Playtime at the Press Household

Mack is feeling a lot better and hasn't coughed much since Friday.  He LOVES getting a little bit of wet food in the morning.  Mack also loves Lincoln (my cat) who's the same size as him; he constantly wants to play with Lincoln.  Every morning, Mack races around the house to find him (he's usually in the sock drawer).  I'm not sure Lincoln feels the same was towards Mack, but he's a great cat who puts up with all these foster pups.  Usually, Lincoln just ignores them.  But, he'll actually play a little with Mack.  Here's a funny video from the other day:

Mack Update

Guess what?!?! Mack hasn't had an accident in the house since Sunday! I'm so proud of him!  He's been staying home without a diaper while I am at work the past two days and no accidents (the days prior to that he was wearing a diaper when I wasn't home). I think it's safe to say he's housebroken! (Although I'd still recommend his future family buy a belly band to put on him for when you visit new places).

On the not so great news end, Mack is coughing and seems to have picked up kennel cough during his transport from AL to WI. There's nothing that we can really do for this since it's like a cold that needs to run it's course (supposedly about 10 days).  Even though he has his coughing fits, Mack seems to think he's hit the jackpot with this virus! He's getting a little bit of soft food everyday to wet his throat more, fish oil for a boost in omega 3s, and a spoonful of maple syrup everyday (it's supposed to lubricate his throat like cough syrup would).  Needless to say, he's in heaven with these "medicines!"

What a goofball!

This little guy has had me in stiches everyday... he LOVES to crawl!

Mack's Exciting News

Hi Everyone!  Mack, here.  My foster mom is letting me write this blog because I have two exciting bits of news to share.  First, my foster mom had me a wear a diaper all evening yesterday and all day today and I haven't wet my diaper or had a single accident!  (At night, she doesn't make me wear one because I'm a good pup and nudge her in bed when I need to go out).  She says I still need to wear it for a few more days, but I'm pretty proud of myself for making her so happy!

Second, we worked on a video for my future family to see and make them want to adopt me!  Enjoy!

I just can't stop fostering: Meet Mack!

Because I have a health condition that makes being outside when it's below 50 degrees for any substantial amount of time difficult,  and therefore housebreaking the foster pups more tedious, I had decided I would stop fostering in October.  But, after Rudy left, I started missing having a pup around.  The solution?  Mack!

On Fluffy Dog's petfinder site, Mack is called "Muscadine."  He wasn't familiar with the name, so I was told I could pick something new; Mack he has become and he's already responding to the name!  Mack is super smart; he knows "stand" and we almost have "sit" mastered as well!

Mack is very cute and would be a great pup for a first-time dog owner or family.  I babysat my niece last night (she's 21 months) and she loved Mack and he loved her!

He has made a number of errands with me and he's also a good co-pilot.  He stays calm and quiet and loves to watch out the window. 

In general, Mack is a pretty calm, composed, and quiet guy.  He's only barked a few times (mostly trying to get the cats to play).  Mostly, his "noises" are composed of snores (when he's sleeping) or making the sound of an Ewok (when he's trying to "talk" to someone or something).

We spent Sunday at my parent's and he did well with the other dogs.  He ran with the pack, but in general preferred to chew on his toys on his own.

Mack and I are working on his potty routine.  In general, he seems to know that he's not supposed to go inside the house.  He has done all his #2's outside.  #1 seems a bit more troublesome for him.  He always goes #1 when he's outside, but he can't seem to keep himself from marking when he's inside.  (For people new to dogs, marking is when a dog urinates a small amount on a vertical surface, like a chair leg).  Mack knows that it's wrong though and will run and hide when he's done it inside.  Mack is now wearing a homemade belly band (a towel with Velcro), so I'm hoping this will help.  (Here's a link to purchase "real" belly bands: http://www.bellybands.net) It's only been one day, so I'm not too worried; I think we can figure this out and get him to stop soon.  Marking can be for a number of reasons: anxiety, scent markings left by previous dogs, showing ownership of the area, not being housebroken, or just doing it out of habit. I think he just needs to get used to this new place with all the smells. Patience with a new pup goes a long way!  A good article on this is: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=2284

Despite this little hang-up, Mack seems to be the perfect dog so far!  I'm excited to be able to keep working with him!

Rudy's First Week

Rudy (Brut) is a great pup.  He's doing very well learning to live with his cat siblings, although sometimes he still really wants to play with them.  Rudy loves his bones; he has gotten all of the stuffed animals taken away from him because he's too rough of a chewer and is beginning to tear them apart (he hasn't chewed on anything else though in the house).  In the morning, I put all of his toys in his crate and without fail, by the end of the day, he's moved every one out and played with each; it's pretty cute to watch him bring the toys back and forth.  Rudy also loves to toss them in the air and "chase" the chew toys around the house.

Rudy has been doing very well with potty training.  As mentioned before, he will make noises or sit at the front door when he wants to go out.

Our next venture will be learning some commands.  I think he's a very smart pup and I think channeling his energy into obedience training will be very good for him.  For his future family, I think he would make an excellent agility pup.

And, of course, he's quite the snuggler.  He loves sitting with me on the couch or snoozing in the bed.  Here are two cute pics of him!


All snuggled under the covers!



Watching TV with my foster mom!

Brut's (Rudy's) Video

Barney got an app and a foster bro: Brut (Rudy)

Some more exciting news: Barney got an application this weekend and has been approved for adoption.  So, he'll be joining his new family on Wednesday.  We also got a message last week that there are 35 dogs on the waiting list to make the trek from AL to WI and move into foster homes up here; some of the dogs were slated to be euthenized this coming week.  When I read this, I knew I wanted to help out so I agreed to take a dog that arrived last week into my home to make room for some more.  His name is Brut, but I don't think the name fits, so I've been calling him Rudy.  He reminds me of Tramp from "Lady and the Tramp."

He's a very energetic boy and full of love.  Rudy loves attention and he and Barney fought for my lap all weekend long. 

 

We spent the weekend at my parents and both Rudy and Barney got along well with their two dogs.  Rudy was also WONDERFUL with my neice (who's 20 months).  She loved to pet and "hug" him (she would lay her head on him).  While we don't adopt to families with very young children, I always like to let people know how the dogs do with children in case there are neices, nephews, or grandchildren in the picture.  Obviously, I'm sure he'd do just as well with older children.

Rudy wasn't quite sure about the cats when he first moved in and chased them the first night.  But, by the next day, he was fine with them.  He hates/loves birds though.  Rudy must be on a leash or in a fenced in yard because he LOVES to chase them.  My parent's chickens got quite the work out on Saturday before we realized Rudy's obsession.

Rudy also loves to make noises; it's pretty cute.  While he does bark, he quiets quickly when told to "quiet."  Then, he turns his bark into these cute groans; it's like he's trying to contain his bark but just can't completely control himself.  He makes similar noises when he's trying to get your attention.  For instance, at night, he'll softly whine to wake me up to take him outside.  Speaking of going outside, Rudy has also taken to sitting at the front door during the day to let me know he wants to go outside.  For a stray, he seems to instinctively know how to communicate with his humans!

Barney: Week 2

I am just a very proud foster mom this week:

1. Barney is housebroken!  He hasn't had a single accident in a week and a half and he has a consistent potty schedule.
2. His neuter sutures are healing well and we took off his cone; he's much happier with it off!
3. He loves lounging in my bed.  I no longer crate him during the day since he's doing so well with his potty schedule and doesn't chew anything.
4. I took him to my parent's house a few days ago and, while he was a bit overwhelmed at first, he quickly warmed up to everyone.  He absolutely loves my parent's Fluffy Dog, Maddie (they adopted her a few months ago).  Here's a video of him playing with her!
6. Barney likes to watch dog videos.  I was watching some videos on my phone and he was so interested; he sat down on my lap and watched them too.  He would wag his tail and nudge the phone with his nose when he saw another dog. It was too cute!
7. Barney is starting to play!  Like I said, he met Maddie and loved playing with her.  He also has been taking bones and beginning to chew on them.  I gave him a squeaky plush toy as well; he seemed a bit confused at first, but I caught him dragging it around last night so I think he's getting the hang of it!

   

   I just love this pic!
   

   
   

8. He seems to know two commands: "sit" (which he actually lays down for) and "leave it"

My well-behaved co-pilot!

Things we're still working on:

1. Barney is not leash trained.  He stays near me and I can take him outside without being concerned about him running away, but we are not able to take walks.  The tension of the leash scares him.
2. He doesn't come when called.  I'm not sure if it's because he doesn't know his name or is afraid of being called; I definitely know that he knows I'm calling him (because when I go to find him, he's eagerly sitting up, wagging his tail and waiting for me), but for some reason he just won't come on his own.  I'm wondering if he's used to being called and scolded or hurt.  I know I'm earning his trust, so I'll continue to be patient!

Exciting changes for Barney!

Well, Barney has been with me for five days and he is a completely different dog from when I picked him up on Sunday.  Here are some of the "exciting" updates:

• Barney got neutered on Tuesday.  He's not very excited about this, of course, but we all know it's a good thing for all animals to get spayed and neutered.  We had to go get a cone today because he's very upset about his recent loss and the incision bothers him tremendously.  Hopefully, the cone will help him heal faster. Here's a pic of him post surgery; we spent the evening cuddling:
  
• Barney started the week out "on lead," meaning that he had to wear a leash at all times in case he would hide in a place that I couldn't reach him.  As of last night, I decided to take him off the leash because he no longer runs from me.  While he doesn't come when called (yet), he will wait for me to come get him.
• Barney is very happy and inquisitive.  He loves to follow me around the house and watches whatever I'm doing.  His tail is nearly always wagging.  When we get up in the morning or open his cage after work, his whole body wiggles in excitment.
• Barney still gets scared occasionally, but his shaking is pretty minimal at this point.
• Barney loves his carrier and rides well in the car.  I keep it inside the house and he uses it as his safe place to retreat when he's feeling overstimulated.
• Barney hasn't had an accident in the house since Monday!!!!  I stopped using a diaper on him post-neuter and I don't think I'll need to use it again.  I take him out on a regular basis and he uses the potty outside.  I'm not calling it "housebroken" yet because I think it needs a week or two to make it official, but I'm very proud of him!
• Lastly, I'm very proud of Barney's progress outside.  The first few days, whenever I took Barney outside, he would shake uncontrollably and I would need to carry him outside and in.  On Tuesday night, we had a breakthrough!  I took him outside and when I went to sit on the stoop, he slowly made his way to me and came inside on his own.  Since then, he's begun walking around the yard more and he continues to follow me inside after he finishes his business.

Meet Barney!

Barney arrived this afternoon from Alabama.  He's spent most of his life in the shadows of his brother, Fred, who's much more outgoing.  We are hoping that by having Barney spend some time away from Fred, while sad, will help Barney develop into the pup he was meant to be!

He was pretty scared when I first held him and shook for quite a while, but then he relaxed and began falling asleep in my arms.  Barney did well in his crate in the car and, again, fell asleep soon after we began driving home... this is one exhausting day for him!

When we got home, Barney was scared to venture out of his crate, so I left him alone and let him emerge when he was ready.  After about 5 minutes, he decided it was safe and came out to visit with me and the cats.  He explored the house and then settled in the living room on the couch to continue his nap.

Barney fits right in!

Yes, Barney is wearing a diaper temporarily (don't laugh at him).  He is being neutered on Tuesday and since unneutered males are known to mark their territory, I wanted to make sure he didn't have any accidents in the house.

In the last few hours, he's taken to following me around the house and keeping watch over me.  Barney's tail has been wagging and he even spent a few minutes licking my hand!  I think we're making good progress for Day 1; I'm excited to see his personality bloom over the next week!

What are you up to mom?

Finn's Evening at the Dog Park

We're really going to the park, mom?

Tonight we went to the dog park for the first time! What a great time Finn had! He was very social, greeting all the other pups nicely, and running around having a grand ol' time. He came when he was called and seemed to always keep an eye on where I was (of course, I was keeping my eye on him, but trying to let him be independent and explore). I am such a proud foster mom right now!

Proud Foster Mom!

Finn: Week 2

With all the views on Finn's blog lately, I thought I'd give an update.  The picture above is from his favorite spot in the house: the couch arm that looks out the bay window and onto the street corner. He loves to watch for dogs and people. Finn continues to love to play with his kong and his bones; he's really beginning to entertain himself and not needing to be next to me at all times. He eats like a champ (as I write this, he just finished off his dinner- EVO turkey and chicken small bites). He loves to go for walks; we are working on walking without pulling and learning the command "leave it" when something grabs his attention- a squirrel, another dog, a neighbor- as he will refuse to move (not because he's scared, but because he's so interested). Lastly, he and I put together a new video. Hope you enjoy it!

Videos of Finn

Finn has been loving his new kong today.  It was like puppy parkour in my living room!  I didn't catch all of the action on video, but here's a short clip of him chasing the kong.  I've also included a video of my niece "walking" him at the campground.

A dog with a human face!

Tonik made headlines last year because his face was so human-like. Doesn't Finn look like him?http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/07/tonik-the-dog-with-the-human-face-is-up-for-adoption/ 

Confession: I'd love to keep Finn!

It's true. I've fallen in love with this little guy! But, alas, for those that don't know, I'm a participant in Project Money 2014 through Summit Credit Union. I'm trying to win $10K by saving and eliminating the most debt. That said, getting a puppy, no matter how much I love him, isn't in the cards until 2015.

So, I encourage anyone that's looking at his profile to seriously consider this lovable pup! 

Hogan got adopted on Friday (to a great family!) and while they were together Finn learned lots about being a puppy. They loved to play tug of war together and romp around the house, so I think he'd do really well in a home with another small dog.

Finn is walking well by himself on the leash, listens well when he's in the back yard, and is a champ at being in the crate while I'm gone or while we are in the car.

This weekend, we spent some time with my sister, brother in law, and niece (who is 20 months old). He did so well with her! (Although they both got jealous of each other when either was being held or on a lap)! It was too cute!

We also went camping this weekend and Finn did well staying around the campsite and hanging out on laps around the fire.

Here are some pics from the weekend:

Sharing my lap at the campground

When we were winning the Badger game and it got a bit boring...

Day Two with "The Boys"

Hogan and Finland are acclimating well to living together in Wisconsin. The definitely remind me of two brothers: constantly fighting for attention and for each other's toys. Hogan is the leader and Finn is the curious follower. Finn is definitely beginning to come out of his shell and is starting to show his silly side. He spent a good 15 minutes after dinner throwing his toys around the living room and chasing them. At least he can entertain himself!

We spent the day at my sister's house and they got to play with two other big dogs. Many neighborhood children came around as well and the boys played nicely with all of them. Hogan and Finn both love to give lots of kisses! Finn, of course, soaked up all the attention, traveling from lap to lap. Hogan found a rubber ducky and a dog toy that had an old water bottle in it that made a crinkly sound; he spent the majority of the afternoon playing with those two toys!

We went for a longer walk tonight and both went to the bathroom while on the walk. I'm still not sure if they're housebroken yet (since we've been outdoors a lot yesterday and today), but will be sure to keep the blog and petfinder up to date as the week progresses. 

Meet my Prince Charmings: Hogan & Finn!

Actually, Hogan would prefer to be called King, but Lincoln (my cat) already holds that spot! These two are great little pups so far, both are very friendly and well-behaved. They both have met other dogs and cats and have gotten along with all their new furry friends. Both are also GREAT at traveling! They sit quietly in their carrier and enjoy the ride.

Hogan has a beautiful coat and gorgeous coloring; It's very silky and smooth. Definitely has chihuahua in him, but hes a bit larger and has a long coat. My guess is that he's a "cheagle": long-haired chihuahua and beagle mix. Hogan loves to play and is the dominant of the two. Tug of war is his favorite game so far. He also loves going for walks. In fact, when you say "leash," he'll go get his. But, his love for walking doesn't translate into the best walking manners, so he'll need to work on that. He just gets so excited that he can't contain his energy and wants to race down the sidewalk. Hogan is very alert and I suspect very smart; he'd be a great agility dog!

Finland (Finn for short) is a bit more reserved. He's a puppy, but doesn't seem to have much experience actually being a puppy. He's a bit cautious about everything at first, but once he watches Hogan, he seems to follow suit. He's quite the love bug; he's definitely more of a lap dog and wants human attention in the form of petting: "Why are you trying to get me to fetch a ball? I just want to be cuddled!" Finn enjoys his bones and loves treats. I have a feeling he'll be easy to train with how incentivized by treats he is! 

Neither seems to know how to use stairs, which I won't be teaching them just yet (since I'd like to keep them out of cat litter box territory). They both ate well today, although Finn would only eat if I fed him by hand- He better not get used to this type of royal treatment!

Tootsie's a great co-pilot!

I forgot to mention yesterday what a great co-pilot Toots is! She LOVES going for car rides. Whenever I let her outside she runs for the car thinking we're going for a ride!

Today was Tootsie's first day at home not in her crate! She did great! She didn't touch a thing and there were no accidents. Each time I came home, she was sitting in the bay window watching the neighborhood. :)

Tootsie's Update

Tootsie is full of energy and will do well in a family that loves to play! She's always been good on a leash, but in the last few days, she's really gotten the hang of "going on a walk" (as opposed to starting and stopping every five feet to smell something). She's very interested in greeting people and is polite when meeting other dogs. Or, if the dog is in a yard and making lots if noise, she stops and when I say "leave it," she'll continue on her way.  

Tootsie is also quite a clown; she loves to bounce around and make silly noises.  I have removed stuffed animals from her collection of toys and she's done well just chewing on her bones. The past three days I have crated her while I was at work and, while she doesn't like getting in at first, she's very calm when I get home. And, since the removal of stuffed animals, she hasn't chewed apart anything.  I also left her out of a crate for two hours while I was gone tonight and she had no accidents and did not touch a thing. In fact, I'm pretty sure she just hung out with the cats on the porch the entire time!  Speaking of accidents, Tootsie is housebroken and has not had a single accident. Woot!!!

We did go to the vet today and got a microchip. She's also been crying and rubbing her ears, so I suspected an ear infection.  Poor Toots: she wasn't diagnosed with one infection, but a double (both ears)! I have drops now and she should be feeling tons better soon and the infections cleared up within 10 days.  Still, she doesn't let this get her down and she continues to be a happy go lucky pup!

Meet Tootsie!

Tootsie moved to Wisconsin on Sunday and got a new haircut as soon as she arrived.  What a beauty!  Very soft, non-shedding fur since she's primarily poodle.

She's quickly acclimated to living here.  Toots loves the cats (well, she mostly just ignores them; I'll call that love) and her toys.  She loves bones and stuffed animals.  Unfortunately, she REALLY loves stuffed animals.  When I got home from work, she had torn one of her toys to pieces.  For her future parents: be ready to make lots of trips to goodwill to pick up 50 cent stuffed animals.  Toots is a great eater; she eats a full meal twice a day and shows no food aggression what-so-ever.  She is a very messy drinker, though.  I have a mat to catch her drinks and she still manages to get drops of water throughout the kitchen. 

Tootsie does well on a leash and is very friendly.  I think she's very smart, because she's already figured out where I keep her rawhide and has learned the command "off" (she likes to jump up with her front paws, and while she's extremely gentle and light about it, I find it to be bad doggy manners, so I'm trying to teach her not to do it).  I think she has the potential to be a very well-trained pup!

Here are some pics from the past two days:

 

Looks who's waiting in the window!

Update on Breeze

Bella & Breeze: Together in Alabama!

How funny is this pic?  At some point while they were in Alabama both my foster pups, Bella and Breeze, had a pic taken together!

Update on Breeze: Looks like she'll be adopted soon as she has an application pending.  I love seeing my pups go to their forever homes!  She is such a great pup.  Breeze is a very good listener and very responsive; she knows "come" and "leave it."  Everyone at the dog park has fallen in love with her.  She gets along great with the other dogs and loves to visit with everyone.  When it's time to go home, I just call her name and she trots on back to the car with me.  She also walks so well on a leash; no pulling, just walks beside you and enjoys being outside and with her human.  Simply, she's been a "breeze" to foster :)

Breeze loves to play and star in her own movies!

Breeze is doing so well in her new foster home!  She was crated while I went to work and did not have any accidents.  Therefore, I'm thinking she can be considered housebroken.  I'll give it a few more days before officially posting her "housebroken" status on Petfinder to be sure, but I think we're well on our way there!

Breeze loves her toys.  I caught a number of things today on video to show you just how playful she is!

Meet Breeze!

What a friendly pup! I'm already falling in love with her spunkiness! Breeze is a tiny pup with a big personality. She's exudes a great combination of energy and "go with the flow" attitude.

Breeze did well in her crate in the car, no crying or complaints, and then recieved a spa treatment soon after I picked her up- nail clipping and a bath. She was so calm during the bath!

And boy does she love to play! She romped around the house with her foster cousins and had a great time. She's quite the acrobat, running and jumping around.  Breeze also loves bones, squeaky toys and stuffed animals!

Here are some more pics from today:

Jettta: Day Two

I'm now on foster pup #3 and I keep thinking that I can't get one better than the last.  Jetta is really turning out to be a wonderful pup.  My entire family has fallen in love with her!  Today she spent the day helping around the farm, playing with my parent's dogs, taking a hike and, of course, enjoying some long naps in between all the excitement.  Here's what I've learned about her so far:

• She's beautiful.  I mentioned before that her coat is very unique.  But, she also has SUPER long eyelashes and some of the best teeth I've ever seen on a dog- quite white and very straight.
• She's quiet.  Not only in her demeanor, but also in her voice.  I have yet to hear her bark!
• She's a lovebug.  She loves to be pet and loves to be near her humans.
• She's beginning to show quite a personality.  Yesterday, as to be expected, she was a bit timid.  Now, she's romping with her "cousins," rolling around on the ground and on the bed to show her silly side, running in fast circles around the yard when she gets excited, and giving you a "paw" when she wants to be pet or wants attention. 
• She takes everything in stride.  She follows directions well and knows commands (I have learned that she also understands "no.")  She is open to new adventures.  On our hike today, she jumped right in the water when we stopped for a swim. 
• So far, she appears to be housebroken.  She has yet to have an accident in the house.
• She walks well on a leash, but also does well off lead.  Again, she's responding to "come" and comes quickly when called.  She does not pull on the leash and will walk comfortably at any distance lead you give her.  When we were in a store, she calmly walked at my side on a short lead.  When we were hiking, I gave her a long lead and she loved running ahead.

Some pics from today:

Helping on the farm!

Hanging out with my foster mom and my foster cousin

Meet Jetta!

Jetta arrived in Wisconsin this morning and is already getting used to life in a cooler climate! When she was found in Alabama, she was covered in fleas and ticks. They removed everything and treated all her sores before she made the journey up here. After her bath today, you should see how her coat gleams! She absolutely loved being brushed!  Jetta has a unique coat: she's wiry on her back and legs, but is very silky on her ears and face. She has a little splash of white at the top of her head and then a small scruff of white below her chin. Absolutely adorable!

Jetta has quickly become my shadow. She's super sweet, quiet and listens well. She appears to know a few commands (come, sit) and I'll continue to update as I learn more! We are spending the weekend at my parent's farm and she is getting along with everyone she meets- dogs, cats, horses, chickens, peacocks, you name it...

Jetta is 22 pounds and we'd like to see her lose two pounds so she'll be on a diet and exercise regimen with me. I'm pretty sure she's had puppies relatively recently, so we'll chalk up the bit of extra weight to not having lost all her pregnancy weight yet. :)

Here's a few pics from her first day:

Riding in the car to the park...

I love my new foster mom!

So tired from a long day of travel and play...

Keep watching for more info about Jetta!