Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue – Page 13

Who’s Your (Foster) Daddy?

When Marshall first arrived, he was so frightened, he literally slid his body low to the ground under his kennel bed and hid.
In hindsight, we’re pretty sure it was a ploy. The dogs talk, you know. And word has been passed from yard to yard that there is an awesome Foster Daddy who lives next door to Homeward Bound. Getting picked to go with him for “rehabilitation” is like winning the dog lottery. Marshall was determined to be selected, so he made himself look as pathetic as possible. And Marshall can do pathetic pretty well!

It worked, of course. Once there – his true colors came out. Marshall treated humans just like puppies treat each other. He probably never learned any better (yeah…we’re going to go with that!).

Instead of gratitude, Marshall tried to turn his Foster Daddy into a chew toy with tugging, tackling, and flat out conquering.

“There’s not much to like about this guy,” black and blue Foster Daddy muttered in utter frustration. Foster Daddy is pretty darn patient – but this one was a true test.

Good news for Marshall…Foster Daddy does not give up. He exhausted his playbook of training methods: rewards and ignoring, yelps and silence, time together and time outs. It was probably not one single thing, but the cumulative effect of all that turned the tide. Or maybe Marshall finally came to the realization that no matter what he did, Foster Daddy was not ditching him. And then – he was a different dog.

“I’m going to miss that guy,” Foster Daddy wrote. Marshall had hit his second jackpot: a home. And not just any home…a home with one of Homeward Bound’s dog walkers.

Photo Credit: Rob Kessel

Marshall take note: Foster Daddy and your new Daddy have traded notes. They are both wise to you! So be a good boy…and visit us often.

And don’t forget to say “thank you” to your Foster Daddy.

Note: Foster Daddy is kind of shy…so I haven’t mentioned his name. But if you look closely, you’ll find it. Just sayin’.

Update: Foster Daddy has outed himself. For his post about Marshall and a gallery of photos, visit here.

Teach Your Children Well

A garden is a reflection of its keepers. Tidy and structured;

casual and carefree;

or untamed and wild.

It inherits our priorities – not by birth, but by effort and example. So too, our children.

“Whatever you would have your children become, strive to exhibit in your own lives and conversation.” ~ Lydia Sigourney

Kate is a dedicated Homeward Bound dog walker. Despite juggling a full life with young children and a husband’s doctor hours, she shows up every Sunday to get the dogs out – rain or shine.

She has an eagle eye for the first sign of a sneeze, limp, or matted ear – and an enormous heart for those most in need. In 2014, she extended it to George. As a Black Lab with insecurities in a place surrounded by sought-after Goldens, she was worried that he would be overlooked forever. So she took him home.

And while he is still unsure when he encounters dogs on his walks, it turns out that he is fine with dogs in his home. Go figure. This, of course, makes him a perfect host for fostering, which he has taken to very nicely following Kate’s example.

Last week, Kate saw that Maggie needed a soft place to land as she recovered from recent medical procedures.

With George and family in tow, an introduction was planned.

It did not take long for Maggie and George to give the “all clear.”

The kids cheered.

Rescue runs in this family. Kate and her husband, Christian, see to it by living the example. The love, respect, and concern for animals that they have inspired in their children is obvious.

Because of that, Maggie is in their foster care today. She has an opportunity to get well in the comfort of home, and to be loved upon while she waits for her own furever family.

Fostering. A gift for the dogs.

A great way to inspire a love of rescue in children.

Emmie: A Gift from the Universe

“We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming.

We cannot stop the spring or the fall

or make them other than they are.

They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse.

But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives.” ~ Gary Zukav

To the person who left sweet, thirteen-year-old Emmie at the shelter, emaciated, sick, and alone – in the winter of her life that she could not stop from coming;

thank you for this gift from the universe that we could not – and would not, refuse.

She brings light to our lives,

and purpose to our days. Our contribution is surrounding her with love and kindness, for whatever time is left.

Regardless of the sadness we know is coming,

this is what we choose. It is your loss that you could not do the same.

Update: Sweet Emmie passed peacefully and gently, surrounded by our volunteers the week that I wrote this post. We knew her time would be measured in days, not weeks or months. In a very short time, she touched so many hearts, not the least of whom was the woman at the shelter who alerted us to her need. Upon Emmie’s passing she writes: “I cried tears of sadness and anger when I got the call from the former owner stating she was bringing her to the shelter I work at. I am now crying tears for her passing. I am eternally grateful to Homeward Bound and for being there to show her love…she deserved nothing but the best, yet her owner was tossing her away. I will never understand that. Big hugs of thankfulness to every person at Homeward Bound! You are an awesome group of people.”

Fly free, sweet Emmie. You are our gift to heaven, now.

Thanks to Rob Kessel, of robanddog.com, for the beautiful photos of Emmie.

A Christmas Wish Delivered

‘Twas two weeks before Christmas, and all through the rescue –
All the creatures were stirring, believing something would ensue.
Whispers and wishes hung in the air,
In hopes of Bilos’ special someone. Could we dare?

Bilos is blind, born without eyes,
But we knew when we met him – he was a special prize.

Smart, and sweet, and anxious to please,
He surprised and delighted and adapted with ease.

Special needs dogs need special humans as well,
It takes patience and commitment to help them excel.
We understood it would take time, but impatient we grew,
Bilos was truly deserving of love, this we all knew.

And then…

A quiet visitor arrived not once, or twice, or even thrice,
But over and over, seeking answers and advice.

With great thought and great care she made her decision,
And two days before Christmas, took Bilos home on provision.

To first foster our boy she dispatched –
With paws crossed and prayers said,
We hope for a forever match.

In her first update she writes that she feels lucky and blessed,
Our joy and gratitude, we cannot express.

A Christmas wish whispered and delivered with speed,
Merry Christmas, sweet Bilos! With prayers answered, indeed.

Where the Sugar Flows

In the big dog Park, the rough and tumble play.

But on the other side of the fence is where the sugar lives.

Sugar Shack Acres is home to Homeward Bound’s most senior dogs: the sugar faces –

our sanctuary dogs – like once-and-forever feral Red –

and dogs who just love being with other dogs – like Lucy, who is only five, but desperately needed to lose weight. After a couple of weeks with her Sugar Shack friends, she dropped nearly ten pounds (and was on her way home!)

These pups may be a little slow,

But they still get around.

And everyone gets along.

As they say: it takes a long time for a soul to get this sweet.

Some of our volunteers spend all their time in this sanctuary – where the dogs have their own house and a large open yard so they can come and go freely.

Some just pay a visit after walking, feeding, and cleaning up after our “dorm” dogs – only to be mobbed by smiling faces, tail wags and kisses.

And when the young dog pack leaves the Park…guess where the sugar flows?

Chessy’s Inner Lion

Hear her roar!

Hope Delivered

Oh the weather outside was frightful…but rain in California is delightful. We are so grateful for (count them!) two storm systems this week, moving through our drought-dried state. While it dumped in buckets, it was still very manageable (for most of us…sorry little bee!).

The walkers who braved it today were rewarded with a brief blast of sunshine by the end.

And of course, dogs!

This is pre-El Nino cheer bringing hope to our thirsty state.

The weekend also delivered on the hopes of five of our dogs. Our ”going homes” include Booker – who is the perfect foil to his new human, Mark.

Talk about mugging it up for the camera.

Charlie got the thumbs-up from gorgeous alum Goldie to come home and stay with her (and to shed a few pounds!)

Babe couldn’t wait to get in the car and go (not that she didn’t appreciate her time with us!)

And Precious and Lexi. These two came to us when their person could no longer care for them. I hope it brings them comfort knowing they will be in good and happy hands.

Dogs going home. A kennel that is half empty. The garden nearly put to bed for the winter. And rain.

The perfect way to end a weekend.

Wordless Wednesday: Marley

Winter Approaches

All signs point to winter. In the span of one week, the garden has transformed from a fall garden to a winter one. This, of course, means that I am way behind. Dogs come first, and more than a few have had their turn recently. Hurray for…

Marley,

River,

Keiko,

and Dart.

While it looks like the garden is beginning to slumber, there is still a lot going on under the surface. Until a freeze, newly transplanted perennials and trees, and an army of spring bulbs are all growing roots, while earthworms and tiny microbes are still hard at work.

“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle … a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl.” ~ Barbara Winkler

All of this will come to a halt when we get our first real freeze. Before then, we need to complete the raising and mulching of the beds to keep them from floating away during our much hoped for El Nino, and to keep the soil temperature even.

Despite removing mountains of leaves, we still have heaps of them.

I rigged an open air container and ~~assigned~~ begged off the chopping duties. The leaf bits will over-winter in the container, creating a leaf mold to use as soil conditioner in our packed clay by spring.

I never mourn the passing of a season. Gardeners always look ahead. Besides, the colors of an approaching winter are beautiful in their own right:

Browns,

faded pinks,

yellows and reds,

And of course – the snowy whites…

the best color of all.

Wordless Wednesday: Snowy

Run free, sweet girl.

Puppy Pop Quiz

Sugar and spice…and everything nice.

Except the poop. Puppies are adorable.

It is hard not to fall in love with each and every one. But matching the right puppy to the right family makes all the difference for dog and human.

Our latest brood was delivered by Lady Edith. She has gone to her new family and will have her long-awaited eye surgery this week.

Her pups are all spoken for; their anxious families wait. But before we send them home, we wanted to complete their puppy assessments using the Puppy Aptitude Test developed by Jack and Wendy Volhard.

Each litter we are graced with is assigned a human “mom” who watches over them, cleans up after them, and most importantly, socializes them – so critical in a dog’s early weeks. This time, the honors fell to Judy.

The test assesses personality and temperament, which will help their new families provide the environment and nurturing they need to be well-raised dogs. This is not a pass or fail test – and no – you cannot cheat off the teacher, either!

It measures social attraction to dogs and people,

confidence, dependence or independence,

willingness to accept commands or follow,

retriever instincts and prey drive,

touch, sight and sound sensitivity.

Born during a thunderstorm, raised by a good mama dog and devoted human, our pups are pretty unfazed by loud sounds, sudden movements or being handled. But certain personalities do emerge.

Puppies with a strong desire to lead or play very rough need experienced dog people with a commitment to training and exercise to bring out their best selves.

Shy or frightened pups need patient people in environments that are calm and stable.

Go-along/get-along pups are best suited to first-time dog owners, families with children, or older people.

And when the test is over…

everyone gets a well-earned nap!

Want to learn more about the Puppy Aptitude Test? Visit www.volhard.com.

Giving Thanks for You

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

For flowers that bloom about our feet;

For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;

For song of bird,

and hum of bee;

For all things fair we hear or see,

Father in heaven, we thank Thee! ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I share this poem each Thanksgiving, as a reminder of all that we have to be grateful for. I include each of you in that gratitude list, for traveling with me on this journey – and for the friendships I have made along the way. Happy Thanksgiving to all.