EXHAUSTED!

Hot So Cal day. Instead of driving to deliver something this afternoon I decided to walk...and brought along Sally.

Half way into the trip I was a little too far gone. Driving and walking, well...you get this idea.

I brought water and a small container for Sally and tried to water her three times. On the entire trip she took a few sips. Comparing this to any other dog I've walked, they would have devoured the drink. Not Sally.

So I wonder, does Sally not drink on a hot day and long walk because of her timidity and inherit wildness and fear? She had to be thirsty...right?

I tried to leave the water near her and moved about ten feet away and took a rest. Still no drink.

That's so Sally.

We got home and she's knocked out now two hours later. I just woke up myself after a nap. My legs are a little sore, and I know this is the longest walk she has had.

If she wouldn't drink, I cooled her by pouring water on her coat and belly.

Back 2 Sally

Now that Mocha is gone--boo hoo--I can hang with Sally more. I took her for a long walk and it is clear that both Sparky & Mocha had a big impact on her confidence.

She walked without any hesitation, even pulled ahead of me several time. She still is fearful, timid, and very nervous...like Don Knotts drinking too many Red Bulls.

I then took a chance...
With Sparky I would take her on runs with my bike. This is not for the faint of heart. I have it down now, but it came with trial and error and a few cuts and scratches along the way.

I can take the dogs on a walk/run while riding my bike. It is great for me because I can really get them running. I try not to do this too often on hard surfaces and we go when it's cool to avoid hot pavements.

Tonight I did this with Sally and it was a monumental event!

She ran with me for a few blocks and moderate speed. This dog can really fly when she wants to. She is extremely agile and fast.

When I rode past my house she wanted to enter the driveway, still longing to nest, seeking safety and security. Nevertheless, she has come a long way. Still needs to relax more to be adoptable however.



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Mocha Gone

I love the opportunity to save dog's lives, but there's always a catch...they have to be adopted.

Yes, this six foot, 230lbs tough dude shed some tears when she left tonight.

I walked inside, saw the bed she laid on all the time, sat on it, and had a good cry.

Bye Mocha...have a great life with your new family!

Magnitude 5.8 - GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA

GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA had an earthquake today around 11:45am.

It scared Mocha and she had a weird stare on her face for at least five minutes afterwards. I noticed Sally was in a trance but it's hard to tell with her...she is always in a trance of sorts.

Mocha ran out of the room and was scared and then just sat in the room and starred at me like Eddie from Frasier. She has a blank look on her face. it was a little eerie actually.

All is well. I'd hate to be the passengers on the jet about to land at LAX only to hear the Captain say, "Ladies and gentlemen, the greater Los Angeles area has experienced an earthquake...I have no further information at this time."


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Welcome to the Bizzaro World!

My head aches a lot right now!

It's 6:42am...I should be sleeping ready to wake after a good night's rest.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Because Sally, my first rescue dog had the squirts for about three weeks when I first got her, I would always be paranoid that she didn't go outside enough to do her business.

For some reason I get up around 4:30am each morning for a few seconds. This is when I make life's big decisions!

I usually decide to roll out of bed, call both dogs to go outside and then expect them to come in quickly.

The past few days both dogs seem to come alive at this time in the morning. They love to play for hours. I know I should keep an eye on them, but did I mention it was 4:30AM?

I laid down for a "sec" and was out. I had this horrible bizzaro world dream where Florence Henderson saved my life from a wicked carnival of oriental men throwing knives at me. It got worse after that! This was a bad dream...no, bizarre dream that gave me a splitting headache when I woke.

So I roll out of bed, look at the clock and it's 6:30am.

OH NO!!

I go outside and call the dogs with my familiar whistle. No answer.

I call again and Mocha comes charging with a look on her face like a five year old who was playing in fudge. She's lovin' life and isn't afraid to let everyone know!

Something's up!

I walk out to where she was hanging out and here's what I see...

Evidently Mocha decided to dig a hole
to the end of the earth!

I kept wondering why she was at the corner of the yard the past few days...and why she seemed so happy early morning each day.

Now I know...she likes to dig! Couple this with her playing tag with Sally and it's a good morning.

Then Mocha starts eating grass like a gal who got a lifetime coupon for a salad bar. Not sure what's up with this, but she was really munching today.

Well, since typing this I walked outside and she was still munching on grass. I noticed she vomited the fresh green grass, a rather large amount. I've never seen her eat grass like this before...hmmm!



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Mocha Got a Home

Mocha the superdog is getting a home Monday. I'm sad and glad. So tonight I took her to the lake for a swim and hike. We owned the place. I went an hour before dark and nobody was there...guard booths unmanned...perfect.

I've wanted to take a dog swimming for the workout and she loved it. I held her underside in the water while her motor went full speed, legs in motion...and then let her go for the five foot swim to shore. We did this a few times.

I've probably spoiled Mocha and her new family will have to make the needed adjustments like not allowed on coach or sleeping on bed. In fact, I've had some poor sleeping because she takes up the entire bed and snores...loudly! But because I knew she was going, I became a softy with her.

Dogs are cool. Why have I waited so long to get this!



Only had Mocha a week and I feel like we've known each other forever...weird I know, but true.

Always Learning

Dogs are funny!

Got an email from Mocha's adoption worker that a family is interested in her. Tomorrow we meet in a local park. I was sad about her possibly leaving me even after a week. I really took to her.

So I went on a long walk with her and Sally in case it might be our last together. After the hike in the woods (well, woods for So Calif that is), I always walk the dogs to a nearby mall. At the front of the mall area is a large waterfall/fountain with a pool about three feet deep.

By this time the dogs are hot and a cool dip is refreshing. Mocha jumps in the water and starts hopping around like a bunny. Then she jumps out and begins to run wildly. This is unlike her as she usually walks slowly and has low energy.

Then she jumps on Sally and grabs hold of her. I pull her back and she jumps on her again. This was weird behavior. Mocha was so amped up after the water she was bouncing all around. I had to walk her to calm her down, and even then it took some time.

I noticed her eyes looked intense and she wasn't present. She now acted like Sparky, who was always ADHD in public, super alert at everything. Mocha was the same way. As we walked to the car, an older lady happened to be putting her granddaughter in the car. Then she started cleaning what looked like a larger Golden Retriever to enter the car after a walk in the wooded area.

Mocha who usually remains calm rushed the dog and I was pulling back the leash. She went on her back legs and was almost vertical. All to say she was so hyped after jumping in that water.

Thirty minutes later she calmed down and eventually was back to normal. When we got home she crashed on the carpet for a long nap and belly rub.

Sunny Day Hangin' Out

What a Sweetie!

I honestly didn't think I'd ever find a dog I liked better than Sparky.

Well.................

Let's just say Mocha has made the transition easy!

As I mentioned, when Mocha (formally named Rebel) came into my house, she and Sparky went at it. It got ugly in a pitbull kinda way. Then when I introduced Sally, same thing on a lesser scale. So I was very worried about Mocha.

Let's hear it for consistent TLC!

That's really the secret here with Mocha. I am fortunate she has responded, because Sally has taught me no matter how much consistent TLC, this doesn't mean a dog will respond or come around. Sally still has autistic behavior patterns despite being with her for over three months now. At times, it's as though we just met.

Mocha does not have the energy and intensity of Sparky. With Sparky, we'd drive and she had to hang her head all the way out the window and at times actually tried to jump out. She is all 'extreme sports' behaviorally.

Mocha will approach the open window, but only put her nose close by...and is comfortable sleeping in the passenger seat. Sparky almost never did this unless it was a long ride and she was dead tired...and even then she rested for short periods of time before she stood up and hung out the window again.

I have noticed Mocha responds only to positive messages. She also seems to have a negative reaction to anything waved high in the air like a towel. This tells me she was hit or disciplined with something raised high above her.

The one thing I've tried to establish with the dogs is friendly hands. It is a must they know my hands are not going to harm them, so I establish this immediately with consistent petting and slowly approaching them, letting them smell first, then pet.

This has worked well with Sally. She has no negative reaction to my hands. With Mocha, there is still some work to do. She will cower down at first with a message of, "Do you still love me since the last time we hung out?" She needs constant reassurance.

Mocha is a dog I'd like to have. She is so sweet and UNLIKE that initial meeting we had. Read below about how hungry and thirsty she was.



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Bizarre Behavior???

I'm tired this very early Sunday morning, but I have to record what I just witnessed.

The way I currently deal with making sure the dogs go to the bathroom outside properly is let them out when I first wake in bed. So this morning I did this like I have for months.

The way to get Sally outside is to walk into the bathroom where she likes to stay and call her out. She will stand up and quickly walk through the living room and outside the sliding glass door to the backyard.

Usually the other dog, Sparky--last week--or now Mocha will follow on their own if they need to go outside.

I am still a little nervous how Mocha and Sally will get along together.

When Sparky was around for about a month, late night, I would hear what sounded like prancing or a dog running in spurts...almost like dancing.

This got me up to check things out. Sally would dance around Sparky by lunging at her and then quickly bouncing away like she had springs in her feet ala Flubber.

This morning Sally took this up a notch. She was prancing at Mocha until Mocha was becoming annoyed...and I was actually concerned that Sally would need me to intervene.

S a l l y !

All day long, Sally sits in one place, never freely roaming around the house like a normal dog does...she just sits in one place and might grunt a little when I walk by or after I pet her. That's it!

So to see her aggressively prancing, dancing, springing about was bizarre.

Only yesterday during a brief conversation did the plumber tell me he has a black German Shepherd with long legs and a thin body prance about. When he said that a light when on as to what Sally was doing late at night with Sparky. Then this morning she took it up a notch.

When Sally pranced and lunged at Mocha she bounced (literally) back or to the side extremely fast. Mocha could not catch her if she wanted to. This is what was bizarre. I knew Sally could run fast and was wound super tight, but didn't realize she was so quick on her feet.

This dog isn't just quick, she is agile and springy, capable of bouncing four to five feet at a time as though in a former time she lunged at prey or attacked an enemy and then bounced back extremely fast.

Sally looked like she was playing with Mocha...which in itself is bizarre because she seems catatonic all day long. Immediately after returning to the bathroom she went back to her stoic behavior to nest until the next trip outside.

The whole thing was just weird.

Mocha Delight!

Meet Mocha...formerly named Rebel.

I was delivered Mocha from Pugs to Pits right from the kill shelter in LA. She was Red Listed and had to be removed. I saw her in craigslist and volunteerd to foster her. She will join Sally as my two rescue dogs.

Because I enjoy Sparky so much, I decided to find a dog similar in temperament and physique. The pittbul seemed like a natural fit. Sally is more Australian Shepherd/Jack Russel mix w/a slightly pit looking head. She was found roaming in my friend's backyard one Sunday morning a few years back, so who really knows what she is.


Sparky, the wonderdog had to go Friday night. When Mocha was delivered, she came inside and Sparky went right up to her. Not good. Both dogs got WAY into it and had to be restrained. Then Mocha went into the crate outside. Sparky went up to the crate and I saw the ugly side of Pits come out. WOW!

I was scared...I cannot lie. Mocha showed a side of herself that was ugly when provoked. It is her natural hardwiring, yet it must be controlled.

Both dogs were separated and when Mocha came inside with her sponsor, McCall, a wonderful volunteer who is in training to be a vet. I decided to give her something to eat. She was muching on spilled dog food from the carpet with gusto.

Mocha proceeded to devour four bowls of dry dog food and six bowls of water in five minutes! This dog was starving!!

No wonder she was so freaked out. Living in a shelter with five dogs, moved to a new home, starving, having another dog rush her...

Thanks to my dog psychology research, I've learned some strong guidelines. And by guidelines, I mean dog truth to live by.

1. Exercise, discipline, and affection… in that order – These are the three ingredients for creating a happy, balanced dog. Most dog owners give only affection, or don’t provide these three necessities in the correct order.
   
   
1. Exercise – walking a dog at least one hour every day, and in the correct way.
   
   
2. Discipline – giving a dog rules, boundaries, and limitations in a nonabusive manner.
   
   
3. Affection – a reward we give to our dogs and to ourselves, but only after the dog has achieved calm submission in our “pack”.

This is dog wisdom!

I took Mocha on three walks Friday to bond and let her establish respect. I did this on a short leash and would stop on occasion to see if Mocha would respond. When she did not, I gave her a pull on the leash to signal I am the leader...when I stop, you stop.

I also allowed her to hear my voice in different tones, from a soft sweet sound to strong commands.

Eventually, Mocha relaxed on the couch and I rubbed her down. This incident with Sparky and Sally for a second seemed like distant history. I now understood why her sponsor McCall couldn't believe she acted this way.

After Mocha drifted off to a deep sleep, she snored like a fat man on a hot summer night. I had the fan blowing on me and noticed a foul smell.

OH NO...did Mocha poop on the couch?

Sally threw up late Friday night, and if you read this blog you know she had the squirts for weeks, so since I returned from house-sitting a few weeks ago, she has had normal bowl movement. Yet, she threw up and I was worried, so I didn't need another problem!

Mocha did not poop...she farts! And she farted a lot! It was brutal as the fan blew the hideous odor my way as I was laying in bed.


Mocha is very sweet. She doesn't not have the energy of Sparky, nor the intense curiosity to explore everything. Mocha is more laid back. On a walk she doesn't pull like Sparky did.

I loved Sparky and will miss her. I see her now and then when I visit my friend...and will house-sit her on their next vacation.

Hopefully Mocha will be adopted soon and be given the TLC she needs...I know she will get it from me!

One Step Forward, Three Back

Last night I picked up Sparky. I will be taking care of her along with Sally for a few weeks. Sparky is the opposite of Sally. She is energetic, enthusiastic, and playful. Her tail wags high and she lives life to the fullest.

After giving her a needed bath, I put the two dogs together and all was well. Sparky was more aggressive which I figured, but soon pulled away to do her own thing. Sally responded OK.

When I got home however, Sally had squirted in the shower. I thought we were over this! I did give her some of my spare rib the other night which had a lot of fat so I hope that was it. Then I woke up this morning and more mess. YUCK!

Sally was outside in her crate today but at noon it was 100 and much too hot, so I put a towel over the bathroom window to keep any heat and sun out in the bathroom where she is resting...or nesting in her case.

Sparky on the other hand is snoozing. She snores and gained some weight since I last took care of her. She's chunky now and I like it. I will shed the pounds by walking her. Her owners are well intentioned, but with two little kids in the house Sparky gets the short end.

Hopefully the mixture of both dogs will be positive for Sally who needs to relax and feel much more secure.

Postive Progress

Lots of progress w/Sally. I was housesitting for a month and she adapted well to the new house. She still likes to nest in her favorite places--bathroom shower, couch or under a tree outside.

The diarrhea issue got bad. One day she squirted six times! That was a lot of clean-up!!!

She will now go for a walk without dragging and trying to get back to her nesting area. This is a huge move forward. She still does not move from her nesting area and has to be picked up for tugged. In the early morning she is tired and easily gets up to go outside.

No more squirts...her stools are normal and I fell like a proud parent at her poops. Silly, but after all we've been through it's satisfying to know she isn't really sick.

I feed her at night in order for her to digest and then in the morning let her out. I was so paranoid I'd get up and find her all messy that I tried the night feeding and it is working.

She still has a long way to go but the progress is nice. She doesn't give back much like a normal 8 month old pup. Sally has a cat temperament. I am hoping that will change and she will get over her nerves. Some days she acts like we just met which is humbling.

Slight Progress

Sally has diarrhea right now. Oh yeah!

Nothing like waking up to the smell of poop. Let us say that I've stocked up on newspapers to line her crate.

I put her outside to clean inside and she buried herself into the bushes in my backyard. She has done this before, but the terror in her was lost. I was able to come close and pet her similar to when she's in her crate. The time I took to pet her in the house is paying off. I was able to pull her out of the bushes and put her leash on. There wasn't the panic like before.

Yet, I will take the panic over the poop any day. I smell it now but don't see any. UGH! For what I've researched, a diet of rice and boiled chicken is at hand for a few days.

Stitches Out

Sally got her stitches out this afternoon. I keep learning lessons from this dog.

The first was when I took the top off her crate. As soon as I unscrewed the top of the crate and lifted it, she bolted out. The first time she ran into my TV room, under the table. She is brilliant at hiding. It was work to get her out and very stressful. She clings to the carpet for dear life.

I get her back in the crate.

I let several minuets pass and try again. As soon as the top comes off...BOOM...she bolts through the sliding glass screen door outside. Just went right through the screen like a knife through butter. I took off after her with a gusto I haven't mustered in a while. If she gets into the ivy or back fence, I have a tremendous fight on my hands getting her out.



She runs all the way to the end of the yard, which is fenced-in thankfully, and then back towards the house. I am hoping she will go back intp the house. If she gets down the ally, she is out front and then I have an entirely different scenario. She could get into the street and I would never get her.

Chasing her, I realized how out of shape I am!

She goes into the house and I hear a bang. I see the front screen door open.

I run out through the screen door and don't see her. I go back in the house and look at all the places she hides and don't see her. She is a black dog so it’s difficult to spot her in a small corner. I go back in the TV room and she is stuffed in a corner under the coffee table.

This couldn't be worse for her trip to the vet! I wanted her to be relaxed and she is totally stressed out.

I put the bottom part of the crate in my back seat and finally get her in the car with a towel over the top for seclusion. We head off to the vet.

The stitch removal took ten minutes. Very nice people. I can tell a well run vet/Dx's office the first few seconds I enter. This place was good.

On the drive home she did well. I'm sure she was petrified of all the noises. I was encouraged in how she exited the car when we got home. The first trip back from the vet she was so afraid it was nearly impossible to pull her from the carpet--she cleaved to it for dear life.

This time with leash on, she walked out and right up the driveway to the yard and then into the house. In the house she goes to her bottom stance until she finds a secure place. I put her in the laundry basket and she snuggled in my dirty clothes.

After getting the bottom portion of the crate from my car, I attached it and she went inside. I gave her a rub down then a treat. She is resting now.

Back to a dog's life...

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A Safe Place

I've had Sally for almost two weeks. I take her to the vet Tuesday to get her stitches out after being fixed.

Sally reminds me of an autistic child. She seems to have little emotional connection. I think she was a feral dog that will most likely always be wild at heart.

She sits in her crate 23.5 hours a day. She just sits and stares. This is not a good life for a dog. What the heck does a dog's mind contemplate? It seems her entire existence is to be safe. That's all she is interested in...being safe, and her crate is safe.

Walkin' in LA

Mission Persons said, "Nobody walks in LA!"

Well, Sally did last night. We went on our longest walk ever...at night. It has to be dark and quiet for her to relax, so about 12:30am I took her out and she walked on the street at a normal pace. By the looks of her nails, she needs to walk more on solid ground to widdle them things down some.

She's still reluctant to come out of her crate, but last night after our walk I laid my hand in the cage and for the first time she rests her head on my hand. Normally, this would be no biggie...but with Sally and all I've been through with her, this was an event.

One Step Forward, Three back?

This morning I took Sally for a walk, do her business, etc. She was very skiddish from the get-go. My neighbor decided to rent a room to a guy that has turned the backyard into an autoshop. He's a nice guy, but...

Sally did not respond well to the power tools, revving engine, and loud clanking. So I walked her through my neighbor's yard to the front yard and then out to the street. More noises! Cars, stupid barking dog across the street (anybody have any mace?), helicopter overhead...it was too much. She never relaxed.

I determine her feelings by her tail. Normally it is tucked so far between her legs, she looks like a he. Every now and then it relaxes to hang straight down the the ground which is better than the full-curved tuck.

Instead of pushing it, we walked back and she belined for home to her crate. When she marches home it feels like a dog that loves to walk, pulling full steam ahead rather than her typical sheepish creeping.

So, it's a one step forward, three steps behind kinda thing. She requires a lot of time and patience.

One Step at a Time

Last night we had the longest walk so far. She seemed to walk like a normal dog, sniffing the ground. It was late and dark which puts her at ease.

Today I walked her and although it was bright and sunny, she responded as well. Cars that drove by which used to scare her immensely did not have the control they had previously.

I made a thread about dog training in a few forums and received some good advice. I need to get her some yummy treats.

I can't help but think of a psychology professor in college. At the end of the semester she said, "Class, I have a confession to make...I have a PhD and to be honest, the best advice I've ever read on behavior was from a dog training book!"

Sally, Sally, Sally

Well, I've had Sally almost a week now. I picked her up last Tuesday from the vet.

I believe we have made progress. When I first got her she was classic feral dog. All she wanted to do is hide. She was petrified of life. Her eyes were dead and all she did was radiate fear. It was very sad.

I felt good about one thing...ME!

I knew she would get the care she needed. I live in a very quiet home off the street with a good size back yard. If this dog can be rehabilitated, this is the place. I am also out of work right now so I have the time to spend with her. Ideal really.

Since arriving, Sally will go outside for a walk. She takes at least 20 mins to acclimate herself to the outside. ANY noise causes her to jump, even if I sniffle. After 20 mins, she will follow me walking on her leash. I walk very slowly and let her roam. Eventually she starts to act like a healthy dog and sniff around. Her tail is always between her legs. I've only seen it relax once and then it was straight down.

She has gotten loose from her leash three times. The first was early on and she bolted. I have a body harness leash but she can back up and pull her front legs out. Collar leashes don't hold her and I refuse to use a chock leash. They seem so harsh.

The first time she dug into a corner of ivy in my backyard. It was just getting dark outside. Luckily my neighbor was out and she helped me grab her.

The second time was scary. I had her on the leash outside for a minute while I went inside. She pulled backwards, off came the leash. I ran like a rocket outside my front door to catch her as she ran down the ally. No Sally. I knew she had to still be in the backyard...but where?

I scoured the backyard for 30 mins and was feeling very nervous. It was an empty feeling. This happened when I lost my hamster last year. I prayed for her actually and was giving up hope until I saw her out of the blue. I felt like it was a little miracle. I was hoping for one with Sally.

I asked my neighbor once more to help me look. We went through all the common hideouts she would seek. I tried to think like a scared dog. Where would I run to? I was stumped.

I went inside to call the helper from the dog rescue center and when I walked inside, there was Sally, crunched up to the side of my bed. When I was running outside to my front door, she ran inside behind me. Crazy!

The last time she got away was actually progress. She once again backed up and instead of bolting she ran to the screen door. Because it was closed she scoured to the side under a storage table. I let her go for a few minutes then gently walked up to her. She allowed me to come nearby. I picked her up and brought her inside.

Tonight I did some research on feral dogs. Not a lot of positive info. The rule of thumb is if they had no human contact after six months, they will most likely never be comfortable with humans. I sense this with Sally. No matter how much I pet her, she still acts like we first met. Her flinching has gone however and she seems to relax in my presence.

I Googled for dog training forums and found a few. I registered and made a thread in each. Hopefully I will get good advice.

Well...more to come. As soon as I get a camera I willtake some pics.

Meet Sally!

Sally has had a hard life!

She is a German Shepherd mix puppy that was abandoned and probably really abused by some #%@$#% person. She was in LA and taken to a vet to get fixed. Before that, she was destined for the chamber in a kill shelter. If it weren’t for the good hearted dog rescuers out there, she would be dead.

I was browsing through craigslist this week in the pet section. I NEVER have done this before, but was thinking about getting a cat. My hamster ran away...the third one, so I gave up on the pet thing for a while

As I was browsing, I saw an adoption for a dog close by named Don. He was a cute white mix that needed a home. The rescuer emailed me15 questions to look at. By the time I got to question 10 I knew I wasn’t ready for the commitment of a dog...that is do own a dog the way one should, with respect and dignity. I am too busy right now...so I passed.

I went back to craigslist and saw an ad to help rescue this little puppy in a kill shelter. They only needed someone to take her for a few weeks until they found a place to keep her and nurture back to health.

The next day I was told the little guy wasn’t well and would probably not make it but there was another puppy. Now we're back to Sally.

I picked up a crate, went over to the vet and picked up Sally.

I had an idea of her temperament, but she was more scared than I thought. She wouldn’t walk. Her eyes were dead. She was coiled up in a self-protective ball. I was pissed.

All I could think of was kicking serious Rambo ass on whoever hurt this dog. Then I shifted to Sally. Eventually I got her in the car and home. Getting her out of the car was difficult. She cleaved tenaciously to the floor of my car.

In her crate she felt secure. It’s large so there is plenty of room. I gave her some water and food and a little classical music in the background.

Let the healing begin!

I can't really explain what having this dog has done for me, even these few hours. It taps into my guardian personality.

I will have Sally for several weeks to get her healthy enough for adoption. The gal at the vet clinic said I would end up keeping her. I told her, “Not me…I am good at detaching.” On the way home, about a mile I already knew this was going to be tough.

I'll make updates on her progress.

Glorious

Clear Mind

Call Me Chunky

Cats fat like owners...

Labrador Retriever Puppy

This is too cute to resist!