Once bitten, twice shy

Vince

Hank

I've got some dogs here that I really need to start moving.  Several aren't even posted yet so I can't really be surprised that folks aren't clamoring at my door to adopt.  I guess I've gotten gun shy, a few failed adoptions make me think it's impossible, that no one is willing to modify their lifestyle to accomodate a dog, and that people are just generally too stupid.  While I could support those statements with a LOT of evidence, it's obviously not a good attitude, and particularly not a productive attitude to have towards adoptions.

I talked to someone yesterday about Hank, but it's an older woman and she has a cat.  The only dog I have with a known, cat-friendly history is Vince, and Vince is a senior dog. 

Lana

Dixie and Radley

Max really needs to be back in someone's home.  He is like Velco, very devoted, very needy.  One spouse from his former owner was a small dog person and thought that Max was "lunging at her throat" every time he jumped up.  That's just stupid.

Lana and Radley are sweet dogs, but both are part pitties, and as much as it pains me to save it, I'll never take another one because they are tough to adopt.

Dixie is a great dog, a great shepherd, but she's a female shepherd and few people have what it takes to handle one. 

I'm even reluctant to put the puppies on the web.  I'll get inquiries from people who think they are the perfect home because they have kids who want a puppy.  Sorry, folks, but that's a strike against you, not a plus.  They will be big dogs, how big I can't say.  They aren't already housetrained, leash trained, and therapy certified.  They are puppies.  When they are adopted I want them to stay there, not be returned in five years when their owners move, get divorced, or start having babies of their own.

Max

Dixie and Radley

You can see my problem, I'm jaded and bitter.  Perhaps a success or two will turn things around.  I know it always come down to taking a leap of faith, but putting trust in people is getting harder and harder to do.  In the meantime, we've worked out a sustainable routine around here, the dogs are happy and things are fine, at least until the puppies grow up.

Dixie

Stupid, stupid, stupid

 

Sparky may be the major beneficiary of my garden plot.



I'm an idiot.  I don't have time for my job and the committments I've already taken on.  The last thing I needed was another.  But now I have a plot in the Fluvanna Community Garden. 

It's a mess, completely taken over by weeds.  They had laid down some landscape fabric sometime recently to keep the weeds down, but it looks to me that all it's done is provide some shade for the weeds.  I'll need to haul my tiller up there and turn the soil, mix in some peatmoss, and then lay down landscape fabric that will actually cover the ground and prevent weed re-growth.  I'm just going to cover the entire plot and cut slits in it for planting.

I'll probably just plant tomatoes, which I could grow at home or buy anywhere so don't ask me why I just rented a plot in a community garden.  There is no explaination for it except that I'm stupid.  But, it may provide an incentive to get me up there several times a week for a walk either before or after I tend the plot and harvest my plentiful bounty. 

This is my garden plot.  Lovely, isn't it?

As predicted, I am sore today, but Sparky and I returned to the trail (near the garden) for just a short 30 minute walk.  I sprayed myself well, I thought, but Clay just pulled a tick off my back.

The puppies have worms.  They got a third dose of panacure today, does Panacure not work on roundworms?  I know that Strongid is generally used for rounds, but I thought Panacure would cover them too.  They are getting speutered tomorrow, I had to give them names for the records, so I went with Astro, Luna, and Sunny.

I like the concept of a community garden, and I think it might be fun.

I am gonna be sore on Monday

 

I've been really sedentary for the past couple months.  The work I was doing for my job had me tied to the computer more than usual and I was stress eating on top of it.  Something had to change and I hope today was a new beginning, but I know I'll be feeling it on Monday.

After puttering around for a while in the morning, I loaded up Sparky for the first time in a very long time and we headed to Pleasant Grove to hike.  We only did about an hour and a half, but that was enough for both of us today. 

I found some ticks on me afterwards, of course, so I will spray myself more thoroughly next time.  We hiked a section of the horse trails that was new territory for us so that was fun.  We had a pretty good storm pass through here a few days ago and there were quite a few trees and many limbs down, often blocking the trail.  At the end we discovered the Fluvanna Community Garden, which I hadn't known anything about.  There are unused plots in the garden but I'm not sure how to go about signing up for them and I'm really not sure I have the time to do it this year anyway.  Great idea though, and it might give me the incentive to get up there at least a few days each week.

After the hike I made the run out to retrieve the four dogs I had boarded.  After getting them home and situated, I loaded up the canoe and headed to the river for a float trip.  It was late afternoon by the time I started, but the days are long and the river was pretty high so I knew I'd have time. 

It was a beautiful day, although some stray clouds came over once or twice and even produced some thunder.  I was starting out late in the day so I didn't expect to see a lot of wildlife, but there were ducks and geese (both with offspring), and turtles.  The big surprise came when I spotted something downstream that I first thought was a turtle on a bobbing log.  But then the log disappeared entirely.  As I got closer it reappeared and I could tell it was an otter. 

The otter

He teased me, appearing and disappearing several times.  He made a wide berth around my canoe but kept popping his head up occasionally to keep an eye on me.  At one point he started chattering at me, which I took to mean something like "get the heck out of my river, asshole."  I was snapping pictures like crazy but mostly I got water because he was popping up and down quickly.  This one pic shows his head and face fairly well, although it's a bit blurry. 

It was a good trip and good exercise because I paddled most of the way and made the trip in about 2.5 hours.  I'll be sore on Monday but feeling good.

Homecoming

When I got back from Kansas there were only 4 fosters here, our 5 dogs, and the 3 pups.  It was nice, quiet, easy.  I wasn't yet back in the swing of things around here and I was in no hurry to bring back the 4 I had boarded.  But they had to come back eventually and Sunday afternoon I went to retrieve them. 

Gypsy Jr. actually seems to have gained a pound or two.  Apparently massive quantities of bad food agrees with her.  Hank was happy as he always is and went right back with Lana and Radley.  Dixie is no worse for the experience, but they tell me that Max was apparently displaying some gastrointestinal distress, maybe just from the stress of the move and the change of food, we will see.  He's the next one I'd really like to move to another foster home if they are ready for another dog. 

They are all back home now anyway.  Now I need to work on moving some out for good. 

Eat, poop, play

It's time to start moving puppies.  They are really growing, getting to be quite big and chunky.  They are still very cute, but you can't pick up one of them without realizing that these are going to become good sized dogs. 

We have a little used, somewhat mobile kennel that has been residing in the front of the house right off the front porch.  It looks rather trashy there but it was handy when we had the parvo pups living upstairs and needed a place to get them outside quickly and easily.  The grass is growing up in and around it now, however, so I needed to get it out of there.  We moved it back under the birch trees in the back yard where it makes a nice, well-shaded, grassy play space for the puppies during the day.

I hope to get them speutered this coming week and then it's time to start looking for homes for them.  It's summer, school is out, it's a great time for someone to adopt a pup.  Of course, then we start hearing about people's vacation plans-- "can you keep him for us until July or August?"  No, not if I can find a home now.  It's time someone was beginning to work with these guys on training, housetraining, etc. 

Rex moves out

You can see how thin Rex's tail is here.  He doesn't chew it,
but he grabs it with his mouth and spins when he's excited.

I drove Rex to his new foster home in Front Royal yesterday.  I am very hopeful that it will work out well for him. 

Our place isn't right for every dog.  For many dogs that I take in, this place is a little slice of doggie heaven compared to their former homes or homelessness, even though they are mostly living outdoors in kennels.  But it's not right for all dogs and I think Rex is one of those.  He needs more time and attention than I can provide and this place was over stimulating for him.  And frankly, I'm not good with dogs with behaviors that drive me crazy, like shyness, barking, tail chasing, or any other obsession.

Rex with Naiah.  If he knows what's good for him he will continue
to suck up to her.  She's quite capable of kicking his butt.

I am very reluctant to dump problem dogs onto other fosters, but this one knows the problem and is well equipped to handle it.  We both think it stands a good chance of working out.  Once Rex is something close to a normal shepherd (notice I didn't say "normal dog"), he will have a lot of adoption prospects as he is a very good looking young male.  Most of the people who want him won't be right for him, but his new foster can sort that out.

Naiah and this new foster home will be the best things
to ever happen to this dog.

These are pics I took yesterday.  The other dog is Naiah, a former VGSR foster dog, although she wasn't one of mine.  Rex tried his inappropriate new dog greeting, but Naiah read him well and could tell he is just a stupid young boy dog. The two of them were playing together before I left.  The new foster does a lot of training and Rex will benefit from that as well.  He just needs a directed outlet for his energy, both mental and physical. 

Initial reports, and photos, from the new foster home all sound good. 

Shaking things up

Vince has moved indoors with the household dogs.  He's an old guy and he's been an indoor dog, should be easy.  Rex is moving to another foster home this weekend, I hope.  Those two had been sharing a kennel and/or the shed, so that frees up a space.  I will probably move the bullies, Lana and Radley, back to that space; they had moved to the big kennel for the time I was gone.  I need to pick up Dixie, Max, Hank, and Gypsy Jr. from the boarding kennel today.  Gypsy will go back with Sparky.  Hank can go with the bullies.  Dixie beat up Max once before, but I think I may try them together again.  I need to get Nero's old kennel sanitized with bleach so I can use it again.  It would be a good space for Dixie.  Whew!  That's a headfull, it's no wonder I'm losing my mind and memory.

Here are a few pics of Vince and Gigi playing in the pasture.  Vince is good in a crate in the office at night.  Gigi slept in bed last night.  We may have to consider a king size bed.