It’s the holiday season and all my favourite holiday classics are making their appearances on television.  As I watch Rudolph, I am recalling as a child how it upset me how mean Santa was to Rudolph when Santa saw Rudolph’s shining nose.  Poor Rudolph had so many turn against him, just for being different.  It seems so unfair, but then again, humans wrote the story and humans, many of us anyway, are flawed and many of us cast judgement on differences we don’t understand.  But Santa wasn’t the only one who turned  on Rudolph so did his reindeer friends!

Seeing this reminded me of my previous dog, Dupont, and how he and a group of dogs first made me realize what a wonderful world it could be if humans treated each other like dogs………..

Dupont, my precious collie/shepherd mix, passed away almost 4 years ago.  I have so many wonderful memories of our time together and one of those memories is a hike we were on with a hiking group we belonged to.

We were hiking in a beautiful conservation area, with lots of water falls, wooded areas and bridges.  Dupont had never been there before and was having a wonderful time.  That was until we got to a metal bridge that, for some reason, made Dupont nervous.  I tried coasting him over the bridge, he wouldn’t budge.  I went across it myself and called him over to me, he still froze in fear.  I tried and I tried, as all the other dogs and owners crossed and waited.

Dupont was not coming over that bridge, no way, no how!  One of the fellow hikers crossed over to Dupont and picked him up (all 100 lbs of him!) and carried him across.  Once Dupont was safely carried over to the other side, the hiker put him down.

The human in me thought for sure the dogs would now shun Dupont, not want to play with him because he was fearful of a bridge that they all crossed.  But of course that is not what happened.  What did happen is Dupont resumed playing with the other dogs as if nothing had happened and had a wonderful rest of the day.

I remember thinking, for the first time in my life, at that very moment, how much kinder the world would be if humans treated one another like dogs.

Benjamin Button, that is my nickname for Dahlia, my Catahoula mix who I adopted last year, at 8 years old.  Dahlia’s story is recounted in my book and some of my blogs.  She constantly amazes me with her continuous improvement in both trusting humans and learning how to be a real dog.

When I adopted Dahlia I expected her to live no more than a year, she could barely walk and was afraid of everything and every one.  She hated going for walks and would often refuse to leave my buildings property and when she did leave the property, she would lay down and refuse to get back up.  She was so nervous and unsure a mere glance in her direction would have her coward and urinate on the spot.

So why do I call this girl my Benjamin Button of dogs?   Because as every day passes, Dahlia literally gets younger. These not so long ago memories seem like a lifetime ago. Dahlia is now 9-1/2 and I swear she’s going to live at least another 5 years.

Not only does Dahlia enjoy long walks, she loves to run and play with other dogs. The dog who used to watch Flipflop play fetch endlessly now plays fetch herself, and loves to have a toy or ball to carry around.  Each day Dahlia does more and more that makes her behaviour pass as a young dog, rather than a senior with 8 years of an abusive pass.

Last week on a walk with my neighbour, she was watching Dahlia prance around, something that always makes us happy.  She said to me, “I wonder what was going through her head two years ago when she was laying in a ditch thinking her life was over.”

“I can’t,” I responded, “I can’t even think  of this girl being left to die with so much life left in her.”  And Dahlia has SO much life left in her, she is literally the Benjamin Button of dogs, as every day I see this senior get younger before my very eyes.

It’s always an adjustment when a foster leaves, and it takes a few days for my emotions and life to return  to “normal”.  I am grateful for the families that stay in touch and keep me posted on how the dogs are adapting to their new homes.  I love hearing about them and seeing photos.  And I love when a family takes the time and effort to reunite me and their dog!

On Sunday I was lucky enough to have a visit with Ben, now called Douglas.  I was delighted when Douglas’s mom got out of the car and told me that as soon as they turned onto my street Douglas had memory of the area and got really excited.

When Douglas got out of the car, he immediately remembered me and jumped on me to show his excitement.  He then excitedly say hi to Dahlia and Flipflop.  Much to my surprise, Dahlia was happy to see him and gave him a kiss. Flipflop was happy to see him, but not overly excited. As Douglas tried to engage Flipflop in play, Flipflop opted to stand behind me, communicating to Douglas, he did not wish to play at the moment.

We took the three dogs for a long walk and then for a run in a field, when we were done the three dogs were exhausted.

It was great but the best part, aside from seeing Douglas again, was seeing his changes.  Once called my “boggle head” dog, as he had such a large head on what appeared to be a tiny body, Douglas now has confidence.  So much confidence he stands tall, and no longer looks too short for his body.  His ribs are no longer evident, but he still still slim, just very muscular from the exercise and great food his mom gives him.

Douglas no longer hides at loud noises or lunges at bikes, he sits and waits for other dogs to pass him, and doesn’t shy away from people.  His mom has done such amazing things with him, and his life.

Douglas and his mom are still working on his training, and he loves it.  He wakes up every morning excited for his mom to put him to “work” and thrives when he can show off to someone how good he is.

I knew he was doing well, as his mom and I stay in touch, but to see the physical transformation of this young dog, made me happier than words can say!

Douglas in foster – still under weight and lacking confidence

Douglas now – filled out and at a healthy weight

A year ago at this time, I was fostering Lucy. A Jack Russell Terrier mix who was just 2 years old when her owners decided to surrender her to rescue due to a divorce.  Lucy was with us for 6 months before she picked her family.

Over the months since she’s been adopted, her family and I have been in touch and have had several failed attempts for a play date, but we finally got one that came together.

I imagined our reunion to be a happy one, which it was.  I pictured Lucy running to me with excitement the moment she heard my voice, which she did not………….

When we arrived at Lucy’s home, she was outside waiting with her mom.  I got out of the car and started talking to her, but she barked at me and backed away, staying close to her mom.  I know Lucy, so I understood her insecurities, I also knew she was now bonded to her forever family (as she should be) and was protecting her mom.  I stopped trying to get Lucy to come to me and went to the car and  brought Dahlia out.

The moment Lucy smelled Dahlia, all her memories came rushing back, she stopped barking at me and immediately ran over to me and jumped up and hugged me.  We had a few minutes of pets and hugs and kisses and then I went back to the car and let out Flipflop.

Flipflop and Lucy loved each other from the moment they met.  They were inseparable and best friends.  The moment I let Flipflop out and he and Lucy saw each other, it was like no time had passed.  They immediately started chasing one another and running around Lucy’s amazing yard.

We took the dogs for a walk through the woods, while Lucy and Flipflop ran, chased and wrestled, Dahlia held back with me and Lucy’s mom.  While running through the woods and showing Flipflop her favourite spots to swim, Lucy would take a time out once and a while to run back to me and jump up for pets and hugs.   She definitely remembered us all!

After our walk, we went inside for a cup of tea, where Lucy sat quietly by my legs the whole time to be pet.  It was so nice to spend time with her again and see her so happy!!

When it was time for us to leave, Lucy walked us out to my car.  Dahlia got in immediately, Flipflop gave Lucy a little nuzzle and then hopped in.  I gave Lucy a hug and told her how happy I was for her.  Lucy smelled the car, almost like she was trying to figure out if she should get in or stay. She stayed, she choose her family 6 months ago and she happily wanted to stay with them now.

There were times when I worried Lucy would never find her match,  but she knew what she was doing and waited for the perfect home for her.  I am so grateful Lucy’s family opened up their home to her, and to us to come and visit her.

Willie and Bambi left my home three weeks ago.  The shelter contacted me and said there was room for the two.  It was, as I expected, a sad moment for me. It broke  my heart to know they would be shelter dogs, but I also knew that this meant they would be posted for adoption and on their way to finding forever homes.

I thought of them often, checking the site to see if they are still on there, even though the shelter promised to keep me in the loop on their adoptions.  It’s hard being a foster mom, for me anyway, but it is even harder to let the dogs go when they don’t have homes. This was my second experience with this, and it was just as hard as the first time.

And then a week and a half after the shelter took them in,  I saw a message from a member of the humane society board.  Bambi was approved for adoption.  I was so happy for Bambi and heartbroken that Willie was being left behind. I did check on Willie, however; and was told they separated the pups a few days ago to see how they are on their own, and Willie was happy, healthy and quite content.

I have been in touch with Bambi’s mom, who has shared photos of Bambi quite happy at home with her new family.  Her name has been changed to Vanya and she is trying to encourage her two feline siblings to play with her.  I can tell from the couple of conversations I had with Vanya’s mom, and the photos of Vanya owning her new home, that she is definitely where she is supposed to be.  Lucky lady.

Just a few days after Vanya’s adoption,  I got another message, Willie found his forever home! I heard from his mom and she is smitten with him.  As we expected, Willie is taking some time to adjust to his new surroundings, but he is coming around quickly.

I am so excited these siblings have found their families, and the best part is both families are interested in the pups staying in one another lives.  They have exchanged numbers and will arrange play dates for Vanya and  Willie to be to life long friends.

With most rescues their actual date of birth and age is unknown and is estimated.  Flipflop was 8-12 weeks old when I got him, so I decided to give him the age of 10 weeks and calculated his birthday to be September 3rd.

I look at him now and it amazes me on how he’s grown and matured.  Fostering other dogs has really matured him.  I look at his face,  seeing white where black fur was once dominate, it makes my heart sad.  But I remind myself that he’s only four years old.

I reflect back to when I got him, just a small pup, with more confidence than I’d ever seen.  Flipflop had more energy than I ever came across in my life, the Jack Russel in him so obvious!  I couldn’t tire him enough, so he ended up at daycare 5 days a week, and then slowly his days there became less as he matured.  Just recently he’s stopped going to daycare, as he has reached a point where I am able to give him suffice exercise, finally!!!

Every now and then that crazy Potcake energy comes out and Flipflop becomes completely unmanageable, but after a good run or play with a friend, he calms down and his crazy energy out burst passes.  Unlike when he was a puppy and these bursts would last for days, now they last for a couple hours and aren’t frequent at all.

He still loves to play fetch and run and be chased but most importantly, he still loves to give me hugs and snuggle up to me while I am watching TV.

When I had Dupont I felt I would never love another dog as much as I loved him.  I was wrong, I love all my dogs deeply, but like the people in our lives, all the dogs are different.  The love for one does not out weigh the love you had or have for another.  Your heart just keeps expanding and loving more.

Flipflop on the beach in Bahamas, after being rescued.

Flipflop on the beach in Canada, a few years later.

Happy fourth birthday to my sweet baby boy.

Bambi

Bambi is a leader, while I wouldn’t say she has the characteristics of an alpha, she is confident, feisty and definitely a leader in her pack.  Upon first meeting Bambi she was full of life and wasted no time grabbing dog toys and exploring.

Bambi loves her big foster sister Dahlia.  Bambi will make an effort to jump up (as Dahlia is quite a bit larger than her) and nuzzle Dahlia’s neck until Dahlia literally can’t stand it anymore.  Even as Dahlia starts to growl and warn Bambi she’s had enough, Bambi refuses to stop.  She is a girl who knows what she wants to do!  Fortunately for Bambi, Dahlia is not aggressive and will never bite, and fortunately for Dahlia, I have her back and remove Bambi.

Bambi loves to play chase, and if no one is running, she will gleefully run herself in a circle. She is learning to play fetch, but so far just gets the ball and then runs around with it. She also enjoys wrestling with her brother, Willie, and rolling in the grass is on the top of her list!

Her sleek doberman looks get her lots of attention, she is small and gets mistaken as a doberman pup (she’s a mutt). Depending on how the light hits her fur, she sometimes looks like a red doberman or a black one, but she is neither, her brindle legs show her mix and her size is too large for min pin and too small for doberman!

And then there are her ears! She looks like she could use them as wings and fly away, which just adds to her adorableness.

Willie

Bambi’s liter mate, Willie, was shy and slightly timid when I met him two weeks ago.  He’s grown so much in the time I’ve had him.

Upon arriving in Canada, Willie would never be seen far from his sister.  He looked to Bambi for everything, to teach him and comfort him.  His confidence has grown a great deal! While he still loves his sister and they play together a lot, Willie will now venture away from Bambi’s side to play with Flipflop or other dogs we encounter on our walks.  He is starting to be less timid of people he meets on the street and is starting to want everyone to stop and say hello to him.

Willie loves to wrestle, his favourite dog toys are the rope ones and also loves Dahlia but tends to migrate more to Flipflop.

Willie’s cuteness is not to be overshadowed by his beautiful sister.  While his markings are few on his face, he has beautiful brindle socks and all you have to do is pick him up and he will go limp in your arms and snuggle with you for days.

I am so proud of Willie for his growth, he’s no longer a scared pup who needs to be by Bambi’s side to feel safe, he’s come into his own.  And while he still enjoys the company of his sister very much, he no longer looks to her for reassurance, he’s learned he’s safe and loved.

Both Bambi and Willie are being adopted out by http://www.hsdr.org.  They are a bonded pair so the hope is they will get adopted into the same home.

I was sitting at work, it was around noon on Monday and my mind wondered to home.  “I wonder how they’re doing.” I thought to myself.  Just then my company’s CEO (and fellow animal lover) popped in my office door, “how are the babies?” she asked, knowing I had just received two new fosters the previous night.

“OH, Karen,” I said, “it’s awful, it’s not even been 24 hours and I’m in love with them!  I’m so emotional, I really am a horrible foster! I shouldn’t do it”  Karen smiled at me and said, “Yes, you should.”

Willie and Bambi, were found living on the streets of Antigua, with three of their siblings. Arrangements were made to bring Willie and Bambi to Canada to be adopted out by the Humane Society of Durham Region.  I agreed to foster them until there is room in the shelter for them.

Bambi

Willie

Being the first time I had two fosters at the same time, and only the second time I fostered puppies (they are about 4 months old) I was a bit apprehensive, but as usual, everything is working out fine.  A couple of friends offered up puppy play pens and I took one of them up on it.  It took Bambi not even 24 hours, to learn to climb the puppy pen like a ladder and get out.  I placed a fitted sheet over the top now and it seems to have stopped her from climbing!

Bambi and Willie love to be together and feel safe and secure in their pen, even when I am home and they have free range of the place, they often go to their pen for naps.  They have also started hoarding their favourite toys in the pen.

It’s been interesting watching the dynamics between the two pups and my pets.  Flipflop is used to taking fosters under his care and teaching them.  But Bambi and Willie rely on each other and don’t look to him for guidance………or so I thought.  While the two siblings are inseparable and play with one another, they do seem to be learning from Flipflop and Dahlia.

They picked up on leash walking in less than 24 hours, which was incredible considering the first walk I took them on, they didn’t seem to know how to walk at all!  They started only going potty outside within 36 hours and just last night they started trying to mimic Flipflop and Dahlia’s rolling in the grass!

I’m excited to see these two continue to learn and grow as they become more and more accustomed to life in Canada.  They will be leaving me in a week or two to go to the humane society to find their forever home(s), I will definitely keep tabs on them!

You can find out more about adoption of Willie and Bambi and other amazing dogs at http://www.hsdr.org.

I never wanted another dog, once Dupont was gone, I told myself, I would foster in his honour, but I never wanted to own another dog again. I knew, as Dupont must have, that losing him would be the end of me.  Dupont also knew, better than I did, that I needed a dog in my life, whether I agreed or not.  So somehow, through devine intervention, Dupont led me to Flipflop.

Upon first site of his photo, I was making arrangements to meet Flipflop (Smokey was his rescue name), to date I don’t know what came over me, which is why I feel Dupont somehow made me do it!

Within days of Flipflop arriving in Canada, he was adopted by me.  Three months later, Dupont left this earth, and it was every bit as painful as I knew it would be.  He was my world.  But I couldn’t stay in bed and cry my days away, he left me with Flipflop, who was just a 4 months old and needed me.

When Flipflop turned two I decided it was time to make good of my promise to Dupont.  I would start fostering dogs and help as many as I could find good homes.  And so with that, I started reaching out to my networks in the rescue community.  It wasn’t long before I had my first foster.

In the past 20 months I’ve had 10 fosters, with each one I grew more relaxed and confident and Flipflop has matured greatly and has embraced each foster, in his own way.

This morning, while I sipped my coffee, I watched Flipflop and Daisy play. I realized with each foster I am learning to appreciate Flipflop more and  more.  How he studies each new dog and befriends them, it is always so interesting and amazing to watch.  My heart filled with pride and love as he wrestled with the puppy so gently, taking breaks to come over to me for praise for being a good boy.

With each new foster I fall more and more in love with Flipflop and our bond becomes stronger and stronger as we send off each dog to their forever homes and welcome new ones in.