WCRR goes to the fair

West Coast Rottweiler Rescue is going to be at the Surrey Museum for their annual Easter Fair on March 22nd, 2008 in Cloverdale B.C. Thanks so much to TnT Shar Pei Rescue for sharing their table. http://www.tntsharpeirescue.com
While we are limited in space as to what we can show and what we can sell, I do know this. For those that love them (actually I mean those that have dogs that love them) I will be selling my almost world famous liver brownies. We will also have some brochures available about who we are and what we can do. And with any luck, I hope we can get a basket or two donated for a small raffle.
So once again, I come begging, collar in hand, for donations for a raffle basket or two. Coffees, teas, etc, always do well as do bath products and of course some stuff for the children. If anyone has any ideas for this sort of fundraising let me know. We are all still pretty new to this type of thing and can use all the suggestions and help offered.

We need an experienced foster home

WCRR has been asked to take in a 5 yr old rottie female. She is currently in a shelter here in the lower mainland. Poor Bella is frightened and not showing well in the kennel. She will need someone that has rottie experience, has the time to show her that humans will not hurt her and that we can be trusted. Bella will require a quiet home with no children, and although she has lived with another dog, can be reactive when meeting them. We have no idea how she is with cats. The foster home must be able to keep her until she settles and this may take a couple of months.
Of course WCRR will pay for any vet bills, all her food and we will be there to help you with the transition. If you can give Bella a safe place to land, please let us know as soon as possible.

Rhonda is testing out a new home

The big girl is gone on a foster to adopt contract. We are really really hoping that she plays nice with all the other dogs there cause this home is just right for her. It is the kind of home that every senior dog deserves. Filled with love, care, and in Rhonda's case, some great exercise.
Senior dogs can be hard to place only because most people are afraid of losing their heart to a dog that could leave them soon. But for those lucky people that understand the love of a senior animal, well, nothing is quite like it.
Rhonda's new home has almost no stairs, other dogs to keep her company, humans that will care for her no matter what comes along, and even horses and cats. We will know in a couple of weeks if this works out for her but until then, her foster spot must remain empty.
To her new family, I'm sorry if she gets up really early. I may have forgotten to mention that. Me, I got to sleep in today and all is good. But I do miss the old girl and once again, there is that small wound on my heart as another dog leaves this home.

Rhonda is settling in nicely

So Big Rhonda seems to be finding her place in our family. She was restless the first couple of days, not seeming to know where to be, especially at night. She would come upstairs, but then go back down. We have dog beds all over the house and it was up to her to figure out where she was most comfortable. Well, the bedroom seems to be the place. As soon as I tell her its bedtime, off she goes.
Rhonda is also starting to take her direction from Sashka. This isn't always a good thing. Sash has plenty of pretty bad habits and Rhonda (I'm assuming) figures thats how we act in this family. Case in point. Sashka is pretty reactive on leash. If she sees another dog, she can charge and bark and act like an idiot. Well, yesterday Rhonda decided thats how we do things and became an idiot like Sash. As soon as she saw the neighbours dog, she started barking and growling.
Poor Rhonda. LOL. She is so eager to please that when she is corrected she looks at you like you have broken her old heart. But this isn't who she is and I have to nip this in the bud right away. Perhaps I will have to walk the dogs separately for the next little while.
And tomorrow will be another big day for Rhonda. First thing in the morning we are off to see Dr. Harris at Trenant Park Pet Clinic for a checkup and some blood work. Then Rhonda has to help me do a homevisit for another rescue, and finally we are going to meet some new wonderful people. By the time she gets home in the evening, she will be one tired old puppy.

things we have learned about Rhonda

I got a call a couple of days ago from a nice man that knew Rhonda and what her life was like for the last 5 or so years.
Rhonda lived on a farm and her owner died of a heart attack. she hadn't always lived with him, but she had spent a good portion of her life on the same farm. As the farm changed owners, so did Rhonda. And this girl has seen it all
Rhonda has known kindness and love. She has lived inside and outside. She has known what is it to be petted and to be kicked. She has known the luxury of a bed and the hardship of sleeping outside with no shelter.
It really amazes me how after all these different kinds of treatments, Rhonda still loves people. She is eager to greet them on the street, loves to go to the local gas station for pets and treats, and even greets other dogs like old friends.
Rhonda got a much needed bath today. I don't like to push the dogs too much at first so we waited until we could get her out in the sun and hooked the hose up to the kitchen sink. I don't think many people have bathed this girl cause she kept trying to get away, but it was way over due and she was getting a good scrubbing.
It took 3 shampoo's before she was clean. It also took over an hour of just scrubbing her back legs to get all the mats out. She is now like a new shiny penny. All pretty and clean and smelling sweet.
One of the things this nice man told me about Rhonda is that she is the gentlest dog he has ever known. She wouldn't hurt any thing or anyone. And she is now coming forward to ask for attention.
When new dogs come into our home, it can be stressful for everyone. I like to try all sorts of stuff with them. Usually, I get a couple of growls or something to let me know that I have gone far enough. But Rhonda has never told me this. She will quietly let me touch all her feet, run my hands over every part of her body and clean her ears no problem. there are no issues around food, toys or anything else.
Even little Sashka is starting to look towards Rhonda with affection. As we walked this morning Sash leaned over and gave her a quick little kiss.

Life with Rhonda

What a sweet old gal she is. Rhonda is a dream to walk, she knows her basic commands and wants to please. And she really likes to just be near her people.
Poor old Rhonda gets her feelings hurt quickly if you raise your voice to her. Her head goes down and she tries to make that huge body into a small round thing. So far the only time I have had to correct her behaviour was at feeding time. Sashka doesn't eat as fast as those big bad rott's do, so Rhonda thought she would help her. But a quick word is all it takes to get her to turn away.
Rhonda has very good house manners so far. She doesn't get on the furniture. I think she may be a little pudgy for that just yet. She moves when asked to, will let you cut her nails, look in her mouth, play with her feet and clean her ears. Nothing seems to faze her much.
Well, that is until you decide to scratch her chest. Then her head goes wayyyyyyyyyyy back and you get to see what heaven is. LOL
As far as her little pee problem, well, I think its just a weak bladder. As beings get older, those sort of things start to wear out. And Rhonda is no exception. She can hold it for several hours but sometimes wakes up in the night to go.
Rhonda is a love. For anyone that has a heart for the senior dogs, she is everything you have always wanted. She is quiet, affectionate without being pushy and is more than happy to just lie around beside you with that adoring look on her face.

Introducing Big Rhonda!!!!!

This is one of those old girls that just steals your heart away. At the age of 8 (or 10) she finds herself in a shelter. She did nothing wrong but her owner passed away and no one could care for her. The folks at the shelter contacted WCRR and asked if we could take her in. I love the old ones and said yes almost right away Rhonda arrived last night. She was unsure of herself but once I opened the car door, in she jumped. Well, maybe not jumped cause she's kinda big, lol, but in she got
On the ride home she only barked at a couple of other dogs and growled at a large truck but other than that was pretty calm. When we got home I brought her in the house right away. Well Poor Little Sashka. You would have thought I had brought home a monster from the look on her face. But she is learning that dogs now come and go in our house and she has to deal with it. Rhonda was gentle with her, they sniffed each other and then decided it was no big deal
Rhonda needs to lose some weight. Well, she needs to lose a lot of weight. She also needs some medication for incontinence. West Coast Rottweiler Rescue will get this girl into the vet and have everything checked out.
Rhonda would like a home where someone is around most of the time. She does not want to spend her days outside. A soft bed or a comfy couch would suit her better. Another dog would be fine as long as they don’t want to play too much. For that matter, she hasn’t shown any interest in the neighbour’s cat either. Children would be fine, but this sweet gentle girl needs a quiet place to call her own.
Please mention Rhonda far and wide. She deserves a home of her own, she would be an easy dog for a first time owner that doesn’t need a jogging partner but rather a big beautiful foot warmer.

Lana and Ranger

Well, pictures have arrived and I can stop worring about how she is. Seems the little darling is already fitting in to her new home.

They have decided that they not only need to play together, but they also sleep together.

Job well done, Vicki and Martyn. Thanks

Lana Banana has left the building.

and is on her way to her new home. Vicki and her daughter just pulled out with the evil one. Poor Little Lana did look a little worried but I'm sure that once she gets home and gets to play with Ranger, she will have forgotten all about us. But we won't ever forget about her.

I think I have said it before. I don't "do" puppies. Lana ran till she dropped every single day. She explored, rearranged, relocated and destoyed. But now she is on her way to the new adventure that life has presented her. And I can feel the stress of puppysitting leaving my body. But there is this little part of me that already misses her. Lana, my girl, be good, show that big brother of yours who is boss, and show your new owners how truely wonderful you are.
You've come a long way baby. Never again will you have to worry about someone putting you in a rubber tote and leaving you by the river.

Lana is now ready

It's been a busy week and no time to do the blog stuff. But the good news is that Lana has found her forever home and will be leaving this weekend. We are all very excited about this new family.
Lana got to go one the homevisit with me and right away took to Martyn and Vicki. But best of all she also loved the big goofball called Ranger. Ranger is a beautiful 18 month old rottie boy with all the energy and smarts that Lana will need. While Ranger is much bigger than Lana Banana, she did manage to get him on his back for a moment.
In order for Lana to be ready for her new home she had to go to the vet to be spayed. So Monday she was off for her adventure and when I went to pick her up, what a difference!! She was quiet, well behaved, and affectionate. LOL Ok, I know she was drugged but for those few hours, she was wonderful to have around.

West Coast Rottweiler Rescue will need more foster homes to step forward to help. In particular, more foster homes for young dogs. LOL Me, personally, I think I want to stay with the old one.

Lana Banana we are going to miss you (just a little)

The adventures of Lana

Poor baby Lana. She really needs her own home. LOL
Because I work (someone has to pay for dog food), Lana is put in a large wire crate during the day. My wonderful neighbours come by and let both dogs out for a pee break twice during the day. Lana likes her crate. Thats where she gets to have bones, bully sticks, sleep, etc. So her spending some time there isn't such a hardship. But yesterday she must have decided that she had had enough rest and she managed to break out.
Now yes, this is an old crate and the welds were getting loose and I should have checked it better, but it seemed pretty secure. And she has never tried to escape before.
Yesterday as I came home from a long hard day at the office, I was greeted at the door by both Lana and Sashka. Sashka looked kinda worried but Lana was her cheerful self. As I slowly opened the door to look, all I could see was paper everywhere. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
I needed to hook up the girls and off we went for a walk while I processed what had happened in my house.
Seems the first thing she did was sort thru some magazines and decided that they were all old issues and I should just let go of them. I guess she wasn't aware that I had been saving some of these for awhile. Lana must have also decided that the living room floor was a much better place for my laundry than the upstairs bedroom........................
And then it dawned on me that she had also been UPSTAIRS. She's not allowed upstairs unsupervised!!! Up I ran to find out what had been destroyed. Whata good girl Lana was. An old artifical plant that I didn't like anyways had had stuff taken out. So what if it ended up in the bed, the end tables, the hallway. And she had also emptied all the garbage cans upstairs for me.

Things could have been much worse and I am grateful for Lana's help in deciding what is important to keep and whats not. There must be a family out there that wants to teach (or be taught) this little one. Anyone that wants an app, feel free to contact us at information@westcoastrottweierrescue.com