Pet Appreciation Day - Bangor

Ella, Robbie and I drove up to Bangor today in order to share a booth with Maine Aussie Rescue at the Bangor Humane Society's Pet Appreciation Day. Leigh from Aussie Rescue met us there.

We met a lot of people and a lot of dogs. The biggest dog we met was a Great Dane and the smallest was a Min-Pin. There were pure bred dogs and mixed breeds. All seemed happy to be out and about with their people and happy that the day wasn't blisteringly hot.

I was privileged enough to have a 30 second spot on the radio promoting Aussie Rescue. I hope we get some website hits from that! Ella stood beside me for moral support. She was a bit nervous of the large, loud speakers, though, and wanted us to hightail it back to the booth when we were finished.

All in all, it was a fun day!

*Rocky the rescue sheltie is still loose.

Rocky is Still Loose

Well, Rocky is still running loose and avoiding people and bait. His owner is helping out and let's hope that works!

Strawberries!

Last night, I made Strawberry Bread from the cookbook Simply in Season.

My strawberries were a little too ripe for my taste, so I decided to use them in the bread. Oh, yum! Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or whenever! Easy and quick. Since I am not yet a patient cook, I tend to make my quick breads using small loaf pans rather than one large one (so they cook in the middle). This recipe is enough to fill 3 small loaf pans (bake for 45 minutes instead of an hour).

Oh, by the way, the shelties love strawberries!

Rescue Woes

So, Holly, Eileen and I visited the shelter yesterday (again) and they were very nice - I was quite impressed with what they do for their animals. And, they agreed that if the two seniors didn't get adopted in a few weeks, they would allow us to take them.

On another note, our newest rescue slipped his leash and is on the run. We have contacted the animal control officer and hopefully, he will be caught safe and sound. Keep him in your thoughts.

Quiet Time 1

By the end of the day, I am pooped and ready to relax. Everyone has been fed and exercised. Sometimes, I have done all the chores on my list. And, I like to relax by reading or watching a movie.

Now, those of you with shelties know that this can be difficult sometimes - like when a car horn is honked on screen! For the next few minutes, you either have to pause the movie or hope that no important dialogue was said. Sometimes, if you are just reading or meditating, the sudden barking can be quite startling.

So, I keep a whole bunch of food stuffed toys in my freezer for just such an occasion. With 4 dogs of my own and a foster, I have to be creative in order to keep their attention on the toy. Here are the ones I use:

• Kong
• Squirrel Dude
• Bouncy Bone
• Fire Hydrants

I also have a supply of doggie wishbones, bully sticks, sun dried pressed rawhide and deer antlers for them to chew on. But, when I want some really quiet time, they get frozen stuffed toys.

Here is one of their favorite recipes: Mix yogurt and kibble. Stuff into Kong and top with a biscuit. Place in freezer for at least 1 hour. Enjoy (they enjoy the toy: you enjoy the quiet).

Maggie is my fastest eater and chewer. This recipe lasts about 15-20 minutes for her. Since she is the quietest of the dogs, that isn't a problem. For Robbie and Ella, the slowest eaters and chewers, this lasts much longer - about 30 minutes.

Ah! 30 minutes of peace and quiet!

Rescue Outreach

Today, Holly, Eileen and I visited a humane society which has two senior shelties available for adoption. Whenever possible, we try to visit shelters and introduce ourselves. Our goal is to get the sheltie out of a shelter environment and into a foster home, where they can relax and be themselves.

Sometimes, the shelter is very happy to see and meet us and willingly gives the dog to rescue. They realize that shelties do much better in a quiet place, since they can be noise reactive. Foster homes are where they get the care, understanding and attention they deserve and often need. [Imagine Lauren in a shelter!] And, by getting the dog into rescue, it frees up much needed space for another pup.

Sometimes, the shelter flatly rejects the idea of working with a rescue. There are many legitimate reasons for this:

• Fear that the rescuers are actually hoarders
• A feeling of responsibility towards the dog
• The need for the easy adoption fee a purebred dog often brings in
• Not understanding the role of rescue in the shelter environment

At this point, I am not sure what type of shelter this will be. We didn't get a chance to talk to the director. However, we will be sure to impress upon her that even if she feels uncomfortable turning the dogs over to rescue, we want to help out by sending interested adopters her way. This isn't the best choice for the dog, IMHO, but we will do whatever it takes to build trust and a working relationship. And, THAT is what will be best for the dogs in the long run.

Lauren: Foster Dog #3

Way back when it was cold and dreary here in Maine, Long Island Shetland Sheepdog Rescue asked us if we could take one of their fosters. Since they were a huge help with placing my foster dog #2 (Maverick) and we like to help out whenever we can, Lauren came up to us.

She had originally been owned by a hoarder and rescued by LISSR and then adopted, along with her shy brother, Ralph, to a sweet lady.

The only problem with adopting two shy dogs at once is that it is very difficult to devote the time needed to both dogs in order to bring them out of their shyness. A lot of desensitization and counter conditioning using food treats is necessary and is a daunting task with two. Reluctantly, she gave Lauren back to LISSR.

At first, Lauren spent most of her time under my bed. She was afraid of everything! Even going outside was too much for her at first. We practiced quite a bit with just walking out the door. She will now go to the bathroom outside, which sometimes seems like a miracle!

Next week, Lauren goes to her forever home. There, she will be doted upon by a retired couple and wake up every morning to a beautiful lake view. I know that she will be very happy there. In some ways, I will miss her very much. But, I know that she will be going to a home even better than mine and, since the next foster dog is soon to appear, I bet I won't miss her for long.

Robbie

And, the smallest and youngest (but, somehow, mightiest) of the pack - Robbie Rooster!

I managed to adopt Robbie within the same 2 weeks as Bear. Not great planning on my part, since any new animal causes stress to the existing animals and my other dogs (and cats) were not yet used to Bear. But, this little guy was so special, I couldn't pass him up (and, as my friend Holly says - you can't have just one sheltie!! or two! or three!).

Robbie was hit by a car and found in a ditch. The people who rescued him paid a substantial amount of money in order to save his back leg. [They then allowed me to adopt him for a very insubstantial amount]. He will always have a limp, though, since this little guy lost the ball portion of his left hip. The limp doesn't stop him, though, and he zoom zooms through every day.

Luckily for Robbie, he came to live with us - he expresses his emotions through a constant (and varying) range of yips and barks. And, while this barking drives everyone else nuts, I able able to ignore it. As he ages and by ignoring him when he barks and rewarding him when he doesn't, we have actually reduced his barking to alarm barking and play barking. Quite an accomplishment for this little guy.

Bear

Bear is the third addition to the pack. Sheltie Rescue was contacted by a breeder who had a double merle sheltie and wanted to find a home for him. We usually don't take dogs from breeders! BUT, I wanted to go up and see her and her dogs.

Double merles can easily be prevented. Just don't breed two merled shelties together (Ella is a blue merle). However, many uneducated (and unethical) breeders will breed two merles. Some are doing it to try to get a white/albino sheltie. Others just don't understand that in a merle-merle breeding, 25% of the puppies will be deaf, blind or both. So, if a breeder wants to breed merles together, they must be prepared to deal with the "defective" puppies. Some euthanize them. Some find them pet homes.

So, my friend Paula and I drove up to look at Bear. I pretty much knew before I left for the breeder's house that, if Bear came home with me, he would be here to stay, since he is deaf, really crosseyed and hadn't been well socialized.

Let's not talk about what we saw, eh?

Once we got Bear home, he settled in nicely. In fact, he is my constant shadow. And, you can barely tell he is deaf - that is, until you try to get his attention when he isn't looking at you!

Maggie

A few months after getting Ella, I decided that she needed a playmate. I was looking for another sheltie or a Pomeranian as a companion for her. I answered an ad on PetFinder for a male pom. His owner told me that he would not do well with another dog, but she had a female mix breed available for adoption. Would I like her?

Well, Ella, Mum and I drove to Mass. to see Maggie. She is a very pretty girl and we decided to take her. I really have no idea what type of dog Maggie is - maybe an Australian Cattle Dog mix? It doesn't really matter, though.

Maggie is the real leader of the bunch. She can put a foster dog in its place with just a look. And, she also makes sure that everyone gets the proper amount of exercise - by chasing them!

Maggie is a real people dog who loves everyone. Sometimes, that can be a problem, since she like to "go visiting" and will jump a fence to do so. But, all in all, I wouldn't trade Maggie for anything!

Maggie May

Was a Stray

I Love my Maggie May-ah!

Ella Minnow Pea*

Ella is my first sheltie. Soon after I moved into this house, I found a good breeder and bought Ella. She was a tiny little thing, even though she was 14 weeks old! And, she soon taught me a lot about owning shelties - they are smart, fun and loyal.

Ella is now almost 2 and she helps me every day. She is the alarm clock that wakes everyone up in the morning. She lets me know that I am not preparing her meals fast enough. She tells me when vehicles are driving by on the road outside. And, she helps keep all the others dogs (and cats) in line. She happily welcomes each new foster sheltie and teaches them begging manners and how to play.

Ella also accompanies me to most rescue events. She is definitely a princess who loves to show off how pretty and intelligent the sheltie breed is. And, she is the one who really determines if an adopter is a suitable sheltie owner.

I really don't know what would do without my Ella Bella.

*Thank you, Mark Dunn, for the lovely name for my dog. Your great book inspired me!