Settling in…one needs patience!

Blossom has been here for about 5 days. I am noticing some issues which are frustrating but I hope will be resolved quickly.

She seems to have a lot of anxiety going out for walks. The first day or two it was hard to get her out the door if she was on a leash (she would come out if I dropped it) and almost impossible to get her out the gate. I started (using treats and toys) to coax her out of the gate and our first couple of walks were just about 5 meters, from one gate to the other (I have two to the property). I realize (now) that I tried to get her to soon to go further. I never “pulled or dragged” her, but it took ages to go round the block. I will cut back now and just go very short walks till she gets more relaxed.

She LOVES chasing and fetching tennis balls. That’s a great thing.

She BARKS at anything that is “strange” and that includes the noise and subsequent decent of my son/grandkids down the stairs. Very annoying. Also to anything (real or imagined) outside.

The first three nights (Tues/Wed/Thurs) she slept tethered in the living room no problem (I didn’t want to deprive the cats of their regular place in the bedroom. As it is someone peed on our bed (luckily only on the covers, which have since been laundered)… perhaps a sign of cat protest.) Friday night, when I went into the bedroom, she cried and barked until finally (when there was a break).. I ended up sleeping on the couch. Last night, I tethered her to my bed and she slept happily enough. My initial idea was to have her sleep in a crate, but I can’t get her even to poke her head in a crate.

Another problem is that she seems to have a really bad ear infection/problem and it’s driving her (and me) crazy shaking her head. I must get her to a vet. The vet used by the Rescue Org is in Ramat Gan, which is a 35 min drive away (assuming traffic is normal…which it never is). So I will probably end up taking her to my local vet and paying for it. (Time is money, after all.)

I (at first) got really annoyed that I wasn’t told about these issues but after texting with her previous foster, I realize that maybe it is just something that has to do with settling in. Apparently when she got to her first foster, she wouldn’t leave the apartment for a week (this was when she was four months) and eventually she was happy to go for walks.

I started watching YouTubes about these issues and realize I may be moving too quickly and expecting too much. Also, I need to give the dog STRUCTURE… I am the most “unstructured” person around. But I’ll try.

Here’s a nice video (there are tons). “If you are concise and understandable and behave in the same way a hundred times out of a hundred, then your dog’s behavior will start changing starting with the fourth or fifth day.” (OK… i NEED to more patient!)

Blossom

The beginning

Two years ago (March 09, 2000) Pepper passed over the Rainbow Bridge and since then, I miss him so much. His portrait hangs above my computer adorned with all his ribbons.

Last March, I decided that maybe a foster pup from the Guide Dog Center would be an idea. It wasn’t. Dealing with a puppy and a one-year-old and a three-year-old was impossible. Puppies NIP and there’s nothing you can do about it and it was traumatizing for the children (I couldn’t keep Pierce confined every time they came downstairs; they were “always” around). So in May, Pierce went to another foster (and the Center changed its policy not to allow puppies to homes with kids under 8).

I don’t want to adopt! It’s a commitment for too long. Now, without Pepper and Honey, I am free to travel whenever I want (two cats don’t really pose a problem). But after returning from a two weeks in Sri Lanka, I decided to try fostering again. But no puppies.

So, I reached out to here and there, and was told that BLOSSOM needs a home. She is 7 months, and has been 3 months fostered in Tel Aviv, but the foster’s landlord has said no more. Medium sized. Supposedly nice and gentle, okay around cats. Sounded good.

I agreed.

Yesterday I drove to Tel Aviv to pick her up. She is a sweet thing. I asked if she had any “issues” but didn’t really get a straight answer.

I had an idea to take her for a little walk while the foster mom was loading up my car with a crate, bed, bag of food, toys and other paraphernalia and was “redirected” to taking her into the building’s yard.

I was told she hated being in a car. (She did, she threw up, but actually after 3 minutes crying, she settled down.)

When I got home, I discovered the reason for the “redirection.” SHE WILL NOT WALK ON A LEASH!!!

She clearly has fear issues: She is afraid to walk into “other rooms” (This morning I got her into my office by leaving a trail of hot dog bits and moving her bed into it.) She’s happy there now. She tends to bark at Oded when he comes downstairs (lots of dogs do this…maybe because he is tall and “looming”).

I also have some “issues” with how she’s been “handled.” (Call me judgmental. I don’t care.)

1. She came with NO collar and NO nametag/ID and she is NOT chipped. She was often allowed to run leash-free in the yard where she lived. If she would have run off, there would have been NO WAY to get her back (other than luck). What kind of rescue management is that?
2. She came with a small (!) bag of DOGLI food, which must be the crappiest food in dogdom, and a HUGE bag (20 kg) of BENIDOG (for which I can find no reviews, and I haven’t read the label yet). Her poop is not well-formed (and that’s all I am going to say on that matter).
3. Apparently her “official” name is “Blossom” but her foster called her Curry or Coni or something or sometimes just “sweetie.” A “great” basis (not) for training recall.
4. Her harness was REALLY tight on her (since rectified).
5. She knows four “commands”: Sit, come, no, and good job. Not sure what the “good job” command signifies. I’m pretty sure nothing. She does know “sit” quite nicely.

And there you have it. Beginnings. Looking forward to working with her and hopefully getting her to be less fearful and more adoptable.

A.N.Y.W.A.Y….

I’ve got a fresh pack of hotdogs and I’ve “loaded” my clicker already.

The Rainbow Bridge

I am writing this last blog from over the rainbow bridge. I passed there last Friday, March the 9th, 2020.

For more than a year, I was feeling my age. Hips, knees, mind (I had dogzheimer), nerves. I got drugs (Selgin, Rimadyl, SamE), physio (water therapy, laser, etc.) Linda even bought a pool and during the summer I spent 15 min a day paddling around.

But I was getting more and more tired, more and more sad, and more and more in pain.

Wednesday and Thursday I didn’t feel much like eating, found it hard to get up and move, and even going out to pee and poop was an ordeal.

Thank you, Mom, for 12 years of a great life. Thanks for all the tricks, the agility, the cyber-rally-o, the hikes, the visits, the snuggles in beds. I will be looking down on your and remembering the good times.

When you look out the window, and see my little grave and the fig tree you planted, you will remember me. I love you.

Pepper.

Happy Endings and Tears – Looli’s story continued.

The story of Looli continues with an unbelievable turn of events.

Last Wednesday, Naomi received a phone call from a guy. Turns out he was Looli’s ORIGINAL OWNER!

So here is the story.

Tzachi got Looli (whom he had actually named Bamba) as a small puppy from a friend of his, when he was 13, and they were best friends until he had to leave to start his army service. He entrusted Bamba to his mom, who took care of her for about a year, after which she didn’t want to be bothered anymore.

She gave Looli to a neighbor, who apparently either gave Looli away to someone else or just abandoned her (it seems like she just one day opened up the gate to her yard and kicked Looli out). When Tzachi found out he was heartbroken, and had since been regularly checking the national microchip database for Looli’s number, to no avail.

What Looli did during the time she was wandering is still a mystery. The story is lost, and picks up a year or more (?) later when Adela finds her, and I foster her for six months.

When Naomi got the dog 5 months ago, she registered her in her name. Last Wednesday, Tzachi did one of his periodic searches and finally hit pay dirt. Naomi’s number now came up next to Looli’s microchip number.

He immediately called Naomi, who told him that Looli was fine and healthy and living a good life. Tzachi cried. He later phoned Linda to thank her for taking care of Looli, and later also called to thank Adela. A nice guy.

On Wednesday, he’s going to visit his long lost Looli aka Bamba. Hope to get some photos to post!

(PS. Just in case you’re wondering, he doesn’t have designs on Looli. He is just happy that she is safe and well.)

Looli finds a home!

I guess everybody should be happy and ecstatic. I for one, will enjoy NOT having my food stolen, my balls (the kind your run and fetch) destroyed, and my heels nipped.

I have a suspicion that Buffy (the cat) is out buying beer and chips for a celebration. Looli totally enjoyed chasing her!

So I’m not sure why Linda is sitting and sniffling. Like she’s sad. I mean, she WANTED to find Looli a home.

But there you go. Humans!

Today Linda made up a bag with about 8 or 9 tennis balls, some tug toys, some stuffed animals, a huge bag of food, some treats and Looli’s dog sweater. She also washed one of the plushy beds (the one that Looli liked to lie in). Then some people came — a nice older lady and her nephew and niece-in-law and their dog and took Looli away in their car. This reminds me of when that nice lady came and took Kenny away in her car.

Of course, the important thing is that I always stay here. No one comes to take me away!

 

 

More Looli

Looli is STILL with us, but she fits in so nicely with the family. Only problem, according to Linda, is walking the three canines. Oh ya…and Looli chases Buffy. Not nice. But here are some more pictures.   A couple of days ago, Linda decided to turn Looli into a Scottie dog. Ha. The problem, of course, is that Scotties have pricked ears and “carrot” tails. Not to mention long eyebrows, a long beard and ear tufts.     However….

Looli as a Scottie

  But at least she isn’t trying to look like me.

Looli…very adoptable doggie!

Looli is still with us.

She’s a sweet little girl and we make a nice matched set! But mom says that two dogs are enough for her.

So if you know anyone who wants a really friendly doggie, please comment below to get in touch with us.

To remind you: Looli is 8 years old, spayed, terrier-poodle mix (very curly hair, so must be a lot of poodle). She came knowing nothing, and is now pretty good at sit, down, come, fetch, ‘hello’ and she even does some jumping agility-style (see the movie clip)!

Sometimes she’s annoying, like when she nips at my heels so she gets first dibs on mom. Or when she rips up my toys. But mom says she’s really good because she seems to know what her toys are and hasn’t destroyed anything but… all the pillows, sofas, shoes, etc. are safe from her!

Here are some pictures of her:

Belly scratch please!

 

And here’s a link to a cute movie clip of her doing “agility.” (She’s no match for me, of course, but I let her think she’s a champ!)

 

If you know anyone deserving of such a great little doggie…please contact us!

 

Looli

Hi there! It always happens. The mister leaves for warmer climes, and I figure I’m gonna have more time with the misses, when we get invaded by another four-legged creature.

Last year we had Maple, who thankfully ran away for a day and then went away after a day. (Good riddance and all that!) But the year before we had Kenny, who stuck around for a whole nine months before he found his forever home.

So…here we go again. Another invader. Sheesh!

This time it’s Looli. She’s kind of cute (if I do say so myself, but then again, she looks a lot like me!) But … well…

I’ll fill you in on her story.

Two weeks ago (Sat, Jan 18), someone dumps a dog off near A’s rescue (where she got Honey). So my bleeding-heart mom, when she heard this, said she’d take the little thing and spruce it up. She went and picked her up on Tuesday. This is what the dog looked like:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here she is in the middle of her shave:

And this is what she looks like now:

She is 8 years old, got all her shots, and is spayed. She weighs about 9 kg (less than me, because she has shorter legs). (We know all this because we took her to a vet, and Looli has a microchip and we talked to the original owners, who gave all sorts of dumb excuses to make it look like they are angels, but in fact, they are bad people who dumped a dog!) But she has not got any education. Doesn’t even know “sit.” Well, she’s learning this now and to walk politely on a leash. And she needs to learn to share a bit. You should have seen her when I tried to take that bone from her.  … OK, well, maybe I shouldn’t have TRIED to take that bone from her. But it looked yummy!

My mom thought that she might know someone who would take Looli, but it doesn’t look like it’s gonna work out, so now we need to find Looli a new home.

If you know anyone, please call 0525119787. Really, she’s OK, but sharing my mom with Honey is bad enough!

PS… Here is a picture of me when mom first found me:

And here I am directly after that first, embarrassing haircut:

Notice the resemblance?

And here I am today…

Ain’t I handsome?

 

Beautiful Pictures Take Time…Hmppphhh

OK. I posted a page about these amazing drawings my mom is doing to help raise money for one of her favorite charities.

Here’s the one (ONE!? Just one! Can you imagine? I deserve at least three, don’t you think?) she did of me. I am rather handsome, I must admit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She’s trying to spread the word around and get more orders. Her aim is to raise 12,000 NIS.

Now, I fully support this charity (Spay Israel) and wish it the best of luck. But you know, when mom is drawing, she isn’t PLAYING WITH ME!!!

Hmph!

 

(But still…spread the word! And don’t forget to order a picture for yourself, or as a gift for your friend! Or both!!!)

 

Funny pics

I’ve opened a page with cute dog cartoons. Enjoy.