I want to be Bobbie's girl, I want to be . . .

Oh, I mean I am Bobbie . . . wait a minute, I've been adopted by Grateful Dogs Rescue, and my new name is Willa, gee, didn't mean to mislead you.
I am in my foster home now, learning more manners, and an older dog lives there too, goes by Abner, who lets me know when I get out of line. Which isn't often, of course. ; -)))). Always good to have a big brother to show you the ropes.

Here's a couple of great photos of me (no, I'm not shy at all). Annnnyway, about this big tennis ball, you can see I just love it to pieces, I chase it when the GADAB folks throw it for me, I wrestle with it, and carry it to important places in the shelter park. It's a bit flat, but all the better for me, I say. You might notice that my skin looks a little, well, sparse and crinkly. I have a pretty bad case of demodex, which if you don't know, is a non-contagious form of mange. It feels funky, so I'm on meds, plus while I was under the care of GADAB, I got what they call the full Spa Treatment, which I had no problem with, let me tell you. Orally, I got Ester C. and Omega 3's - only from the health food store, of course. (We don't get the drug store kind - too many fillers, and who the heck knows what is in them). They just put the vitamins in some canned dog food and I gulp it right down. And then, icing on the cake for me, I get Aloe Vera/Comfrey gel rubbed all over my body, all the bare spots, all the sore spots (you can see how swollen my feet are), and then a fabulous back rub while all the gel gets rubbed into my back. Oh, oh, ohhhh. That feels sooooo good.

And then this other photo of me is in the pool. Corinne had to use lots of treats to lure me into that pool, I must say. And even though in the photo, I'm giving her the fish eye, actually I learned to love going into the pool, it's been so hot lately. You can see the clicker in her hand - yes! I'm getting clicker savvy!!! And we, well, I, went through the hula hoop, over the broom jump, and walked on all kinds of surfaces. I understand that at GADAB, they want to get us used to as much "real world" things as they can, so what the heck, I went for it. Almost everytime I got a treat, and, everytime, they told me what a good, clever, beautiful girl I am.

I am still just a pup, so they did a lot of extra stuff with me, "cradling" - I hadn't heard of that one, and really was not too fond of it, but I did get used to it and accepted it. They handled me all over, to get me used to being handled by various people. You know, all that stuff that's going to make me a good solid, adult blue pittie. That's what color I'll be when all my hair grows back. I'm so excited, I love my new foster mom, my new big brother, and my forever home awaits. And blue is such a breathtaking color. Need I say more??

Thanks, Sylvia, for taking these fabu shots of me. I'll need some good head shots for when I begin my career and will be in touch.

Willa

The future, the past, and puppy breath

Spending a few hours on the weekend surrounded by puppies isn't a bad way to spend a few hours. In fact, it's amazing. I never knew my current dogs as puppies, and haven't had a puppy in years and years. I didn't know how much I missed puppies until I was surrounded by 7 squirming, yipping, tumbling, tugging little furry babies. OH my gosh, I missed puppies!!


Two weeks ago, we spent some time with the pups in the kennel while mommy dog Tessa was put in the kennel next door. It's important for puppies to feel human touch, human affection, and to hear the human voice. These puppies were actually born in the shelter, so in order for them to get used to people, GADAB is working with them on a daily basis. We were lucky enough to get to spend some time with them, picking them up, petting them all over, touching their paws, and holding them. It was almost overwhelming--7 little pups climbing up on our laps, grabbing sleeves, pantlegs, shoelaces--and it was amazing.

This week, we were able to take the pups--Amos, Ernie, Bert, Bella, Roscoe, Gus, and Charlotte--out in the "puppy shuttle," a little cart in which 2-3 puppies can ride in at a time, in order to travel around parts of the shelter. Because they are too young to be put on the ground (to protect them from disease), this is a handy way to get the puppies used to things, noises, and people. It's a great way to study the personalities of the pups to find out who is shy, who is outgoing, and who is afraid of new things. That way, we can know who needs special attention and extra socialization. It's funny...in this litter, it's the black pups that are more shy. Is it because they might have different fathers, aka different DNA? (at least one is very Shar Pei and a few are so Rottie!) It's not clear, but it's very interesting to witness.



Three hours later, that felt like minutes, we had taken all of the pups out, named them, and got them back to their playpen safe and sound. I couldn't help to wonder about the future of these puppies. Would they all get good homes? Would they be treated well, even spoiled? Would I see a dog at the dogpark and wonder, was that the little black pup we named Amos?


I also can't help but to think about the dogs we see at the shelter that are there because of unfortunate circumstances-- irresponsible owners, cruel owners, those who don't take their role as guardian seriously. Dogs who lost their way, lost their trust, lost their chance at a happy life filled with walks, treats, and a purpose. It breaks my heart every time a dog has to be put down, and I KNOW things could have been different. If only...if only...

So, my dear puppies, may all of you be lucky. Lucky 7, right? Little Amos and Charlotte, big Bella and Roscoe, the boys Bert and Ernie and fluffy brown Gus....I wish you years of sleeping on soft blankets, car trips to the beach, and a loving person who thinks that they are lucky too, to have such a great best friend. I hope to never see you back here at the shelter, and I mean that in a very good way.

Picture of the Week

Put the Word Out For Gracie

Folks who've visited this blog before may recognize Gracie. She came in with a litter of 5 and her mom at the beginning of this year. She's now in a foster home but needs a permanent pack.

You can find out more details about her and who to contact at Home At Last Rescue