Rose was dropped off July 10th and much to my surprise, she was an absolute delight.  I wasn’t sure what to expect with Rose, she was little (11 lbs), and I had only ever had dogs 30-100 lbs.  Rose long and lean like Dachshund, but her ears weren’t quite as long as a purebred.

As soon as she came over to Flipflop and I, I could tell this little dog has sass!!!  She was playful and confident and ready to start her next adventure!  I was smitten.

I had expected Rose to be yappy, but she was not. I expected her to be shy, but she was not.  Rose loves everything and everyone. She couldn’t wait to greet any person we walked by and play with any dog.

Her first night she slept in bed with me and the following day I put her in her crate when I left for work.  I expected barking and crying, there was none.  She was content in her crate with her toy and a treat.

When I got home from work, she was quiet in her crate, standing up and wagging her tail.  I approached her to let her out and she started crying with excitement.  The next morning while I was working out, Rose was running around the living room, collecting dog toys and putting them in her crate.  I guess she decided if she was going to be in there all day, she wanted a selection of toys!

But she wasn’t in there the second day, she went to daycare with Flipflop.  At daycare, Rose’s confidence excelled even more, she played with every dog in the room.  Rose literally didn’t stop all day.  It was so blissful that night, she curled up and slept soundly the whole evening!

Friday she was left in her crate again, with a selection of toys, and was quite content.

Saturday morning I woke up early to walk the dogs before taking Rose on an hour drive to an Adoption Fair.  Rose happily played with the other dogs while people came and went to see the dogs.

At the end of the day Rose, much to everyone’s surprise, had not been adopted.  I was asked to leave Rose at the pet centre where the fair was being held.  I immediately said no.

The pet centre owner told me that if I left Rose, she would likely be adopted out in a few days based on how many people saw her today.  I was torn, but then decided I would leave her there, as it was best for Rose that way.

I spent some more time with Rose and then took her to the pen she was going to sleep in for the night, and I saw where she would be free to play during each day she was there.  In my most cheerful voice I told her what an amazing girl she is, and how she is going to go to a new home very soon and will have the best life she deserves.

I put her down and she looked up at me with her big brown eyes, I shut the gate and told her she was good. As I turned away my tears stated flowing like crazy, they are starting again, as I type this.

I felt as if I abandoned her, I was so sad and worried that Rose would think she was not loved by me.  I stuck around speaking with some of the other volunteers, one of them was kind enough to check on Rose and told me she was totally content and chill and just being a dog.  It didn’t make me feel less sad or guilty for leaving her but I was relieved she was content.

Rose wasn’t even at the pet centre for 24 hours and was adopted! Sunday morning she met her forever mom, and her sibling, a dachshund!

Another happy ending!

My sweet foster Rose arrived Tuesday night.  She is a very sweet Chihuahua Dachshund mix, who is friendly and full of cuteness!!  We had a usual first night, where everyone was a bit unsettled and figuring things out.

Wednesday morning I got up early so I could take the dogs to the local park and get in the fully fenced football field to give Flipflop and Rose a chance to play and start to bond.  Flipflop gleefully put his leash in mouth and started running.  Flipflop thinks his leash is pure gold and everyone wants it.  He proudly carries it around every chance he gets!  As expected, Rose excitedly understood the game and started running.

Dahlia and I hung back and watched the two young dogs run and chase one another.  They ran circles around the filed and then suddenly Flipflop stopped, something caught his attention.  I started looking along the fence line for another dog or a person walking.  And then I saw it, just as Flipflop and Rose ran to the end of the field, a skunk was on the other side of the fence.

The two dogs ran near the fence line, just in range of the skunk, I called Flipflop, he came to me, I gave him some pats.  I should have grabbed his leash, because no sooner did I pet him and gave him the signal he was free, he ran back toward Rose and the skunk.  I called him again and this time both he and Rose ran to me but it was too late.

Rose dropped and rolled, Flipflop rolled a bit, I could smell it immediately, the skunk had sprayed.  So in less than 12 hours since I met Rose, she was getting a bath, followed by Flipflop.

A remedy I found that works well is 1 bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/4 cup Baking Soda and 1 Tsp Dish Soap.  Mix the ingredients with gloved hands and lather up the dog.  Let the lather sit for a short period of time and then shampoo the dog with their normal dog shampoo, rinse well.  If you wish you can shampoo the dog a couple times, but I find one good shampooing usually does the trick.

Unfortunately due to Rose’s size, she got sprayed from head to toe, so her face is still smelly, but it doesn’t change how adorable she is!

Dahlia is my 9 year old Catahoula, she came to me as a foster last year and I ended up adopting her.  I have seen this girl come a long way in the 15 months since I first met her.  She is part of our family, and happily part of Flipflop’s pack.

It’s a very hot summer weekend in the GTA, with a humid-ex making it feel in the mid 40 degrees Celsius.  Hot for many humans, extremely hot for dogs!!  So after a day of brief walks yesterday, I decided to let Flipflop get his energy out at a lovely dog park nearby. It is in a wooded area, with a creek running through it, which the dogs can swim or wade in to stay cool as they play.  I don’t always bring Dahlia to this park, as the terrain is very rough and I worry about her legs.

But today I decided we would only do the first half of the park and not go up on the cliffs and rougher terrains.

Needless to say as soon as we got there, the dogs were extremely happy.  Dahlia, Flipflop and their best friend Miss Ellie (who is staying with us this week) were all happily trotting around.

As we walked through the woods on our way to the water, Flipflop climbed down a steep  hill to enter the creek.  He playfully ran around and enjoyed cooling off.  Dahlia stood at the edge looking down, I knew she wanted to go in the water, but I also knew she’s never get back up, if she even got down ok.

I leashed her up to keep her safe and we kept walking until we got to part of the creek where she could easily walk into. And she did, Dahlia, Flipflop and Miss Ellie enjoyed splashing around and cooling off.  Greeting other dogs as they came and went.  Once ready to move on, Flipflop and Miss Ellie got out of the water and started toward the path, then stopped to wait for me.  Dahlia was not quite ready to leave the water though.  After some coasting I got her to come out and leashed her up to keep her walking, as she just wanted to stay in the water.

We stopped at a few more swimming areas before I decided to walk back to the car.  They had been out for over an hour and although they were refreshed in the water, I was starting to wilt!

As we walked back toward the car, we stopped along the way for more water time as the dogs wanted.  After the last swimming area, we continued through the woods.  I didn’t leash Dahlia up, as I didn’t think there would be a need, I was so wrong!  Flipflop (who’s is young and agile) decided to waddle down a 10 foot cliff and into the water.  Miss Ellie looked down, she likes to think things through before doing them, I knew there was no way she would go down that cliff.  That is until, before I could even think, Dahlia was going down the cliff and Miss Ellie followed her.

They all safely made it into the water and Dahlia was wagging her tail as happy as could be.  It was when Flipflop and Miss Ellie came running back up that I realized Dahlia didn’t have the confidence to get up on her own.

I walked down the path a bit, where she was still in site, to an area where the cliff wasn’t so steep and called her.  She stood in the water looking up at me, but still didn’t have the confidence to try and come up.  She walked back to where she first got into the water.

After a few minutes, I realized, not only did she not have the confidence, she wasn’t even going to try to come up.  There was only one thing to do, I took a deep breath and started climbing down the cliff, holding onto branches and along the way and hoping I didn’t fall!

I didn’t fall, and when I got to the bottom, Dahlia danced with glee that I was there with her.  I put her leash on and told her I had her and we were going to go up together.  At first Dahlia still didn’t want to come up but as she saw me starting to climb, she started following behind me.

Thankfully Dahlia made it up with no injuries and her legs still strong.  I have a few bruises but well worth it to get Dahlia up safely!

Dahlia stayed on her leash the rest of the way to the car and is now contently sleeping on her couch!

Ben has been in his forever home for almost 3 weeks now and his parents have been sending me the best updates.  He’s gaining so much confidence and is getting along great with his canine sister, Gelfa.  In pictures, he’s snuggling up to his dad and mom, playing happily with toys, or resting on a couch.  I love these updates and share them excitedly with the rescue I foster for, as I know they love them too.

When Ben moved out, everyone asked if I was getting another foster.  “Of course,” I answered, “but not for a couple months. I’ll take a bit of a break for the summer.”  Anyone who has read my blogs faithfully, probably all ready know how incorrect that statement was!

I was having lunch with my sister and nephew today and I saw a message from a rescue.  “Are you able to take another foster in  about a week?” And then Rose’s story was shared with me.

Rose is about 1-1/2 years old, a small, playful girl who is a Dachshund/Chihuahua mix.  Her owners moved and decided Rose didn’t need to move with them. At 1:30 in the morning, a call came into the rescue, little Rose was left on her porch, likely waiting for her beloved family to come home.    Unfortunately, what Rose didn’t realize is she was abandoned.

Of course, I agreed I would foster Rose, I can never say no to a dog or rescue in need if I have the capacity to help.

Rose will be coming to me in about a week, I have never had a foster who weighed less than 30 lbs, so it will be interesting to have a small dog.  That said, Flipflop prefers to play with the small dogs at daycare and as I said before, he seems to warm up to the female fosters much quicker than the males.  I’m sure there will still be an adjustment period for my forever dogs, but I’m excited to introduce them and the world to Rose.

“I am happy because I love his new family, but sad, he’s my favourite foster so far, I wish I could adopt him.” I tearfully texted to my best friend.

“Hon,” she responded back to me, ” don’t you say that about them all?”

“LOL, I guess I do.” I replied.

It’s one of the most anticipated and emotional days of being a foster mom.  The day my foster dog leaves to be with their forever family.

Ben left my care this week, and I went through my usual mixed bag of emotions.  Ben is such a special boy, so young and carefree, still learning about his world.  Finding the right fit for Ben was a bit challenging but we did it.

Ben needed a home where he would be understood, while he is a young dog, he is an insecure dog and wants to prove his “worth” to the pack.  Ben needed a family who would understand dog and know how work with him.

When Ben’s new family came to meet him, they took my advice seriously and remained calm and didn’t pressure Ben to let them near him.  Within five minutes of being ignored by them Ben approached them, wanting to be adored and pet by them.  By the end of the visit Ben was ready to go home with them!  Of course he had to wait, as we needed to finish our due diligence.

Six days later, Ben’s mom arrived to bring him to his home.   I walked Ben to his mom and he ran over to her, he must have remembered her from their first meeting.  His mom and I spoke for a few minutes and then I gave my foster dog a hug good bye.  Ben gleefully jumped up to hug me and I started to cry, I tried to keep my emotions in check, and quickly gathered myself.

“You’re such a good boy, button, ” I told him, “you’re going to have the best life!”  As I passed over his leash to his mom, she and I exchanged hugs.  I received a couple text, from Ben’s mom, on his first day with his new family, he’s settling in perfectly, as expected.

I fall in love every time but it’s so worth the rewards in the end, when a dog in need finds that perfect home!

I first met Chloe when she was 3 years old, a lab/border collie cross, that had more energy and zest for life like no other dog I had met up until the moment.  Chloe’s mom, Jennifer, and I worked together part time at a vet clinic.  Jennifer was looking for a tenant and I was looking for a dog friendly place to move.  It was meant to be, and also started one of the most important and best friendships in my life.

Jennifer and I both understand dogs, so we wanted to do a few introductions between Dupont and Chloe prior to me moving me.  We choose a park and I remember to this day, seeing Jennifer standing with a white winter jacket on and Chloe gleefully looking up at her mom while they waited for us.

I remember Chloe being a very sweet, welcoming dog toward Dupont, Jennifer remembers it differently, lol.  She remembered that Chloe was grumpy with Dupont upon their first meeting, but warmed up to him eventually.

Dupont and I moved in and Chloe was more than happy to have me in her home, she and Dupont  settled in well with one another.  Their relationship was an interesting one, although both young dogs (Dupont was 2 at the time), they didn’t choose to play much with each other, but behaved more like a very content married couple.  Chloe was referred to lovingly by me as Dupont’s wife.

Living with Chloe introduced me to a whole new breed of dog, Dupont was so chill and laid back, Chloe was excitable and ready to play at a moments notice.  Looking back, I see how Chloe helped prepare me for a life with Flipflop, who is now the most energetic dog I have ever met!

Chloe loved to play ball and she had an infatuation with an orange ball she had found on a walk with her mom.  I fondly remember Chloe’s sister, Hope, dropping the ball down a vent that Jennifer was cleaning and the extremes Jennifer went through to get that ball back.  It made Chloe very happy to be reunited with her ball again, it was all she needed in life, aside from her mom!

At the sight of a sprinkler Chloe would lose her mind!  She LOVED water, and would entertain herself for hours by trying to “eat” the water as fast as she could as it came out of the sprinkler head.

Chloe always greeted me with excitement and love, and as she aged when I would visit she would still jump up like a puppy to see her Auntie.

While Chloe eventually lost her hearing and sight she never lost her love for life and sweet caring personality.  Needless to say, it was devastating when Jennifer told me Chloe’s time was coming, she would soon be meeting Dupont and her sister, Jasmine, on the rainbow bridge.  Sadly on June 9th 2017, while I was signing my adoption papers to adopt Dahlia, Jennifer was saying goodbye to her first dog.

Chloe opened her mom up to whole new world with dogs and how incredible and amazing they are.  And while I don’t feel this blog does justice to the amazing dog Chloe was, I wanted to honour her and the joy and love she brought to all of us during her time on this earth.

Sadly, in Chloe’s later years I didn’t see her as often as I would have liked but she was and always will be Auntie’s girl.

On this day……………..for those of you who are on Facebook, you are familiar with this feature, it’s a feature that I am not personally a fan of but today it brought me great peace.

Dupont was my Collie/German shepherd X, and my first dog as an adult.  He was my world, as are the dogs I have now, and I was shattered when he passed away unexpectedly at 10-1/2 years of age.  But this blog is not about that sad day, this blog is about Dupont’s last birthday, four years ago today.

Facebook reminded me that on this day, Dupont had a birthday, like I would ever forget my his birth date! ❤  I remember posting a picture of him on his birthday and writing my thoughts on him for Facebook:

“Happy 10th Birthday to my best friend and baby, Dupont! In the past 10 years I have seen him through numerous break outs due to allergies, eye infections, thyroid concerns, battling arthritis since the young age of 3 and 2 cancer scares. And he has gotten me through 1 divorce, 3 moves, 2 promotions, 4 jobs, 2 broken hearts (3 if you include my divorce but I really wasn’t brokenhearted over that 😉) and numerous bad days.

Some people don’t understand the bond I share with Dupont and I feel sorry for them to not have experienced a bond like this with a pet that is irreplaceable.

Happy 10th birthday Dupont! I know I won’t have anothoter 10 years with you but I promise to make the remainder we do have as best as I can for you! But it really wouldn’t kill you to let mommy hug you for more than two seconds. Lol”

I had no idea it would be his last birthday we celebrated and the following year I would be comforted by a puppy, Flipflop, on this day while I still grieved for Dupont.  But today, as I looked at the memories, I realized what an amazing special day he and I had.

I didn’t remember that I started his day with strawberries and Greek yogurt for his breakfast, since he was the birthday boy, or that I took him to the pet store where he picked out anything he wanted and I purchased it all for him.  At 10 years old he was more interested in edible gifts than toys!  And of course he had a birthday cake to end his day.

Birthday breakfast

Taking a rest while shopping

Birthday cake!

As I looked back at the pictures, I am so glad I gave him the birthday he deserved, showed him the love that all dogs should have, and most of all spent some quality time with my sweet boy.

Dupont would have been 14 today, but instead he is forever young and free on the rainbow bridge looking out for me and all his fur siblings.

Well summer weather has arrived in the GTA, it feels almost as if we bypassed spring and went right into summer, which I personally don’t mind at all!  Those who do mind however; are my dogs!

When Dupont was alive, he hated the heat, so much so I would get his lovely long coat shaved down every spring so he could continue to enjoy his hikes and not get slowed down by the heat.  As he aged and his mobility became more of an issue than the heat, I kept his fur in tact and we would just head to the nearby creek for a dip in the cool water before laying down under a tree in the shade.

Shaved down Dupont.

In October 2014, I unexpectedly found myself adopting Flipflop.  Oh what a dream, I thought, a dog from Bahamas would surely love the summer and hate the bitter cold winters we have here!

I was surprised when I saw that Flipflop, even as a puppy, didn’t mind the cold at all, he loved being out in the snow and using his Frisbee as a toboggan to slide down hills (he was much smaller than he is now his first winter!).  Sadly, Dupont passed away that winter, and although to say I missed him is a huge understatement, I also knew life had to go on. So as winter left I geared up with excitement that Flipflop and I would have such a wonderful summer with long walks in the glorious sunshine.

It was that summer I learned that just because a dog is from a warm climate, does not mean they enjoy a warm climate!  Flipflop hated the heat and to make it even worse, he was petrified of water, a fear he grew out of his second summer and now enjoys romps in the creeks and lakes on our summer outings.

Unlike Dupont, Flipflop all ready has a short coat so shaving him to make him comfortable wasn’t an option.  So, I started a new summer routine,  one we still use 3 years later, in the mornings before the extreme heat arrives, we go for a long walk and enjoy rolls in the grass and take our time exploring the neighbourhood.  As the temperture rises and heat increases Flipflop is in the comfort of his air conditioned home and quite content.  And the rest of the day consists of quick outings to relieve himself and if he insists, a little layout under the shade of a tree.  Something he does that is so similar to how I spent so many days with Dupont, it warms my heart.

Dahlia, from Florida, is also anti-heat and an older dog.  Dahlia doesn’t care to be outside if the temperature is above 15 degrees, this makes her a lot more challenging to work with.  But just like with Dupont and with Flipflop, I found a technique that works for her.  Dahlia comes out with us in the morning for a short walk, usually about 20 minutes, long enough for her to relieve herself and lay in the grass.  Then we walk her back home, where she happily runs to her bed and Flipflop (and foster if there is one) and I continue our walk.

It’s not ideal on weekday mornings when I have to get to work, but I know the importance of not forcing a dog to be out in the heat, especially if they are sensitive to it.

Flipflop & Dahlia in their temperature regulated Bandannas

It’s a beautiful day here in downtown Mississauga, the sun is shining, birds are singing and dogs are sleeping!!  While most mom’s get flowers and/or dinner made for them on this day, my kids took me to the dog park.  Granted, my kids have paws and fur!!

We started our morning with a quick drive to Jack Darling Memorial Park, where the dogs gleefully got out of the car, knowing they’d be off leash soon.

We barely made it inside the park when Flipflop and Ben happily took off playing with a new four legged friend. Dahlia, true to her nature, didn’t leave my side, that is until she spotted an area of grass that was too good to resist rolling on.

As we made our way through the park the boys smiled, ran and played the whole time, while Dahlia lazed in the shade and occasionally got up to give the boys heck.  As I watched the boys engage in play with each other and random dogs who came and went, I took note of the changes in Ben in just the few weeks I’ve had him.

Ben no longer barked at people as the went by or tried to pet him, he happily ran up to them, although would back away if they went in to pet him, he didn’t growl.  He showed no fear or concern over those around us, he was full of play and confidence.

Unlike before where he didn’t seem to know what to do and would randomly just follow dogs, Ben was engaged. He would say hi to every dog and start a game of chase with some, others he would wrestle with, and some he would just say hi to and keep going.

Flipflop enjoyed joining Ben in the play and occasionally coming to lay by Dahlia, enjoying the shade and the grass.

We ended play at the park with an unexpected cool down in a large puddle, that all three of the dogs partook in.  Flipflop ran and splashed around as Ben joyfully did the same, looking for a spot deep enough to swim (there was none).  Dahlia calmly waded in the water, cooling herself before getting out to lay in the dirt.

Everyone was exhausted and content and ready to head home.  It was without a doubt a great start to our day, and although my kids will never buy me flowers or make me dinner, I wouldn’t trade being their furmom (and foster mom) for anything in this world.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mom’s out there!