Announcing...it's a boy!

Okay, did you catch on that I was hinting a little bit yesterday?! (hehe sorry!)
But now I can tell you. I have some exciting news! We've got a new dog!!

Please meet Ike.

Peppertree Rescue, the same group that helped us with Moses and then Brooks, alerted us to a 6 year old golden retriever they called Burghley. Burghley had been in a home with a 3 yr old golden, and unfortunately the family was relocating and unable to take their dogs with them.

We met Burghley in the park, anxiously wondering what Kelly would think. She let him know she was boss, but otherwise she more or less ignored him and seemed comfortable with him. He didn't seem to mind her bossy ways. The rescue group sent an experienced dog person to help us get a sense of both Kelly and Burghley's reactions and determine if they might be able to live peacefully together. She indicated that it could work.

We thought Burghley was adorable. He is much younger than Brooks and has a good deal more energy. He has Lyme disease, an ear infection, and is not neutered. He gets car sick. He escaped from his crate, chewed through a wooden door, and is a known wanderer. He was the top dog in his old home, so that made me a little nervous. But at the end of the meeting, the rescue group said that they could either take him back to the kennel at the vet's, or we could take him home. Well....how could we send him back to the kennels??

So we all went home. We renamed him Ike. And we've been taking our time to get to know each other and get adjusted. He's a bit of a counter surfer. He doesn't like to be left alone. He cries when we put him to bed at night. He needs obedience training. But he's super sweet, he loves attention, he's fun and playful. And he's OURS!

We've had Ike for one week now, and so far so good.
Tomorrow... How does Kelly like Ike?

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What do you do when you can't find a dog to adopt?

Not long after we lost Brooks, we began searching for another golden retriever, inspired by the poem with the line: "...To a poor lonely stray I'd give my happy home, my bowl, my cozy bed..."
Brooks would want us to adopt another.

We just haven't had any luck. We had our name in at six different rescue groups. The local rescue groups didn't have any golden retrievers...the golden retriever rescues adopted out dogs to other interested parties before we got a chance to inquire... dogs we were interested in were too assertive for Kelly....or too timid for Kelly....or the foster parents decided to adopt the dog themselves....time and time again, we fell for a sweet golden face on the internet, or in person, only to end up disappointed.

So what do you do when you can't find a dog to adopt? We considered buying a puppy from a golden retriever breeder. We considered that we may stay a one-dog family. We considered many options, but then we decided to be patient and wait. Keep Looking...because something good might be just around the corner......
Just maybe...  :)    (hint, hint!!)

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When to Get a New Dog and Dog Time Petties

Something cool about the Dog Time Petties awards is that each time you nominate a blog or blog post, you can also nominate a nonprofit animal shelter or rescue to compete for a $10,000 Petties Grant. The shelter with the most nominations will win the grant. And each winner will also be able to choose a rescue, and each winning blogger will be awarded a $1,000 donation to the rescue or animal shelter of their choice. If I won an award, I'd choose Petsmart Charities because they do great work for pet adoption, and were so kind reaching out to us when we lost Brooks. I also like  Eldad Hagar and his Hope for Paws, a rescue organization especially skilled at rescuing street dogs and other dogs with very little hope. The videos of his rescues and transformations are heartbreaking as well as triumphant.

Categories for the 2013 awards include Best Dog Blog, Best Cat Blog, Best Cause-Related Blog and more. This year I have a post that I feel people responded to, When to Get a New Dog After Pet Loss? In this post I spoke from the heart about losing our golden retriever Brooks, and about how to know if it's time to adopt another dog. If you like this post, I'd be honored if you'd nominate it for a Pettie in the "Best Blog Post" category. Just go to http://petties.dogtime.com. Nominations close June 28. 

How to Nominate:

Go to http://petties.dogtime.com
Click on Nominate

Scroll down to near the bottom, find BEST BLOG POST

Copy and Paste in this URL-  http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.com/2013/04/when-to-get-new-dog-after-your-pet-dies.html

Click on Submit Ballot

If you choose to nominate my post, When to Get a New Dog After Pet Loss, thank you very much!

Peggy and Kelly

Want PAWsitive pet tips, good news and special bonuses? Content not already on the blog? Fetch our free newsletter! Kelly and I can't wait to see you there!

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12 Things to Know About Adopting a Dog and Rescue Groups

We're spending a lot of time lately thinking about adopting a dog, looking at pictures of adoptable dogs on Petfinder, and talking to our local rescue groups. We're looking for a new furry best friend (and companion for our current dog, Kelly), and it's taking some time. That's okay, we're not in a big hurry. (At least, that's what we keep telling ourselves. But when we see or hear about some of these dogs, our hearts get a little mushy!)

We've chosen to adopt again. There's no shortage of homeless dogs. But you may be surprised to know that if you choose to adopt, it may not be a quick and easy process.  Here's what you should know:

Rescue groups-
1. ask a lot of questions
2. may require you to fill out a lengthy application with questions about your schedule, your family, your yard, and more.

3. may ask for personal references
4. will call your veterinarian to check that you've properly cared for your pets
5. will inspect your home

6. generally charge around $150-$450 adoption fees

Here's what else you should know:
Rescue groups-
7. Care about dogs. A lot. A lot a lot. Did I say a lot?
8. Care about people, too, and finding the right dog for the family.
9. Are volunteers with jobs, families, stresses, health concerns, financial pressures, and pets of their own. Yet they still put in countless hours to help save dogs in need. We sometimes get emails from one of our rescue group coordinators at three in the morning. I'm not sure that she ever sleeps.
10. May witness horrific situations of hoarding, abuse, neglect, and abandonment, and the reality of high kill shelters, and still continually put their hearts out there again and again. I often ask people in rescue how they handle it. Usually they say that they have to focus on the ones they save.
11. Have a heart for the old, the sick and the homely. And have witnessed situations of true transformations when these dogs are given loving homes.
12. Nurse sick dogs back to health. Bring homeless dogs to the vet for shots, treatments and surgeries. Have dogs spayed or neutered, microchipped. Often pay out of pocket for dog food and medical supplies. Those adoption fees only cover a small percentage of what's needed.

Rescue groups ask a lot of questions because they care about finding homeless dogs good homes. They don't want to see those dogs back out on the streets. They also have a lot of people waiting for certain dogs, and not enough people looking for other types of dogs.

So far, we've found a few potential dogs in our search. Some have gone to other adopters before we got on the list. (Laid back, not-too-old golden retrievers happen to be in high demand. Go figure!). Once, it was determined that the dog in question was likely too high spirited to get along with our Kelly. Once, the senior dog we were considering wasn't able to manage stairs, so it wasn't a match. But we'll keep looking. We are happy to wait for the right dog who will fit in with our family and get along with Kelly. Those rescue groups can go right on asking all those questions. And we'll keep answering. And soon we'll find a dog who fits as well as Brooks had fit. And hopefully who needs us as much as we need him.

p.s. Keep going k9kampers! Check out Kol's post today on Kol's Notes!

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Wednesday Pet Roundup- March 20, 2013

Hi and welcome to Wednesday Pet Roundup! Here is Kelly out in the snow. Let's hope that March goes out like a lamb...and real soon!

* Did you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? I hope you had as much fun as these 50 pets celebrating St. Patrick's Day. 

* Steve Dale says, "The magic solution for good health has four legs and a tail." Agreed!

* From KTRK- TV in Houston, a bittersweet story on a rescue group that cares for terminally ill pets.  "They'll be in a home," says April Plemons, vice president of Long Way Home Animal Sanctuary and Pit Bull Rescue. "Not a shelter, not a kennel, not a crate. In a home."

* A circus in Japan is working to change the country's mind about where they get their pets. Find out what Wow Wow Dog Circus is doing to help promote pet adoption.

* I usually stay away from contests where you have to ask people to vote for your entry, but when Tess from SkinnyScoop nominated Peggy's Pet Place for one of their Top 25 Pet Blogs I was so flattered and excited, I wanted to share the news. Could you please take a moment to jump over and vote for me? To vote, just scroll down through the entries until you find Peggy's Pet Place. Then just click on "like" and leave a comment if you desire. Thank you so much!

* I'm giving away 2 free books-- Once Upon a Flock by Lauren Scheuer. Hurry, contest ends today!

* Congratulations to winner of Woof Pack goodies Tamra H. and Kumfy Koatz harness Shelley P.


 Want more, pawsitive pet tips, good news, and special bonuses? Content not already on the blog? Subscribe to my free newsletter. (Brooks and Kelly say thank you!)

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Mobile App Helps Dogs Get Fit and Healthy

Steve and Jack. Look at Jack now!

 When Steve Pelletier adopted his
7- year-old yellow lab, Jack, the dog weighed 105 lbs. and was on Prozac (for anxiety and hyperactivity) and Rimadyl (pain reliever, often for arthritis). Jack was considered unadoptable- he'd been in the shelter for over a year before Steve and his family took a chance on him and devoted themselves to helping Jack reach a healthy weight.

Steve's story immediately touched me, for several reasons. One, because my husband and I had a yellow lab named Hudson who became obese. At the time, we didn't have the understanding we should about Hudson's diet and activity level. (Because I was then 30 lbs overweight myself, I hadn't made health and fitness a personal priority either.) And second, through my book Dieting with my Dog, I aim to inspire others to become fit and healthy with their pets, too.

If only I'd had Steve's app, SlimDoggy! I would have had a hands on, user friendly tool to guide me through everything I needed to know to help Hudson.

SlimDoggy is a mobile app which helps pet parents fight canine obesity and have happy and healthy dogs. The SlimDoggy App contains a calorie database of about 2,000 dog foods and allows for the tracking of the dog’s activity each day. You can input the amount of food you feed them each day, their activity levels, and SlimDoggy tells you automatically whether you are overfeeding or underfeeding. You never again have to guess how much to feed your dog!

Measuring my dog's food is one of the healthy habits I learned on my journey that helped our next dog after Hudson--our spaniel-mix, Kelly-- achieve success and take off  6 pounds and regain her girlish figure! SlimDoggy encourages pet parents to measure their dog's food as well (they even have a special SlimDoggy measuring cup in their store!)

Jack's tale is a success story. By understanding his dog's individual needs, Steve helped Jack slim down to 85 pounds in 3 months time. Jack is off both medications, and is now a happy and healthy dog– his behavioral problems disappeared as fast as his excess weight! And he loves to run with Steve!

Nearly half the dog in the U.S. are overweight or obese. SlimDoggy App tracks activities by intensity level, daily activity time, activity type, duration and distance, or through GPS. Their database contains dog food, snacks and people food (e.g. bacon) or you can add custom food. An "auto feed” function sets up a normal feeding so that you can set it and forget it.





















SlimDoggy is committed to addressing both the dog obesity problem and the dog abandonment problem in the US. They donate a portion of their ongoing revenue to dog rescue organizations.

Like Slimdoggy on Facebook
@Myslimdoggy on twitter
Check out the SlimDoggy blog!

We use SlimDoggy. Here are screen shots from the SlimDoggy accounts I set up for Brooks and Kelly!

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Who'd Want this Homely Mama Dog?

Cordelia, aka Maggie

Woof Friday! 
The first Friday of every month (or so!) we feature a guest post by animal rescuer, Sharon Azar. She shares the heartbreak and happiness of being involved in animal rescue.

From Cordelia to Maggie
by Sharon Azar

I just uncovered an envelope of old photos of a dog named Cordelia, a 3 year old mixed terrier girl who was found huddling against the concrete divider on the NJ Turnpike on a hot summer day some years
ago.  I’ll never forget the magic that unfolded.

Our vet said this dog probably had many litters of puppies. My fear was since she wasn’t such a ‘looker’ I’d have a difficult time placing her. Posters, ads, telephone calls, all brought no results. No one wanted a mama dog with teats hanging down from delivering multiple litters.

But then, a fellow rescuer said she knew of a family looking for a companion for their golden retriever, Murphy. My hopes were not high. “A golden retriever! Why would they want a scruffy little mama dog?”

We arranged for a meeting anyway. After spending some time with them, I was in awe of their obvious love and sincerity toward their dog and each other. Al and Barbara are the sweetest, most loving couple. I prayed to myself, “Please let them fall in love with Cordelia.”

When I met their beautiful golden retriever, Murphy, my doubts surfaced. “They’d never want such a dog as Cordelia.”

Oh, me of little faith.

Best buddies swimming together.

I was blown away when they told me they’d love to have her in their family! As the years went by Al and Barbara would send me cards and photos of their family trips with Murphy and Cordelia, who they renamed Maggie. They took Maggie and Murphy skiing, boating, and swimming in Alaska!

Pretty wonderful for a dog who was near being run over on the New Jersey turnpike.

Check out Sharon's animals for adoption at WOOF! 

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Blog the Change-- Peppertree

Hutch

Blog the Change is an opportunity to write about an animal group close to our hearts that we'd like to highlight, and this month I happen to have just the perfect group.

I've been dealing with Peppertree rescue group in finding a dog to join our family. Our circumstances require finding the right fit for our lovable but headstrong older resident dog, which is proving to be a bit difficult. Through it all Peppertree has been helpful, professional, compassionate and equally concerned about all the animals and people involved.

In our experience, Peppertree Rescue:
1. works diligently to rescue dogs needing forever homes.
2. suggests potential dogs to prospective parents and makes every effort to make good matches
3. cares deeply about their dogs' well-being
4. takes excellent medical and physical care of their foster dogs
5. observes the rescue dogs' temperaments and works on behaviors in the foster homes
6. arranges to meet prospective parents and their dogs at a neutral location to introduce the dogs
7. provides exemplary support and help during the entire process
8. helps provide or lend equipment when needed
9. has an excellent trainer who can help advise if needed
10. offers a 2-week trial period to allow the dog a chance to settle down in the new environment and for everyone to get to know each other


I want to give Peppertree Rescue high praise for their professionalism, understanding, helpfulness, and compassion for all involved. If you are in the Albany NY area and looking to adopt an animal companion, please contact Peppertree.
Here (and Hutch, above) are some of their dogs available today:

Dobbs

Sweet Pea

Reilly

Sir Lucky

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Rescue work and Love

Isn't Daisy adorable?

Woof Friday! 
The first Friday of every month we feature a guest post by animal rescuer, Sharon Azar.

Tough Love
by Sharon Azar

Daisy, the adorable young female King Charles spaniel is visiting this week! PoohBear, Chili and Tigger the cat are all rolling their eyes, "her
again?!!"  They'd forgotten how much they learned to love her on her last visit.

Right now she's just a ball of fiery energy. "Don't worry guys, we'll be fine,"  I say.

They just walk away and sigh.

Being a spaniel, the moment she spots Samurai, the cat, she's goes into hunting mode. He bolts, she pursues. I gently take her harness and draw her to me with a calm but firm 'no', sit her on my lap and pet her until I sense her breathing and heartbeat are less like a revved up engine. Samurai comes out from hiding and again, Daisy pursues, unable to resist. We repeat this about 15 times.

When I sense she's reached a sense of calm on my lap, I take her and PoohBear out for a long walk before turning in. It's late and now all the dogs, cat and humans are in their places of rest. Morning comes and as always Tigger wants his breakfast before I take the dogs out. I begin preparing and spot Daisy watching and slowly inching toward the kitchen, ready to pursue. Looking her in the eye, I say in a focused whisper, 'no' . She stops in her tracks. I feed Tigger while Daisy watches, respectfully. No problem!!. Daisy shows herself to be intelligent and willing to please. I want to hug her in gratefulness, but that would break the spell, so I simply take a breath and smile.

In my many years of rescuing and living with dogs the most important lesson learned was that nothing ever gets accomplished by yelling or punishing. If a person cannot work with a dog's particular needs patiently and with love and intelligence, they should not have a dog. An old friend/trainer said "living with a dog is a responsibility not a right".  For me, living with dogs/cats is a joy worth all the work.

Check out Sharon's animals for adoption at WOOF!

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