Tag: Dog Adoption
Do The Waggle Dance
Honey bees are social insects. They live communally and depend on each other for their very existence. Everyone has a role, and when these tiny toilers pull together, amazing things get done. An entire colony is built and fed; the young are cared for; everyone has a home.
To succeed, they need to communicate. They share vital information about food sources by performing a dance when they return to the hive. The “waggle dance” indicates that food is far away, while a “round dance” signals a shorter flight and quick payoff. The more vigorous the dance, the better the food – which means success for everyone.
Rescue works like this. It’s generally not mugshots or desperate pleas posted to websites or social media that gets displaced animals to new homes. It is the communication between people and our communal network. Of course, the photos and stories are important. Great photos create that first connection. And since dogs can’t write, we have to tell their stories for them. But the exchange of information – one person reaching out to another – is how we build a strong network (our hive) and truly connect people to animals in need.
Case in point: Lilly & Lucy’s story was shared hundreds of times across social media. But it was a long-time volunteer who knew that a neighbor had been looking for a bonded pair of dogs that may have made the difference for our two Pakistani girls. This weekend, the family drove hours through thick traffic and scorching heat to meet the dogs. We are very hopeful that it is a match.
Faith and Hope’s story was also viewed extensively. But it was a connection made between friends that may spell hope for Faith. One friend knew that the other had recently lost her dog at age 18 and was looking for a pup that could fit comfortably into her menagerie. We’ll know this week when they meet.
Our paws are crossed for all three because someone made the very human connection.
Everyone can play a role in rescue – but posting sad pictures of animals in distant shelters to a rescue’s social media channels doesn’t get it done. It is in doing the dance and making very personal connections right where you live.
You don’t need to travel too far from the hive. If you can’t volunteer your physical self, familiarize yourself with a local rescue or shelter’s animals and process. Then, become the crazy dog/cat/whatever person that everyone knows at work, church, or in your neighborhood. Talk to people about responsible breeders, training, spay and neuter. Learn about their animals, companionship needs, and when their heart and home might be ready for another. And then connect the dots. Do the waggle dance. Spread the word. Extend the community. Communicate.
That is how rescue works. One person – and one animal at a time.
Fruits of our Labor
First they stole our blueberries…
Then our apricots…
And finally, our feathered friends feasted on the entire grape crop.
Thankfully, they are not fans of apples – which we have in abundance. Patience and attention have paid off, and our little orchard is finally producing. This year’s crop was worth all the effort.
It even produced a surprise on our tiny orange tree: grapefruits!
We had another surprise last weekend – the best kind. I shared with you that Nigel, one of our favorite “Not-A-Golden” pups went home. What I didn’t quite relay is why his day was so special to us.
This guy, who is just three years old now, came to us about nine months ago. Cute little puppies grow into big dogs – and all puppies and young dogs need lots of exercise, training and attention to become their best selves.
Nigel had been crated all day and not allowed in the house. His family realized he deserved better and surrendered him to us. His file read like any young boy’s: “Full of energy, enthusiasm, and athleticism. He craves human attention and affection.”
That excited craving for human attention – coupled with his pure strength – made just getting him out of his kennel a long-sleeved adventure. Once out, we learned that his strength and energy were matched by a genuine desire to please. He was trainable.
We sent him to foster so he could learn the ways of a house dog and he made progress. We learned that his favorite time of day was couch time when he could snuggle with his head in your lap and snore himself to sleep. But his energy had to be matched to a human or family that could help wear him down. We also discovered that being in the company of other dogs providing reassurance. Nigel needed to know that he wasn’t being left again.
Like blossoms on our apple trees in spring, we knew there was great potential.
When an active family with two dogs took him home last weekend, we were delighted.
But this update from our volunteer put us over the moon: “I ran into Nigel and his family on a walk last night. They told me they felt like they hit the lotto with him!”
It took time and a lot of patience for Nigel to find his perfect people. To learn that he is the apple of their eye…well that’s like hitting the lotto for us!
Happy life, boy. You so deserve it!
Nigel photos courtesy of Rob Kessel.
Worth Working For
Now begins the time when every day turns up another treasure – a hint of how the garden will take shape this year.
Lots of people appreciate the final result, but a gardener takes pleasure in watching each step that unfolds from their labor.
Now I know, a refuge never grows
from a chin in the hand and a thoughtful pose
Gotta tend the earth if you want a rose. ~ Indigo Girls
It’s a cliché – and it’s true – anything worth having usually has to be worked for.
I hear over and over…”We’re looking for a young dog.” What they often really mean is, “I’m looking for a perfect young dog.” They want a dog that is socialized to others, bonds quickly, has impeccable house manners, and knows all those things we call rules (don’t we all?!). When a young dog has all of that going for it, it is because someone invested all of the hard work required to get it there. And you generally won’t find them surrendered.
Our young four-legged kids are generally not “perfect” – because someone didn’t take the time to make them so. But that does not mean they don’t have the potential. Young rescue dogs are often like adolescent humans in so many ways. Willful, a little wild, often insecure, sometimes mouthy, but ultimately trainable and loveable – if someone will just make the effort.
Our Lucky is one of these.
It pains me to see him passed over because he is still a work in progress, especially at his young age of eighteen months. He’s thoroughly adorable – if a little rebellious – and a bundle of playful energy.
He would make a perfectly devoted and active companion for someone willing to accept a dog with “some assembly required.”
With a little time and some work, you’d be amazed at what takes shape.
“I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
This…
starts as this.
This…
becomes this.
I’m hoping that someone sees that in Lucky soon.
(Thanks to Rob Kessel for the photos of Lucky.)
A drop in the bucket
We had an unexpected surprise this week…something we haven’t seen in a very long while: rain!
While the rainfall total is but a drop in our drought bucket, we are so grateful. It delivered a much-needed assist to the firefighters battling the massive King Fire in El Dorado County, about 70 miles from us. After two weeks and thousands displaced, the 97,000 acre fire is now 87% contained.
The garden soaked up every drop and enjoyed a few consecutive days of cloud cover.
In response, it spewed forth tiny frogs,
snails,
and a host of mushrooms…one of the gifts of our bark paths when the days are darker and there is finally moisture.
You’ll remember Moses from my Say Goodbye To Summer post? Well, your good wishes worked. He went home this weekend –
joining Carly Simon, Loki, Gordon (below right with his new sister, Sophie) –
Casey, Reacher and Ginger (pictured left with her new sugar-faced sisters).
Patsy Cline and Coki went to foster. Curious about the names? You try being original after rescuing nearly 8,000 dogs!
It was another good weekend for adoptions. Heard among our volunteers: “We have lots of open kennels.” Quickly followed by the arrival of seven (at last count) more.
Seven adoptions; two fosters…a drop in the bucket that keeps being refilled. But, like the rain, we – at Homeward Bound – are grateful for each and every one.
A holiday gift
Two weeks of low 20-degree temperatures overnights (unheard of in the Sacramento Valley), and there is not much left to show you in the garden.
It got an overdue drink this weekend – after the hoses thawed out. The forecast says the worst is behind us for a while.
The only color I have to share with you this week is on the Christmas tree;
the only birds that made an appearance today were stuffed.
So to warm your hearts – I give you Charlie and Linus (photos courtesy of my friend, Rob) –
two pups that arrived at Homeward Bound barely four months of age. They were accompanied by a very unwelcome guest: parvo. You can read their full story here. Suffice to say, they were blessed to have Homeward Bound guardian angels looking down on them. Most times, the prognosis is not good. A few weeks later, our miracle pups are healthy, happy and ready to roll.
They are also adopted.
Both went home this weekend, just in time for Christmas.
I can’t think of a greater gift.
Our Joy
The garden served up its usual beauty this weekend. Fall is beginning its advance and the flowers and their friends are grateful for the more moderate temperatures and cool nights.
Their appreciation is clearly on display.
But the most beautiful moments of the weekend did not involve flowers. First, new bricks were installed in the Memorial pathway.
I donated this one for one of my very first blogger friends, Deborah at Romancing the Bee and her beloved companion recently departed – the Noble Bayard.
The garden hosted the usual parade of pups. Hank took up residence on Steve’s lap –
Fozzie Bear, who just recently arrived, made his first trip to the garden –
beautiful Sting relaxed in the shade, exhausted from playing in the sprinklers –
while Lilly practiced her table manners.
In between, two great tales unfolded. First, Sydney – a special needs Golden who has pretty significant separation anxiety, found her perfect match in a family that did not see that as a special need at all.
She went home with her new beautiful brother, Gunner.
The two of them will have perpetual human company serving by day as greeters in their family’s store – Material Goods in (get this) – Carmel. Yup. Carmel By The Sea. I was hoping that they would adopt me as well, but some dogs just have all the luck! You can visit them there.
And that was just the start.
The story is told in full on the Homeward Bound blog (click here to read), but I’ll summarize here. A wonderful family with three beautiful children – adopted themselves – with incredibly giving hearts. On Thursday, they met Ollie, one our longer term guests.
Deaf, with skin issues, and a golden heart – he had been passed over too many times. On Sunday, they met Mariposa. A tiny, malnourished and scared little girl who had not been treated well in her first year on earth.
Two extraordinary dogs with special needs – who have found a very special home – with a beautiful family and a new brother named Sailor.
People ask about the often bittersweet work of rescue: “how can you do it”? With weekends like this, how can you not?
The joy is ours.
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.
Secrets of the heart
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched…but are felt in the heart.” ~ Helen Keller
There is one feeling that I will never get used to – is the joy of watching new connections made and new two+four-legged families formed. Last weekend Jeff and Erwin came through the garden with Duke – 90 pounds of golden love.
Previous adopters, they had lost their beloved pup and were finally ready to share their hearts with another. The connection was real and instantaneous. They spent hours together. Arrangements were made to return a week later to pick him up; unable to stay away, they were back the next afternoon with a friend to share another day.
Who knows what clicks to create these instant bonds. Who cares?
Secrets of the heart – dog to human; human to dog.
Our Holiday Cheer
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow rain, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ~ Dr. Seuss
It has been pounding rain again. There will be no gardening this weekend, unless you count water features.
And few Goldens in the garden, because everyone is too focused on getting them walked and warm again. But that does not mean we are without Christmas cheer. Remember the story of Hunter and his transformation? (You can revisit it here.)
Part of Hunter’s pained look when he first arrived at Homeward Bound was very real pain in his ears.
Thankfully, he received the care he desperately needed. Unfortunately, the result was deafness. Sad as that is, it was an obvious relief to Hunter after the hurt he had endured for so long. You can see it on his smiling face and in his rebounded spirit.
So, after such a long recovery and wait for adoption, where’s the cheer? Hunter went home this week – in time for Christmas.
So you see? Even in the rain and cold and wind, we are surrounded with blessings and cheer.
What miracles have walked through here.
Best wishes for a joyous holiday and a new year filled with small miracles – to all our visitors and readers from the gardeners and the pups of Homeward Bound.
You make it so
“All gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so.” ~Joseph Joubert
And not just gardeners. At Homeward Bound, it is the volunteers, the foster families, and our amazing veterinarians who find the beauty in abandoned and neglected pups. You remember Snuffy from September?
This poor pup arrived with a thyroid condition, terrible skin, and barely-there hair. He looked more like a sad and drowned rat than a Golden.
A pill a day, and the loving care of his foster family, showed progress by late October.
And this week? This beautiful boy found his forever home…
because our dedicated team made it so. Hugs to all the quiet heroes of Homeward Bound – from Snuffy, with love.
End of September Update
The humans were a little sluggish this morning at Homeward Bound. I’m not sure if it was the late-into-the-evening fundraiser for the organization, or the weatherman’s promise of 100-degree temperatures…on September 30th. Enough already! While we pounded coffee, the dogs and creatures were up and at ’em. Bees…
butterflies…
frogs…
and even the Hummingbird made its appearance!
We created a garden bed just for this fellow, but he has eluded us all summer – until now. More in another blog about how I almost blew his photo, and the interesting Photoshop save and results.
The only thing not moving was this Crawdad that must have made its way from the draining rice fields. The yards have been full of them, but this one was strangely silent.
Not to be shown up, Maria, Pat and I got busy dead-heading and preparing for the paths that will be installed in two weeks. Here’s Pat hard at work!
With the weeds beaten back, we can’t wait to cover this uneven baked clay earth in three inches of walk-on mulch which will show off the beds beautifully.
Once the paths are in, the goal is to expand the beds. Ina will extend the Cottage Garden across the length of the front entrance,
we’ll create some needed space in the over-grown Hummingbird garden,
Sue and Jeff have planned beds of pansies under the trees (once the weather cools!), and Maria was so inspired by the removal of the blackberries, that she has already begun the task of doubling the size of the Herb Garden.
Across the way she dressed the St. Francis bed for fall.
Goldie gave it the once over, and her approval.
And with that, the parade was on! This is Hank Spoon.
A terrible name for a sweetheart of a boy. Maybe someone will adopt him and change it to something more befitting.
Brutus and Sierra came in search of refreshment. They are still looking for their ‘fur-ever’ home together.
Goldie, number two. A beauty with, what look like, Collie ears.
Scout and Huck are new arrivals. Scout is part Golden and part Corgi. One of our gardeners already has her eye on him. Occupational hazard? Or master plan? I’ll keep you posted.
Huck is a people-loving little thing, who will do well with someone dedicated to his training and who can match his obvious enthusiasm!
Bones helped himself to another apple from the tree. He can’t hear, but he can see and smell! (Remember not to let them eat the cores!)
Bo-Bo and Hershey are not available for adoption, so they can call the garden ‘home’.
And finally, Wedo. This sweet pup has led a ‘sheltered’ life and needs someone who will be devoted to helping him discover life beyond. In exchange, you will be the recipient of this adoring gaze!
There is a lot more to catch you up on, but it is late, and I promised to bake triple chocolate cranberry cookies for work tomorrow…so off I go! See you back here soon.
Gardens For Goldens 