Stanley, Standard Poodle Extraordinaire

I want to write kids' books about Stanley. 

Stanley knows how to strike a pose

Sit, Stanley! Good boy!

Seriously, I can't recall a visit with Stanley where I don't laugh at least once. He is loaded with Caninality! Clifford & Lassie have nothin' on Stanley!

Last summer, I wrote a quick little entry about Stanley and the Tulips. It was adorable watching this young Standard Poodle delicately sniff the tulips! At that time, I didn't think he could get more adorable than that.

Time for my BELLY RUB

Boy, was I wrong!

We've developed a routine. When I arrive for a visit, Stanley will roll onto his back for belly rubs. He LOVES belly rubs! As long as I pet his tummy for a bit, he lets me put his harness on then he'll jump up ready to walk as soon as I stand.

If it's a windy day out, I better ready myself for an energetic walk. Stanley LOVES to chase! He chases blowing leaves like a knight pursuing dragons. But instead of a sword, he has teeth and that dead leaf will get chomped. He doesn't eat them, he just chews them... until they're soggy and can't blow away. Then he pursues the other leaves that dare to float near him. He will chase birds and butterflies too, but hasn't quite figured out how to fly. Not just yet, anyway.

Stanley as Groucho Marx

Today,  while we were playing in his backyard, I noticed the tree behind his fence was flowering. The wind picked up and suddenly Stanley was surrounded by a million petals. He turned into a whirling dervish with teeth trying to catch them all!

Stanley is also a fan of sticks. He likes to play fetch with them and catch them and he'll even hold them in his mouth like a cigar.  But what he loves best is when we play "Toro, Toro!" I hold the stick out and shout, "Toro, Toro!" and he runs and jumps as I dance the stick away until he manages to grab it from me. He's a smarty and a quick study so he usually gets it.

It's always difficult to leave Stanley 'cause when I pet him goodbye and give him more belly rubs, he gives me nuzzles and kisses.

Adventures in Dog/House Sitting

Zinc - Boston Terrier

As I went to take Zinc, the Boston Terrier, out to pee (which I do every 2 hours because he has health issues and the meds his own makes him thirsty & pee a lot) I see a Chocolate Lab wandering around in the front yard. Zinc sees him too and, while he's pretty mild mannered about other dogs, he's getting a bit riled up by this guy in his front yard. As friendly as that dog seems through a glass door, I don't know how he'll react to Zinc or vice versa. I can't take that chance.

"Sorry Zinc. I'm gonna have to take care of this before we head out." I rub his head and hope it doesn't take too long since I can tell that Zinc really has to go.

I head back inside, grab my spare leash and hope the dog's still nearby or has gone back home. I open the door and he's standing right there on the porch, wagging at me. He doesn't have a collar on, but I easily lasso him as he's super friendly.

Fortunately, it's a beautiful day so people are out on their lawns and, because the dog has gotten out before, they know which direction the dog came from. About a block away, a nice woman points to the house across the street where there are a bunch of kids in the yard and the gate is standing open.

"He gets out all the time. Make sure to talk to a parent." She advises. I smile and nod. My plan exactly.

The kids get their dad who is grateful & scolds the kids for leaving the gate open. He says the dog is an escape artist. I mention collar and tags which he brushes aside. I say something about him possibly getting hit as and he tells me that  the dog got hit by a car two years ago.

"You'd think he would've learned."

He shakes my hand and takes his dog back inside as the kids are chattering away.

There are things I want to say... But he's gone and I need to get back to Zinc.

Bag o' Kitties?

Last night, I got a message from my mate which started with, "don't kill me..." then told the story about how she was at the pet store picking up some much needed kitty provisions when a couple came in with two kitties in a reusable waterproof shopping bag. They had found them abandoned and it was too late to take them to the shelter, so they brought them to the pet store because they couldn't care for them since they have a puppy. My mate couldn't ignore the situation and these folks were obviously ill equipped for what they had, so she brought them home where we got them food and water and a litterbox, setting up the bathroom for them.

Today, I took them to Hinsdale Humane Society to be processed and vaccinated and checked over. Tonight, I brought them home for fostering since they need socialization. They're both girls and, most likely, the bigger one is the little one's mom.

Valentine Kitties! 

We named the mom (DLH black) Cupid and the daughter (ragdoll mix) Valentina.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Snow, snow flurries of snow

Matting my fur, boy does it blow!

Nose first I dive in

In the slush I do swim

My walker must tread with care,

or fall upon her derriere.

Okay, bad poetry aside, walking dogs in snow... What a trip! (Which rhymes with 'slip', which is what I keep telling myself NOT to do.) Half of the dogs love it, the other half hate it. I'm lucky that several of the dogs I walk are very tolerant and good about me cleaning off their fur and feet and making sure no ice or salt is stuck between their pads. Of course, there are the few that want to bite my hands, or at least the towel, as I dry them off. Fortuantely, I've not been chomped... yet. Alternating toweling off with praise and lots of pets helps.

***Having picture difficulty... will post pics later.***

January is dog training month!

One of the biggest complaints about dog behavior I've heard at the shelter or when out walking a dog or anywhere there are people with dogs is Jumping. Now jumping is not the worst of dog bad behaviors, but it is one that practically everyone who comes in contact with dogs has had to deal with. This is a great article on the WHY behind the jumping as well as the WHAT to do about it from Pet MD:

How to Stop Your Dog From Jumping

Poo-splosion!!

Yoshi & Link - double the mayhem!

We have foster kittens again! At first, it was just one little guy who needed a foster family, But he needed a friend. So when two more just 3 week olds came in, they joined our happy clan. Then their brother and sister were brought in too. Well, we needed to keep the family together... So now we have five itty bitty adorable almost 4 week old fosterlings in need of socializing and growing. 

And we've got the socializing down! From the beginning, all but the solo guy would hide when anyone came into the room. Now they come running, even the girl, who was the shyest. They crawl all over us when we lay on the bed and, when we're standing, they climb our pants legs. Link, the singleton, has made it all the way to my shoulder. As far as the growing goes, that just takes time.

Zelda - who me, trouble?

But then... poo-splosion!!

At first, it was some liquidy poo in the litterbox. I note it and plan to pick up some Forti Flora then next time I'm at the shelter. The next time I'm in the room, not two hours later, there are little puddingy poo bombs all over the room! I clean and clean and clean... I wish I could go get the meds right away, but the shelter's closed so it'll have to be the next day. I clean some more in the morning before I leave to walk dogs. While I'm gone, my mate and fellow foster mom who just so happens to have the day off, sends me the following text:

< I cleaned up a ton of baby poo, went to throw away the paper towels and the little &*#%s had pooped right by the door again during that thirty seconds. >

Luigi, call me Mr. Tiny Lots-O-Poo!

She was also dealing with our Old Homeless guy's incontinence. (He had a few pee-splosions!)

"Oh dear," I think. Slightly worried that she's going to be upset and not want to foster anymore. But then I get this text:

< I forgive them for that and playing vandal horde at the door, they're climbing on me with shit paws and purring. >

I shouldn't have worried... She's just as big a sucker, I mean gentle heart, as I am.

Mario rollin' around & sticking out his tiny tongue!

The Smelly Homeless Guy

My Best Mate, who just so happens to be my housemate too, found a smelly homeless guy wandering in her shop's parking lot. Now it's usually ill advised to bring a random homeless guy home, but it was getting colder, her shop's near a very busy intersection and he was super gentle, sweet, nice and cute. So she brought him home. 

How could we resist this face?

Won't you take me home?

The next day, we brought him by the shelter where I work & volunteer. I scanned him for a microchip and found one! I called the microchip company & they called the numbers they had for the owners. No answer, but one number had a voice mail so a message was left. We also found out that yes, he is indeed a purebred English Bulldog and he's 9 years old. We left his info with the police of the town he was found in, the facility he would have been taken to if the cops had picked him up & other shelters in the area.

While we're waiting to hear back from them, we decided to keep him at our house. But if he was going to be inside, he was going to have to get a bath! Now our dog Socko, hates baths so we were a bit apprehensive about the whole process. As it turns out, needlessly so since he was SO good!!


He and Socko are getting along just fine and he hasn't gone after the kitties. (Yay!) He seems to be making himself right at home... in my lap!

Yeah.... that's the spot!

Dirk the Destroyer!

When I first met Dirk, he was crated. Such a sweet boy! A very strong pup, but incredibly sweet.

Dirk - Black Lab / Pitbull

On walks, he pulls a lot because I'm apparently not going fast enough. And if he sees a squirrel or another dog... whoa, Nelly! But as soon as I say his name, he slows and if I whistle and say "wait", he stops before crossing the street and sometimes he even sits. When we get back from walks, he sits nicely for treats and pets. And when he was crated, he would go into his crate and wait for the second half of his treat. Such a good boy!

Then his parents decided that since he was being so good, they'd leave him out of the crate. After all, the crate was to prevent him from being destructive and he was being so calm in his crate.

The first few visits I had with him once he was out of the crate, he was pretty good. There was the spatula incident... at least, the pieces of chewed and mauled plastic seemed to have once been a spatula. But other than that, pretty darn good.

Until I walked in on this:

At first, I couldn't identify what was all over the floor. Some sort of foam padding, yes. But from what? Furniture? A pillow? Part of his parent's bed? 

Then I saw it. Over there in the corner was the cloth wrapping that had once been the cover for Dirk's bed... He had destroyed his own bed! I, of course, cleaned it up. After that, there one more incident of (somewhat minor compared to his bed) destruction before his family had him back in his crate. Fortunately, he likes his crate!

Dirk looking contrite (I think he wants a cookie)

Fall Haikus

Sometimes I get creative when I leave notes for the pet parents, particularly when it's a dog I walk every day. I'm certain they get bored of, "we had a great walk!" I know I do. So I try to make it fun and sometimes silly by observing the world we're walking in as well as the dogs' reaction to the world.

Haikus inspired by fall and dog walking:

Oh you wind, my friend

Blow those leaves around for me

And I'll catch, you'll see!

Leaves fall on my head

And sniffing is my delight,

Treat time is the BEST!

Walk around the block
Fallen Autumn leaves to sniff
Morning dew is thick

Rocky - Chinese Crested

Salsa Party!

Blu - Weimaraner pup on a walk

Blu - after her walk, BIG tongue!

One of my clients with Out-U-Go! recently had a "Salsa Party". Not a party with just salsa dip, a Salsa dancing party. She had me come over and stay with her pup Blu while she was getting set up and while the party was going on.

For the two hours before the party even started, I wore Blu out. We first played in the yard for about half an hour. Blu has lots and lots of energy and LOVES to play fetch! She doesn't always want to drop the toy, so I make sure I have another one ready to throw when she brings the first one back. I won't throw it unless she drops the first toy; an exchange. She is getting better about dropping because she really, really, really wants to play and if she manages to get both toys, I refuse to play until she gives me at least one. (Also, I won't chase her... which she really wants me to do.)

Then we went for an hour long walk. Since I've been learning training techniques from Blu's trainer, Charmaine* with Collins Canines, I worked on some of those with Blu. Blu's a very clever and curious girl with the attention span of a gnat so getting her to focus is quite a challenge! She has some fear, so we worked on making the world a much less fearful place with lots of praise and hotdog pieces as rewards. We also worked on her pulling. We did the "stop & start" method, which is just like it sounds. As soon as she starts pulling, I stop. Once she stops pulling, I start walking. This makes for a very slow walk. But since she wasn't quite as hyper because we started with romping in the yard, she only pulled for a short while then decided to walk with me. She was still sniffing everything along the way, but beside me instead of trying to get to things miles ahead of us.

Once we got back to Blu's house, her mom was all decked out and looking lovely.  I took Blu in for some water, but we still had some more time as the DJ had just arrived and things were still being set up. Since I didn't want to take her on another walk and the backyard was getting all ready for the party, I got the long leash out and we played for another half hour in the driveway and the front yard. I could tell that Blu, the pup with endless amounts of energy, was getting tired.

We went inside & up to her mom's room where we were going to be hanging out during the majority of the party. We played a tiny game of fetch with a toy that was up there, but she fell asleep almost immediately.

Blu cuddling her toy

She did have a few moments of waking up to a sudden noise downstairs a bit panicked, but I calmed her down and she fell back asleep. (And I got to work on some writing!) After about two hours, she woke on her own and needed to go out. Now her mom's room is on the second floor, and while she has no problem getting up there, the stairs are steep and her mom usually carries her down. I decided to work on making the stairs less scary. I set hotdog bits on each stair and coaxed her down. It took about 15 minutes to get her to even start going down the stairs, but once she did, she made it all the way down.

We went out, she did her business and, since most everyone was sitting and talking, I decided it was a good time for her to meet the guests. Since part of her fears have to do with strangers, I led her around slowly while praising and let the party goers, who were willing, give her bits of hot dog. I continued to feed her treats too. She did so well!! By the last person, her tail was wagging and she was giving the offered hands lots of slobbery kisses. What a good girl!

Blu, looking at butterflies

*I think Charmaine with Collins Canines is fantastic!

If you're looking for a trainer, you should check her out!

Foster Kitty Drogo!

Drogo - my foster kitten

Drogo, the sweetest kitten, is now available for adoption at the Hinsdale Humane Society! He was one of the two foster kitties I wrote about back in June. Tyrion, the other one, was adopted pretty quickly. Drogo got a kitty cold, so I brought him home to recover. He's well now!
My best friend and I sponsored him to get neutered. He's been approved for placement with young children and/or other pets. Here's the little write-up I did for him:

		Drogo LOVES to run around and play and makes the cutest little chirping noises as if he's talking to himself. He would cuddle with me while going to sleep. Once he's had a good romp, he'll come over, stand at my feet and look up at me as if to say, "pick me up, please!" Then he purrs and purrs while I pet him. He even likes to be on his back getting his belly scritched! He got along well with my 4 cats and, after warming up to him, he got along GREAT with my big ole shepherd mix. He is a very fun, friendly, and happy little fellow that will make a wonderful pet.

The Passing of a Friend

Ms. Molly, who had cancer, has passed on. She was such a sweet girl! I will never forget how she'd flop on her back demanding bellyrubs  whenever she saw me. (And yes, I was the sucker who would always comply.)

The day I came in to the note that said if she was still laying by the front door to call her momma, was the last day I spent with her. I called her mom and she told me that it was time and we cried. I took Tailor for a walk. Then, when we got back, I spent some extra time sitting next to Molly giving her pets and lovin'. I knew she was feeling miserable since she didn't roll on her back for belly rubs. But I sang to her and petted her softly. At one point, all the pets, Tailor and the two kitties, came and sat around her too. It was as if we were sitting vigil. I stayed until she fell asleep, assuring her that her momma would be home soon. I wish I could've stayed, but I had to leave to go care for other pets.

Even though I only knew her briefly, I will never forget my friend, Molly.

Ms. Molly - Glen of Immal Terrier

Slumber Party!

The weekend before I left to go camping, I had a slumber party with two dogs and two cats. The best part was that these are dogs I walk on a regular basis! We had a great time playing and they were all great to take care of. The shy kitty even came out and cuddled with me by the evening of the first day! I hadn't even met the shy kitty until then 'cause he's... well, shy. (He's even camera shy. Silly kitty!!)

Ms. Molly - are we ready for bed yet?

Ms. Tailor -I'm ready for my tummy rub!

Puck - yeeeeesssss?

Wayne - the elusive kitty

Poo power!!

Here's the Scoop:

San Francisco to Turn Dog Poop Into Biofuel

clicky-clicky!

First Impressions

an

Clementine - Mt. Feist

Molly - Boxer Mix

Thursday night was my first visit with Clementine and Molly. Their parents are gone through the holiday weekend. Since I'd never met the dogs, this would be our fist time meeting ever.

I'd been alerted to the fact that Molly is wary of strangers and she startles easily. Good things to know. I've had several encounters with dogs who are a bit on edge through Out-U-Go! and the shelter I work at. The main thing to keep in mind is that it will take a while for animal to warm up to you and don't judge them on their first impression.

The clouds were thick that night. As I got out of my car, I could hear thunder in the distance. I walked up the steps to their apartment feeling the heaviness of the air. About halfway up, the barking started.

In an attempt to soothe the dog, as I unlocked the door, I sang in a soft yet high pitched voice. "Hi Ms. Molly and Ms. Clementine! I'm here to walk you and feed you and we're gonna be good friends."

The snarling, barking face that greeted me as I pushed the door open, did not want to be my friend. But, just beyond Molly was Clementine. It was a strange juxtaposition! Clementine was practically dancing in place, she was so excited to see me. She ran to my other side and there she was - ears forward, running up to me and trying to lick my hand. On the other side was Molly - ears back, hackles up, teeth bared, snarling, barking and backing away.

I put my hands in my pocket, averted my eyes from Molly and kept singing. "Nothing to be scared of. I want to be your new friend. Let me give you a treat!"

Since Molly wasn't rushing me, I moved very slowly to the kitchen table where the treats were. They both sat, though Molly still looked freaked out. I fed them and read over the notes the pet parents left me. I took Clementine for a walk, hoping Molly would see how much fun Clementine had and be okay with me.

As we were outside, I noticed that the weather had gotten worse. It hadn't yet started to rain, but it is pretty dark and I could see lightening in the distance. Clementine didn't seem to mind.

I gave them treats when I got back in and, since Molly seemed to be chilling out, I moved very slowly to put her leash on. Two things happened almost simultaneously: I heard a loud crash of thunder and Molly bit!

Fortunately, she only got my shirt.

Time to call for backup. (One thing I really like about Out-U-Go! is that if something goes wrong, I'm not alone.) Amanda, my boss, was on a visit herself. We discussed the situation. Amanda was baffled. She'd met Molly before and had never seen her behave like that. But just talking to Amanda calmed me down. As we talked, I continued to give the girls treats. Molly was no longer barking or snarling, but she was still fearful, stress panting and, every few seconds, her body would jerk... as if something was startling her.

That's when it hit me. Though I couldn't hear it, I realized there were fireworks going off in the distance. That combined with the thunder and this strange person in her house was terrifying her! I understood the situation. But what to do...

Thinking back to my work with not so friendly dogs in the shelter, I decided to try to lasso her with the leash. I pulled the leash through the handle end and looped it over her head. It worked!

We managed to walk and, even though it was sprinkling, the thunder is closer and I heard more fireworks she did well. She finished up her business and we get back inside. While walking, the leash managed to get caught under her collar so I couldn't just drop it to let her slip out of it. But I'm still not putting my hand anywhere near her neck. I found a long wooden spoon in a drawer and slid it under the lasso. It came right off. Phew!

The next morning, I come in with treats. Molly barked, but then settled down. No snarling at all. Over the next few visits, she got more and more comfortable with me until I was able to cuddle with her in the livingroom. She even put her head in my lap while I wrote notes!

Just goes to show, you can't judge a dog by the first meeting. Especially when thunderstorms and fireworks are involved!

Why yes! These are adorable foster kittens!

Oh the cuteness! 

Drogo*, the black short haired boy, is about 8 weeks. He needed more socialization. When he first came home about a week ago, he would hide and hiss as soon as someone came in the room. Now he just looks up and waits to be picked up. He's also playing and eating well! Woo-hoo!

Tyrion*,  the fluffy orange tabby boy, is about 4 weeks. He needed growing and medication for a wee little cold. He's feeling so much better now and is romping and playing and has the biggest purrs you've ever heard from a little one under 1 lb. What a sweety!

*the kittens are named for characters from Game of Thrones.

If you like fantasy & excellent writing, read the books!

or, to add excellent acting, watch the HBO show!

Both are yummy!

Tiny Furry Guests

Mugsy - foster kitten

Pedro - foster kitten

Tomorrow I'm picking up two tiny house guests... KITTENS!!
One is 6-7 weeks and in need of socializing (in other words, scared of people and hissy) and the other one is under 4 weeks and primarily needs feeding/growing. They are orphans without littermates. Kittens who don't have littermates when they're so young, have a hard time grasping boundaries because there isn't another kitten to say, "hey! stop that!" (in cat, of course) among other things that they learn from interacting with each other. This is why they're being fostered together. 

Cosette - foster kitten

I've done some fostering (the pics are of my previous foster kids) and there are certain things that every kitten foster needs. 

1. A safe place - especially when you're dealing with tiny kittens, you want to make sure to minimize the chances of them getting into trouble. If you don't, you may end up with a kitty falling or ended up in the trashcan, or chewing/destroying things, or countless other things. My fosters will be going into the upstairs bathroom that's practically empty. I still had to move the toilet brush and cleaner to under the sink and put the trash on the back of the toilet, but there's less that they could get hurt with than if they stayed in my room.
2. A place away from your pets - right now I have the bathroom door closed so my guys can get used to not being able to go in that room.
3. A comfortable place - CAT BEDS!! ;)
4. Food, water & litter pan (with litter) & toys
5. lots of love, patience and time!! It also helps if you have others, say a mate or a friend, who can come in and help. And how do they help? By playing with kittens!! (Oh, the work I impose on those I love!)

I absolutely adore fostering! Though, I must confess, the first night or so is a bit exhausting since I tend to wake up every few hours with a need to check on the kittens.   >^..^<

Weathering a new Motto



Cassie - French Bulldog
Nick - Boston Terrier

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

I've decided to that the mail courier motto fits dog walking pretty darn well. With just a bit of modification, I'm sure I could make it into a good motto for dog walkers...



Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these walkers from their dogs.

...though the walk may be altered to fit the needs of the dog.



Palin - Pomeranian



Hmmm... Might need to work on that a bit.  ;)

The thing is, not all dog walks are equal. There are small dogs, big dogs, puppies that need extra patience*, older dogs who can't go so far, two dogs that get walked together and dogs who want to run, run, run! There are also dogs who may have temporary changes due to an injury or a surgery or something else. It's at these times that it is crucial that the pet parent and dog walker have good lines of communication. Overall, each walk is different. Yet weather will not keep me from my appointed rounds. Maybe I'm over thinking it...



Elmhurst Pet Parade 2011

* The link is to a blog post Amanda, Top Dog of Out-U-Go! Downers Grove, wrote!

Learning the ropes! Or rather, leash...

While dog walking is sometimes just about getting the dog out of the house to do his/her business and get some exercise, that's not always the case. Sometimes, my job is to help with the training. I love this!!



Porter (Boxer pup) resisting the leash



For example, 

Max (English Bulldog Mix) walking nicely

two dogs I walk are puppies. You know what  puppies hated? Leashes. Or rather, the fact that when you're walking them, you don't want the leash to be chewed on. This involves a lot of me making the incredibly annoying and loud "Ah-ah!" sound and adjusting the leash so they can't get to it.

Then there's the hopping and spinning in the air that they'll do in an effort to get away from the thing that has their neck. That just has to be waited out. The most valuable tool in any training situation is patience.

Treats will also help to lure a dog to walk, but the best thing is to use the what my mom called the hitchy-pitchy (high pitched) voice. In the most animated voice, the pups are given lots of encouragement. Whenever I'm training dog walkers for the shelter, I tell them they have to sound absolutely ridiculous or the dog won't do what you want. (The teenage boys love this the most.)

Porter (Boxer) tolerating the leash



Birdies and Bunnies Beware!!



Chester - Lab/Beagle Mix

Chester is one of the dogs I walk five days a week. When I first started walking Chester in April, I was shadowing another walker. She told me he was really trying to be good, but he's still a puppy. Even now, at almost 8 months, he definitely has a lot of puppy energy. But he's trying! He's gotten a lot less mouthy and jumpy; will sit at the door as I put his leash on and wait patiently while I open the door. He's getting better about staying with me even when there are other dogs around.

But if there's a bunny.... Whoa Nelly!! If only he could get his collar off and chase without me holding him back, he'd... oh boy, he'd do stuff!! That bunny wouldn't know what hit!!
(This is what I imagine he thinks would happen...)
Bunny: "Was that a truck??"
Bunny's Friend: "Why no, my wittle bun-bun friend! That was a CHESTER!!"
Bunny: "Noooooooooooo! Not a CHESTER!!! Anything but that!!!"

I have a theory that Chester may just possibly have some pointer or some other sort of bird dog in him because when he sees a bird, or several birds, he freezes and... well, points. He then seems a bit confused, as if he didn't know why he did that, then he'll give one bark. By that time, the bird(s) are long gone.

Ferocious hunter Chester!