This is a sketch I drew of one of our foster dogs a number of years ago. I know it’s no great piece of art, but it captured a memory.
This was a foster dog that came to us with the name of Lawrence. Our neighbor Larry had recently passed away and I felt odd standing in our yard repeatedly saying “Lawrence, do you have to pee?” Not to mention, it was a formal name for a one year old sheltie. He had a vey slender build and was always jumping up into the air. He especially liked to jump up and hit me in the butt with both his front feet when I would turn around to walk away. I often turned and said “You little weasel.” This eventually led to me affectionately calling him by the moniker Weasel.
Hence, this sketch with “W” on his front that I call Super Weasel.
He was a wonderful little dog that I loved dearly. I still remember tearing up when we left him at his new home. He went to a great family that also loved him dearly. He was renamed Scotty and became best friend and companion to a young girl. He became a 4-H dog and went on to run lots of agility. I couldn’t have asked for a better home for him.
Scotty left us to go to the Rainbow Bridge much too soon. I am still happily acquainted with his family, and that young girl is now an adult who has since adopted another sheltie from our Rescue.
I posted this meme on Facebook earlier and it got me thinking. You know what’s coming. I was thinking about Zekie and our struggles. I have had pretty good results with modifying behaviors in other dogs, both our own and foster dogs. Not so with Zekie.
He’s been with us almost three years. As my husband said, “Of course you kept Zekie because he’s crazy and you must have a crazy dog at all times.” I can’t say that’s not an accurate statement. I love a dog that worships and needs me.
That being said, Zekie has shown improvement over the past three years. But he is still so far from being a normal or average dog that I have given up hope that he ever will be. I have not, however, given up hope that his behavior will continue to improve.
Zekie has many trying behaviors that are similar to that of my heart dog Duncan. Duncan did not become a dog that I could rely on and trust his behavior until he was about 7 or 8 years old. Zekie is now 7. Here are a few behaviors that both dogs exhibited at some time:
Waiting at the door or window for me to return, whether I have gone outside to the mailbox, or to the grocery store. Time is irrelevant.
Following me from room to room. To be fair, many of our dogs do this. I have not gone to the bathroom alone in over 35 years. Lol…
Taking and eating or chewing things from the kitchen counter. i.e. wooden spoons, plastic containers, mugs, and also actual food. This is why we have swinging doors on our kitchen that can be bungeed shut.
Opening the doors under the kitchen sink to get into the garbage can. This results in a wooden spoon between the cabinet door handles so they are barricaded.
Leash reactivity-Lunging and barking at passersby on walks. With Duncan, the problem was just bicycles and we overcame this. With Zekie, it is bicyclists, joggers, and especially other dogs. After 3 years of training he has learned to be ok with human walkers most of the time, especially if they are friendly and greet us. The Covid masks have set this back a little.
Opening the dog food can which contains a 40 lb. bag of food and eating said contents. This resulted in us keeping a bungee cord across the top of the can.
Stealing trash out of all cans. This results in the cans in every room of our home having lids. Duncan learned to operate the ones with levers or pedals in short order. We had to keep them up high. Grandma would put hers on top of the refrigerator when we visited. This not only applies to cans with food, but all trash cans. Kleenex, food wrappers, and other items seem to have equal appeal.
Barking at cars that drive by, especially when out in the fenced pasture. They always go away so it works, right?
Trying to chew or claw through doors and walls to get to where I am.
Excessive barking at unwarranted sounds. I suppose what is an acceptable sound is in the eye of the beholder.
The need to sleep in a crate in our bedroom so as not to bark endlessly because I am too far away. The crate is needed to keep them out of trouble during the night.
I’m sure there are many other similarities. Duncan was easier to deal with because he could be crated so that I could have a time out or go away. He did well in a crate and was content to chew a bone or nap.
Zekie does not do well in a crate. He chews out of wire crates and Vari-Kennels in short order. He drools so much that his body is drenched in saliva and it pools in the bottom of the crate. This causes him to drink for minutes when he is released resulting in his frantic need to go out and pee a little while later. We tried prescription drugs, homeopathic medicines and herbs, and behavioral modification. None helped. Some made it worse. He has broken off all four canine teeth and some molars in his attempts to get out of the crates.
Now Zekie has a crate made of aircraft quality steel and marine grade butterfly latches. He must be crated when we go away for his own safety and the safety of our house. It is entirely possibly that he would go throw a window, or worse, to look for us. We try not to go away often if Zekie can’t stay with us or one of us can’t stay at home.
Still Zekie has shown improvement in the years he has been here. This is the boy I love.
This morning I took Zekie, Baxter, and Cassius for a walk. It was just me and the three boys. I didn’t take any other dogs because Zekie is often leash reactive and I knew this was the amount of dogs I could handle if that happened.
There wasn’t too much traffic today. Two cars passed us. And there was a large paving truck and a pickup truck at the intersection where we turn to walk to the park. Zekie did not bark or lunge at any of them! He also did not bark at the two workmen on the corner or the men working on the entry to the township hall. We walked right on by! I was so proud. Just me out here walking my well behaved dogs.
I wish I knew why Zekie was good today. Dealing with reactive dogs is challenging. But I’m so pleased he was good. It can be done!
You made the decision to get a new dog. What should you do to make the introduction and transition to his or her new home go as seamlessly as possible? You don’t want to have to take your new friend into the pet store on your way home and have his first outing when the two of you haven’t had a chance to bond. This could be scary for the dog, going to a strange place with a person he just met. Things will go more smoothly if you have some supplies at home waiting and at the ready. I recommend the following.
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#1. A bag of the food your dog will eat.
You don’t want your first day with your new dog to involve dragging him to the pet store, so that you can read 20 plus bags of dog food and decide which is the most suitable. Or even worse, feeding him people food until you can get to the store for the appropriate food. And no, people food is not the appropriate food.
#2. A collar with identification tags.
You will need a way to control and identify your new family member. Ask the person you are getting your dog from, what size is correct. Many snap-in collars are adjustable to cover several sizes. The adjustable size is especially good for puppies. It will limit the number of collars you need to buy as puppy grows. An ID tag is essential. Your new dog is most likely to get lost in the first few days, before he knows you and his new home.
#3. A leash.
The leash is used to control your dog and keep him safe. It is a lifeline between him and you, and can be used to communicate what you want as well. It can even be used inside the house to keep the dog where you can watch him.
#4. Food and water bowls.
Your new friend will need something to eat from. Metal is sturdy and long-lasting. Water should be available to the dog at all times. If your dog or puppy is prone to spilling, he does not need water when in his crate, but should be given access to water frequently.
5. Crate
This is very important for a new dog. It confines the dog when you cannot watch him. It is a good place for him to sleep. Not only does it keep him from damaging your home, it keeps him safe from things like electrical cords that he could chew. Most dogs feel safe in their crates. It is a good place for them to eat as well as sleep. He may not need the crate forever, but it can save a lot of grief as you transition to your new life together.
#6 Treats!
These can be used to bribe your dog to go into his crate, to distract him while you take away something he shouldn’t have, and to reward him for following commands. My dogs will fly into their crates to get a mere crumb from a treat!
#7. Paper Towels
These will be for cleaning up any potty accidents that occur. Most dogs will have at least a few accidents until they learn where you want them to do their business. If you are bringing home a puppy, get lots of paper towels! House training a puppy does not happy overnight.
With careful planning, introducing the dog into his new home will go more smoothly. You can keep a cool head if you have what you need at hand. Good luck, your new best friend will change your life!
Do you ever feel like fate has a hand in your life and when you follow your gut instinct, sometimes you get it right?
I recently did away with our landline and switched that number over to my cell phone. The old cell number is now defunct. I felt that it was important to maintain the old landline number because it has been used for our dog rescue business and is printed in numerous places so that people can reach us when they need help. I could have replaced it with another number, but it didn’t seem like the right thing to do. It would have been a fair amount of work and just didn’t seem right.
Well, I got a call today from someone in our Rescue family. They fostered and adopted a dog from us recently and this was not their first dog from us either. Rescue members become a real community and like family. I would not have received the call if I had not kept that phone number. The changes would not have been updated to our documents yet.
Our Rescue friend’s wife had passed away unexpectedly two days ago. We talked for a bit and I was able to offer condolences and some kind words. I was blessed to hear how the dog he has from our Rescue group comforted him. He thought we should know what happened and I am touched that he shared this with us. I hope I was able to bring him a small bit of comfort in this difficult time.
I have long said that rescuing dogs, is helping people too. I am blessed to do both.
This is how we have a relaxing day on the patio at our place. We do it with dogs. We have it all fenced in so we can relax, knowing the dogs are safely with us.
When we open the door from the side porch, our dogs know which way to go depending on if we say pasture, fountain/patio, or car. If they have taken off too quickly, they will do a big u-turn to go to the proper place.
As our newest dog, Claire has been on leash in the patio area most of the summer since we tried two times off lead and she went tearing through the raised flower beds. We tried her loose over the weekend and she did good! She seems to have the idea. So far she is only free when we can supervise, but she seems to have it.
My post last week about Maizie generated lots of interest. You can read it here if you missed it. A Heart of Gold
Rest assured Maizie enjoyed her life here. She became a permanent member of our family the day we received her diagnosis of kidney failure and found out her time was limited. She loved going out to the pasture with the other dogs and coming back in to sleep on the dog bed.
As many of our animals do, she seemed to enjoy the Christmas tree. I think it has something to do with the lights. Even with kidney failure and occasional infections, she never messed in the house. She was such a good girl. And she always greeted me with a smile when I opened the door to let her back inside.
Maizie developed a special bond with our cat Lacey. They could often be found sleeping together. Maizie passed before Lacey. When Lacey passed a year or two later, I buried her with Maizie’s ashes in our little pet cemetery. She earned this right as a part of our family and the two friends were together again.
Maizie’s time here was happy. She was only visibly failing for the last few days. The rest of the time she enjoyed doing her goofy gallop around the yard with the other dogs, playing, going on walks, getting lots of petting, and sleeping on a warm bed with her friends. Good dog Maizie, good dog.
This is Maizie. She was our foster dog seven years ago and passed to the Rainbow Bridge after spending a little over a year with us. She had a heart of gold. Following is what I wrote at that time.
Dear Person Who Abandoned this Senior Dog,
Maizie was found by the pound and when they sent you a letter to come and get her, you did not come. She spent 30 days in the pound kennel waiting for you before the efforts of two rescue groups brought her to our house as a foster dog. Today we discovered that she has kidney failure and will live out the rest of her life with us however long that may be. What lesson am I supposed to learn from this? Perhaps to have compassion for you and not be judgemental? I will work on that.
I know that I have been blessed to know this dog who is sweet, loving, and grateful for every bit of attention. She smiles at us constantly and is one of the happiest dogs I have seen. Occassionally she will try to play and has a small, joyful hop to her step. Our lives have been enriched by knowing this kind dog.
My dreams will be sweeter knowing that I have helped and loved this girl. May you be able to sleep at all.
Cassius is a retired racing greyhound. He must have been a good racer. He didn’t come off the track until he was four years old. He won 18 racers, and placed and showed in others.
Given his prey drive, I imagine he enjoyed racing. Even so, he is the picture of peace and calmness with our cats and other dogs.
Cassius still enjoys a quick sprint around our fenced pasture and likes to play with his jolly ball. But his favorite thing is sleeping on the couch while maintaining body contact with his mama. That’s me.
We could all take a lesson on how to chill from retired racing greyhounds.
This is how we have a relaxing day on the patio at our place. We do it with dogs. We have it all fenced in so we can relax, knowing the dogs are safely with us.
Sanctuary Acres 