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

Colbert at the vets.

Normally when taking my youngest to the vets it results in an anxiety attack, heavy panting, whining, peeing, and eventually, the backwards sneeze; which involves putting your hand over his nose and forcing him to breathe through his mouth.

Took Colbert Wednesday for a routine physical at the new vet. Something he hasn't had for a while seeing as going to the vet's office was so stressful for him. We would sit outside on the bench or let him run on the grass and get called in, get whatever was needed and put him straight into the car.

Figured since it was new vet with no imprinted memories for him, such as waking up in a strange kennel when he was neutered, we might as well go for the full treatment.

Seeing as they didn't give Oreo his Lyme vaccine when I took him in a few weeks ago I brought him along too.

For new patients the vet asks for fecal samples. With an 11 AM appointment I figured they would have to pop a squat at some point in the morning. Negative. So we go to the vet sample-less, while I am checking in with the girl I look at them and BOTH are in the squat of shame in the middle of the waiting room, and both with the biggest happy faces ever. Ugh. Least the Dr knew it was a fresh sample.

Off to the exam room, Oreo has learned that if he gets on the scale and sits he gets a treat. Yeah, we did that routine a few dozen times.

They had to put the table up for Shorty McGee, the hydraulics interested him, but didn't freak him out. He did well with the shots, blood draw, and exam. Because his fur and body are so thick, and he was panting like a freight train, it was hard to hear his heart but Colbert is in great health.

His premature whitening is normal. As is his "Fly Snapping" and licking, both signs of OCD. We can put him on the veterinary equivalent of Valium if we wanted to but D and I aren't going to go that way. Mainly because it isn't incessant and the added stress of getting him to take a pill everyday would probably counter the effects of the drugs.

So in the end our little boy is healthy, as normal as he can be, and built like a brick shit house. (Yes, I know I just got that song stuck in your head!)

2 years ago today...

We officially adopted Colbert to stay with us in his forever home. He still has his quirks, but the nightly yodeling sessions and occasion 'meows' make it all worth it.

3 years ago we brought home Buela as well...so yes, 2 years in a row I got puppies for Valentines. Last year I got a washing machine.

Home in NH.

I love him too.

We have been in NH for nearly two months now. Everyone has settled in and has lost weight from hopping through snow banks. D is 55% of the way through sub school in CT which will make the dogs happier because he will be home during the week instead of 48 hour stints. (D will be happier to be home as well ;])

So what has happened in the last 3 months you ask?

We officially adopted our 10 year old foster, Oreo, on veterans day, fitting since he used to be an USAF dog and is now a USN dog. We have taken to calling him Grandpa, he grumbles like a grandpa, snores like one, and occasionally smells like one, especially when you play "pull my paw" with him. His foreleg has finally healed from the constant anxiety licking, we are just waiting for fur to grow back, and yes, where his fur is black, so is his skin.


This is my couch; damn kids.

Our drive from SC to NH was 'fun' to say the least. Previous snow storms and the upcoming holiday (we started out Dec 22nd) bogged up traffic. We hit lunch traffic in Philly trying to stop and see one of our esteemed rescue contacts Liz Hathaway.


Colbert and Buela in Lizzie's backyard.

In NJ there was an accident so bad that staties made traffic exit in the middle of nowhere causing us to take Rt 1 across...making what was usually a 2 hour drive into 4. Rush hour on the Geo. Washington Bridge in NYC caused me to add facebook to my phone. We finally made it into town around 1 am, and of course I was going by memory and not looking at signs, which was a bad idea seeing as they had flipped the exit around a few weeks before we showed up, a U-Turn with a stretched F150 hauling a trailer is not fun, nor easy. Needless to say the dogs do not look forward to car rides lately ;).

Digging in snow banks and sniffing under the porch are favorite pass times of Buela. Corona likes to blend in with and tromp around through the thickets. Max likes to catch snow balls. Oreo is in sniffer heaven, and since there isn't a fence he as learned the command "Too Far" I am sure the neighbors have too. Poor little Colbert doesn't want to leave the porch at night because of his light phobia.


Buela after digging to China in the snow.


Max catching sight of something small and prey worthy, I love the color of his coat in the sunset.


Mr Handsome, Jr after his bath at K9 Kaos in Dover, NH.

Everyone who comes over tells us how great and well behaved they all are. Everyone wants to steal Corona and or Max. They also want to see Colbert and win him over, I tell them that Colbert doesn't even come to me someday's but they persist. It is good for him.

The girls went to the vets the other day for boosters and general physicals. All their tests came back perfectly normal, despite Roni needing to shed a few pounds and having a faint heart murmur. The Dr said that she has probably had it her entire life, just no one had caught it.


Her favorite place to be, snuggled in bed on my pillow.

D is on his way home for his weekend leave and will be here at 3:30pm EST. Everyone will be so excited, even me. ;)

Ruphus.

Ruphus is Colbert's litter brother. Donovan found his adoptive owner (mom) on facebook. She had photos of all five of the Corgi pups when they were first brought to the shelter.



Kenya, Sudan behind her, Colbert, Chad, and Ruphus.




Colbert and Ruphus.




Ruhphus and mom Kristyn.




Doing the Colbert crawl/stretch




Handsome little stud.

Many thanks go to Kristyn for posting these to facebook, and adopting Ruphus. We have had a few messages back and forth and they both have some of the same quirks, sleeping under blankets, fears of thunder storms, and initial dislike of car rides.

FAQ's and Updates

Who is Colbert?

Colbert is our first and failed foster. He was feral and abused. He is still afraid of many things, lights at nights, strangers, and sirens freak him out a little bit.

He sings to us, and we sing back.

He sleeps on his side and his leg falls asleep.

We tell him he has furry hobbit feet and that he is getting a lion cut this summer if he keeps (whatever it is he is doing) up. (he's not going to get one...we promise)

The first few months we had him he lived in his own room by himself holed up in a dogloo not wanting anything to do with us, regardless of what we had to offer, and we tried everything from rawhides to dog food and treats including chicken, beef, and bacon.

He still doesn't come up to us unless we are lying down on the couch or in bed, and even then you'd better not make any sudden movements.

He LOVES butt scratches, even better if you rub his whole body with your foot (feet cannot grab like hands can, or they smell better?).

He emits what I call the Colbert funk when you pick him up. What's up with that?

He prefers my husband over me.

And yes, he is named after Stephen T Colbert.

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The Ruby trip over Memorial Weekend went smoothly, only spent 2 hours sitting in Baltimore. Spent the night at Lizzie's house, met her awesome kids and super laid back cattle dogs (they make Buela look like she's mainlining Red Bull) then off to Concord and a few day at home with the family for my mom's 65th birthday.

You can find the Ruby Trip thread at AuCaDo...
http://www.aucado.us/forums/showthread.php?t=18022

Her rescue thread is here:
http://www.aucado.us/forums/showthread.php?t=16884

You may need to sign up for a membership to view the threads, but if you are into rescue and the like there is a great setup for cattle dog rescue and they do do cross posting for other breeds if needed as well.

My view in the rear view mirror:


Finally passed out:


A happy little one eyed Ruby:

Back on the grid. (Picture alert!)

So we were without a pc for a little over a week due to a pooped out memory card. And here we are again with some new pictures and adventures.

A lazy Sunday afternoon after yard work and the park:




As promised here is the elusive Colbert on film being a goof:











"Curses! Foiled again!"



Took Oreo to the vets today as his ears are still gunked up. Again we had the wonderful Dr. Jones (who treated Dixie for her heart worm), Oreo was given an allergy shot and had a sample of his gunk taken to be looked at. His sample contained both yeastie beasties and some bacteria. So we have a new round of drops and a follow up in two weeks.

"I hear them talking bout me behind that door"



"What is it with you and that infernal camera? On your cell phone too?!"



"I bumped the door with my butt and there was a noise, I must now check out that noise!"



In all he was the happiest dog I have ever taken to the vet. Lots of new smells, people, and dogs. And yes, he is definitely a puller when he sees something he wants.

Overall, he's a very healthy & handsome old man.



So, want to adopt a tall dark and handsome cattle dog mix for your home?

Why we foster...

Or rather, why we started.

We as many know, are Cesar people, this meaning that we using the methodology of Cesar Milan when it comes to training dogs. And for those that don't like him, well sorry, but it works for us. And when it comes to training, there is a vast difference tween a full out alpha roll and making your dog go into a "sit, down" until it calms a little. And only retards actually full out kicks their dogs. It's called a tap for a reason, just enough to get attention, either on you or off whatever your dog is staring at.

With that said, Cesar's mission is to rehabilitate dogs that no one wants; abused, fearful, aggressive, unsocialized, feral, you name it he takes them and "fixes" both the dogs and their respective owners bad behaviors.

That was our inspiration. That and Colbert himself.

We had gone to Pet Helpers to fill out papers to adopt a male pit puppy. We of course also checked out all the other dogs at the shelter, knowing that they, despite the shelters staff and volunteers, probably didn't get all the human attention/affection they deserved and needed to be properly socialized. In the very last kennel was a seemingly empty yard and a dogloo. Squeezed tightly up against the inside of this dogloo were two scared puppies. One was Zambia, soon to become Colbert, and the other was his brother Sudan.

On the drive home we talked about names for the pit puppy should we get him. We tossed around geographical names from the West Coast; Zion, Canyon, Sutter. Nearly home, I suddenly yelled out "Colbert". Donovan smirked, and I knew it was good.

We didn't get the pit pup, but that woeful corgi pup named Zambia had definitely struck a cord with my softie husband. Feral, abused, having to fight for food from his brother, he was determined to recuperate him. After applying and going through the shelters fostering workshop, and some careful debate skills on convincing the head of fosters that we could do it regardless of the fact that we did not have a fenced yard, D came home with a 14 pound 5 month old puppy.

The rest is chronicled here. I guess that the simple explanation, but definitely how it happened.

Things Colbert is still afraid of or stressed out by:

Any moving lights, particularly at night. This includes but is not limited to: Laserpens or pointers; flashlights; headlights reflecting on the walls; camera flashes

The sound of my digital camera turning on, presumably because he knows that a flash will result.

New people in the house.

The vet's office, it could be just the smell or sounds, we do not know. None of our other three have any issues with the vet's whatsoever.

Not having a place to hide.

Sleeping uncovered.

Being held.

Sirens, he starts howling with them and heads for cover.

When we go after him to put a leash on him at walk time.

Me.

A year in review: it's a biggie.

It seems like 2008 has flown by, course, they also say that the older you get in years, the faster time goes because it becomes a smaller percentage of your lifetime.

I've decided to post a retrospect.



October of 07 we took Colbert in as our first foster. He also became our first failed foster, or FF as it is known on some forums I am on, in February of 08. I quickly thereafter spent 3 days on the couch with the flu from hell. But Corona was happy that she got unlimited cuddle time.



Around St. Patrick's day, there was a stray kitten who came right on up to me as soon as I called him. I named him Dean Martin, gave him a bath, put up fliers, brushed him out and removed the matts on his head. Poor guy looked like he'd been knocked around a few times. No one in the area claimed him, so I posted his cute little face on Craigslist and someone from Walterboro came and picked him up.



After months of the shelter stalling on getting Kenya's eye surgery done,we offered to foster her in March so that she would have a clean house in which to convalesce. She also snuck up on D and got out of the house. She was eating from a bowl on the back patio each night until D corralled her in the corner of the yard. That was for my birthday in April.



The first of May Donovan and I made like little kids and ran off to the court house to get married. We then took the pups to the dog park and let them run til their tongues hung out.

Also in May, one of Colbert's brothers, Sudan, who had been adopted out, got away from his owner and consequently run over by a car. Makes me want to stress how important having a harness on flight risk dogs is.

In June we returned Kenya to the shelter for her to be adopted out. Colbert went with Donovan to drop her off. Colbert apparently still has memories of being there because he immediately looked for a place to hide and curled into an inconsolable ball.



Also in June/July we had two surprise fosters. One was Bindi, a cattle dog that we held for two weeks through Blue Crush Rescue. Bindi now has a forever home in Illinois, but is having some behavioral issues with resource guarding, they are trying to work it out.



The other was Barnaby, who I had thought was the neighbors dog loose again, but was a stray that no one wanted to claim. Big, gangly, and goofy, we kept him for the weekend and then had to call animal control.



We had a few weeks off until Donovan saw Dixie's story on AuCaDo in August. Heart worm positive and turned into a shelter. We offered to foster her and get her through her medicine. She turned out to be highly submissive to humans, to the point of peeing. A huge cuddle bug, if you needed a bed warmer, Dixie was your gal.

In November I picked up yet another gray cat in the back yard. This one was named Jack and had a number on him and everything. I called the number, because the tag said "please call". Jack's owner told me he was an outside cat and that I could just let him go and it would be fine. I promptly told her that the people that live in this subdivision drive like idiots with no concern for people, never mind a gray cat at night. I also told her that his eye was weeping and his ear cauliflowered. She was not amused. She even called back the next day, after I released him, to see if we kept him because he hadn't come home yet.

Yesterday we returned Dixie to Blue Crush. She has some fear aggression, and didn't want to leave D. She looked back twice possible three times, I am sure she whined for him too. They are getting her a behaviorist to help her through her timidness so that she can find a home too.



An update on Colbert:
When we started fostering him he was 8 months old and 14 lbs. He is now 25 months and 22 lbs. His face is slowly turning white in the most distinguished old dog way, even though he isn't one. He sings and talks to us. He loves fetch with his red kong and still makes forts of pillows and blankets under which to sleep, which you can see above, that is him this afternoon with my lap blanket. He even has special pillows just for him because I am a softie. He has started to lay out in the middle of the living room, where he can see everyone, but still relaxed and hanging out with us. He will occasionally hop up onto the ottoman, where he knows we'd have to move to grab him, but close enough to get a beloved butt scratch. Still no cuddle time. He will get on the opposite couch and smell everything and lay down with a treat. But that is about it. Oh and he lets me play with him and his kong, but we'd have to be laying down or sitting on the floor. But as always, he is my handsome little boy.

Something I had forgotten...

This is a post I had made at AuCaDo on May 23rd, and somehow it did not get mentioned here of all places...

For Sudan:

Sudan, Nov 06 - May 08

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As many of you know we have Colbert who is our adopted foster, and we have Kenya who is his littermate and our current foster. There were 5 puppies in the litter, Kenya, Chad, Sudan, Zambia (Colbert) and one other that is now Rusty; they were all named after African countries (why you name corgi mixes after African countries and not say counties in the UK I will never know). All were physically abused, tortured, and feral; making them all painfully shy, evasive, and anti-social.

Sudan was the last one to go into a home, she went just recently, a few months ago, after nearly a years worth of patience and love at Pet Helpers.

Yesterday or today she got out and was hit by a car. She did not survive. And even though she wasn't even my dog and I never worked with her, I am crying while I type this because I know the pain she was in just by fostering two of her siblings. To spend most of your life afraid of human contact and not knowing the joy of a belly rub, being sacked out on the couch or a good round of fetch. It hurts to know that someone could do what they did to one puppy never mind all 5.

But I know that she isn't scared anymore, scarred, in pain, or unhappy.

Much love to you Sudan.


In an update to this posting, Kenya is still looking for a home, all she needs is some patience and love.

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Now, anyone want to adopt a cattle dog?

Nothing new here.

Check out those bear claws...




















Guess who hates having his photo taken.




















Look! it's the Firefox logo!

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Everyone is still getting along. No one has any new scars, no one died, and no puking (woo hoo!)

Dixie is still a cuddle monster, and doesn't EVER want to miss out on anything. So even if you say Corona, Dixie will scramble up from the wood floor on the other side of the house and be sitting next to you before Corona can even hop off the ottoman 2 feet in front of me. All because, of course, you might have food. Ugh.

Her final two shots are scheduled for the 26th and 27th. Her incontinence has abated and was probably exacerbated by the vet visit. The vet we had that day said that she is a very timid dog and anxious dog and this is probably what is causing her accidents. Good news is that it eventually goes away. Good thing she is a love bug, so that her eventual 'furever' parents will love her despite having to clean up the floors for the first few days after a vets visit. Poor Girl.

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Colbert is still a card. he squeals like a girl while playing with Max. He also has developed a sneaky typical little brother tactic to steal Max's rawhide. He will go over to max, tail tucked and ears down, tapped his paw off Max's head while rolling over. He will then curl his body around Max's head all while 'talking' and squeaking. This makes Max grumble and turn his head because I am sure it is all very annoying. Once Max turns his head Colbert, whose mouth just happens to be next to the afore mentioned rawhide picks it up and walks to his corner in the living room. Here he promptly plops down with his big Corgi butt facing the rest of us and goes to work on his newly acquired rawhide. We all know that a stolen rawhide with someone else's slobber tastes alot better than the dry one that has been sitting at the top of the stairs for a week.

I would tape this, but Colbert runs from the sound of the camera.

C'est la vie.

x0x W

Last night.

His bald spot.















Colbert likes to hide under dog beds, especially in corners. That whole ostrich with his head in the sand mentality.
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Yesterday, Colbert went to the vets to be neutered, I was expecting a drugged up, relaxed, and groggy Colbert, much like Buela was back in March. However, he was quite alert, which of course makes sense because his neutering was less traumatic than a hysterectomy. I will let D tell the story about what happened at bed time:

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So the little guy is slowly coming out of his shell. When he's downstairs with the rest of us and we're watching TV he'll constantly travel back and forth between his two favorite safe spots. He doesn't hang out under the dining table much anymore. I think it's him showing his desire the be with the group but not fully ready yet, so this is as close as he can manage.

When I'm on the floor playing with the other dogs he'll come up and join as long as I ignore him. When I say his name or reach out my hand at him, he retreats.

Last night had a strange turn. So it's common for Buela to walk all over us while in bed and often lick our faces until we wake up, so that was my first thought as I awoke to something crawling around my head. But it turned out to be Colbert, and he was burrowing under my pillow. His standard position to take whenever he lies down is to bury his nose under something or in a corner. Because of that he's rubbed off a little patch of hair on his snout. So he was under my pillow, then decided to move over to W's, then back to mine, then on top of W's, then tried to go in reverse on top of mine, until I finally picked him up and placed him beside the bed and the night stand. I took a pillow and laid it on top of him so that he'd have his face buried. And that's how I found him when I got out of bed.

Hopefully this shows that his rehabilitation will progress faster and in abrupt advances rather than imperceptibly slow.

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A question from D's Dad: so does he ever just let you pet him for a while? or does he always move away? how about eye contact?


He avoids eye contact when I kneel down to approach him as he frantically looks around for an escape route. He lets us touch him in that he tolerates it, but I don't know if he's enjoying it( he gets terribly tense and his body will be rock hard- W). Whenever we're petting him it's when he's cornered or while we're holding him, so if he had a way out, he'd take it. Which makes him visiting us while we were sleeping last night all the more unexplainable.

He was panting vigorously the whole time as though we were forcing him into a stressful situation, but nothing made him get on the bed and he even left the bed and then got back up. His behavior is well beyond my interpretive skills. (His body wasn't tense last night when I petted him, he was just hiding under pillows -W) If Cesar (Milan) didn't get already get a torrent of emails, I'd ask him about it.

So many methods I read about online of other people's feral or abused dogs that they've helped are not applicable to Colbert. Those stories I read are of either a domesticated dog who was abused or of taming a feral dog who has never been abused. Colbert is both abused and feral, so it's a doubled level of difficulty. At least he's showing improvement and he gets along well with the other dogs.

Barking!

Colbert sleeping, his bum in in the corner with his tail wrapped up along his body, his head is under the green dog bed.
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Today Colbert barked for the first time, it was while he was playing with his consummate playmate, Buela. It took me a minute, lying in bed at 6 am, trying to figure who that was because it didn't sound like any of the other pups. It makes me so happy that he is relaxed enough to bark and play with them, I just wish he would consider getting closer to us.

Contrary to what I just said, this afternoon he was walking towards me, possibly to flirt with Max or Buela, he got with in a foot of me until I turned my head at the movement. - sigh

At this point in time he has found himself another cubby hole to hide in , he did a ferret double over move to get in there and has buried his head under a dog bed while wedged between the wall and a bookcase(see the above picture). I can hear him sleeping now because he is doing the same huffing and whining that Buela does when she's caught something good while dreaming.

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Sunday night, I brought everyone into our room for bedtime. I also brought the last bits of rawhides from an open bag...I figured 6 or 7 pieces and 4 dogs will work out just right. In about a half hour or so Colbert growled at Buela when she got too close to a rawhide that was a foot from the open crate he likes to lay in. I got up to find Buela a different rawhide to go after, only to realize that all of them were gone. These were 4" x 4" rawhides, even the most anxious, bored, and hungry ACD couldn't have eaten all of them in 30 minutes. So I checked on Colbert to be sure he at least had one and to swipe the one in front of the crate for Buela. That's when I realized that Colbert had retrieved every last rawhide and was hoarding them under the cushion in the crate.

Time will only tell - however I have heard of dogs being in homes for years and still hiding things like food, toys, and anything else that they think will get taken away.

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In the mean time, this is my newest favorite forum: AUCADO.

Day One.

Sitting in D's lap.

D picked up Colbert this afternoon around four. Personally I was expecting a dog that wouldn't even emerge from his crate never mind one that is busily ambling around the house checking everything out.

He has even taken to competitive herding with Buela, neither one knowing what to do with the other. Otherwise there is much time spent holed up in whatever small corner he can find with a wall to press himself against.

Both D and I thought he was bigger than he actually is, he is about the same size as Corona and looks like a mini Max with his spotted purple tongue and fluffy tail. His eyes are all big and owlish. It makes him look like an old man even though he will be just a year old come thanksgiving. It reminds you of just how much he has been through. He reminds me of a little blond bear cub with a curly tail.

He also has found something to click in the kitchen though I cannot find it.

He will stop whatever he is doing and walk away at a quick trot if he notices you looking at him or hears you coming.

Corners and no way out other than past you are not a good thing. However, beyond when D picked him up at Pet Helpers, he shows no signs of aggression, just want for flight from human contact - despite eating out of our hands.

Right now at this very moment, he and Max are facing off, Colbert, with his neck outstretched can just press his nose against Max's. His tail is wagging wildly, and if you're a dog person or know dogs, these are all signs of "play with me!". I will be the first to admit that I am a total mush ball, and to see a dog that I thought was going to be a torturous journey towards normalcy wagging his tail and playing on his first day is miraculous to me.

W

Preparation: T-minus 3 days and counting...

Max, Corona, and Buela.

Thursday marks the day we pick up Colbert, previously known as Zambia, From Pet Helpers on Folly Rd in Charleston.

But first some background on us. D and I (W) live in SC courtesy the USN. We live with our 3 dogs, Corona (chichi mix) , Buela (AuCaDo), and Max (Chow mix).

Corona was an ASPCA dog. Turned in for chewing, barking, whining, digging, and other destructive behavior, we were told to put away our shoes and protect the cabinets and carpets. I immediately told the representative at the ASPCA, she's still just a puppy, that's what they do. We are her 5th and forever home. She is now 2 years old, she may still have minor housebreaking issues and not like strangers, but she is a lovable little cuddle bug. If your lap is available; she is there.

Buela is our only 'breed' dog, and though we are now against people 'shopping' for a dog vs adopting one that surely needs a better life, we wouldn't return her for anything. Still a puppy at nearly 11 months, full of energy due to her breed, she is an active, excitable, endearing ball of fur that seems to live for jumping on us at 6 am, complete with a tongue bath ambush to the face.

Max is another ASPCA rescue. His previous owner, adpoted him from the same shelter we got Corona from. She is also USN and had to report to her ship in CA. We took him in hoping to break him of his fear of discipline. After 6 months with us he has developed into playful fluff ball, has developed a love of fetch and competition in Buela, is a resolute truck dog, and eager assistant in all landscaping projects, which means he just follows D everywhere.

As for D and I, we have been together nearly 3 years come New Years. We are followers of Cesar Milan's teachings, though we know that they will not be useful to us for some time with Colbert. We also believe in proper use of choke chains, micro-chipping, nail clipping, eye cleaning, discipline, love, and fun.

PS: don't know who Stephen Colbert is?