A Furever Home

Hey guys!

Good news.

Bear got adopted!

When he was at the adoption fair he was scared at first, so we walked him around a little. We then brought him to his crate he was to be in during the fair. He didn't cower in the back like he did in the shelter. In fact when people came up to his crate he would go towards the front and sniff their hand. (Which he usually doesn't do).

He got quite a lot of attention at the fair within the first 30 minutes we were there. 

The lucky family who adopted Bear was a family of four. They had lost their lab and were ready for a new dog.

I think these people were the perfect family for Bear.

I hope Bear can see that these people will love him unconditionally and will warm up to them very quickly.

The only thing I am sad about is that I didn't get to say goodbye. When they told us he had gotten adopted his new family had already taken him. But I am glad he got adopted so fast!

Although Charlie was pretty sad and confused the first couple of days Bear wasn't here.

It is amazing that Bear went from being a terrified dog who was about to be euthanized in 3 days to a happy loving pup in a weeks work.

Now I am especially excited to start fostering another dog (or puppy) from the Animal Friends of the Valleys shelter. After Bear I think I will start preferring dogs that are about to be euthanized or have the most problems. Oops? Lol. But I think its good to have those types of dogs because you get to see the amazing dog they change into because of your work.

I aslo want to thank Kara (Ramblings of a Marine Wife) for our "surprise" Swiffer box.

I will have to teach Charlie how to clean with these.                           

Mini Petbox Review

Hey everybody!

Charlie got his first Petbox yesterday.

It was a special discount because Rover.com and Petbox teamed up and gave away free mini Petboxes 
(+ shipping & handling). 

When I brought it into the door Charlie just knew it was for him so he was following me around while I got the camera to take a few pictures.

(Bear didn't care, he doesn't like dog treats. As you read in my previous post.)

According to Charlie it was more than a few pictures.

This is what he got in his Petbox.

Charlie was so excited for it he just had to get a closer look.

He's only tried one thing so far, which was the green bag. 

It is like oatmeal consistency. I thought Charlie wouldn't like it but he enjoyed it very much. I could tell because he scarfed it down.

They also gave us a coupon book with many amazing deals to Petbox recommended companies.

Charlie says, "Oh my gosh. Have you seen these awesome deals?!?"  He wanted almost everything he set his little eyes on.

They also gave us a coupon for one free night of pet sitting from Rover.com

Front and back.

If anyone wants to surprise their pet with a box just for them, choose Petbox. It is the perfect way to spoil your pet with high quality treats, toys, accessories, and more! Everything in our box was made in the USA! Petbox offers two options: You can be surprised with a Petbox selected box or you can choose what you want. I prefer to be surprised because it's more fun!

One last thing. Bear got a call! We also brought him to the adoption fair today. Located at Petco 40474 Winchester Road, Temecula, CA from 9am-3pm. Fingers and paws crossed.

A Week With Bear

Hello everyone!

Bear is really starting to open up with us. He will come up to us when he wants to be pet. He doesn't go on the couch even if we pat the couch. It's not a bad thing. This would be great for people who don't want their dog on the couch. He also doesn't usually go upstairs. I think he prefers wood over carpet. 

Charlie is having some troubles lately. Yesterday he got mad at Bear again because of the tortoise. We think Charlie believes the tortoise is his. Bear is only curious and sniffs the tortoise. But Charlie won't have it. I make sure to correct Charlie's behavior by tapping his nose or butt and telling him No and It's not okay while pointing at him. Another good way to let your pet know you are serious is to hold their scruff and tell them No. (I use that as well).

This is the little guy who has no idea he is causing quite a few problems.

He is a year old Sulcata tortoise whom we call him Little Houdini because of his previous escapes from our back yard. Another name for him is Turtle. 

...Back to Bear. He still doesn't come when we call his name. Only sometimes he will. (Depending on if he wants to come to you or not.) As you can tell this is one of those times he decided he didn't want to come.

(Don't mind the mess in the background. It's a DIY project.)

I am working on trying to get him to come when called using treats. But only things like lunch meat, eggs, cheese, etc. This is because he doesn't like any dog treats or anything meant for dogs except dog food. This dog is crazy! I've tried so many different types of dog treats from rawhide and jerky to training treats. He also dislikes peanut butter. PEANUT BUTTER! Does anyone else's dog dislike peanut butter? Lol.

This is what I gave the dogs when I found out Bear didn't like peanut butter.

They are Kong toys that are really useful for keeping your dog busy. Like when you go out and they are in their kennel or outside. You can put peanut butter, treats, special Kong treats, or Kong spray.

Charlie has taught Bear some bad habits... Charlie has his little spot in our guest bedroom which is the pillow on the left side. Only that one so it is covered in dog hair. Bear has seen Charlie laying in there many times and now he thinks he needs to do it to.

He also has made some bad habits of his own. One time Bear has got on his hind legs and sniffed the trash can. I told him no because I knew what he was thinking about. The second time he actually knocked over the trash can and tried to get into it. Luckily, we caught him and told him no and that it wasn't ok to do that. He was so scared and layed down on his back showing he was submitting to us. (Dogs may also lay on their side to submit). We didn't yell, just used a stern voice and pointed at him. 

Bear also doesn't know that car rides are fun until he gets in the car. 

He won't jump in the car himself, I have to pick him up in order to get him in there. Although he is only 23 pounds, he is HEAVY for me since I'm used to picking up a 10 pound dog. Maybe that's a sign I should start working out...

Coming Around

Hi guys!

Bear and Charlie have become very good 'pack mates'.

They like following each other around, walking together, and following the humans around. But they don't play because Bear doesn't get the idea of toys or chasing. It's funny to watch while Charlie tries to play with him while Bear just sits there looking at him with much confusion.

There have been a few incidents between the two.

The first one Bear was trying to sniff at Charlie while he was eating his food. The second was when I was showing Bear the tortoise and Charlie bared his teeth while Bear was sniffing it. Of course Bear doesn't do anything but cower away and run, which is good that he doesn't try to show he is dominant by fighting Charlie. 

I make sure to correct the behavior Charlie is showing so he knows that it's not ok. Although he still watches Bear like a hawk when he sniffs the tortoise.

Otherwise they are pretty good together. 

Good news!

There was a call for Bear. Someone wants to meet him.

He is an older man who has a R.V. He said he wanted a traveling companion. I think Bear would love to travel the U.S. with a faithful sidekick by his side. ;)

This would be a perfect fit for Bear. 

Anyways, I hope that if he isn't the perfect fit he will see that Bear is a good dog and spread the word about Animal Friends of the Valleys (and their amazing pets).

Bear

Hey guys!

We finally got our foster dog!  This is him...

He is quite timid and will need some working with.  But I think Charlie will help with that. They seem to be ok with each other and have a future friendship ahead of them. 

His name was Morris but they said we could rename him.  I thought of the name Bear, it seemed to be the perfect fit.

He was dropped off in the night drop by someone anonymous.  They don't know anything about him except his main breed (Austalian Cattle Dog), and an educated guess on age (1-2 years). 

He is scared of everything, but doesn't growl, bite, or show teeth.  He will let you come close occasionaly, and let you pet him when he relaxes.  When we went to meet and greet he was scared of us and Charlie.  While Charlie was trying to sniff him he was shaking and cowering.  Charlie got the message and let him relax a bit before coming back to sniff again.  Once he relaxed and layed down he allowed us to pet him.  He didn't stop shaking but he did relax quite a bit. 

When we brought him home we let him explore the yard.  He did stand in the corner watching us for a bit...

Then my dad decided it would be a good idea to go up to him.  That got him very scared so he ran towards a corner of the yard.  My dad trapped him and waited for him to calm down before petting him. That is a perfect example of how NOT to welcome a new timid dog into a new home.  You let them come to you.  (Or you can try scooting closer about every 5 minutes which I was attempting to do before my dad came). Not trap them and wait for them to submit/relax.  That will usually result in biting or growling. But since Bear is such a good dog he did neither.  :)

After that incident he took a liking to me and my mom and let us sit there and pet him while he ate and slept. 

Once it got dark I clipped a leash on him and took him inside and put him in his humongous crate the shelter gave us...

He didn't bark or whine the entire night.

I showed him the rest of the house today and did some trust exercises to gain his trust...

When doing this exercise you should throw treats to them first, and gradually throw them closer to you until they are comfortable enough to eat from your hand.  Be sure to use a very tempting treat such as meat. (I used Black Forest ham)

His previous owners most likely taught him to walk on a leash because there was no pulling.  After our walk he was more trusting of us and didn't cower away when we talked to him or pet him.

He seems in bad condition now but I can see the amazing dog he will become once he comes out of his shell.  I think our home is a good fit for him because we have kids, adults, and another dog for him to socialize with.  As long as his future family keeps a daily routine with Bear consisting of: walking, running, exercising, playing, and socializing, he will stay perfect with his forever family. 

Almost There

Hey guys!

We are going to start fostering soon! 

On Wednesday we will be going to the Animal Friends of the Valley (animal shelter) and checking out a few of the dogs we chose.  Once we get there it will be up to Charlie which one we bring home.   

To start fostering we had to get Charlie liscensed.  Which he is proudly showing off below.

 We also had to get him up to date on his rabies shot at Petco. 

Which he didn't enjoy as much.  This is him afterwards... 

After that we were all set and just had to get in contact with the yard checker. She came the next day and okay'd our yard. 

Now we are all set to foster and I am very excited to start working with the dog that we receive! 

Meet Charlie

Hello! I want everyone to meet the cutest dog in the world, Charlie.

Charlie is a 2 year old Jack Russell/ Italian Greyhound mix. 

We got him from the Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary (animal shelter).  The best place to get a dog is the shelter!

Charlie is a super smart dog.  He knows many tricks and catches on quickly. 

Charlie is treat rewarded when training.  I'll be sure to post his tricks on the blog in the future.

His favorite treats include popcorn and chicken.  And his favorite special treat is vanilla ice-cream. 

Some of Charlie's best qualities are being loyal, smart, obedient, trustworthy off leash, rarely barks, and best of all being adorable.

His flaws include being scared of balls (soccer ball, basketball, beachball, etc.).  And his tendency toward kleptomania.  He is secretly obsessed with stealing stuffed animals from people's rooms to play with them. 

He has his own Instagram and has just over a thousand followers.  Here are a few pictures from his Instagram. 

Now that you've seen a few cute and hilarious photos, you should go check out his account! 

Instagram.com/pupstigram123 

Our Journey In Pet Fostering

Once upon a time our family decided to foster a dog. Charlie was our first and last experience with pet fostering. I guess you can say we failed. Charlie has been a part of our family for two years. He once was a timid and insecure abandoned pup found in a park on a cold rainy spring day. Now he is a smart trickster who has made a name for himself on Instagram.

You can call me his side kick. I have enjoyed training Charlie with many small tricks I have seen posted on the internet. Charlie is such a smart dog and catches on really quick. It's hard to believe anyone would have willingly given up such a smart and loyal dog. I guess that was luck on our part.

Now that Charlie is successful and thriving in our home, we've decided to foster again. This time we are hoping to be more successful by not keeping foster dogs. Not because we wouldn't love another pup addition but to give a chance at life for a less fortunate animal. This blog will be our journal and hopefully a teaching tool for other people who are considering adopting shelter animals. There are many pets who need good homes and I hope you will see the worthiness of adopting one. I hope to dispel any myths or assumptions you might have about shelter pets.

I hope to use this blog and our experience to bring attention to animal shelters. Animals have always occupied a large piece of my heart. Maybe my passion for animals and animal causes will inspire others and gain your support for them!