PETUNIA (A1524779) female fawn and blue Pit Bull Terrier Miami Dade Animal Services, Miami, FL

Female hound Benson-area shelter, Arizona

RAYNE (A1523354) female black Labrador Retriever Miami Dade Animal Services, Miami, FL

SUNNY (A1524219) male tan Chow Chow and Labrador Retriever Miami Dade Animal Services, Miami, FL

Lindy the two-year-old black Labrador Retriever mix was a little overwhelmed by all of the hustle and bustle going on at the shelter when I first took her out. But even though she started off a little nervous and unsure, she warmed up quickly and even gave my chin a quick doggy kiss when I leaned over to pet her.

Lindy posing for the camera

Lindy is great with people, as Labs are known to be, but isn’t such a fan of other dogs (small dogs in particular), so she would like to be the only dog in her new home. That’s perfectly all right, though, because Lindy will make such a loyal, loving companion that she’ll be the only dog you’ll need. Labrador Retrievers aren’t the most popular breed in America for nothing! If you think you want to add one to your family, come in soon to meet Lindy!

Lindy investigating the camera

Blackie the one-year-old black Labrador Retriever mix probably has some Shepherd or other longer-haired breed in him as well (he looked like he could use a brushing). This sweet boy was just laying on his tummy with his nose pressed against the door to his kennel, and wagged his tail enthusiastically whenever someone stopped to say hello to him. Considering he’s so young, I was impressed by how calm he was!

Blackie keeping an eye on what’s happening

Blackie was a little more energetic once he got to play in the off-leash run, though. He was running and sniffing and so happy to be outside and playing. It was hard to get a non-blurry picture of him because he was enjoying the yard so much. If you have a fenced-in yard, Blackie would be thrilled! If you don’t, that’s all right–he’ll be equally thrilled to accompany you on nice walks. An adorable pooch like Blackie won’t be at the shelter for long, so stop by and say hello to him!

Blackie getting his exercise

Midnight the eleven-year-old black Labrador Retriever mix could pass as a puppy. I honestly thought he was a puppy when I first saw him, because he doesn’t have any gray on his face yet and he’s much, much, much smaller than your usual full-grown Black Lab. He is a senior dog, though, and would appreciate a family welcoming him into their home so he can enjoy his golden years.

Midnight being a little camera shy

Midnight, like Lindy, was a little bit nervous at first. Once he gets to know you, though, he turns into a total lapdog. I sat down on a bench and he put his front paws right up on top of my legs and stood there while I scratched his chin. When another volunteer sat on the ground, Midnight plopped right down into her lap like he was meant to be there. Good cuddle buddy? I think so!

Then Midnight felt like posing

As with last week when I had one non-Hound (Toby) in my Hound post, I thought I’d add a non-Lab for a little variety this week. Sasha the five-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix is just adorable. She has a bit of an underbite, which gives her a bit of a tough look sometimes, but Sasha is a big softy! She enjoys the company of both people and other dogs.

Sasha being adorable

Sasha also seems like she is already well-trained. If I stopped walking for some reason, she would sit right down and wait. I would tell her, “Good sit!” so she knows to keep doing what she’s doing. Her tail is always wagging, and she’s another dog who sometimes looks like she’s smiling at you. She’s sure to make her new family smile!

Sasha sniffing the (finally!) green grass

I also spent some time with Winter again, who is just one of the best walking buddies you will find at the shelter. The only time she pulls is when we get close to the gate, because she wants to go for a longer walk. The rest of the time, though, she’s perfect. She also learned to go over the agility bridge (though she stopped in the middle and covered my face in doggy kisses before going down the other side, but there’s nothing wrong with that!). If you’re a one-dog type of family, consider Winter!

If you are interested in her, user ID number to find her: A1385846. She is 24 lbs, but should grow to be around 50. A great dog needing a great home.

I have decided to post a new pup that I’m in love with in honor of Bella, who was adopted! Everyone #SaveBella whenever you have a dog you have adopted, seen in the pound, or just want someone to adopt. Let’s start a social media awareness program for dogs just like her.

* I’m aware this is just a bad photo because the flash went off but seriously she does get cranky!

We got a new puppy this weekend! He is a pure bred Labrador Retriever and we have named him Max. It has been two months since we lost Lady and each day that has gone by, I’ve missed her more than I even imagined. So, we made the choice to get another dog. We were looking at chocolate Labs or golden retrievers, but could not find what we wanted. I was hesitant to get another black Lab because I thought it would remind me too much of Lady since she was black. But, I decided to give it a try. I finally found Max through a classified ad and we went out and picked him from a litter of 8 about 30 miles east of our home. The breeder had four females and four males and we went out there to pick out a female but changed once we got there. I think Max was the third one I held and I fell in love with his temperament. He was calm and just sweet. The others I held were crying and hyper and seemed more anxious. When I held him, he seemed to just be chill immediately and I took to him. He was two weeks old then and we had to wait four more weeks before we could pick him up this weekend.
We are three days in and he has already become a big part of the family. We are enjoying him although we are adjusting to having a puppy. It is like having a newborn! He is a cuddle bug and loves attention and wants to be wherever you are. He has a playful temperament so far, but I also see he wants to be alpha and gets mad when he is not held enough or not receiving enough attention. He seems like he will be pretty smart and have already figured out where his food stays, etc. We are excited and look forward to having him around!

Now, you may be wondering why exactly I couldn’t wait for her to reach the 16 week mark.  Well, the main reason is that she is now FULLY vaccinated and free to go wherever our hearts desire.  I also love this age because things are clicking and she actually understands commands and is eager to learn new things.  Don’t get me wrong, training has been quite lovely with this girl.  But now is the time that she actually has a list of commands under her vest, and she can execute them when asked.  She’s more reliable on the “Hurry” command, she can handle more outings and more places, and all in all things really start to pick up at the 16 week mark.  I don’t want to rush our time together, but I am quite happy that we’ve made it to this first milestone.

In honor of Helaine’s four month birthday, I decided to list four of my absolute favorite things about her! 

1)  She is always always always happy to see me when I get home.  When I walk through my bedroom door and let her out of her crate, it doesn’t matter if she has to Hurry or not she will crawl into my lap and just love on me.  I work in the Health Insurance industry and I have a really stressful job.  She is always capable of melting away my stress just by giving me the unconditional love she was born to give.  I love her for a lot of reasons, but this one by far tops the list.

2)  She makes me laugh every. single. day.  The last few weeks without her noticing, I’ve been observing her while she plays by herself.  She has gotten to the point where she will throw her toys into the air or across the room, just so she can fetch them and shake them around.  When we are outside in the yard, she tucks her tail and will run as fast as her short little legs will go.  She is a comedian.

3)  She loves to learn.  Training has been relatively easy simply because she’s alway wanting to learn and work.  As I’ve stated, she is familiar with 25 of her required 30 commands.  While she doesn’t necessarily execute them on command every single time, she does know what they mean and how to perform them.  I still think 25 commands at 16 weeks is impressive.

4)  She has the confidence of a lion.  She hasn’t met a challenge she can’t overcome.  She has had a couple moments where she isn’t sure about what she’s seeing but she quickly gets over what little apprehension she had and continues on the adventure.  Stairs have been a breeze, and changing surfaces has had little effect on her.  She can handle anything I throw at her (so far) and I hope she keeps this type of confidence up!

Helaine is remarkable and I know that she is destined for greatness.  She has so much ahead of her and she’s going to change the lifes of so many people.  How do I know?  Well, she’s already changed mine.

Since they’ve come out of their world of darkness, they have really started to move around.  I’ve photographed each one separately so that you can get to know them.

This guy is the biggest pup of the litter.  He is constantly eating and he loves climbing to the top of the heap and laying there.   When he sleeps, he “snores” but it sounds more like a soft little purring sound.

This little guy is always exploring.  The pile of pups will be on one end of their bed and this adventurous guy is crawling around on the other.  Now that his eyes are open, I have a feeling his exploration days have just begun!

This cute male is our couch potato.  He loves to be held, lay around, and seems very easy-going.  He’s never fighting for the top of the heap, or trying to wiggle into the middle; he’s content to be with the bunch or cuddled in a lap.

This is our littlest girl.  She is very cuddly and likes the kids to scratch, rub, tickle, or pet her soft hair.  Her favorite place to lay is right up against someone’s neck.

This little guy is one of the smaller pups and is constantly nosing his way into the middle of the heap.  If he isn’t cuddled up next to someone or something, he is very vocal about it.  He needs a lot of love and loves to be surrounded by it.

This cutie pie likes to lay on his back.  I have found him a few times rolling around.  He will climb up on the pile of  pups or onto his mom and then roll off and fall asleep with his little puppy paws in the air.  He is a favorite of my little girls because they love to hold him like a baby.

If we were naming these puppies after the seven dwarfs, this little guy would be called sleepy.  He is always yawning and sticking out that cute little pink tongue.  He also loves to be cuddled and is so quiet and easy to be around.  He has the darkest muzzle and I love that darker coloring on his face.

Any little girls looking for a puppy to style his hair, this little guy is the one for you.  He has the longest hair of the bunch.  It is curly and you can do such cute things with it.  He is very content to let you softly swirl it around all day.

This little girl is the darkest of the two girls.  She has those great big soft eyes and little squishy face that you can’t help but fall in love with.  She’s definitely princess material and is treated like royalty around here, as you can see.

Now that you’ve met them, I know you probably want every single one of them.  ;)

Time: 6:45 am

Gary: Nooooo! Uch, now YOU get it.

Me: Ummm… you would be talking to who?

Gary: No, I am not kidding, you get it.

Me: (walking into the bathroom where I see both Gary and the Iko looking into the toilet) WAIT, I need to get a camera.

What, you thought I was going to stick my hand in the toilet to get that bone? Yeh, right! Yes, that is what that was, a bone. I have had people guess it was a sock and a condom. Seriously? A condom in my house? With my sans uterus, way past childbearing old arse?

Gary: She needs to get that out of the toilet. Go ahead Iko, you dropped it in there, now you get it out.

Iko: Gives the universal Lab look of ‘are you f’in kidding me’, turns around and walks out of the bathroom.

Me: Guess that leaves you, my sweet. Don’t worry, I just cleaned that toilet… um, when was that again.

He is hard pressed to believe I did not put the dog up to this… perhaps that will make him think next time he leaves the seat up ; )

It is also for one of our previous dogs – Grit. He was a big old boy who fathered some of our current dogs.

As for training commands, you need to teach your dog to “give” because not everything needs to be a tug a war game. You can also teach your dog to “get” “go” and to be “gentle”.

Until next time – have fun!

- Sri Daya Mata (Enter the Quiet Heart)

]]> http://pnwpr.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/high-five/ Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:51:39 +0000 Cassandra http://pnwpr.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/high-five/ My experience with Helaine over the last six weeks has been quite the rollercoaster.  Between the initial sleepless nights, tummy troubles, incessant whining and barking while in the crate (while I’m away), and her picking anything and everything up off the ground to chomp on, I’ve had my work cut out for me to say the least.  But the last six weeks have brought to much joy and such a sense of accomplishment already.   

After making it through the “get to you know you” period, our bond really started to strengthen.  I will admit, the first couple of weeks were spent in an overly exhausted stupor, and they were also filled with many tears of frustration as I woke up every 2 hours with a puppy suffering from the yucks.  I’m so glad those days are behind us now.  We both feel so much better now that we can sleep through the night.  I’m a girl who likes my sleep, and I know Helaine is a fan of her sweet slumber as well.  Now if only I could get her to quit singing the songs of her people at 5:30 AM on a weekend, things would be even sweeter.  One step at a time I guess. 

One thing I have had plenty of success in, is training.  Helaine is incredible.  She loves loves loves to learn and she is so proud when she learns something new.  While we have stuggled with her whining while cradling in class, and of course the crate freak outs when I’m not home, everything else has come with relative ease.  I feel so fortunate that I live in an area that has a contract trainer available.  While I drive 1 hour and 15 minutes to class (one way) every week, I wouldn’t trade the knowledge of our trainer, or the companionship and sense of family amongst the other raisers for anything.  Our trainer…she’s awesome.  She intimidates me quite a bit, but she is truly lovely.  She has taught me so much in such a short amount of time, I often feel like I’m new to this whole dog training thing even though it’s been 14 years. 

I’m proud to say, that Helaine has learned 25 of her required commands already, and we just introduced two more in class this past Wednesday.  While she is no where near considered a master, she knows what they are, how to do them and ultimately how to get the food!  She can execute most of them with very little correction while we’re at home.  When we get to class, she loses her mind a bit.  For example, she absolutely refused to down or roll during our last class.  Boy was that frustrating.  She would start to lay down, then look up at me like “okay I did it see?”  I’ll cut her some slack.  Afterall, she’s only 15 weeks! 

My proudest class moment to date happened during our class on Wednesday.  We were practicing many different commands while having a little bit of fun with the obstacles all around the room.  The final command we were asked to do was the Bed command.  One by one, our trainer walked around the room and asked us to do Bed.  Well, when it was our turn, I was initially worried because Helaine had started anticipating what I was going to have her do.  She broke the heel position before I had a chance to give her the command, so I quickly asked her to Heel and apologized to our trainer for her anticipation.  What happened next was a delightful surprise.  All it took was “Helaine, Bed!”  and from two feet away, Helaine stood up, walked to the mat, and completed the command perfectly.  No body queues, no corrections, she just up and did it.  That was total redemtption for refusing to down and roll.  We earned what our trainer dubbed, High Five of the night.  I was pretty stoked, and I was beaming inside and out.  She is my good girl. 

So even though we’ve had our fair share of struggles in such a short amount of time, she is progressing well in her training and I’m learning something new every day.  Struggles turn to strength, and I know that we are definitely on the right track to growing a strong, confident and fabulous puppy with a burning desire to learn and work.  I am so proud and honored to be captain of Team Helaine. 

(Below is the translation of Miss Dolito’s blog. I stands for Miss Dolito.)

I used to let my dogs have some midnight snacks, but I stopped doing that since Nio-Nio was diagnosed with Diabetes. Because she couldn’t have those snacks. It would break her heart if other dogs got snacks but she didn’t, so I decided to feed none of them snacks.

One night when I was cleaning the kitchen, La-la came to the door and started making sound. I asked him, “What are you doing?”

La-la answered, “I’m moaning.”

I asked why. He said, “Because I want to eat snacks. I’m hungry!”

I said, “No midnight snacks from now on. Lest you all get Diabetes.”

La-la said, “I’d rather have Diabetes than depression and starvation!”

…Was it that serious?

Apr 18, 2013

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]]> http://meetthepooches.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/orphans-of-the-storm-hound-dogs/ Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:42:59 +0000 Meet the Pooches http://meetthepooches.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/orphans-of-the-storm-hound-dogs/ Elvis clearly had not met any Hounds from Orphans of the Storm® when he first sang, “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog.” There ain’t nothin’ BETTER than the hound dogs available for adoption at the shelter!

Jasper the two-year-old Hound mix is a big boy, but a gentle soul. Jasper gets along with everybody, human and dog alike. When we were on our walk, he kept wanting to say hello to all of the other dogs who were outside with other people. He used to have a Beagle for a kennelmate who has since been adopted, and now Jasper is waiting for his turn to find a forever home.

Jasper following his nose

Jasper is a pretty good walking buddy, although being a Hound, he will follow his nose wherever it leads him. We went to all corners of the shelter’s outdoor area in search of a good scent. When he’s not hot on the trail, he’s convinced that he can fit in your lap, even though in reality he can only fit his front legs on top of yours. Is Jasper the hound dog for you?

Jasper, you aren’t supposed to blink!

I first took out Eever the five-year-old Hound mix almost exactly one year ago. What is this great guy still doing at the shelter? I will admit that he’s pretty strong, but only when he first gets out of his kennel and before he has the opportunity to run off his energy. A dog like Eever is bred to be out hunting in the woods for hours, so of course he needs his exercise!

Eever in action!

Eever is, I think, the first hound I’ve met who actually enjoys playing fetch. As soon as he got out of his kennel, he stuck his nose in a bush and produced a tennis ball. When we got to the off-leash run, he was thrilled to run around and chase after the ball. Once he had had enough of running, he plopped down and chewed on it. When it was time to go back inside, the poor pooch didn’t even want to give up his tennis ball. We had to exchange him for a treat! Eever would make a fun, lovable companion for a family who can keep up with his energy.

Eever chewing on his favorite tennis ball

Prowler the seven-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound mix is such a sweetheart. You will usually find him curled up on his bed when you walk through his wing inside the shelter, but he was plenty happy to get up and go for a walk when he saw me with a leash. Since he’s an older guy, he doesn’t need nearly as much exercise as Eever, but still appreciates a nice stroll.

Gentle Prowler

Prowler (who is listed as Pierce on the website, but they’re the same dog!) loves attention. He stood right next to me and enjoyed getting scratched on the back, ears, and especially neck! Prowler does that cute back-leg-kick when you’ve found the right spot to itch. This boy just wants a comfy spot in a nice home where he can enjoy the love and care he deserves. Is that home with you?

Look at Prowler’s sweet face!

And last but not least, Toby the two-year-old Labrador Retriever/Shepherd mix doesn’t fall into the Hound group, but he’s looking for his new forever home too! Toby has, I think, more energy than any of the other dogs I’ve walked, so he definitely needs an energetic home–preferably one with a nice, big yard where he can play. Like Eever, Toby loves to fetch, though he’s not nearly as particular about what toy he’s chasing after. If you throw something, Toby will retrieve it (as a Retriever mix should!).

Toby playing fetch

Toby‘s kennel is at the very end of the wing, and I sometimes think people don’t walk all the way down there. You should! If you don’t, you could accidentally miss finding the perfect pooch for you. (I think this may also be the case with Freckles and Buckeye, or Chopper.) Once Toby had run around for a while, he came and sat next to my feet while I sat on the bench and gave me a happy look that said, “Boy, this is fun!” Give Toby the chance to show you what a good boy he can be.

Toby taking a breather

I hope to see you on Monday at the Orphans of the Storm® Annual Benefit Dinner!

Shiloh Morrison – Add Better Things 170413

Every night since we brought him home as a puppy my hubby has gotten down on the floor with Boomer and wrestled, played fetch and given tummy rubs.  And, if he doesn’t get down there fast enough Boomer will bring his food bowl and shoes from our closets and drop them at his feet to tell him it’s playtime.