Holidays with Lanie

Lanie had her first Christmas as an inside dog with her own bed and toys. No frostbitten ears for her this year! Got a great shot of her in her xmas bandana showing off her very silly underbite. My what big teeth you have!

 She and Stevie had their own tofurky roast and peanut butter biscuits and then played with toys. They've developed a routine where they steal each other's chew toys constantly. Stevie comes over to Lanie's bed and sniffs around for one to steal (he's blind, so this can take a few minutes). Lanie patiently lays there and lets him. She knows exactly what he's going to do but doesn't stop him. She then waits about 15 minutes, strolls over to Stevie's spot on the rug and steals it right back. It's very cute - reminds me of Trixie and Wyatt.

She's really got a great personality - very sweet and friendly. She sniffs over Stevie and makes sure he's okay a few times a day - he's quite elderly and she seems to understand that. She loves to go for walks and run around in the park with us. She gets the biggest grin on her face and just gallops around happily.

After Lanie had squeaked all the toys and chewed on the new ones, she fell asleep with all of them piled in her bed - a tired pup on xmas day.

Car ride - oh boy!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee - Lanie loves to go for rides ~ !

Figuring out the couch and the cats

Lanie isn't sure what to make of some things- like couches. She's been trying to figure out how to get up on the couch like Stevie does all week without success.  She could get three legs up but how to get that fourth one up there just wasn't making any sense to her. This morning she finally figured it out! She pranced happily around on the cushions for a bit...and then I had to show her how to get down ;).

Lanie also had her first Baltimore snow fall. She raced around in it and wanted to play. That gave me ample opportunity to get more pics of her awesome underbite!

Lanie discovered that cats can be approached from behind for sniffing and greeting but she still won't approach them if they are looking at her. She'll run around the house with them until one of them actually looks right at her- then it's Game Over. Same effect with a house rabbit - very timid sniffing as long as they don't look her in the eye or she'll retreat to a safe distance. Apparently there's a staring range she feels the need to stay outside of~!

Overall she continues to be a big sweetheart - gets along with everyone, very calm, likes to play but not in a rowdy way, and loves to go for walks and hang out with people. She still hasn't barked, though she worked herself up to a soft "Ruuurhhhh" when the neighbor's yorkies were at the fence barking at her. She greeted them with a happily wagging tail and big grin despite their fierceness :).

Daisy ~ Guest Foster Dog Profile

Name - Daisy
Breed, Age, Gender – 15 year old, female, Husky mix.  One blue eye and one brown
Color – Grey and White
Size - Medium - 35 -40 lbs
Energy Level – Pretty good for a 15 year old
Good with other dogs? - Yes and we’d prefer she go to someone with another dog.  She get’s lonely and likes to play.
Cats? – Unknown
Adoption Info – Daisy is available for immediate adoption.  She has all of her shots and is looking for a good forever home, hopefully with a yard for her to get some exercise and another dog to keep her company. Please contact Linda at lindafgoodrich@gmail.com if you are interested in adopting Daisy.

More Info -  Daisy was rescued from animal control by a family member after her family was evicted and she had no place to go.  She does have arthritis in her back and hips, but is on meds to control this.  She only has some trouble getting up after sleeping and down into a laying position.  She walks and runs well.  She should be watched on steps though, especially if they don’t have carpeting.  She loves to kiss and mouths your hand when playing with her.

What Daisy is looking for – She is looking for someone that will love her even though she isn’t a puppy.  She has a lot of love to give and a lot of life left in her.  She would like a yard and maybe another dog to play with.  She’s always lived with another dog.  She needs a safe and loving home in which to live the rest of her life.

Lanie ~ Adoption Profile

With her slightly bowed legs, fur missing on her ears, slightly tilted head, and severe underbite, Lanie has an endearingly unique look and a sweet, friendly and easy going personality.

Name - Lanie
Breed, Age, Gender - 7-8 year old female, shepherd mix
Color - Yellow/Reddish shepherd type fur with white underside on belly, legs, head
Size - Medium - 40 lbs
Energy Level - Quiet, calm, friendly
Good with other dogs? - Yes - gets along well with Stevie and likes to greet other dogs when out
Cats? - Yes - leaves cats alone and goes around them if they are in her path or waits for them to move.
Rabbits? - Unknown. (Lanie hasn't met the resident house rabbits yet.)
Housetrained? - Yes
Adoption Info -  Lanie is a foster dog for Rockbridge Dog Rescue.

More Info - Lanie is a sweetheart of a dog! She doesn't seem to have had an easy life and then was dumped at a shelter because her owner didn't want to take care of her anymore. The bare patches on her ears from fly strike and/or frostbite and her curiosity about normal household items and going-ons indicate she was likely kept outside much of the time. She was also heartworm positive and is completing her last round of treatment this month. She startles easily when touched on her back end so she may have been mistreated by her former owner. Lanie has adapted well to being a spoiled house dog :). She lines her bed with all her toys and plays quietly with them or brings them to you to play with her. She's very quiet and calm yet outgoing. Lanie loves to give kisses and greets houseguests and strangers by kissing them and wagging happily at them. She likes to go for walks and walks well on the leash without pulling.

What Lanie is looking for - Lanie could go to a variety of homes - with another dog, by herself, with cats, without cats, etc. With her friendly and calm personality and love of walks she would be a good companion for a younger person or couple or an older one. She's really pretty good with everyone so far. Very young children and puppies are about the only unknowns so far.

Lanie Arrives

Lanie arrived today! She's not fond of flash photography so just one shot of her with Stevie so far. I'll give her a couple days before I chase her around with a camera some more.

She's a sweet middle-aged gal (7 or 8) who is on her last heartworm treatment. She's mellow and laid back - gets along with other dogs, doesn't seem to care if there are cats around and loves to give kisses to people.  She's a pretty reddish yellow shepherd mix - can't really tell what she's mixed with though. She's on the small side for a shepherd mix- her back only comes up to my knees. I'll do a full adoption profile on her once I get to know her a bit better. And the underbite! Best. Underbite. Evah.

Lanie is a foster dog for Rockbridge Dog Rescue in Lexington, VA. If you're interested in Lanie, please check out their adoption application here.

Lanie's Story

Video sneak peek of Lanie. She gets her second HW treatment at the end of this month.

Lanie at Rockbridge Dog Rescue

(Note embedding is disabled on the video so I can only do a link for it)

Coming soon.......

Cue Jaws theme...Duh-nuh.....

Duhhhhh-nuh......

Duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh duh-nuh......

Lanie! With her irresistible underbite ~ in-bound foster for December ~ from Rockbridge Dog Rescue

Wyatt Goes Home!!

And he's off! Wyatt arrived at his new home today.

This was Wyatt in August two days after he was found - you can see all his ribs, his hips and all the sores from his skin infection:

And this was Wyatt today with his new mom, Sherry:

He's got a great new life ahead of him and a full dance card today - people to meet, doggies to play with!

Sierra remembered him and they had a play session right away of course.

I sent him off with the last of his meds, his squeaky toy collection, his kibble balls, and his little purple bunny that he still carries around even though he ripped out the stuffing long ago. Stevie came along for the ride and got to meet Sierra too.

The house is eerily quiet now. But good luck to Wyatt - and Trixie!

Wyatt Meets His New Family

Wyatt got to go meet his new family today. He'd already met his new mom, Sherry, several weeks ago but he hadn't met his new companion dog yet.

Here she is ~ Miss Sierra :)

Sierra is a 10 year old pittie girl. Don't let her age fool you- she has tons of energy! We took Wyatt and Sierra for a walk to get them acquainted. Sierra wanted to play right away though Wyatt was being a little shy. He warmed up after a little bit and we took them back to Sherry's place. Wyatt got the inspection of course:

And then they got down to playing!

Poor Sherry kept getting used as a prop. Wyatt just climbed all over her. He even managed to hop on the coffee table and then slide right off onto the carpeting.

They got in some serious play and had a great time. Sierra wasn't sure she wanted Wyatt in her kitchen at first but she relented and let him in.  A good time was had by all and Wyatt and Sierra have been napping ever since at their homes.

Wyatt gets to go home with Sherry and Sierra October 23rd. He's being neutered this week and then his sutures have to heal. After that- it's 24/7 playtime for Sierra and Wyatt :).

Sunny Side Up

Wyatt sunning himself on a nice fall day.

Looks like a different dog from the day he was found - 15 lbs heavier, skin infection gone, anemia gone- all better :).

Trixie Goes Home!!!

Yes you read that right- Trixie has been adopted !!! I certainly wasn't expecting that this morning when I left for the lab rescue adoption day!

Trixie hadn't been to an adoption day in a couple months as none were close by and she was still pretty scared at the last one - too scared to move off her blanket or stand up for folks. I've been working a lot with her on her fear of walks. I took her to Petsmart earlier this week and she did fine. We had to stop a few times and just let her lie down til she felt confident to walk again but she made it. I took her to Dogma for a bath yesterday afternoon and she walked right in and right through the store (we'll excuse the slight delay and confusion when she was confronted with two barking dachshunds who scared her a bit :) ). Today I thought she'd do much better than last time but I wasn't expecting just how well she did.

Trixie walked around almost the whole time! She greeted all the other dogs and sniffed all the hands held out to her. She walked around the parking lot, albeit a bit skittish, but otherwise walking like a normal dog. She actually perfered staying outside with the crowd rather than inside on her blanket. I was stunned!

And kids - she had crowds of kids around her half the time and she didn't mind at all. She really enjoyed one of the groups of girls who were with their grandfather. The grandfather would turn out to be her adopter :)

After looking over all the labs and test driving a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge came back to look over Trixie again. Their daughter and six of their grandchildren came along to help with the choice and it was down to Trixie and Sugar. Sugar pulled too much on the lead and the Rutledges thought she might be too much for them to handle so they tried out Trixie. And she walked beautifully with them! She followed them both around on the lead and walked gently with them- her tail even came up and she really seemed to like them.

And that was it- they picked Trixie! I sent her on her way with her collar, her leash, her blanket, a new pack of chewies, her favorite squeaky toy, and almost a few tears. I hope she does well- she's such a sweet special dog.

Trixie @ Adoption Day this Sunday

Come and meet Trixie!

Trixie will be at the Lab Rescue Adopt-a-Lab event on Sunday, October 3rd.

Where:  
PetSmart
5154 Nicholson Lane
Kensington, MD 20895 (301) 770-1343

When: Sunday, October 3, 2010
Time:  10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Trixie will be hanging out inside near the adoption application table on her fave blanket. Stop by and say hi!

Perplexed Puppy

You can tell when Wyatt is confused. His ears droop, his tail droops and he gets a look of dismay on his face. Things that completely baffle Wyatt:

• Fire hydrants - They smell like dogs but they are brightly colored metal and clearly are not dogs. What the hell! Light posts and telephone poles also smell like dogs and are clearly not dogs but they are not Wyatt-eye-level so they are allowed. 
• Barking noises from people - Humans can meow and make any other sort of sound but no barking! That's just wrong.
• Car alarms that arm with a honk - Hey! We're not in the car anymore - what's up with it still making noise?

Sad News About Wyatt and Trixie's Friend

Wyatt and Trixie's friend Mickey passed away this morning. He was my 15 year old gentle giant Chow. Mickey suffered what was likely a stroke a little over a week ago and his health declined significantly after that.

Wyatt understood Mickey couldn't play with him- he was just too old for play - but he liked to nap with Mickey and he always slobbered kisses all over his face.Trixie liked to sleep next to Mickey too. She isn't always interested in going out in the backyard to play every time I open the door but if she heard me getting Mickey up and helping him walk down the stairs, she'd come bounding to the backdoor and hang out in the yard with Mick. All the critters will miss big sweet Mickey.

The Thief

Trixie often hangs out in the background when stuff is going on in the house. I noticed she loves to collect toys for her bed. She makes a little pile of her favorites and sleeps with them. But I never see her putting them in her bed so I decided to watch and see how they ended up there.

It turns out Trixie is a bit of a thief. When she hears Wyatt rolling around, playing and tossing toys around the room, she goes in and sits quietly, keeping an eye on the toy she wants. Once that toy lands near her and Wyatt's not looking, she picks it up and leaves the room. She drops the toy off in her bed and comes back to see if there's another she wants.

I've noticed she does the same with socks. She'll go over to any laundry on the floor and check for socks. Then she'll pick out one or two and carry them back to her nest. She never chews on them and it's not an anxiety pattern. Apparently recently worn socks are just the thing for making bedtime groovy in Trixie's opinion.

Progress Report

Wyatt's doing great! He's destroyed his e-collar so that's off but he's not interested in chewing at his stitches. Keeping him calm for another week will be a challenge - but it makes the folks that sell dog toys happy. Bought him another assortment yesterday to keep him busy. Trixie likes him much better without the crazy collar too.

The only worry is his persistent skin infection. I think we'll probably need to do a culture to see what antibiotics would work better for him. The Simplicef is keeping it at bay but not getting rid of it.

And nothing says "I'm a big fierce pitbull" more than hiding behind my legs when a barking lhasa apso approaches.

Can't keep a good dog down....

...or from jumping on the furniture, trying to run up and down the stairs, racing through the house, playing...

Oh the challenges of keeping a 7-8 month old puppy inactive without being killed by the guilt of pitiful whining when he gets left in the guest room by himself. He's occupying himself by decimating a legion of squeaky toys. The purple bunny became a multiple amputee and the pink piggy has had an impromptu lobotomy. He's eying the stuffed turtle next I think.

The good news is he's doing great, his heart murmur is downgraded from a grade 6 to a grade 2 with more improvement expected, and he can be neutered next month as scheduled.

Trixie still hasn't decided whether the e-collar scares her or not. She does go up to Wyatt's gate at the guest room to say hi and get kisses back from him through the gate  :).

Flower Power

Wyatt makes a lovely Pittunia

Wyatt is home and completely oblivious to the fact that he just had heart surgery. He wants to play and run around and be a normal pup. But he can't be active yet so he's set up in the guest room with his e-collar on and plenty of toys. In theory, he's sore from the surgery but you can't tell at all. He's doing great!

Thank you for the ChipIn donations and the folks that sent in outside of ChipIn! Wyatt's up to $700 in his tip jar :).

Poor Sleepy Wyatt

Awwww......post-surgery, drowsy Wyatt

He looks very much the pitiful pittie in the pic- but he's doing fine. He wasn't really out of the anesthesia yet when I visited. He recognized his pink piggie and snuffled it a bit but was still pretty disoriented and out of it. Dr. Rosenthal came by and said hi and checked on him. Poor little guy's getting a lampshade once he starts moving around so he doesn't pull out his sutures.

Wyatt has succeeded in charming the socks off everyone at the cardiology vet- no surprise there ;). He has such a sweet disposition and happy personality.

Vet bills for all his care at both vets are just shy of $4K. Eeek - I think that scampering, squeaking noise I just heard was my credit card limping off to the corner to lick its wounds!

The mother of all....

 ...PDA's....

The vet noted it was one of the largest PDA's he's worked on. They had to use the largest size stint/plug and it's still got some flow around it right now. They're hoping that will close up as he heals. His heart murmur is still there but greatly reduced and should get better as we go.

He's awake and hopefully I can go visit him shortly. Little Fritter made it through too.

Waiting...

Wyatt's been dropped off.

He gave out kisses to everyone in the waiting room and tried to climb into everybody's lap. He met Fritter, a little chi mix who is in for heart surgery, and promptly gave him kisses too.

Wyatt half in the lap of one of the vet techs @ cardiology

I'll get two calls - one right before he goes in and one right after he comes out. There will be a third call if there are complications or if he goes into cardiac arrest during surgery. Fingers crossed that I only get two calls today and that little Fritter makes it through too.

Surgery Day is here !

Wyatt goes in for his PDA heart surgery in half an hour. He was rather disappointed to find that no breakfast was being served today (can't have food or water 12 hours before surgery) so he occupied his morning by doing his version of a guard dog. He sat on a pillow on the bed upstairs and occasionally barked at a passing dog across the street. If any of those dogs ever learn to levitate and fly in the second story window, he's ready for 'em.

Wyatt will have to stay til tomorrow afternoon - sending his favorite squeaky monkey and stuffed horse with him so he'll have some toys for his overnight stay.I'll update after he is out of surgery later today.

Weight Gain and Big Scary Things

Wyatt went in for a second round of bloodwork today in preparation for his surgery on Monday. He has gained a total of 10.4 lbs! He weighed in at 36.8 today and he looks quite normal now. The vets even commented on how he looks like a different dog - no more ribs and spine and hips sticking out.

He's also discovered ceiling fans- much to his apparent dismay. He noticed them last night and quickly ran for cover. It took him a couple of hours to decide that they weren't giant whirling birds of prey that were going to attack him, although he kept an eye on them just in case. I can add Ceiling Fan Guard Dog to his resume now, right below Squeaky Toy Decimator.

Wyatt ~ Adoption Profile

 Six days til Wyatt's heart surgery! And with that- here's his adoption profile.


 Name - Wyatt
Breed, Age, Gender - 7 month old male pitbull mix
Color - White with a few black polkadots on his ears
Size - Medium - 35 -40 lbs
Energy Level - He's a puppy - high :)
Good with other dogs? - Yes - loves to play with other dogs although he's rather scared of small barky types.
Cats? - Good with cats
Adoption Info -  Wyatt will be available for adoption in October once he has recovered from his heart surgery and been neutered (cannot currently be neutered due to his heart condition)

More Info -  Wyatt was found wandering an alley near my house, eating trash. He was emaciated and had a bad skin infection. He also has a grade 6 heart murmur/PDA (scroll down to see more about PDA) - he'll be getting heart surgery on Sept 13th for the PDA. He's gained 10 lbs and is nearly normal weight now. He has a sweet disposition and enjoys people and other animals. He is leash trained, crate trained and working on his house training. I'd say 90% there on house training - he understands house training but sometimes doesn't make it to his newspapers on time due to the Lasix he's on for his heart. He's working on learning his basic commands like "sit" and he's doing pretty well understanding basic rules like what is a chew toy and what is not. He's a  happy dog who is fine playing with other dogs, going for a walk or a ride, or just playing by himself with his toys. He's a bit undersize due to his heart but may eventually catch up on his growth. His feet are too big for him still :).

 What Wyatt is looking for.... Wyatt would love a home with another dog and active people. He loves to go places and once he has recovered from his heart surgery he'll be a great walking or jogging companion. He can also turn into a couch potato and sit with you for movies and puppy cuddles.

Trixie's Big Adventure

Trixie is scared of walks in general as unfamiliar sights and sounds make her flatten herself to the ground. She doesn't enjoy walking along the sidewalk at all. But I've been taking her to a quiet park near my house called Sherwood Gardens. When I first started taking her there, I had to carry her from the car partway into the park and set her down. She would just sit and maybe walk a few feet in a circle. Then I had to carry her back to the car as she was too scared to walk.

She's been gradually walking more and more in the park.

Today Trixie managed a complete circuit of the park! She seemed to really be enjoying herself- we took it slow and stopped for her to sit in some of her favorite spots in the flowers.

She even walked all the way back to the car, hopped right in, and then hopped back out at home and walked up to the door to be let in. Huge accomplishment for a dog that started out too scared to stand or walk :).

Things that ruin Wyatt and Trixie's morning

- coffee grinders
- garbage trucks
- dryer buzzers
- threatening looks from Minerva, the 3-legged cat (and undisputed Queen in Residence)
- house rabbits that snort at them
- alarm clocks
- 4lb yorkies

Thank you!

Thank you Sara, Linda, Monte, Sherry and Keri for Chip-In donations for Wyatt! Between Chip-In and other donations he's up to $497 so far to help with his surgery costs :o).

A couple folks have asked- yes, Wyatt will get the surgery no matter what. It's not dependent on donations - that's just to help offset a percentage of his surgery and aftercare costs.

And thanks to all the folks for cross-posting the blog. Trixie's had some inquiries! Yay! She's such a sweet dog.

Trixie ~ Adoption Profile

Name - Trixie
Breed, Age, Gender - 4 year old female lab mix (mostly lab)
Color - Black with white on muzzle and chest, white flecking all over body and face
Size - Large but on the small size of large - 50 lbs
Energy Level - Quiet, couch potato
Good with other dogs? - Yes~! Loves them and needs a home with another dog
Cats? - Very good with cats - currently lives with two and they sleep on the couch next to her.
Adoption Info -  Trixie is a foster dog with Lab Rescue of the LRCP

More Info - Trixie spent most of her life confined to a small pen with another dog that attacked her frequently. Her interactions with people were not kind - she was abused and neglected and ended up terrified of everything when she arrived at rescue. The people that had her cared so little about her welfare that they stuffed her in a car trunk and dumped her out at the local SPCA. Despite her bad start to life and the bite wound scars on her face, Trixie genuinely likes people and other dogs. She will probably always be a shy dog but she's learned that people can be kind and her sweet, goofy disposition has surfaced. She likes to sit quietly with you on the couch while you read or watch movies. She has a lot to offer - Trixie rarely barks, she's house trained, crate trained, doesn't chew, has no separation anxiety issues, and she has no food or toy sharing issues with other animals. Trixie loves other dogs and is perfectly happy to share her space with cats. She is skittish on walks but she loves to run around and play in a fenced yard or just sit outside with you. Her cutest habit is to put her head on the edge of the bed at night to get a good ear scratch - she does a little head wave with her nose in the air and a big grin on her face and then she settles down to sleep.

What Trixie is looking for.... Trixie would love a quiet home with another dog or two, no young children, and a fenced yard is a must. Oh- and lots of chin scratches and ear rubs :).

Wyatt gets his first donations!

They weren't chip-in donations, so they won't show on his chip-in page but Wyatt has his first two donations! Thanks to Robin Siegel and an anonymous donor for $$ toward his heart surgery - the little guy is up to $300 in his tip jar!

Sooo- What exactly is wrong with Wyatt ?

Other than only weighing 26 lbs, having a raging skin infection and being grubby and dirty when found, what could possibly be wrong with the little guy?

Just a life-threatening heart defect- nothing much!

Wyatt has what is known as a PDA - Patent Ductus Arteriosus . A PDA is caused by a duct that was used while the puppy (or really any mammal- humans too) was in the womb failing to close off after birth. This routes blood around the lungs and leaves the dog with poorly oxygenated blood and often other symptoms such as severe heart murmur, "backwash" in some of the heart chambers, low energy, failure to thrive, stunted growth, etc. Wyatt has it in spades with most of its side effects. Some PDA's will go away on their own but Wyatt's unfortunately is going nowhere fast w/out surgery. So he'll be getting surgery later this month.

If you really want the whole-enchillada explanation- head on over here ->Wikipedia PDA-o-rama

Wyatt's a happy guy though- he's got no clue there's anything wrong. He just tires easily and needs heart meds and controlled exercise (ha!) til we can fix him. The surgery will be pretty much putting a cork in the ductus :)

About The Kids

I've got two foster pups awaiting their new homes currently. A little about them:

Trixie - Trixie is a foster for Lab Rescue of the LRCP. You can check out her rescue over here -> Lab Rescue of the LRCP . Trixie is a bad abuse/neglect case who was so frightened when she was first rescued that she would just curl into a ball on the floor and not move if there was anyone around. Wouldn't stand, wouldn't walk - she'd just lay there shaking, trying to make herself as small as possible. She was stuffed in the trunk of a car and dumped out at the SPCA, who sent her on her way to LRCP. She's come a long way but she's still a work in progress. She's halfway to normaldom currently :)

Wyatt - Wyatt is the surprise foster. I generally only take on one at a time. Wyatt showed up emaciated and trying to eat trash down the street in the alley. My neighbor's grandson felt sorry for him and picked him up and brought him to my neighbor's house. They couldn't keep him and he landed on my doorstep. Turns out Wyatt has a Grade 6 heart murmur/PDA and needs heart surgery or he won't be long for this world.  His heart surgery is Sept 13th!

Oh I'm far too tired to design a blog tonight....

....but doing it anyway! Need to get one up to help get the puppers new homes! Easier to follow than FB and easy to pass around a blog link than an outdated email.