I foster for REACH Rescue in Mundelein, IL: http://www.reachrescue.org/

Please support the rescue efforts of this great organization!

Sunday, July 27, 2014

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

Saturday, July 26, 2014

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!


Thursday, July 17, 2014

Bella's First Week

Bella has transitioned well into her new home and is now showing an interest in play (she was pretty mellow the first two days... not sure if she wasn't feeling well, a bit sad about missing her pup, or just the trauma of all the new things happening at once).  Now she is very energized about going on her walks and loves to play with her "toys," two in particular: a small tug rope and a small stuffed mouse cat toy.  She loves to play fetch with the mouse.  Here's a cute video of her:


Other updates: she is definitely housebroken.  She hasn't had a single accident and has a regular bathroom schedule (meaning I know that she'll need to go #2 on our second walk in the morning, after breakfast, and again later in the evening, after dinner).

As I mentioned in my first blog, she does know her name and comes immediately when called.  We are working on "sit" and "quiet" (she likes to try to scare the big dogs on our walks).  Today, she "quiet"ed very well when we walked past a house with two very barky dogs and as soon as she started barking and I told her to "quiet," she did and continued to walk past the house ignoring them.  Then, when we walked past again on our way home, she ignored them again. 

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Meet Bella!


Bella arrived today from Alabama and what a great dog she's been so far.  I thought Blakesley was tiny, but Bella is even smaller!  A whopping 7 pounds!  She's a shih tzu poodle mix and just had a baby three months ago... talk about losing the baby weight! :)

She's had quite a day today: driving all the way from AL to WI, having a bath, getting micro-chipped, taking her heartworm medication, and getting a Frontline treatment.  She then met her foster siblings, Lincoln and Lily (two giant cats), and went to visit my sister, brother-in-law and niece (who's one and a half).  She did great, meeting and playing with everyone.  I have no concerns about her ability to do well with other animals or small children!

What I've learned about her so far:
  • she knows her name very well and comes immediately when called
  • she gets along with other cats and dogs
  • she does well with small children
  • she hates motorcycles
  • she loves to go for walks and walks well on a leash
  • she loves to be by her people
  • she has a hearty appetite and is very clean about eating (unlike many small dogs)
  • she loves to nap and hates waking up :) (watch her video and see; she's so funny!)

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Fourth of July with Blakesley

This weekend we went up north and Blakesley had a great time! She loved being outside and did great off leash. As you can see from the pictures, she even went on the water and did very well! 

She doesn't recognize her name (since it's new to her), but does come quickly when I say "come, come." Blakesley also knows the commands "go potty, "quiet," and "up." She doesn't like treats, but she LOVES meat (chicken, turkey, fish). 

Blakesly spent the weekend with five other dogs and, while she was a bit jealous at first, she got used to them. There was a toddler on the trip as well and Blakesley was very anxious around her and would growl. She's been around older children (6+) and seemed to be fine. 

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Blakesley


Blakesley has been a wonderful little pup since I picked her up on Sunday.  She absolutely loves everyone she meets!  I've taken her around town, on walks, and to various family and friend's homes and she's done well in every environment- greeting each person or animal with a sniff and a tail wag.  Blakesley loves being around people and is a little shadow; she will quietly follow you from room to room and lay down to watch whatever you're doing.  She respects her foster-siblings (two cats) and leaves them alone.  Blakesley absolutely loves car rides and walks; as soon as she sees her leash being picked up she is overjoyed! 

She's a very quiet pup, barking only on the following occasions: a) she wants to go outside or b) she wants to go to bed.  So far, she seems to be housebroken; she hasn't had a single accident yet and does come let me know when she wants to go out! 

Interested in adopting her?  Fill out an application on the Fluffy Dog Rescue website: http://rescue.fluffydog.net/Adoptable_dogs.html