Friday, September 25, 2009

More Videos!

Quest Videos

Quest is a little Weimaraner puppy that I am babysitting. He is looking for a home! He is a smart little fella and needs a home that will work his mind as well as his body. He would love to do agility!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Happy Anniversary Sam!

Sam the deaf aussie has come a long way since the day he made the journey from California to BC! Here he was (with his friends Jake and Darcy, also adopted to great people!) on the day we left NorCal aussie rescue (they do great work, if you ever have a chance to refer someone in California to a great rescue this is the place!). We brought home three dogs that day. I had intended on only bringing two, but Kim thought Sam should come up with us for a chance at a new life in a place where aussies are not as common (there are aussies EVERYWHERE in California!!! They are like labs here in BC). I was only too happy to say yes, since I pretty much do not have the ability to say no when it comes to dogs needing homes.



And here he is today! This is the letter he sent:

Mom,

It's my one year anniversary in Calgary today; they have decided to keep me and get rid of the children. I am dependable and polite and always pleasant.....they are not. I win.

Sam the Dog

And from Sam's new Dad:

Sam is truly a wonderful boy; God may not have given him hearing, but he added a lot of extra personality and sweetness which makes him everybody's friend. We feel blessed to have him.

It doesn't get any better than that for me. To have a dog go from being an unwanted dog to one that is loved and cherished as part of a family makes everything worthwhile. A lot of people ask me why I do it. "Isn't that a lot of work? Isn't that a lot of poop to pick up? Don't you get tired of all the dirt and dog hair and accidents? Don't they drive you nuts? How do you train them all? What happens if they don't get adopted?." The answer is yes to all; yup, they drive me nuts, yup I get tired of the constant cleaning and not having a life outside of work and dogs sometimes. BUT, how could I ever turn my back and say no to a dog that just needs a little time and TLC to become the best friend of someone like Sam's family? I think so long as I have the ability to do the work, that is what I need to do. It's true that it is coming to an end (for now); I sure do hope there are others out there that will help pick up where I have left off and give these wonderful dogs a chance. And a big thank you to all of my wonderful friends who have helped me along this journey of saving dogs. Thank you for letting me bring strange dogs into your homes, allowing potential adopters to come and see dogs at your homes when I'm travelling all over the place, for your financial support and for your support of me and my efforts in general. I am truly blessed.




Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Here is a litle video of Phoebe shaping to get onto the balance disc. I'm cheating a little with a wee bit of luring but c'est la vie! Whatever works. Notice she is on leash, she still needs to have a leash on when we are doing stuff or she will run away. She has difficulty focusing and starts panicking over every little noise and has to go and check it out. (And forgets what we were doing in the meantime). I have also gone to using the generic box clicker instead of the iClick with her. The generic clicker has a louder sound, which still makes her spook a bit (but not so much she runs off).

Monday, September 14, 2009

Sleepovers!

Gibbs has gone to a foster to adopt home this past weekend. I couldn't be more pleased, be a good boy Gibbs!
And Nula has gone on a sleepover!
Wow, the house feels empty with two dogs gone all at once, I think I am in withdrawl. Hard to believe that is possible with ten dogs still here but there you have it! Cai is very happy now that Gibbs has gone, he can go back to being the big boy of the house. (Marty is really the big boy, but don't tell Cai, he thinks he's pretty tough). Luckily Quest the weimaraner puppy is keeping me busy so I haven't ventured to the shelter...... :)

And now for Phoebe. She is still looking for just the right placement. A home with another dog or two, and people who will enjoy her for who she is.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Gibbs in the kitchen

Here is a (very) short video of Gibbs in the kitchen showing off his "sit" and the thumbs up signal for "good boy!"