his head.

He is smart and he bides him time until he feels he has a chance of completing his mission.  Such was the unfortunate case in a few homes that he tried out.  To be honest I had more than one reason for thinking Griffin should go back up North.  I had thought that maybe the city wasn't the right place for him - that maybe his next home might be waiting for him on large acreage up North.  And then in the last while I began to realize I was actually just scared to help choose his next adoptive home and have it not work out again.  He is such a sweet and sensitive/loving dog and I really worried that I might make the wrong choice for him, as I think he knows that he hasn't found 'his home' yet.   All that being said, a funny twist of fate took over and found Stan driving Griffin home but was stopped by a phone call from Yvette to say a really good match for him is in the Lower Mainland.  And so, because Griffin deserves all the chances in the world to find his furever home Stan detoured out of his way to do the home visit and meet with the family and Jackpot!...Griffin was home.  How's that for timing?

So, Saturday also brought Buffy to me for fostering.  I had seen her pictures and loved her quirky little face, so I was exchanging 86 lbs of dog for 13 lbs...what a step down in size.  Buffy is a bit shy but warms up very quickly.  No matter how shy she might be feeling in any moment as soon as you start walking with her she bounces alongside you with her tail wagging.  She perks right up for walks as well as for car rides.  She likes to watch the scenery go by and sometimes puts her feet on the dash or side window with her little tail wagging.  I think if I had a big enough dashboard she'd be happy up there.

After the dog run we came home where she ate some food, drank water, slept on the couch briefly and then we went out for a couple of hours to the Pedigree Adoption Drive that Turtle Gardens was featured at.  She was happy to go back in the truck and she was a star with the people and dogs around.  Part of why I wanted to go, was for her to see Tammy and Terrie who are also both in town for fostering and who she lived with in foster up North.  I would guess that she was closer to Tammy previously, based on her happier reaction.  Both dogs were very happy to see her and Tammy really perked up having a former buddy there.

Buffy sitting with Denise at the adoption event.

 Buffy had her first day of daycare today and she was overwhelmed with the new dogs and new people and so they put her in an ex-pen to the side of the room for a while, where she could observe without having to have all of the new dogs at once.  They created smaller play groups for her so she could meet at a slower pace (one of the reasons why I love my daycare...they are so accommodating).  I suspect by the end of the week she will figure out the people and dogs and will find her friends.  She came home quite exhausted and after eating her dinner she found her spot on the couch.  I'm thinking she's feeling pretty much at home now.

'...you mean I can have this whole side of the couch?'

Well, I'm off for my evening walk with little Buffy and will have more pics and stories to come.  I'll sign off with a few more pics.

I was giving Buffy a good scratch to get this pic...she almost fell asleep standing up.

 

 

GRIFFIN'S SUMMER SO FAR

Griffin is by far just about one of the easiest fosters in so many ways.  He gets a walk and then sleeps.  He likes to lounge in the sunshine and do a little baking and then comes back inside where it's cooler for a break and then repeats the cycle.  He has just about the cutest sleeping face.

Sun-bathing

There's enough room on the Kuranda to not hang his head...this is his preference ; )

Today we went to the beach to meet some friends and their dogs for a picnic.  Griffin is not an off leash candidate just yet as I feel that following his nose would probably get the better of him.  I set up an umbrella and he was pretty good about digging a cool hole in the sand and snoozing.