Louie gets a new name

No pup that gets into as much as this one does deserves a name as dignified as Louie. So, I have decided to rename the little darling Mr. Destructor.

Why you may ask?? Simple. This boy loves to get into mischief.

Wednesday night: I am loading the dishwasher. The phone rings. I have to run upstairs to the computer. I'm up there maybe 5 minutes. What does Mr. Destructor do? He decides to UNLOAD the dishwasher.

Now, when I unload it, I take out a couple of dishes at a time and put them right in the cupboards. But not Mr. Destructor. Oh no. He takes out the whole rack. And drags it out of the kitchen and into the living room, all the while dragging broken dishes with him. I can only assume that he had plans to clean the dishes himself.

So, I hear all this crashing and I run downstairs to see what the devil dog is doing. And there he is sitting among the mess. I can't really yell at him because in all fairness I did leave the dishwasher door open. But I do tell him he is a bad dog.

Louie looks at me, sighs, and goes to his crate. Good thing I really like this dog.

On the up side of Louie, his training is coming along very nicely. He has learned not to pull a lot on the leash, he quickly sits (sometimes) when he is told and will now go directly to his bed to wait for dinner to be put down. He is even learning that when I say down, it means if he does it, he gets a treat. Louie really is a smart boy and will do well in obedience classes as long as you know that he is food motivated and wants to please. Using harsh corrections on this guy just doesn't work.
Whomever decides to make Louie a part of their family will be very lucky. He is a sensitive, loving dog that deserves his own home soon.

Now here are the boys

Abbotsford Animal Shelter called about 2 dogs that have been with them for far too long. These guys were found running loose again and again and then the owner never came to get them. They are a very bonded pair and should be adopted together. The rottie boy is deaf and relies on his friend to help him. If anyone is looking to add 2 dogs to their family, please please please look at these two. They are still very young and deserve a chance at a life filled with love and care. If you are the one they have been waiting for give the shelter a call at 604-856-7505

When it rains it pours

Its not been a great start to the week. I now have 3 dogs that are in urgent need of rescue. And WCRR really has no where to put them.

the first is a sweet YOUNG girl about to lose her life because she has become incontinent. Here is the email. If you can help please let us know. Onyx is far too young to be destroyed. Onyx is the dog in the background

My name is Ashley, and I need some help. I have a friend who has a Berner X (looks like a Berner x Rotti) and she needs help fast, if its possible. Here is a bit about her:Her name is Onyx she is under 2yrs old, she is the sweetest girl ever! The sad part is she was hit by a car under a year ago, it cost over $1000 in vet bills and problems with some vets who didn't want to help unless they had the money asap and just wanted to put her down. This hit had left her paralyzed from the waist down. She had no control of her back legs and had to drag her herself around to move. But now she is fully able to walk and run, but she doesn't always have the coordination and trips over her own legs every once in a while. The other sad and extremely hard part is that with the hit also did some nerve damage and she is incontinent, she is showing more progress with getting better she knows when she's going and moves to go but if she's excited and she's running some times she leaks some pee out. The new vet said this can take up to 18 months to fully heal. So now she is and has been outside the whole time as an outside dog, so she's use to it. Another problem with that is that with all the hair and her leaking that it would hold the urine and now she has an infection.

Sorry its been awhile

but things have been busy.
First of all, about our loving Louie. He is a bone head. LOL
Louie is your typical busy puppy. Yes he is almost 10 months old but I doubt if he has had any training before coming here. He can't be trusted long alone out of his crate. Paper is one of his favorite toys and he will destroy it if he gets the chance. Perhaps I should start a recycling depot here as he can shred magazines and newspapers in no time at all. And mail, well, it just doesn't stand a chance. Too bad he can't tell the difference between junk mail and that donation check.
He got to play on the weekend with other big dogs and its just what he needs. He has great manners with strange dogs and plays very well. It would be my hope that whomever adopts him gives him the chance to do this on a regular basis. Poor little Sashka just does not allow that kind of fun behaviour in her home.
I spoke to the vet about having Mr. Louie neutered and we both agree that within the next month we are going to take care of that. The mange will most likely have a breakout but because he is doing so well without any meds we will go forward. So Mr. Louie will be available soon for adoption. We will have him fixed, have those floppy rear dew claws taken care of and get him all up to date with shots and a spiffy new tattoo. All of this on top of the expensive medication and vets bills will put us in the hole financially but thats just what happens in rescue.
Donations for the garage sale are flowing in and we should have some great stuff available. This sale will hopefully help with the vet bills.
I had an interesting weekend in Victoria training for Noah's Wish. This is for preparation for any kind of disaster. I loved meeting all those new people, seeing old friends and making new ones. And what I got to learn was amazing. Being prepared for a disaster is everyones' responsibility. Having things in place for both yourself and your animals for at least 72 hours will make it possible for you to wait for help to arrive. Please please please make sure you have a disaster kit ready. If you need help finding out how to do this, then just let me know and I will be happy to help.

Bailey needs a home

Tonight I found this in my email. This sweet girl really needs a chance to shine. She needs a place to call home, and people that will value and love her. Yes she may be a diamond in the rough but she has the potential to become a star. Here is what the shelter has to say about Bailey

SPCA in Dawson Creek, BC. We are contacting you in regards to a wonderful rotti, named Bailey. She is a four years old and already spayed. One morning when we came to work she was tied to the fence of our yard with a very large tow rope and a blanket to lay on. She was very thin and had a bad infestation of tape worm. She has been with us since March 3. We managed to track down an owner thanks to a tag on her collar. However, the lady said they had given her away two years ago to some guy who owns a tow truck business. Bailey is extremely affectionate with all of the staff and volunteers here at the shelter, but she does display barrier aggression when she is in her kennel or in our yard and a stranger approaches. So far if we introduce people to her without a fence in between she is always a super happy girl! She also loves to play with other dogs, but can have issues with other females as she is a more dominant dog. We haven’t had a lot of interest in Bailey up here, and when we do it’s not the best home for her. We were hoping to get her into foster or out to a rescue that could find her the right home. Right now we don’t have any foster homes that would know how to work with her so she becomes a better trained pooch. The staff works with her(mostly myself and one other woman) every day at the shelter and she is coming along very well. So, even if we could just post her on your website that would be very much appreciated. We love Bailey and know that with the right home she’ll have the life she deserves instead of being a tow yard dog. Anything you can do to help would be terrific. Thanks for your time.

Bailey deserves a chance away from the shelter to show everyone how wonderful she can be. Please, if you can help, contact the South Peace SPCA. sp_spca@pris.bc.ca I know they would love to talk to you about her.

Louie drives Sashka crazy

I knew it would happen. I left Louie out of his crate today just to test the waters. And he didn't disappoint me at all.
Nothing serious was killed. Just one more stuffie destuffed, some mail chewed, but poor Sashka. Louie has something against her having a blanket in her crate. Leave him alone for an hour and its in the middle of the floor. We have scolded him, I have yelled at him, I have even sprayed him with a water bottle, but he insists on doing it the minute he is left alone. Sashka, the poor misunderstood diva dog has had to sleep on either the chair or the couch. Life is hard here.
Mr. Louie is proving to be a challenge getting on raw food. I know its the best option for him but he only spits it out. He does love his kibble and will eat almost any type I'm sure, but what about that raw diet that is so good for him. How can a dog from a shelter be so picky about his food.
And before anyone starts on me about how if I just don't give him anything else he will have to eat the raw, Louie is still very underweight. I can still feel his backbone and all his ribs. His little chest bones stick so far out it bothers me. So, until the evil one puts on some much needed fat, he can stay on a HIGH GRADE kibble for now.
All signs of the previous illness is now gone. He is full of piss and vinegar and wants nothing more than to play, jump on people, use his mouth to torture us and rip up any unsuspecting toys that he finds. Awww life with a puppy. Can someone please poke my eyes out next time I think this is a good idea.

How bad am I

LOL Mr. Louie has been here a whole week and I haven't posted a picture of him. Well here he is. While we are pretty sure that he is part rottie, I'm just not sure about what the other part is. And pictures, well, they don't show this wonderful boy in his best light.

These were taken just after he came to us and he still wasn't very happy. Oh my, how that has changed. Louie is a great boy, loves to play, go for long walks, and finally loves his food. Good thing too cause this boy is on several meds for all his conditions. None of the life threatening but all of them uncomfortable for him.

Louie is easy in many ways. His leash manners are coming along and he knows that he only gets fed if he sits nicely and waits for his food. He has learned the drop it command and knows that if he drops what he has, he is rewarded with something wonderful. Sometimes thats food, but other times its toys and play. All of these are things that motivate Louiel.

He has a wonderful temperment and will allow you to do most things to him without much fuss. This unfortuantely does not include bathing. And thats too bad cause he gets one once a week. Picture 2 grown adults trying to bath 50 lbs of squirming puppy, both humans covered in shampoo and drenched to the bone. But bathe him we do.