Buddy Found his Forever Home!

Buddy recently went on a Meet & Greet to a potential forever home.  He most definitely won them over as he has now been officially ADOPTED!

We fostered Buddy for 37 days.  It was a wonderful month full of snuggles, playtime, and lots of love!  Buddy was truly a good boy with a good heart.  He was a great first foster for our family.

Buddy did not just get a new family; he also got a new name!  Buddy is now Bodhi. 

Bodhi left us on Sunday.  It was bittersweet for us, but we couldn't be happier for him!  He went to a wonderful family that will give him lots of love!  Bodhi is the only pup in his new family, so there will be lots of love for him. 

I know Bodhi will be given a wonderful life with his forever family.  This fact made it a little easier to say goodbye to him.  Don't misunderstand me....we miss him, but we know he is where he is meant to be. 

Now our home is free for the next pup that needs to be rescued.  I wonder who will be joining our family next.  I hope they like to play because June is ready to go!

Congratulations, Bodhi!  We will always have you in our hearts!

Please consider rescuing your next best friend from your local shelter or rescue group.  You most certainly won't regret it!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura

Save a Life: Spay & Neuter

During my recent trip to the vet with Cooper, I saw several other dogs and pet parents in the waiting room.  It saddened me to see dogs that were not spayed or neutered. 

I try not to judge owners with a female that has obviously been bred.  Several people adopt females that have been saved from puppy mills or that have been turned into shelters after years of backyard breeding.  I understand that these people are responsible adopters that do not condone breeding.  The fact still remains, however, that either the current or previous owner was not responsible.

There are so many reasons to spay or neuter your pet.  The most wonderful reason:  You will help put an end to overpopulation!  Here are a couple of heartbreaking statistics from "The Adopted Dog Bible":

• There are about 34,000 puppies born in the United States every day!
• There are millions of dogs put to sleep each year in our shelters.

Let's do a little math.  34,000 x 365 = 12,410,000.  Over 12 million puppies are born each year in the United States.  Imagine if this number was controlled through spaying and neutering.  There would be so many fewer deaths due to overpopulation.

Here is another wonderful (& beneficial!) reason to spay and neuter.  There are several health benefits.  Research shows that altered dogs live longer and healthier lives than dogs that are not spayed or neutered.  Spayed females are much less likely to get mammary cancer.  Testicular cancer can also be prevented by neutering.

There are also behavioral benefits to altering your dog.  Males are less likely to roam in search of a mate. (And less likely to get lost!)  Altered males can also be less aggressive.

Spaying and neutering is a marvelous thing!  Here is a link to find low-cost spay and neuter programs in your area from the ASPCA website.

As always, please consider adopting your next best friend from your local shelter or rescue group.  You will be saving a life as well as enriching your own!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura



Reference

"The Adopted Dog Bible" By Kim Saunders
Published in 2008

Cooper's Diet: Part 2

I took Cooper to the vet yesterday for his yearly exam.  We had to sit in the waiting room for just over an hour.  Coop was the by far the best pup there.  I, of course, am biased, but he certainly was well behaved!  He just chilled out on the floor and ignored the crying pups next to him.  My big bear is so mellow.  One more thing to love about him!

We finally got called into an exam room.  Cooper had to get on the scary table that moves....not so fun!  This was the part I was anxious for.  As you may know, Cooper started his new diet about a month ago on 11/26/12.  I was so excited to see his progress.  (And worried that he may not have lost any weight at all.)  The scale kept climbing and stopped at.....91 pounds!  My boy lost six pounds in just one month!!!  I was so proud of him!  (And I was proud of Ben and me for controlling our urges to give him bites here and there!)



"Please, Daddy???  Can I have a cracker???"
(He didn't get one despite those adorable puppy eyes!)

 

Cooper's exam continued with the not so fun stuff:  blood drawn, shots given, and the worst...stool sample!  He was once again displaying exemplary behavior!  He even kissed the vet tech after each poke with the needle.  He is a big sweetheart! 

The vet tech said he was so very good.  She even asked him if he could teach the other pups how to act during an exam!  Even though he is on his diet, the tech gave him THREE cookies for being such a good patient!!!  Of course, we all had to keep it a secret from the vet.  He is on a diet, after all!

The vet came in and finished the exam.  He was very pleased with Cooper's weight loss.  He said we made an excellent start on his diet.  Then Coop got a few more pokes and prods from the vet.

Cooper had a lump I have been a bit concerned about.  The vet took a sample, and said it had the characteristics of a benign lipoma.  Good news!  So my Coop has three lipomas now, which can be quite common in labs.

After the vet, I took Coop to the local pet store to get some food and some new toys.  I just can't help myself when it comes to buying toys.  They are so cute, and the pups love them so much!

I had a wonderful afternoon with Coop.  It was nice to have some Mommy/Cooper alone time.  He is my boy, and I love every minute I spend with him! 

I can't wait for next month when I can update you with his weight loss.  Keep your paws crossed that we continue to move in the right direction!

As always, please consider adopting your next best friend from your local shelter or rescue group.  You most certainly won't regret it, even with two hour vet visits in your future!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura

A Romp in the Mud

A little over a week ago, we had a couple of hard rainfalls.  Our yard takes forever and a day to dry after we get rain.  I am sure you can imagine how fun it is to have a giant puddle instead of a yard with three dogs in the house.  We end up with a pile of wet towels by our door to wipe wet and muddy paws.

Right before the rain came, Junie got a bath.  She was playing in the yard with Buddy and got rolled into some poo during a game of chase.  As you can imagine....it was bath time after that!

She smelled so wonderful after her bath!  I bought a new shampoo for the pups, and it is pretty awesome.  We got one lovely evening with our sweet smelling June bug before the rain came.

The morning after it rained, I let the three dogs out while I did a couple things in the house.  They weren't out very long.  I think it was only five minutes or so.  I came to the door with towel in hand to wipe their paws when I saw her.

My oh my!  Looks like it is time for another bath! Buddy and June had quite a romp in the yard.  They were digging, running, and chasing all over the giant puddle.  How fun for them! 

The boys got a thorough toweling down before coming in, but June was beyond toweling!  Can you believe she thought I would open the door for her looking like that?  Silly girl!  I had Ben carry her into the bathroom to avoid muddy paw prints through the house.

My sweet girl was not very pleased about two baths in a row, but at least she smelled sweet again!


Please consider adopting your next best friend from your local shelter or rescue group.  You most certainly will not regret it, even with muddy paw prints! 

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura

The Pup Under the Porch

It was summer 2010.  My parents were living in the country with their two beloved dogs, Elwood and Hunter.  Their family was about to have a big change that came in a little tri-colored package.

One day that summer, a beagle showed up at my parents' house.  He was running around with the neighbor's dog, Ziva.  Mom and Dad were at first very apprehensive about this little visitor.  The beagle looked quite ragged and unhealthy.  They asked their neighbor if he belonged to them; he did not.  He simply showed up one day and made friends with their dog. 

The beagle would come and go for days at a time.  He would always come back though.  He slowly got to know my parents.  He would come up to them on the porch and try to get some pats and snuggles.  His cuteness wore my parents down, and he got attention when he would stop by to say hello.

The beagle would hang out at my parents' house from time to time.  He would sleep under their porch to keep cool in the Indiana summer heat.  He would lay in the garage on an old dog bed when Dad was out working.  He became a regular guest.

One day in October, the weather changed.  The first truly cold day of the year came.  It just so happened that on this day, my dad forgot to shut the side door to the garage.  They came out the next morning to find the beagle curled up on the old dog bed in the garage trying to keep warm.  Seeing his little body shaking from the cold was just too much for my parents to bear.

They immediately called the neighbors that had been feeding him since he showed up as a stray.  The neighbors said he still wasn't their dog, but that they had been feeding him and calling him "Ralph".  My parents told them they wanted to take the beagle in and make him a family pet.  Even though they already had a house full of dogs, there was room for one more.

The beagle, now known as Barney, was a permanent member of the family.  My dad had to pick up Barney the first time he brought him in the house.  The second time Barney came in the house, Dad had to help him through the door also.  The third time, however, ZOOM!  Barney ran in on his own because he knew he finally had a home!

Barney the beagle had a home of his very own.  He had a brother and sister to play and snuggle with, and he had a mom and a dad of his very own.  He most certainly had a warm winter that year with blankets and beds to snuggle in.  It was probably the first winter he had shelter to keep his little beagle body warm.  He was one grateful pup. 

Barney quickly grew accustomed to his new life.  One might say he became king of the castle.  To this day, he walks his yard and protects his kingdom.  If you walk by, you most certainly will hear a "Baaroooooo!!!" from a lucky beagle named Barney.

Adopting comes in all shapes in sizes.  Please consider adopting from your local shelter or rescue group.  Or maybe a stray will show up under your porch one day.  No matter which avenue you take, adoption is one decision you most certainly won't regret!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura

Buddy's Meet & Greet

Buddy had quite a busy day Wednesday!  Paula from Sea Dog Rescue picked us up in the morning for a home visit with a potential forever family!

Buddy was such a good boy!  He was a champ for the hour long car ride.  He was such a good riding companion.  Buddy just chilled out in the back in his riding harness. 

We stopped at a park near the home visit for a quick walk since we were a bit early.  He enjoyed a nice sniff around the park.  Buddy was such a good pup; he didn't even pull on the leash!  After a quick walk, we hopped back in the car and headed to the meet and greet!

A wonderfully nice couple met us at the door.  Buddy headed right in and started sniffing.  He sniffed the couple, the floor, the bookshelves, and everything else he came across. 

Buddy was a perfect house guest during the home visit.  While Paula was discussing things with the potential adopters, Buddy was checking out the house and backyard.  Could this be his new home? 

Buddy did make quite an impression.  He isn't the most graceful pup, and he had never seen stairs before.  He was a bit nervous at first to walk up them, but he followed all of us.  He even made it back down without any incidents.  After gaining a bit of confidence, he attempted to go up by himself.  We called him back down, but he just looked at us.  He was too cute!  I got up to go bring him back so we could keep an eye on him.  When I called him to come, he looked a bit confused.  It wasn't confusion because he didn't know what I wanted.  It was confusion because he didn't know how!  Hhhmmmm....should he turn around?  Should he back down slowly?  Nope!  He made one giant leap to the floor from almost halfway up the stairs!  Not the most graceful landing, but it certainly made an impression!

Buddy really was a good boy!  He had a great morning and really enjoyed his visit.  He slept the whole way home in the back of Paula's car.  He was so cute!

We have our paws crossed that Buddy will soon have his forever family!  I will keep you updated on his journey!

Please consider adopting from your local shelter or rescue group.  You most certainly will not regret it!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura

Pups & Pancakes

Ryder really wanted some pancakes!

Early one morning, my dad was sound asleep because he works the late shift at his job.  Barney and Ryder generally sleep with him, but they have free reign in the house to sleep where they please.

Dad heard the "Pop, pop, pop" of the gas stove burner clicking on.  He called for my mom, but there was no answer.  After, glancing at his clock, he realized that my mom had already left for work.  What on earth was going on???

Dad got out of bed and headed to the kitchen.  What did he see?  There were dishes from the sink all over the floor and the gas burner had a flame going on high.  And who was in the middle of all of this mayhem?

Ryder....what a pup! 

My mom had left the pancake griddle on the stove top after she made breakfast.  No pancakes...just the griddle.  Young Ryder just couldn't help himself.  He had to see if there was anything left on that griddle.

And somehow, he managed to turn on the burner all by himself.  Now that is impressive!  Bad...but impressive.  I have a heck of a time getting those things to light sometimes, but not Ryder!

Dad turned off the burner, took Ryder back into his bedroom, and shut the door to prevent any further mischief.  Once they were all settled back into bed, Dad smelled something awful.  Burnt hair!!!  Poor little Ryder singed some fur somehow when he was investigating the stove top.  Don't worry.  Dad checked him out and he was fine.  No burns; just a few singed hairs.

Well, as you can imagine, Ryder will no longer get free reign in the house after my mom leaves for work.  He gets shut into Dad's room to prevent any mishaps and he gets crated when no one is home until he outgrows his puppy ways.

You have to love puppy mischief!  They are just too stinking cute to stay mad at though!

Please consider adopting your next best friend from your local shelter or rescue group.  You will most certainly not regret it (even with a little mischief here and there)! 

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura

The Pet Walk

Buddy, June, & Cooper

On Saturday, December 8, Ben & I took the pups to a Pet Walk.  It was in Waterfront Park here in Elizabeth City, NC.  It was a great event for a great cause!

Two local Cadette Girl Scouts initiated this event for a project they were working on.  I had the opportunity to meet the two girls at the walk, and I thanked them for putting together such a great event.  It truly warms my heart to see young children and young adults coming together to help animals.

The Pet Walk at Waterfront Park

This event also supported and brought awareness to our local SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina.  It just so happens to be the same shelter we adopted Miss June at! 

The walk was free to attend.  They simply asked for donations (not money) to help support the local SPCA.  The flyer for the event listed several low cost or even no cost items you could donate.  Here are some of the no cost suggestions they had.  (Although new items of these suggestions were welcome as well.)  Gently used items are a great thing for shelters to receive as donations.  Not to mention it is a great way to clean out your closets!  

Towels

 

Leashes

 

Collars

 

Food Bowls

 

Pet Carriers

 

Blankets

 

There were also several low cost items you could donate, such as:

 

Treats

 

Animal Shampoos

 

Toys

 

Pet Food

 

Hand Sanitizer

 

Cat Litter

 

Peroxide

 

Office Supplies

 

Bleach

 

Dawn Dish Soap

 

Stamps

 

Laundry Detergent

 

Pet Beds

 

I love that they gave us suggestions for things to donate other than just money.  Although money is quite useful for them as well!!! 

 

I went on an early morning shopping trip to Big Lots to get some items to donate for the walk.  I absolutely LOVE shopping for our four legged friends!  Of course, it is always hard for me to decide which toys to buy.  There are too many cute choices!

 

Here is what I ended up getting for my donation, and it only cost $21.00 for all of this loot!

 

 

The pups had a good time, but Cooper was being a crotchety old man with all of the overzealous young pups, so Ben walked him away from all of the commotion while Buddy, June, and I went around the loop for the walk.  (And this behavior for Coop is quite abnormal.  He is our gentle giant, but I am thinking it was sensory overload.  His fur was on end, so we erred on the side of caution.)

 

Buddy was so well behaved!  But little Miss June bug was the star of the show!  We adopted her from this SPCA, so a lot of the volunteers remembered her.  She is one girl you can never forget!  They were so happy to see her again and to see that she was doing so well.  I assured them that she has a wonderful life now and is very much adored! 

 

June got her photo taken for their newsletter.  She is going to be famous one day; I just know it!  After we met up again with Coop and Ben (who had tried to sneak over to the water for a quick swim!) we headed back to the car to head home. 

 

I strongly recommend that if you choose to donate, do it locally.  You can donate money or goods to your local shelter or rescue group.  It goes directly to the animals.  You can immediately see the good you are doing.  And if money or goods aren't easy for you to come by, your time is so very valuable as well.  You can be a dog walker at your local shelter or open your home to a foster.  Helping comes in many shapes and sizes!

 

Such a good boy!

 

As always, please consider adopting your next best friend from your local shelter or rescue group.  You most certainly will not regret it!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

-Laura

 

 

Wordless Wednesday #4

Here is one of Buddy's first sessions of "Leave it & Take it".  He is such a smart boy!  His forever family will surely be impressed with him!  If you or anyone you know is interested in Buddy, please visit Sea Dog Rescue.  They even arrange transport to his forever home you are at no extra cost!   

Buddy's Walk Downtown

 

In our little town in North Carolina, we have an art walk every first Friday of the month.  It is a lovely little festivity downtown where all of the local shops and businesses stay open late and promote our local artists.  There is an art gallery, and local artists are spread throughout downtown in local shops to display and talk about their work. 

Waterfront Park

Ben and I took our little Buddy on this art walk tonight.  I made him a little bandanna to wear that said "Adopt Me".  Yes, my fabric choice was a bit bright, but it gets dark so early now.  I wanted to make sure our boy stood out in a crowd.

Buddy's New Bandanna

Although there were a lot of people out tonight, they were mostly inside of the shops.  Unfortunately, Buddy wasn't allowed in.  Silly rules!  We did, however, walk up and down the main strip a few times where people were walking around a bit. 

 

Buddy was awesome!  He didn't pull on the leash at all and had a lot of fun sniffing around.  He got several "Oh how cute!" and "What a sweetie!" remarks from walkers.  He got to  meet a very nice lady who pet him and told us all about her two rescue shepherds at home.  She thought Buddy was adorable (of course)!  Buddy wasn't even the slightest bit nervous meeting her.  Maybe he could tell she was a shepherd fan at heart!

Buddy only got a bit nervous once.  A family of four was walking toward us and he backed up a bit.  After that, Ben & I headed back to the park where our car was.  Getting him out and socializing him was great, but enough was enough.  We didn't want to overload Buddy on his outing.

Every time he was walking, sniffing, and happy, I gave him a pat (or treat!) and told him what a good boy he was.  I couldn't help but think what a great dog he will be for his forever family, whoever they may be. 

As I am typing this, he is sound asleep in the bed next to me.  He is so very sweet and just wants to be loved.  And don't worry, he is getting plenty of love here in his foster home! 

Coop is also sleeping right next to me....Snoring like an old man of course!  I do love his snoring though.  If I am ever away from home, it is hard to sleep without his rhythmic, slumbering sounds.  A house without a dog is not a home if you ask me!

Please consider adopting your next best friend from your local shelter or rescue group.  You most certainly will not regret it!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura

A Sea Dog by the Sea

 

The Chewing Challenge

 

We most certainly had some mischief in our house this weekend!  Ben & I slept in just a bit on Saturday morning and woke up to this:

 

Well....our little Buddy put a teeny hole in the couch cushion and then he and Miss Junie spent the early morning hours after breakfast taking the stuffing out.  How fun for them!

So later that morning, I got out some needle and thread and patched it up as best as I could.  Being leather, it was a bit of a challenge.  Of course my two sweet culprits snuggled on the couch in question while I was fixing it.  I like to think they were "helping" their mom fix it.

Ben was impressed with my fix, and wasn't too mad about it at all.  I assumed that since the hole was gone that the temptation would be gone also.  Wrong!

Sunday morning, I got up for work, took care of the pups, said bye to Ben, and left.  Ben was still asleep as it was early on a Sunday morning.  A couple of hours into my shift at work, I got a text of this:

June still loves her favorite chair, even though there is a bit less of it!

Oh my....Ben has been so understanding of my desire to foster and help, but is this getting to be too much for him to handle???  My brain usually flips to the "Worry" setting in situations such as these.  I know Buddy is just a pup and things happen, but I was so worried Ben might change his mind about fostering.  (Which he didn't!  Love that man of mine!)

I sent Paula, from Sea Dog Rescue, a text asking for help.  So on my lunch break, I gave Paula a call and she asked what was going on.  I told her Buddy had started to chew the furniture.  I have dealt with all kinds of puppy mishaps through my life, but never a furniture chewer.  I needed some advice.  And Paula had plenty to give!

First, we diagnosed when this chewing was occurring.  I told her I thought it was our morning routine.  I get up in the morning (around 5am), take care of the pups, then head to work, or head back to bed if I don't have to work in the morning. 

We deduced that the chewing was happening after breakfast and before the household woke up for the day.  Buddy, being a pup, was wide awake after breakfast and wanted to play.  His brother and sister thoroughly enjoy their beauty sleep, so playing with them is out of the question.  So our bored little Buddy took it out on the couch :(

Buddy with his handiwork.  Still a sweetie in my book!

 

Step number one was to crate Buddy after the morning routine until the household wakes up.  We did that this morning, but he cried.  Hopefully he gets used to the new routine until his chewing is under control.  But the good news, no new couch holes this morning!

Paula gave me some other great advice.  The first thing is an oil she is going to bring me to put on the chewed areas in case he revisits them.  He is going to get one nasty taste in his mouth!  Deterrent!!  Also, we need to keep a super close eye on him while we are home and awake.  He needs to be with us at all times until he can be trusted a bit better.

Another bit of advice she gave me was in case I walked up on him while he was chewing.  She said to use a loud noise or clap to distract him, but to not use his name as it would confuse him.  After distracting him, give him a chewing approved toy.  Once he chews that, Praise, Praise, Praise!!!

Hopefully between crating and these new techniques, we will get this chewing under control.  In the meantime, does anyone know where to get cute, cheap slipcovers??? :)

As always, please consider adopting at a your local shelter or rescue group.  Even with the mishaps, having a dog is wonderful.  I wouldn't give back the chewed couches or broken window blinds for anything in the world.  Pups are more than worth it!

Also a big, giant thanks to my wonderful husband!  Thank you for supporting me, staying patient, and taking care of the pups with me! 

Thanks for stopping by!

-Laura


***UPDATE***

It has been 8 days since our mischief mishap.  I am proud to say that we have identified and fixed the problem!  Buddy just was bored in the early morning hours after breakfast and before the household woke up.  I crated him once in the morning hours while I slept, but then tried a different approach.  It has been working out wonderfully!

Whichever of us leaves first in the morning (Ben or myself) makes sure to shut all three dogs into the bedroom while the other is in bed.  I make sure there are about five or six different varieties of toys and chews on the floor to keep Buddy occupied if he doesn't feel like snuggling, but he normally just snuggles with his foster mom:)

And as for the couch.....it is fixed, too.  Luckily, there were some leather patches under each piece of furniture, so I sewed them all together like a patchwork quilt.  Then I sewed the patch over the hole.  It isn't the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, but it serves its purpose.  No more hole and it matches...sort of.  The patches aren't exactly faded/worn like the rest of the leather, but it is pretty close.

Here is my handiwork:

I am proud to say we are no longer "Chewing Challenged" here at the Bruner household!  Yay!!!