Vignettes from the Garden: May 2013
“Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning, and under every deep a lower deep opens.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~ Anatole France
Shaping
When fellow gardener Maria is not showing off her magnificent sunflowers in the Memorial Garden, you will find her at home tending to her beautiful bonsai.
Bonsai is the art of shaping a plant to find the miniaturized tree within. Bonsai is a long-term commitment; a labor of love to create and care for. As a living thing, they are never truly “finished” – their true shape takes form and is reinforced over time.
All around us at Homeward Bound, our trainers and volunteers are working to shape the behavior of the dogs to speed their turn for successful adoption. The behavior of a dog reactive to other dogs requires special attention. When dogs growl at other dogs it is often labeled as “aggression.” But behavior that looks like aggression can actually be fear-based and should be treated as such. While a reactive dog can react aggressively, this typically occurs in a situation where he feels that there is no escape. The key is to replace fear with focus.
For most of the hundreds of dogs we help each year at Homeward Bound, their needs are obvious: medical care, leash training, basic commands, some socialization. But reactive dogs require much more.
There is no cure for reactivity, per se, but a dog can gradually be desensitized to the stimuli by using a series of techniques and games to lessen the reaction. Equally important is helping their handlers to understand what triggers the behavior and train them to manage situations when they occur.
Homeward Bound’s Golden Rule Training includes special classes and training for reactive dogs – including dogs that are reactive to other dogs. Class takes place in groups; this tells our trainers a lot about how reactive the dogs are. It also helps to desensitize the dogs so they gradually become more comfortable around other dogs. The aim is not to get them to like other dogs; simply to help react less in those situations.
A “clicker” or vocalization (“Yes!”) is associated with something positive – usually a treat. When the dog begins to demonstrate the behavior sought, the trainer clicks or praises immediately and treats. Sometimes the process has to be broken down into the tiniest advances; even a slight movement in the right direction is cause for celebration. Then the reward is withheld until the dog more closely approximates the desired behavior. This is called “shaping” – a learning theory concept. Timing is critical when rewarding the dog for his or her behavior.
There are games that help as well: “Watch Me” teaches the dog to focus on the trainer. A treat is held at at eye level with a “Watch Me” command. Once the dog makes the connection and looks on command, the frequency of the treat reinforcement is reduced. Intermittent reinforcement is key to maintaining the behavior you want.
“Look at That” is just what it sounds like. The dog is encouraged to look at another dog and then rewarded when they look back at the trainer. Shifting the dog’s focus from other dogs to the trainer is critical.
As the class progresses and it is safe to do so, the proximity to other dogs is reduced further. Dogs are walked in a circle outside or inside the group. If either dog reacts, they are refocused and rewarded immediately. As with overcoming any fear, whatever frightens the dog is introduced from a distance which very gradually closes. Most importantly, the experience should be fun and bonding – not stressful.
As with Maria’s bonsai – all of this effort takes time and patience. When we are successful, it helps the dog to live a more calm and confident life, and clears the way for a dog with special emotional needs to find the perfect home.
Of course, we recommend that you seek professional training support if you have a dog that is reactive. The rewards are worth the effort. One of our trainers put together this fun video that demonstrates the amazing progress two of our reactive dogs made through consistent training.
The true meaning of rescue
When a dog arrives at Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, they are welcomed quietly and typically allowed to run or roam in one of the large yards to de-stress and acclimate to their new environment. Over the next couple of days, they spend some time with us for evaluation, are checked by the vet, and have their pictures taken when they are relaxed and feeling more comfortable with their new routine.
This pup’s welcome was a little different with urgent issues to address.
Rose was rescued from a shelter. Had she not been released to us, her fate was pretty clear. She would not sit or lie down through the transport. When she arrived at the adoption center and sanctuary, she could barely walk, perhaps indicating some type of neurological disorder? Most obviously, she was covered in a thick layer of mats from head to tail.
She arrived very late in the day as our volunteers are usually departing. They took one look at her and stayed. Using sheep shearing tools at first, they set to work carefully removing the mats that were tugging painfully at her skin.
Giant ear mats were removed and treatments were administered to her ear canals, immediately flooding back out because the buildup of wax and dirt was so thick.
She stood or sat patiently, as a small army of hands and clippers gently tackled her coat of dreadlocks, and soothing voices reassured her that she was safe now.
Clippers replaced the shearing tools and uncovered stickers, thorns, foxtails and welts all over her body. With five inches or more of mats removed from her underbelly, something else was revealed. Rose was inappropriately named. There were boy parts under there! Rose was quickly renamed, Rainier. After about an hour of this, it was time to give our newly discovered boy a much-needed rest. He was tucked in for the night and reassured that from here; things would only get better.
The next day brought a fresh bath to clean his skin and sores, and a second round of shearing.
Walking gingerly and slowly like a very old dog, Jody brought Rainier to the garden where we set up some shade and went about clipping what remained of his fur.
The trickiest part of the operation was addressing his paws. The fur had to be removed from top to bottom, with each area between the toes closely inspected. They were filled with foxtails. I have always found it surprising that a woman involved in rescue has long fingernails; now I understand why. Jody deftly pulled out more than 50 foxtails from between those toes – imagine the pain poor Rainier had endured.
This dog demonstrated the patience of a saint while Judy and Jody worked on him for well over an hour. With a slight breeze blowing across his freed skin and soothing voices talking quietly to him, he fell asleep in their hands.
Three clipper battery changes later, it was time to get up.
What arose from that slumber was a changed dog. With amazement, he took his first, pain-free steps – and then he was off!
I know you’ll forgive the blurred photos. I was not prepared at all for this rush of exuberance, and had not adjusted shutter speeds – which was clearly in order!
A lot can change in the life of a dog in a single day. A ‘she’ becomes a ‘he’; lameness is discarded with a pile of fur and thorns,
and an “old dog” unable to sit or lay down without pain is transformed into a running, prancing, tail-wagging prince of a boy.
This is only the beginning of Rainier’s story. He’ll see the vet to deal with his uncovered lumps and bumps and assess his overall state of being. But we have made a promise to him that the best is yet to be, and from this point on, he will always be loved. That is a promise we can keep.
There are dogs that pass quickly through Homeward Bound. They come to us in good shape because someone’s life circumstance changed and soon find a new forever home. It is our honor and privilege to help them all. But dogs like Rainier make unforgettable impressions on us. They are the verb ‘rescue’ – not the noun. Without Homeward Bound, Rainier would have passed on as Rose, forgotten and in pain. Because we are here, Rainier’s best days are ahead.
A lot can change in a single day for the life of a dog. Just look at this quick clip here. Welcome to your new life, Rainier.
Of thorns
“Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy that to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.” ~ Voltaire
We passed through more than a few thorns this weekend – literally and figuratively – beginning with the dreaded foxtails!
Foxtails are nasty pointed grass clusters that lodge themselves into pets’ eyes, ears, noses, toes and fur, among other places. In long-haired dogs (we have more than a few of these!) foxtails can be hidden by fur between the toes or on the body and, if left unattended, can poke the dog’s skin and eventually cause a large abscess requiring surgical removal.
Foxtails are barbed in such a way that they can only move in a “forward” direction. Since a dog’s body is incapable of degrading or decomposing them, they can wreck havoc. They grow in abundance in California – and on an eight acre dog sanctuary located in the country, you can imagine the threat. So this weekend we called on our dog walkers and gardeners for a “weed-a-thon” rising early to tackle the trails, benches, and other areas well traveled by the dogs. It’s not exactly my favorite kind of gardening…but it must be done.
Candy was kept company by her beautiful Shane;
and if the company of dogs is not incentive enough, donuts always do the trick!
Sundays, Kathryn holds Reactive Dog Training Class. This class is for dogs that don’t play nicely with others; some of them are our rescues, others are from community members seeking help.
A dog can’t be forced to like other dogs. But you can help them cope with their fears or anxiety by teaching them alternate behaviors. Our trainers have had amazing success with turning these thorny issues into good canine behaviors. I’ll share more on an upcoming post.
This poor pup was literally covered in thorns.
We are just beginning to write his story of true rescue; it deserves a post all its own. I will bring it to you soon. In between all, we managed to get a little gardening in!
After a week of unseasonably hot temperatures, the weather has cooled, and the garden is breathing a sigh of relief.
It weathered the heat well, and brings forth new treasures each week like this Jerusalem Sage…
Clematis…
Maria’s first sunflowers…
and of course, Roses – thorns and all.
With the promise of two stories to come, have a great week and I’ll hope to see you back here soon!
common bonds
These are both Clematis vines.
As different as they look, they are but two of some 300 species in the same genus.
Like the Clematis, my sisters and I appear very unalike. We could not have begun on more different paths; but as we age mature, the roads have merged. Instilled in all four of us is a common passion for rescue. Rescue of different sorts, albeit; but rescue, nonetheless.
Susan is a natural history biologist, dedicated to the rescue and restoration of native glades and woodlands. When she is not identifying plants or tagging bears (rest assured, is very much alive and safe!),
she is setting fire to one state park or another to return it to its natural state.
My sister, Beth, is the rescuer of humans. For years, she nursed babies and children as a pediatric ICU nurse. Today, she is a school nurse who will be spending her summer with Blue Skies Ministry, providing retreats to families faced with the enormous emotional, financial and spiritual challenges of childhood cancer.
I spend my days with a small army of people who disabilities who need no rescue – only opportunity. My weekends, as you know, have gone to the dogs.
Finally, there is my sister, Debra. An accomplished business professional and writer; she left that world when life changes demanded a less stressful pursuit. She trained and worked as a vet tech, then a pet sitter, and because she is who she is – launched her own very successful pet sitting business. Despite the demands, her passion for the work brings balance to the hectic schedule and strenuous pace. She is deeply involved with an effort to capture, spay, treat, release and care for feral cats in her community, thereby humanly reducing the population over time. Best of all, she has recently returned to writing through her new blog: “The Blessing of Animal Companions.” I thought some of you would enjoy it.
I was particularly taken with this section of a Robert Frost’s poem she quoted as she wrote about the evolution of her life’s work:
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only when love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future’s sakes. ~ Two Tramps in Mud Time
I marvel at how the brain, jock, geek and cheerleader have found such common sense of purpose in our avocation and vocation from such divergent paths. I’ll leave it to all of you to figure out which is which, by the way.
Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Dreams
Pieces of the Heart
This is a story we have heard too many times through these past recession years: good families who love their four-legged family members, but are forced to surrender them due to circumstances beyond their control.
Roxy’s family loved her dearly, but had to move to an apartment and could no longer keep her. Now due to circumstances beyond her control, and through no fault of her own, twelve-year-old Roxy is in search of a new family to love.
Lucky for her, she is being lovingly cared for by foster mom, Michele, and her rescued twin, Murphy. Michele does not want Murphy labeled as a failed foster. Actually, I assured her, she is the failed fosterer; Murphy is a proud alum! Besides, we have a special place in our hearts for failed fosters.
Roxy does not look or act her age. Although she is a little slower getting up these days (who isn’t??), she out walks Murphy and has plenty of energy for snuggling, cuddling and leaning in to steal just a little of your heart.
For people who worry about adopting an older dog, we have two thoughts: first, there are no guarantees in life. Young or old, we never know how many tomorrows we’ll be blessed with. Second, it’s not the length of time that we love, but the quality of time we have together.
“It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.” ~ Cheryl Zuccaro
Taking a small leap of faith to open your heart to a senior dog delivers countless blessings. Roxy has put her faith in Homeward Bound that we will deliver a blessing to her very soon.
Dahlias returned
Before I began this journey to rebuild the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, I had no experience at all with Dahlias. They were the gift of a volunteer gardener and fell into my charge. I watched them blossom through the summer into magnificent plates of color and fell in love.
I dutifully dug them up in the fall; placed them in a box of vermiculite following instructions I had read, sprinkled lightly with water and a little prayer, and then left them covered in the dark, cold garage. Every six weeks or so I would open the box and add a few more sprinkles to ensure they didn’t dry out until this weekend, when I pulled them out of darkness. To my delight and amazement, each “eye” had a tiny shoot springing forth. Today, they were returned to their spot in the garden. With any luck, the Dahlias will spring forth within a couple of weeks.
“Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower.” ~ Shigenori Kameoka
All sorts of little joys were sprouting forth in the garden this weekend; the arrival of blueberries where thorny blackberries once ruled,
Blooming Honeysuckle and Clematis
Jerusalem Artichoke and Rose Campion…
and multiplying gardeners! Randy and Vonnie were back to check in on their recently planted Butterfly Garden, to continue the attack on the driveway brush, and to take their latest adopted pup, Chelsea to training class.
One of our dog walkers recruited her mother, a seasoned gardener to join our effort. It is a great way for them to have some time together around shared passions, and we could not be more delighted. Welcome Diane!
And our newest recruit, is but a sprout herself. This is Alexandria.
Her dog goes to class on Saturdays, and while she waits, she loves to wander the garden. This week she helped me with weeding and watering while she explained photosynthesis to me at a million words a minute. A gardener is born.
“The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.” ~ Gertrude Jekyll
Finally, this sweet girl, Roxy, and her foster mom, Michele, were a surprise find and a story all their own. More on them to come soon!
Until then…happy week…from the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden!
The Meadow
“How does the Meadow flower its bloom unfold?
Because the lovely little flower is free down to its root,
and in that freedom bold.”
~William Wordsworth
The Divine Miss Bea
When Beatrix needed a few days of fostering before her new family could take her, it was easy duty to sign up for. Who could resist this face?
It was really less fostering than babysitting. This little one-kidney girl needed a watchful eye as she healed from her spay surgery, and a little big-dog socialization wouldn’t hurt considering she would be sharing her new home with an adult Homeward Bound alum.
Jackson is our mellow boy; he has never met a dog he doesn’t like so I had no worries at all about him. Despite his serious face, he is a lover, and took to her immediately, acting as her protector –
an ever-present, watchful knight.
Bella is our princess girl. And while she loves and shares with her brother freely, she was unimpressed with this cute little bundle of joy,
and not exactly overjoyed about sharing her house,
her Daddy,
and definitely not her toys with little the brave little Miss Bea.
While Bella generally behaved herself, she was clear that there is room for only one princess in this house!
All of this was good preparation for her introduction to her new big brother, Charlie. Apparently he is as tolerant as Jackson. A good thing for this rascally girl! Puppy got your tail?
It was a gift to have her for a few days. She left behind a mountain of laundry, two exhausted doggies, and took with her a tiny piece of my heart.
Wonderful life, little Beatrix girl.
The language of flowers: Iris
The story of the Iris flower dates back to Ancient Greece, when Iris, the Goddess of the rainbow, acted as the messenger between heaven and earth. She traveled from one world to another, carrying messages across the arc of the rainbow. Purple irises were planted over the graves of women to summon the Goddess to guide the dead in their journey. Today, the flower named for her is considered a symbol of communication and messages.
In the language of flowers, the Iris means faith, hope, and wisdom. The purple iris is symbolic of wisdom and compliments;
blue symbolizes faith and hope;
yellow symbolizes passion;
and white iris symbolizes purity. It’s fitting that they are found in abundance in the Memorial Garden, where our passionate angel volunteers travel the state to rescue and return lost, displaced and broken dogs to a place of faith and hope.
A perfect statement for our mission – standing tall and beautiful this spring in the garden.
“Where flowers bloom so does hope.”
-Lady Bird Johnson
Gardens For Goldens 