Maya

June 18th, with my current house guest, I made an 8 hour round trip drive to get a dog. Said guest was quite the sport, even tho Maya is "just a dog" (her words, not mine).

Maya is another cattle dog, from Blue Ridge, GA, near the TN border. I am fostering her through Australian Cattle Dog Rescue Association. Tuesday we had an appointment to confirm the suspicions of her being pregnant.

In the week since she came here, maya has proved to be a sweet dog, house broken, happy to see you, an attention lover, and a gem in the car. Anyone would be lucky to have her.

Which makes me wonder why anyone would dump her. Theory is probably because she turned up pregnant. 6 weeks is about the time fit females start to show, and the pups are palpable.

Today, June 25, was her appointment for a radiograph for a head count. 7 to 8 is the verdict. I have made the floor of my step in master closet her whelping box, she seems to approve of it. Nothing else to do now but wait on her.

Caturday Night Special.

We have a new foster in the house, she came with a few surprises, like giant ticks, lots of little scabs, fly strike, and others. I'm working on a post about her story for later next week. But for now I give you Shiva on my favorite new anchor sheets.

Inaugural Caturday Post.

Yes, we here at The Colbert Report were adopted by a cat.

No really, she came up on the front porch like she owned the place Easter weekend. Referred to as Jolene for a few days, she earned her name of Shiva (the destroyer, in Hindu teachings), quickly.

She is fearless when it comes to the dogs. And readily makes biscuits on your lap as soon as you sit down to do something. You know, in true cat fashion.

Completely black and all of 7 pounds, the vet guesses she's about 10 months old, give or take. Fitting for a cat to be a Virgo don't you think?

Wordless Wednesday. May 30, 2012

Do not give up hope.

I realize that it has been a while.

We are all settled in our new house. The furniture is arranged, the art is on the walls, and a schedule has been developed.

For those not in the know, the sailor is at a separate duty station for a short while due to the navy, we are mucking through. I live alone with five dogs in a town where I know practically no one. There have been 3 visits tween the 7 of us since he left in January. Two when he came to us, and one when I drove with the whole crew up to him in VA, I will be making this trip again in a few days. Hopefully without a repeat of the same events.

We had left them with D's roommate, who also happened to be our dog sitter in SC, while we went on a day date to the aquarium. For whatever single or collection of reasons: cat, squirrel, jet plane, thunder, loud neighbors, something, Buela bolted.

If any of them were to have run off and gotten lost, Buela would have been my last pick.

After 2 nights away from home we got a break while from one of the fliers his roommate had put up for us. She'd been hanging out at an apartment complex across the highway. After a few sightings, traipsing through peoples back yards, running, yelling "Buela" at the top of our lungs, we gave it a rest in the heat of the day. When D got home from work, the three of us went out again, walking slowly through the area she had last been seen, jangling my keys, and hoping. First his roommate saw her coming up through some brush, not running at full tilt like she had been all morning, but she went the opposite direction. Towards the same road D and I had started walking down, she emerged at a half trot from behind a greenhouse, and because she wasn't in full flight mode, she actually looked at and registered us.

Probably the happiest moment of my life.

  Buela being held tightly by her Papa, walking along the line of green houses back to the truck.

Below is an article I wrote for Australian Cattle Dog Rescue Association's June newsletter. It has tips and information on what to do when you lose your dog. Once it is posted to ACDRA.org, I will post a direct link to it.

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Help! I’ve lost my dog!

That was my nightmare last month while on vacation 600 miles from home visiting my husband at his current naval duty station.

Fortunately for us, we found her, but not after a weekend of tears, worry, and searching in the rain.

I received lots of help from the rescue community, for which I will always be grateful. My pay back is sharing with you the numerous tips that were given to me as to how best find your lost pup.

First, not so happy part, know that your dog will be scared and confused. However, be rest assured that most dogs are found within a 2 mile radius of where they were lost.

The most important thing is to not panic. Canvas the area where your dog was last seen with posters. List your phone number, email address, if there is a reward, your dog’s name, and most importantly for these velcro dogs, “Do Not Chase”. Make sure you have a good photo of your dog from the front and at least one side, preferably both, Also list if your dog has markings that will make them stand out. From an ACD point of view, because not many know of the breed you may have to generalize. My own Buela became a small black and tan dog with a tan face. As you can see from the photo that isn’t exactly it, but often people do not notice, or sadly, even care, until they know the dog is being looked for. Another saving grace was mentioning the dog from ”Mad Max” series, as cheesy as it sounds, it definitely gave people an idea of what kind of dog we were looking for.

While you are posting signs, talk to everyone you see, especially local businesses, schools, apartment complexes, mail carriers, and delivery services, these are the people who are in the area every day and would even hopefully notice a dog that doesn’t belong. Our big break came when we went into a leasing office for an apartment complex to let the agents and groundskeeper know she was missing. They had seen her twice that day.

Mornings and evenings will most likely be the time for the most activity of your pet, and your best chance to find them, especially in the heat of summer. If your pet will recognize your vehicle, park it near where they were last seen, leave a door open if you think they will hop in, and leave an article of clothing or blanket near the vehicle. Anything that will have the ‘family scent’ on it. We used the blanket that we cover the seat with. Walk the area carefully, your pet may be holed up somewhere where they can see you, but you cannot see them. If available, bring something unique with you that they will recognize the sound of, we used my car keys due the particular sound the dog tags on them make. Items like squeaky balls are not specific, and may even cause more anxiety. If you have another dog your missing dog is bonded to, bring them along for the walk. If it comes to it contact your local Animal Control to see if they loan out Havahart style traps large enough for your pet. Bait it with more of your dirty laundry, dirty carries more of your scent than clean, and food. I know of several people who have camped overnight in sighting hot spots, I would have too if we hadn’t finally found her.

 If you see your dog, and they do not immediately come to you, do not, as much as you may want to, be upset. We saw Buela several times before we actually got her to come to us. She was in full on flight mode, at one point she looked right at me and didn’t even slow down. It hurt, a lot. The point is, to try to keep the tone of your voice happy and upbeat, your dog will know your cadence and tones. If you are upset and calling their name, it’s less likely they will come to you, thinking they are in trouble.

When not out physically looking for your dog, alert the local Animal Control Officers (ACO), and check the intake kennels at the local shelter. If your pet has one, have their microchip flagged, even if your contract has expired, you can often renew it for a nominal fee. Buela is chipped with Home Again, they marked her as missing and then sent notices to all participating veterinary offices, I did nothing but call in with her chip number and my information.

Do not forget to use the many resources on the internet to find them. Post your pet to Craigslist in both the Lost & Found and Pets section. Check facebook for a Lost and Found dogs page, many states have them, as well as area ASPCA’s and county shelters. Also use area rescues, kennel clubs, and fancier groups to network your pet. There are also services such as Pet Amber Alert, Lost My Pooch, Lost and Found Pets America and several others.

Finally, do not give up hope.

--

W

Birthdays & Moving

Nov 27th, Buela turned 5.













Dec 3rd, Colbert also turned 5.














Both days were uneventful, fetch, sun puddle recharges, couch naps, new raw hides and toys, dinner, and cuddles.

Dec 21st, their whole world in NH gets packed up and loaded onto a truck headed to GA.

Needless to say things are about to get a bit crazy here, all five of them already know it, especially since D packed up and left for two weeks of training in VA yesterday morning.

Fun times ahead though!

I shall leave you with Colbert checking out the couch after my friends V and M left last night.

Veteran's Day.

April, 2009.



Oreo came to Carolina ACD Rescue and Rebound from a home headed out of the country at the ripe “old” age of eight. Amazingly, he knew nothing about manners, whether be they basic commands, acceptable behavior, or walking on a leash. As his new foster home I was surprised he knew his name. He had spent quite a bit of time kenneled before we heard about him, and as with most cattle dogs, kenneling was not a prime solution for him, yes, it was better than a gas chamber, but he suffered. His allergies, coupled with anxiety, had caused him to lick most of the fur off his fore limbs by his elbow, his feet were saliva stained from his licking, and his ears were hairless from his constant rubbing of them due to the raging yeast infection he had in both.
He was not a happy camper.
We signed on to foster him and another CACDR&R alum that was in a boarding situation, Melissa decided that Oreo was the best fit as she was sure we could handle his large size, strength, and lack of discipline. In his time at the kennel, Melissa thankfully found out he is highly food motivated and taught the old codger “sit”. He came to our house in March of 2009, Oreo was now nine.
The summer came and went, as did Oreo’s tenth birthday, and Donovan’s reenlistment with the US Navy. We were set to move and no other foster home was available, we looked at Oreo and how well he fit with the our existing pack of four and signed the papers to officially become those” dog people”. It was Veteran’s Day, 2009.
It will be two years since Oreo officially became ours, his ears are gorgeous and the fur has grown in with matching white tufts of fur inside, we call them his old man hairs. His allergies are well under control, only acting up when spring pollen is rampant. He has learned several basic commands, leash manners, and impulse control (ok, we are working on this still). We have discovered that he has arthritis in lower back, and hypothyroid issues, but despite all this, our vet has declared him one of the best looking, and healthiest 12 year olds in his practice.
While Oreo can be cranky when being asked to do something he doesn’t want to do, like give up his spot on the bed to the humans, he is a lover. He will give up his belly for a good rubbing anytime, anywhere, even in the middle of a pet store or the vet’s office. Ear, head, and butt scratches are his favorite, and he is the only one of my five dogs that will take a treat from my mouth, this is also the only time he will take any treat without living up to his name of snapdragon. In typical cattle dog fashion, he needs to be near or touching you, at this very moment he is being an excellent foot warmer here in chilly New Hampshire.
PS: We will be moving back down south at the end of the month to Georgia, much to the delight of many of our CACDR&R “family” members.











August, 2011.

Wordless Wednesday.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned from my Dog

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Take naps and stretch before rising.



Run, romp, and play daily.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.



If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Thrive on affection and let people touch you - enjoy back rubs and pats on your neck.

When you leave your yard, make it an adventure.



Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout - run right back and make friends.

Bond with your pack.

On cold nights, curl up in front of a crackling fire.



When you're excited, speak up.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Four years.

Four years ago we were living in South Carolina, a happy little family of 5. We had gone to a local shelter to apply for one of several pit bull puppies, wanting to raise one the right way, to have a loving, joyful terrier join our happy little clan. There were MANY people applying for the 5 pups available, while waiting we went around and had a looksie at the other animals available.

This is when I came to realize just how much of a softie my husband really is.

Outside in the back was a seemingly empty pen, however, if you looked hard enough you could see there was a dog inside the dog house. D went in to see if he could coax the dog out with a biscuit. With no attention from the dog at all, he crept closer, even reached in to pet him, only to realize there were two dogs. They were pressed to tightly together one couldn't tell where one started and the other ended, the only clue was that there were far too many feet. When he touched their little bodies the already stiff puppies stiffened even more. These were not your average 7 month old puppies.

They, and their 3 siblings, had been dubbed the "Africa Puppies" and all named after countries of the continent: Sudan, Kenya, Chad, Zambia, and one other that had been fostered immediately, Ruphus.

We went home discussing names for the pit puppy, rattling off random names and words to each other, mainly place names out west like Zion and Sutter. Nearly home on that 45 minute drive I shouted out "Colbert!", we looked at each other and knew we had a winner.

Despite not being selected for the pit pup, Zambia and his siblings had struck a chord with D. So began the campaign to let us foster one of them. After training seminars at the rescue we were permitted the chance to foster one, Zambia.

Four years ago today D brought home an 8 month old scared, stressed out, feral little fluff ball of a dog named Zambia. 5 months later this puppy, now called Colbert, would be adopted as my Valentine's present. <3