rescue

What we’ve been up to

July 24, 2024 by Pawrenting Tails, posted in training

Hello! It’s been a while since the last post. I’ve been trying to get back in the habit for at least a month, but life has been “life-ing.”

Shortly after my last post, I got COVID and was out of commission for about a week. Then there was catching up on work and life after being sick, home projects that took time, a road trip (with the pups!), and a bunch of other reasons why the blog went on the back burner.

I have several blog post ideas bouncing around my brain, but I have had some mental blocks to drafting them.

In the meantime, I wanted to post something to let you know that I haven’t given up on the blog.

First Rally Competition

Chip and Cookie participated in their first AKC rally competition this past weekend. We only entered on one day, but they were the only two competing in their class (novice A). They were disqualified during their first run of the day because their lead was too tight. They fared better in the second run – with Chip earning first place and Cookie getting second place (thanks to the judges’ pity points!).

Chip and Cookie's scores. To qualify, you need a score of 70 or more. — Chip and Cookie’s scores. To qualify, you need a score of 70 or more.

Chip’s Performance

I’m incredibly proud of Chip’s performance in both runs and outside the competition ring. Their crate was positioned near the entry to the competition ring, so dogs were constantly walking past his crate. He ignored or calmly observed them all. While in the ring, he generally listened to me, did what I asked (eventually), and didn’t bark (at the judge or the competitors sitting outside the ring). Last summer, Chip was in a training class for reactive dogs. The progress he’s made is TREMENDOUS. The official qualifying score and first place are the icing on the cake for us!

Chip’s “award-winning” rally run!

Cookie’s Turn

Cookie is an excellently trained, competitive, eager-to-please pup. She has repeatedly “told” us (in class, this trial, and elsewhere) that she’s done. She’s only interested in the “paycheck” (chicken or cheese). At 10, Cookie has earned the right to retire. So we’ll provide her with mental enrichment in other ways – practicing for fun at home, going on special outings, and bringing her along as Chip’s cheerleader.

Regardless of her score, she qualified as a comedienne in my book – sitting backward in the first run and jumping on me during the second. She channeled her inner mischievous puppy.

This is Cookie’s first run that disqualified her. The qualifying run wasn’t recorded, but take my word for it – it wasn’t much better.

Bottom line

Chip and Cookie awaiting the ribbon ceremony so they can go home and have dinner — Chip and Cookie await the ribbon ceremony so they can go home and have dinner.

I want to take the opportunity to thank the trainers that my husband and I had when we first started our dog sports journey 10 years ago with Cookie. They always emphasized having fun with our dogs, celebrating our runs (no matter how sloppy they may be), and always ending on a positive note. Some people focus too much on competing and earning titles and lose sight of these sports as opportunities for bonding and fun.

If you’re disappointed in your dog, you’re doing it wrong. And always listen to your dog before you listen to anyone else.

The Fifth Ziggyversary

March 23, 2024 by Pawrenting Tails, posted in General/About Me

He may no longer be with us physically, but today we celebrate Ziggy’s fifth gotcha day.

How it started

Cookie, before knowing she was about to be a big sister, on 3/23/19.

My husband and I first discussed getting a second puppy shortly after moving into our new home. Our main criteria was that Cookie had to approve. We hoped to get a puppy that would ultimately be about her size, not that there was any guarantee.

We attended an adoption event about a month before we ultimately adopted Ziggy. As the event was winding down, we found ourselves filling out paperwork to adopt a puppy. The puppy snapped at Cookie, and we, plus the rescue organization, decided it wasn’t the right fit/time.

For several days afterward, Cookie became super clingy—which is unlike her. While she enjoys our company, she is not affectionate and loves her personal space. We started rethinking a second puppy. Maybe Cookie was destined to be a furever only child.

The big day

On National Puppy Day 2019, we went to an adoption event. I didn’t realize it was purely an adoption event. I thought it was a pet expo with a bunch of dog vendors and some adoptable pups.

My husband and I argue over who saw Ziggy first, but since this is my version of the story, we’ll go with I saw Ziggy first and made a beeline for him. After an initial hello, we did a lap around the event and came back to say an extended hello. Something that stuck out to me is that there was a row of crates behind him and all the pups in that row were barking and being all kinds of rambunctious. Ziggy was quiet. He was facing them and interested in all their yapping, but he didn’t really have anything to say.

3/23/19: Ziggy saying hi before coming out of his crate.

When we opened the crate door, Cookie walked up slowly, sniffed him, and looked at us as if to say, “Ok, I sniffed him. Can we go home yet?” Ziggy was the only adoptable dog that she voluntarily went up to. Even before the previous month’s event, she seemed to know when we were around adoptable dogs and always looked nervous. As though she was worried that she was going to be exchanged.

My husband and I alternated saying hi, and Cookie kept her distance, ready to go home. The lady from the rescue group mentioned he needed a bath because he rolled in his own poop en route to the event. (Which he would eventually roll in some kind of poop at least twice…notably once during my WFH lunch break my first week at my new job at the start of he pandemic!).

There wasn’t even a hesitation about bringing him home, though Cookie immediately regretted showing the slightest interest.

At home, Cookie happily played with Ziggy in the yard and on walksbut pretty much ignored him for about a week inside the house. It never bothered Ziggy, who was content with the attention his pawrents gave. Eventually, Cookie and Ziggy became BFFs, and Cookie proudly settled into her role as Big Sister.

We miss Ziggy every day, but we’re blessed to have loved him for three years.

Cookie and Ziggy shenanigans day 1.

Cookie and Ziggy shenanigans day 1 continued

Spay & Neuter Awareness Month

February 28, 2024 by Pawrenting Tails, posted in health

February is spay and neuter awareness month. You may think you know everything there is to know about getting your pups fixed, but if you’re like me, I’m betting you don’t. There are some commonalities with cats, but never having had cats, I will speak only to dogs. Remember that this post is based on my experience and learning. Be sure to consult your veterinarian or other professionals before making a decision for your pup.

I Didn’t Know Diddly

Until the past two to three years I knew that getting dogs fixed was important in preventing unwanted litters of puppies. With thousands of dogs being euthanized annually due to limited homes and limited space in shelters, spaying and neutering dogs is key to reducing the number of healthy dogs euthanized. I knew that getting a dog from a shelter or other rescue meant that they would be fixed before coming home. While I didn’t know the details of the timing, I did know that dogs from breeders would get fixed months to a year after being brought home.

I never thought much of this, as spaying and neutering is a familiar and routine procedure. I assumed that it only carried the risk that comes with any kind of surgery.

My education

When Ziggy was diagnosed with cancer in late 2020, I began doing a lot of research – attending online conferences and reading articles. I started seeing a lot of references to a link between early spay/neuter and cancer. Many advocated delaying the surgeries until the dogs are around one year old to ensure they get the health benefits of their sex hormones.

While this advice struck me as common sense in retrospect, I was confused. If there was a link between early surgeries and cancer, why did rescue groups opt for early surgeries? In a nutshell: humans are irresponsible and suck.

In March 2022, I attended the Holistic Pet Care Summit. The module with veterinarian Dr. Tara Timpson, who worked at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, addressed my questions and confusion.

Once upon a time, dogs and puppies would be adopted out without being fixed. The organizations would encourage adopters to return for FREE surgery once the dogs mature to the appropriate age. But the lazy humans DIDN’T follow through on their commitment. While there’s nothing wrong with responsibly breeding dogs, people would be irresponsible with their intact dogs, resulting in unwanted litters of puppies – not enough homes and not enough space in shelter groups.

So the rescue groups were confronted with a choice: do we risk high kill rates of otherwise healthy dogs due to lack of space? Or do we operate on them young, risking illness later in life?

Beyond Cancer

Early spay and neutering is linked to more than cancer.

After Ziggy died in March 2022, Cookie started experiencing incontinence in her sleep. My worrisome brain went straight to cancer. After a couple of tests to rule out more serious illness, our vet advised that the incontinence was likely caused by early spay. While there is medication available to help with incontinence, it comes with its own risks (like all medications). We opted to keep Cookie off of the medication and manage the incontinence with diapers, supplements, and more frequent walks and potty breaks (even in the middle of the night).

Options

There are multiple surgical solutions for preventing an unwanted litter – two for males and four for females. If you bring an unfixed dog into your home, consult with your veterinarian to consider which option is best for your pup based on age and lifestyle. Each has its own risk factors, so evaluating the options with your veterinarian is important.

If you rescue, you may feel as if you have no options. You could try contacting potential rescue groups to learn what procedure is done on their pups prior to adoption and whether they may be open to letting you choose the procedure. I haven’t tried this, nor have I heard anecdotes from anyone who may have tried it.

You can also work to make changes to veterinary education. Dr. Karen Becker has a petition to include all procedures as part of the veterinary curriculum. On the petition page, you can learn more about the limited curriculum veterinarians receive on spay and neuter surgeries

The Bottom Line

You may not always have a choice in when or what kind of spay/neuter surgery your pup gets, but if you do, evaluate all the options with your veterinarian and decide what is best for your dog. And if you can’t, you CAN advocate for changes in veterinary education, and when

Gift Giving for Your Pups & Dog Friends

December 6, 2023 by Pawrenting Tails, posted in General/About Me

‘Tis the season for gift giving. If you’re like us, you include your pups (and those of your family) in holiday gift exchanges. And, you’re likely to appreciate receiving dog-themed gifts and gifting those to your fellow dog parent friends.

Gifting your pups

The most important part of gifting your pups is to consider their personalities. Like us, their interests may change as they get older.

Once upon a time, Cookie enjoyed getting toys as presents. Now, all she wants is food. So we ensure Santa Paws leaves a treat or a chew for Cookie. Chip enjoys the food, but he also LOVES toys.

If you have amassed an insane toy collection (as we have), keep some out of rotation. So, come Christmas, we save a large box and fill it with new-to-Chip toys that we will swap out with some of the toys he’s currently playing with. He may still get something new, but since the chaos of opening gifts is half the fun, we like to do this to bring joy without breaking the bank.

The holidays can also be a good time to refresh some of their staples, like upgrading their bed (or adding to the beds scattered in each room), harnesses, or collars.

We took advantage of Ruffwear‘s (I’m an Amazon affiliate and may earn based on qualifying purchases) Black Friday sale and purchased new harnesses for Cookie and Chip. We love these harnesses because they’re among the few brands that ensure a proper fit (hooking further down the body) without constricting shoulder movement. The Flagline model (I’m an Amazon affiliate and may earn based on qualifying purchases) also has a top handle that can be handy if you need to aid your pup in getting in/out of the car (or navigating a hike for the more adventurous). They have a back and front clip for the leash. Ruffwear harnesses are also great for tripawds since they go over the head and clip in the back – no balancing is needed like with step-in harnesses.

The pups have an extensive collar collection, but I can’t help buying a new one or two whenever 5 Dog Designs opens their Etsy shop. Their collars are cute, funny, and high quality. They have great BOGO deals (part of the reason we have so many) and even have a “recycling” program. I haven’t taken advantage of that yet, but I have a collar in mind to swap the next time they re-open.

Gifting Pawrents

Cookie and Chip posing with one of my gifts, Christmas 2022

Like gifting your pups, it’s important to know your dog-loving friends. If you’re gifting their pups, it may be harder to know what to get them if you don’t know their pawrenting habits.

For instance, pawrents are becoming more particular about the quality of treats they feed their pets. Be cautious about purchasing highly processed treats (commonly found in major pet retailers). Instead, look for high-quality, small-batch, single-ingredient treats.

Similarly, when it comes to toys, do you know their personalities? Some dogs destroy toys just by looking at them or tend to chew off certain parts that can become a hazard.

A safe bet can always be a gift card to independent pet stores or retailers like Chewy and Amazon, with a broad product selection. Dog-themed clothing, mugs, etc., are always welcome. Even if you think they have too much, we’ll always disagree. Great retailers on this front include I’d Rather Be With My Dog, Dog is Good, Teddy the Dog, and Life is Good. (You can find similar products at discount retailers such as Home Goods and TJ Maxx.)

Joy of the Season

Cookie and Ziggy by the tree, Christmas 2019

Giving presents to the dog pawrents, or their pups, in your life can be a challenge. Most pawrents would also appreciate donations to rescue groups or charities that are meaningful to them.

We are fortunate to be able to afford gifts for our pups (and ourselves). And while we don’t need gifts, some folks insist on gifting us. Donations (monetary or otherwise) to the rescues where we adopted our pups (e.g., A Second Chance Puppies and Kittens Rescue, Barking Outloud) or to those fighting canine cancer (e.g., National Canine Cancer Foundation) are also appreciated.

Happy Howlidays to you!

Lessons from Chip

October 25, 2023 by Pawrenting Tails, posted in General/About Me, training

He may be dog number three and has only been here for a little over a year, but Chip has already started teaching us so much – and reinforcing previous lessons.

3-3-3 Rescue Rule

Long before bringing Chip home, I learned about the 3-3-3 rescue rule. In a nutshell, it says that rescue dogs need three days to decompress, three weeks to learn your routine, and three months to feel at home.

It’s a general rule and not something that applies consistently across all rescues since every dog is different! When I first heard of this “rule,” it made perfect sense, though it didn’t seem to apply quite exactly with Cookie or Ziggy. They adjusted more quickly.

Meanwhile, this has fit Chip very well, but he’s probably taken a little longer with each phase. So far, Chip is our most challenging dog and can cause more frustration. BUT, it is SO rewarding to see how far he has come. Part of it is natural growing up, another part is continuing to adapt to a safe, loving, and stable environment, and yet another part is us figuring out and meeting his needs (i.e. sufficient enrichment and exercise).

This approximate timeline is important to consider when deciding to rescue. Be prepared to invest the appropriate amount of time before your new pack is running smoothly. Each dog will be different based on their history (which the degree of known detail will vary based on the circumstances they were found/surrendered) and their individual personality.

Bottom line: Be patient. Work with your pup and seek out professional trainers to help your pup adjust.

Barking is trainable

Cookie and Ziggy are not avid barkers. Sure, they’d bark if a delivery was being made or “suspicious” people walked past our house. But that was mostly it. Any other time they needed to communicate they would use their eyes or body language.

Not Chip. He is a “chatty Cathy.” While I believe that’s partially due to him having husky in him, it’s also been reinforced one way or another. Barking is a form of communication, and while we may not agree with the importance of why they’re barking, dogs are trying to communicate something when they bark.

For example, when I would shower and get ready for work, I would crate Chip in our bedroom just outside the master bath. At first, he would bark non-stop. Fortunately, I was able to be in his line of sight if I left the door open. So, when he was quiet, I would reward it – with LOTS of verbal praise and treats, when I could.

He quickly learned that I was nearby and that he didn’t need to narrate the entire time I was in the shower.

Other scenarios are harder to train (though professional trainers are more likely to offer up better tools than me), but with time they’re doable. In the beginning, for many reasons, we would walk Cookie and Chip separately. We couldn’t always ensure that one of us was home with Chip while Cookie would get walked. So he was crated, and for Cookie’s 20-minute walks, Chip would bark almost non-stop.

Over time, he grew more confident that he wasn’t being abandoned and that we always came back. We also slowly started testing the waters leaving him uncrated during her walks. Thankfully, those experiments were successful, and the combination of time and being uncrated worked for Chip.

Bottom line: The key with barking is to make sure you reward the silence, not the barking – particularly in scenarios where the barking isn’t appropriate. Barking is a natural dog behavior and shouldn’t be eliminated, simply managed. Find professional trainers that can help you modify the behavior.

Reactivity isn’t a bad word

Before Chip, “reactivity” had a bad connotation for me. I took it to mean an aggressive, unapproachable, unsocial dog. But it’s not.

Reactivity is simply a dog responding to stimuli in the environment. It could be for a multitude of reasons including overexcitement and fear.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Holly Blakney (@dogtrainingacademyflorida)

One account that does a great job educating and bringing awareness on reactivity.

I’m still learning how to best support Chip and set him up for success. Sometimes his reactivity is clearly fear, and other times excitement. Those are his main drivers, but there are other times when it’s hard to tell.

We’ve taken a training class specific for reactive dogs, and I continue to learn by following experts such as Dynamite Dog Training (one of several of Chip’s teachers), r+dogs, and Dog Training Academy Florida.

Bottom line: Be open to the “reactive” dog label. Whether your dog is reactive or not, I encourage learning more about reactive dogs because it can help you support pawrents of reactive dogs when you encounter them.

Life lesson: Stay tuned

Chip showing off "peek a boo" in his Canine Good Citizen class. — Chip showing off “peek a boo” in his Canine Good Citizen class.

One year in is too early to pick Chip’s life lesson, so you’ll have to stay tuned as he grows up to see what else he teaches us!

First Chipiversary!

October 8, 2023 by Pawrenting Tails, posted in General/About Me

It’s Chip’s one-year Gotcha Day anniversary! We made room in our hearts for another pup about seven months after Ziggy passed away, but Chip wasn’t the pup that started it all.

Chip cuddling with his littermate at his foster mom's. Photo Credit: Sandra, Chip's foster mom — One of Chip’s profile pics from the rescue’s website. Photo Credit: A Second Chance Puppies & Kittens

It started with Frankie

As our hearts started to heal after Ziggy’s passing, I would pause on social media posts about adoptable puppies from the various rescues that I follow. The ones that tugged on my heartstrings (black and white mutts, a tripawd, etc.) I would show my husband, who would respond with a non-committal “Uh huh” or “I see.”

Eventually, my husband showed ME a puppy, saying “Cookie wants him.” That was a few weeks before a planned trip to Key West. We agreed that we should wait until after the trip so we wouldn’t need to worry about training a puppy on that trip (our pups join us in Key West).

One week before the trip, I saw a video of Frankie – a black and white puppy with one blue eye and one brown eye who already knew some basic commands like sit. I debated showing my husband since our trip was close. But I sent him the video.

“He’s not going to last long. Let’s get him!” was all I needed to hear. I immediately filled out an application. Then we sat on eggshells waiting for a response. I worried whether we’d be allowed to pick him up after our return, so I planned and packed as though a puppy would be joining us.

The night before the trip we got the call. We were approved to adopt any dog except Frankie – he was already going to the home that adopted a littermate that he bonded to.

They were having an adoption event at a store en route to Key West, so we decided to stop in. We met one puppy – Chip (formerly known as Perry).

Not love at first sight

While Chip was very friendly, crawling into our laps, he barked. A lot. We decided against him as we were a little worried that he’d be too jealous of Cookie.

On we went to Key West, monitoring news from the rescue group (and others) about adoptable dogs. We found another one with the same group that we arranged to meet at the foster mom’s house the day we got back.

Everyone hit it off, and the foster mom was excited about us. But lo and behold, there was some miscommunication, and that dog was committed to another family. They were doing a meet and greet the next day at an adoption event, but if it didn’t work out we were next in line.

Second Try’s a charm

Cookie is shocked she's getting a little brother. Again. — Cookie is shocked she’s getting a little brother. Again.

Chip's side-eye game has been on point since day 1! — Cookie is shocked she’s getting a little brother. Again.

So, we went to the adoption event to check out other pups in case that one fell through. The only puppy of interest was Chip, and he was there with a different foster mom.

Luckily for Chip, my husband didn’t recognize him at first. So I arranged a “re-introduction,” which is when my husband realized he was about to be suckered.

Again, Chip was friendly but chatty. This foster mom had been with Chip longer and shared a video of Chip playing with his littermate and foster sister. She assured us that he’s not a jealous pup and that the barking is how he likes to play (and communicate as we would eventually learn).

Chip quickly stole my heart, and my husband gave in to bringing this troublemaker home!

The rest is history

Officially Chip! Posing with his name tag — Day 1: Shopping for puppy supplies

The rest is history. My husband’s instinct was kinda right. Chip is definitely the most challenging of our dogs, requiring the most training, but it has been incredibly rewarding to see him mature. (And bark a heck of a lot less often.)

The most amusing part of Chip’s story is when we got his DNA test back. Two months before we adopted Chip, I documented this conversation between my husband and I:

Screenshot of a Facebook conversation between my husband and I:
Me: the one breed we're never going to get is a husky.
Husband: ugh. Why not?
Me: all the huskies I follow on social media howl constantly, never shut up, and have a lot of opinions.
Husband: oh, kinda like you?
---
I mean. He's not wrong.

And the results: American Staffordshire, boxer, golden retriever, and husky! And that is what I call karma!

Screenshot of Chip's DNA results showing that he has American Staffordshire terrier, boxer, golden retriever, Siberian husky, and mixed breed.

Happy Cookie-versary!

September 6, 2023September 5, 2023 by Pawrenting Tails, posted in General/About Me

Gotcha Day family portrait with Cookie — **Photo Credit**: Countdown 2 Zero Photographer

What’s a Cookie-versary?

It’s Cookie’s Gotcha Day! Nine years ago today, we adopted Cookie at the inaugural Countdown to Zero adoption event!

My husband and I talked about adopting a dog a couple months after dog-sitting for my parents’ dog, Brie. When my husband pressed me for a timeline, I blurted out the date for the adoption event.

Then, we didn’t talk about it until the week before.

What we were looking for

When we finally started talking about what we wanted in a dog, we were pretty much on opposite ends. I wanted a female, he wanted a male. I was open to dogs around a year old, my husband preferred a puppy. I wanted a 20 pound dog, he wanted a bigger dog.

Ultimately, we agreed on one thing: we both had to agree on which dog we wanted to bring home. And seeing who we ultimately brought home, it seems like we blended our preferences.

Spotting Cookie

The inaugural event was held at the convention center. Knowing me, I made sure we got there early so we’d have the maximum selection. There were SO many shelters and rescue organizations present. We walked a couple of laps, stopping here and there to meet some of the dogs. We would each find a pup that one of us liked, but the other person wasn’t wanting to bring home.

I remember spotting Cookie from afar when she was in an X-pen, bouncing up and down.

Me: “What about that one?”

My husband: “Too hyper…”

We took one more lap, and said that maybe we’d need to try again another week at a specific shelter. Then we walked past Cookie, out of the x-pen on leash. My husband kneeled down to say hi. She crawled into his lap, and that was it!

Cookie’s Story

Cookie biting fingers at the adoption event — Cookie, formerly known as Allie, puppy biting our fingers.

At the time, Cookie’s name was “Allie” (we think it may have been short for alligator, given the sharp puppy biting we’d come to experience…). A Second Chance found her litter in a dumpster. Cookie weighed 12 pounds, and we were told she was a Chihuahua terrier mix.

Me: Perfect! She’ll be 20ish pounds.

Several months later when we ran into her foster mom at another adoption event, her jaw dropped and she proclaimed, “That’s no Chihuahua!”

Thankfully, a 50 pound dog was the exact perfect size.

	Pawrenting Tails on Stepping Back
	José Alvarado on Stepping Back
	rezhall on What we’ve been up …
	rezhall on The Fifth Ziggyversary
	rezhall on It’s been two years