The Great Foster Adventure: Our First Year in Review

Thought I'd let everyone know that Drew and I are taking a much-needed fostering break for the holidays. Coming off of a ten month foster bonanza, we need a minute to catch up with each other, things around the house, and of course our own pups. I feel like we were trying to take a break since early summer, but it just didn't line up that way. I can't believe we're down to just our three dogs again for the first

time in almost a year! It is insanely quiet and calm. I can tell they're super happy. They need a breather as much as we do. Having said that, it's not even been two weeks and I'm already going through foster withdrawal. I haven't been to the shelter yet during this time and I know it's going to be hard to go without having the option to take someone home. Must resist! With law school exams lurking right around the corner, I need this time to focus on life beyond dog stuff. It sucks, but that's how it's got to be for a little bit. Plus we're going away for Christmas, so we'd need a foster-free house for that period anyway.

Anyhow, I think it'd be nice to write a few posts on my

own 

doggies during this down time. I also have a couple more product plugs lined up. So even though there won't be any new dogues invading until after Christmas, be sure to check back every now and then for other posts. Rest assured, come the new year we will get back on track! In the spirit of reflection, check out the pictures of all the pups who 

passed through our home this year. What a great bunch! Paws up for all of them and their wonderful new lives! This first year of fostering was incredibly rewarding and super fun. It has been such an adventure...can't wait for the next chapter! As always, thanks for reading!

Happy Tail: PICKLES!

Love at first sight!

I cannot believe I am writing this post...Pickles has been adopted! I am so excited, it's stupid. The Pickles Project is finally complete. We sent him to New Jersey yesterday on the FODA transport bus. He arrived safely this morning and is already SO in love with his wonderful new mommies. We had Pickles (now Preston!) for 6 1/2 months. He came so tremendously far during that time. Despite having never met his new mommy before, he let her hug and kiss him right away when he got off the transport bus. No bites! This little dog's journey has not been easy, but he has made me so very proud. Seeing pictures of him all snuggled up and looking perfectly blissful brings peace to my broken heart. I know it will heal with time, but because of all the updates and photos it is already a million times better!

Goodbye, my blatch!

I can't even begin to describe how difficult it was for me to let Pickles go. I became so deeply attached to this little dude. Long-term fostering is not a cake walk. It's trying, emotionally draining, and it hurts so much more when it's time to say goodbye. At first I felt so bad for him, then about 2 months in I think I actually hated him for a couple weeks. He was so difficult and I was convinced he'd never get adopted. Then one day I realized a small part of me didn't want him to go. That small part became my whole heart very quickly. I fell completely in love with his poor little Chihuahua soul. A rescue friend of mine likes to say that the hardest fosters are always the hardest to let go. She's right. Pickles was such a project and I poured so much of my heart into helping him learn how to trust and love. He truly was an exercise in great patience, but it was worth every frustrating second of it. I left the shelter with a terrified, undersocialized, fear aggressive disaster dog and 6 1/2 months later waved goodbye to a bubbly, snuggly, loving companion. Pickles is still not perfect, but what dog ever is? Perfect is boring. What matters is that he's to the point where he can enjoy life with confidence and zeal.

Check out my new sweater!

I'm smiling in my sleep

Pickles's new mommies have been following his Facebook page for four months. They waited for him until he was ready. I am so glad they did and I know Pickles is, too. They are head over heels in love with him. Seeing how happy he looks already on his very first day with his new family erased all the pain I felt letting him go. It was just meant to be. They went shopping for sweaters right away because it's chilly up there and Picky has no fur. They also went for a nice hike in the woods to get to know each other a bit (look how pretty their hike was!). It wore Pickles out, so they went home and took a snuggly nap. I'm so happy that he had such an amazing first day of his furever! I'm also super excited that he lives mega close to his old buddy, Cowboy Cody! Can't wait to see the pictures of their reunion. I will have to post pictorial updates, for sure. HUGE thanks to everyone who shared Pickles's Facebook page, liked his photos, offered me moral support, and of course to Chrissy for personally delivering him to his new moms. 

I miss Pickles a ton. It's sad sitting in my reading chair without him, but I know he has such a love-filled life ahead. I'll always love him. Best of luck to you, my little Blatch, my Blatchy, my Picnic, my Pachelbahn, my Picky, my Packles, my Packle Wackle, my Pickman, my Pickwick, my Picks, my Pickwicky, my Proudly Pugnacious Pickles. You're the best little blatch a girl could ever ask for. Congratulations on finally finding your furever family!

An Update on Pickles

Enjoying a walk in the park

It's been a while since I've written anything about our little dude, Pickles. He's doing very well and becoming more socialized with each passing day. I really see a huge difference in him and it makes me both happy and sad at the same time. I'm beyond thrilled that he's comfortable and confident at home with us and that he's learning to trust. Yet every day, with every little tiny bit of improvement I see, I can't help but feel a little sadness for him, his mysterious past, and others like him. I'll never know if he went through something that made him so fearful and distrusting, or if he just never knew how to properly interact with people. Either way, it's sad. But I'm so glad to see him loosening up a bit.
 

This is so exciting!


We received a few applications for Pickles and we're hoping one of them is successful. I'll admit, I'm completely terrified of how he'll do with a meet & greet if we get that far. But in my efforts to be completely straightforward with everyone about Pickles, I may have sold him a bit short. I've been a broken record telling people about how he bit a rescue lady once, how he will probably bite them until he adjusts to his new life, and that they need to be prepared to handle that without freaking out. While it's important to be frank, the fact is that Pickles hasn't bitten anyone since that incident over 3 months ago. He reacts poorly to strangers, sure, but the bite was a one-time deal. I really don't know that he'll bite again. He's gotten so much better with people coming to the house; he'll bark his face off and be skittish for about 15 minutes, but he'll warm right up as long as no one tries to be his best friend too quickly.

I'm tired!

This got me thinking: why do we expect dogs to be our best friends right away? Why should dogs just automatically trust us? We certainly don't hold people to the same standard; we have to earn other people's trust. I've never gone up to a new person and expected them to be my pal right off the bat. We frown and scowl at each other walking down the street. If a random person came up to me on the street and hugged me, I'd flip out. Why is it such a shock that a dog may be nervous around new people, even fearful, and possibly react negatively if pushed out of his comfort zone too soon? It shouldn't be. Pickles needs time, space, respect, patience, and love. All dogs need that, not just Pickles.

Now I'm hungry!

On a related note, we went for a walk with Pickles and Flea in Grant Park last weekend and encountered some awesome dog manners from other people. One man stopped several feet away and asked if his dog could say hello to ours. Later, a child asked if he could pet them. This made my heart sing! Taking the Chihuahuas for a walk can be stressful...oftentimes there are reaching hands and running feet and curious canines passing by. All of these stimuli can be incredibly challenging for dogs with insecurity issues, like my Flea, and dogs who are still learning how to interact with people, like Pickles. But there were no stressful encounters for us that day because everyone used their dog manners. How refreshing! We had a great time and Pickles got to take some goofy photos for his Facebook page. Paws crossed that I'm not imagining Pickles's improvement and that his meet & greet is a success! We need all the pawsitive thoughts we can get!

Pickles: More Sweet than Sour!

After almost three months of socialization, little Mr. Pickles is ready for his furever home. He still needs continued training and someone who is experienced with Chihuahuas, but he has come leaps and bounds since we brought him home from the shelter.

Pickles does really well when we have friends over. He may still be a little barky at first, but he relaxes after the first 15 minutes or so once he realizes the visitors mean him no harm. Ignoring him completely during this short time helps a lot, as does tossing treats on the floor in his general direction. He was very well behaved for two different house sitters (one male, one female) while we were out of town. CHARM School is helping him a ton: he's learning to be around other people and dogs in a foreign environment without stressing. He even let Anna, our CHARM School trainer, hang onto him for a few minutes while I went inside to get water this morning! Last week, Pickles joined me and some rescue friends for brews on the deck at a local watering hole. He hung out with us for two whole hours! There were other people, children, and dogs at tables next to us; after the first few minutes, he didn't mind much at all. These little social milestones are all SO encouraging! I'm super proud of Pickles and the progress he's made. He's not perfect and still requires patience, but I really think he's ready to move forward.

For a refresher on Pickles's background story, check out my initial blog post about him: http://ohfortheloveofdogs.blogspot.com/2013/03/meet-pickles.html

I know Pickles's perfect match is out there somewhere. If you or someone you know would like a loyal, affectionate, playful little Chihuahua who will make you smile on a daily basis, please email jsmartinez@dekalbcountyga.gov to fill out an adoption application for Pickles. Feel free to find me on Facebook (Aubrey Bowen) or leave any questions in the comment section below this post, too. This little guy is just too much fun! Check out the videos below to see how much he loves playing with his rope and also his adorable little happy Chi dance. Please share far and wide so we can help Pickles find the forever home he deserves!

Pupdate: Pickles's People Progress

Hey guys! I'm super happy and relieved to be writing this post. Pickles is making positive progress with how he reacts to people! We've had two failed meet & greet scenarios due to his fearful reactions toward strangers. Since then, I've realized that I need to step up my game and put some serious effort into helping him build his confidence and develop proper people skills. It's not "good enough" that Pickles is comfortable and loving around me. We're trying to get him adopted here, and that's just not going to happen without some work that results in him trusting people more. It's my job to set him up for success.

Before anyone jumps to any conclusions, Pickles's distrust and fear doesn't necessarily mean he experienced abuse in his past. Maybe he did, but it's more likely he just developed his reactive habits due to lack of proper socialization. It's his way of saying, "HEY YOU! I'M SCARY AND I WILL MESS YOU UP!" because he's scared and doesn't know how else to escape the situation. It's much like a little kid who lacks the skills/maturity to remove himself from a frustrating situation and just hauls off or throws a temper tantrum instead. So, with the help of some incredibly supportive rescue friends, a few brave willing-to-be-guinea-pig friends, and a patient husband, I'm confident that Pickles is on the road to success.

I took Pickles to CHARM School this morning at the shelter. I've mentioned CHARM School in a few previous posts, but it's a bunch of volunteers who get together to help socialize and train shelter dogs so they can be better candidates for successful adoptions. It's led by an awesome trainer who donates her time each week to help these dogs have the best chances of bright futures. We all figured Pickles could use the opportunity to not only work on his basic obedience skills, but to be around different people in a different environment. We kept our distance from the rest of the group and Pickles got a treat every time he saw a person or another dog go by. At the end, a small group of "strangers" practiced tossing treats to Pickles without the added stress of contact so that he could see that people aren't so bad after all. It worked really well. Toward the end, he even "sat" for the strangers when they tossed him treats.

It's just a start, but Pickles had a very positive day today. Nobody lost any fingers! I'm really proud of him and super excited to see him continue to improve over time. I just had to share this encouraging news and take a minute to brag on my little Picky. I'm a proud doggy mommy today! Stay tuned to hear more about his progress and adventures! Also, if you want to see Pickles playing, chasing his tail, and just generally looking super adorable, check out this short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxKFbbxyUXo

Pickles: Adopt Me!

Pickles is still available for adoption! I just have to share these photos of him. Also, watch the video below to see a short snippet of Pickles's awesome Chihuahua dance! It'll make you smile, I promise. If you need a refresher on Pickles's story, please see my earlier blog posts about him. He's still working on his people manners, but he's learning to trust more and more every day. He LOVES to play, give kisses, and snuggle.

         Pickles is looking for someone who has experience with Chihuahuas and their temperaments.

He also hopes to find a forever home with at least one other dog because he’d like to have a playmate. Pickles is now healthy, crate-trained, and housebroken. He’s really goofy and will keep you entertained for hours. If you’re looking for a fun-loving, super loyal, feisty little lap-dog, Pickles is your guy!

Please share and email jsmartinez@dekalbcountyga.gov if you'd like to apply for Pickles.

¡Ay, Chihuahua!

Hello, play with meee!!

Chihuahuas. Everyone knows I love them and I’m not put off by their often unpredictable personalities.  I will be honest here: I’m a bit hesitant to write this post because I don’t want to harm Pickles’s reputation and chances of adoption, but at the same time I want to stay true to my blog’s purpose. In case I've strayed from the main purpose, I began this blog to share both the joys and the challenges of fostering. I don’t want to abandon that simply for the sake of diplomacy.

I had a tough day yesterday as a foster mom and as a Chihuahua lover. The day began with a super exciting message from an awesome rescue group who wanted to meet Pickles. We jumped in the car and drove to the shelter. Pickles did great with the first two ladies who met him, but my heart sank when he bit the third rescue lady. No physical harm happened; fortunately, the lady wore a heavy leather jacket that protected her skin. Unfortunately, that promptly ended Pickles’s meet and greet.

I smile when I sleep!

I’m writing this to vent my frustration and discouragement, but also to share my love for this little dog and hopefully get people to see what I see: a good, sweet, loving boy who is still learning to trust and is desperate to find someone who understands him. Pickles is not a vicious dog and no one is claiming that he is. I don’t want to seem as though I’m ok with the fact that he bit the rescue lady or making excuses for his behavior. I just want to promote awareness of a Chihuahua’s emotional plight in hopes of breaking through the barriers posed by reactive behavior and behavioral labeling.

I'm super cute, squishy, & snuggly!

I know you want to play!

I wanted to cry the whole drive home, but I couldn't. I could only think about how I could have better prepared Pickles for the meeting and how I can help him going forward. Clearly, Pickles needs more work. That’s on me. Prior to the meet and greet yesterday, Pickles had never experience a group encounter since we brought him home from the shelter. Perhaps that’s why he lost his cool when the third rescuer approached him. Everyone used good body language; no one ran toward him or shoved hands in his face. He might have just been overwhelmed by meeting a group of new people all at once or felt protective of me. Then there’s the environmental factor. While we didn't go inside the loud shelter, the parking lot and grassy areas are still full of crazy dog smells and strange stimuli. Even if Pickles didn't recognize where he was, he knew he was in a foreign place. Finally, I was really nervous about the meet and greet. I’m sure Pickles sensed my anxiety and fed off of that. All of these factors can be very stressful for a dog, especially a dog who is still learning how to properly socialize. Pickles just wasn't ready. I haven’t equipped him with the socialization and coping skills he needed to do well in that situation.

I have so much love to share, can't you see?

Chihuahuas are tough little dogs to crack. Any dog can be “mean”; Chis aren't naturally nasty just like Pit Bulls aren't naturally vicious. They simply respond to stress in ways that are often inappropriate because of their insecurity. Size has a lot to do with it, “fight or flight” has a lot to do with it, and under-socialization has a lot to do with it. Pickles needs more work, more time to learn how to trust, and more time to learn how to respond to everyday occurrences. He’s not mean, he’s not hopeless, and he’s not unadoptable. He is simply a work in progress. So what do I do next? I keep working with him until he gains confidence and understands that he doesn't have to be so afraid all the time. Pickles is a cake-walk compared to Flea; I can do this. He can do this. We will not give up. I know I’m a crazy Chihuahua lady, but I know I am not the only one. I will work every day to make people see what I see in Pickles and we will find his perfect match. I know he or she is out there somewhere.

P.S.: Thankfully, Pickles is feeling MUCH better since my previous blog post. His cough is still kind of lingering, but it is greatly reduced and he really feels good. He says thanks for all the pawsitive thoughts!

Pickles: Kennel Cough

Well, poor Pickles is still really sick. His kennel cough is full blown. The poor little guy can't take a single breath without coughing. Kennel cough is a really common virus dogs can catch in stressful shelter environments and other community boarding settings. It's akin to bronchitis. The cough usually resolves itself within a few weeks, but when a dog is compromised due to other health issues it can complicate and lead to pneumonia. Pickles came to us underweight and with hookworms, so these issues haven't helped him.

I know it's really hard to watch and unpleasant to hear, but please take a minute and watch this video of poor Pickles trying to cope with kennel cough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB1aWvYYAcc It's different from reverse sneezing. If your dog is coughing like this, please take him/her to the vet.

Pickles is almost done with his antibiotics for the respiratory infection, so the cough will likely have to run its course. It's super tough to watch him struggle and be so miserable, but he is eating and seems to understand that rest is best for him. He's spending most of his time in his crate, but he is able to sleep without coughing so he doesn't seem to mind. Every now and then he finds enough energy to play with Cowboy for a few minutes, but we are trying to keep him as calm as possible so he doesn't go into a coughing fit. I've been mixing a little honey in his food and trying to get him to drink chamomile tea to soothe his throat. Even though he feels awful and can barely breathe, Pickles is still so full of love and sweetness. When he sits in my lap, he'll nudge his nose under my hand asking me to scratch his head. Then he'll just drift off to sleep and I can see how relieved he is to be safe and comfortable. Pickles is available for adoption once he's healthy. If you're interested in adopting this little lovebug, please email jsmartinez@dekalbcountyga.gov

Pickles Update

Happy Pickles!

If you missed my first blog post about Pickles, check it out for his back-story: http://ohfortheloveofdogs.blogspot.com/2013/03/meet-pickles.html

I've gotten a few more good photos and videos of Pickles over the last few days since we brought him home on Wednesday. He's doing GREAT settling in and getting along with everyone (dogs & people alike). He is the sweetest little thing and he loves to crawl up in your lap and snooze. He gives plenty of kisses and likes to do that silly Chihuahua thing where he rubs his head all over your body trying to get his scent on you. It's kind of a reverse upside-down noogie...Flea does it too and I have to admit, it's one of my favorite Chi habits. It just makes you feel loved and snuggly! Pickles doesn't have much of a Napoleon complex at all, really. He's more the needy clingy lap Chi type. In fact, I think Cindy Lou might have been a bit feistier than Pickles. He's really mellow.

Pickles snuggling up for a nap

While Cowboy is still Pickles's favorite playmate, Pickles and Flea have a go at it every now and then too. As you can see in the video below, they do this funny little Chi-showdown quickstep routine where they face off shoulder to shoulder trying to decide who is King of all Chis. It's hilarious. I do still have to always make sure to carve out a little me and Flea time so he knows he's still my little Chi baby.

Poor sick Pickles

Sadly, Pickles is pretty under the weather right now. Yesterday he woke up with an awful wheezing hacking cough and developed a fever as the day went on. He's really lethargic and doesn't have much of an appetite today. Here's hoping it's nothing more than the typical shelter cold / respiratory infection. I picked up some medicine for him this afternoon from the shelter vet, so hopefully it nips it in the bud quickly and has Pickles feeling back up to par soon. He's been so pathetic. It makes us sad to see him all dejected and lousy feeling. On the plus side, he's doing great with potty training and before he got sick we worked a bit on "sit". Check out the videos below to see how happy and cute Pickles is when he feels healthy! Stay tuned for more updates on Pickles and please email jsmartinez@dekalbcountyga.gov if you're interested in adopting Pickles once he's healthy.

Pickles learning "sit": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O2n-qjMKzQ
Pickles resting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu6F53LPNSw
Pickles & Flea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ibY-G-4_fI

Meet Pickles!

Pickles at the shelter

Pickles is our latest foster. He's an adult 8 pound male Chihuahua who hails from DeKalb County Animal Services. An officer picked him up as a stray on Lawrenceville Highway near I-285. He's heartworm negative, but has hookworms. We gave him an oral medication that will get rid of them pretty quickly. Oh yeah, he has an awesome little underbite that makes his bottom lip stick out! I know what you're thinking: wait a second, didn't she just write a long ranting post about how 5 dogs is too many for her? Yeah, I did. And we still have Cowboy until April 6th, so Pickles indeed makes 5. BUT, I'm a crazy Chi lady and nothing gets me more than a poor little chachkee stuck in animal control.

Chihuahuas (and all other teeny breeds) have a really hard time in the shelter. Due to their size, they tend to get very stressed and scared in the loud foreign environment. For self-preservation purposes, Chis resort to what we call fear-aggression. Basically, they put up a mean as hell, bite your fingers off, rabid dog front because they're simply terrified and hoping that they can scare off anything that might cause them harm. Consequently, they aren't promising adoption candidates and they're less likely to make it out alive because of this. It's not that they're actually mean or aggressive, it's just that they need to be in an environment where they can relax, learn to trust, and gain socialization. Some are worse than others. Cindy Lou was the sweetest thing, even in the shelter. Pickles, on the other hand, only had two friends: the rescue coordinators trying desperately to get him out alive. Maybe I'm numb to crazy Chis after domesticating Flea, but Pickles really is a great little guy.

Pickles and Cowboy playing

Nobody wanted to see poor little Picks go down without even a chance, so we picked him up yesterday after his neuter surgery. He's doing really well! He snapped at me a few times last night because I startled him by moving my hand too quickly when reaching for my drink, but that's par for the course. He gets along great with Cowboy and Oliver, as odd as that seems. Oliver's quite clumsy with him, but Cowboy knows he needs to be gentle when they play. Cows gets down on Pickles's level and lets Pickles climb all over him like a jungle gym. They're ridiculous...I think they're in love. Head's up: the end of the video below is a tad X rated...! Bunks and Flea aren't too keen on Pickles yet, but Flea does let him share my lap when we sit in the recliner. Progress! Pickles likes Drew a lot, too. I think he likes him more than me so far. But I've gotten a few Pickles kisses already!

Pickles is available for adoption through DeKalb County Animal Services. He needs to go to someone who understands Chihuahuas and their Napoleonic personalities. I never really recommend putting Chihuahuas together with children or super big dogs (for the safety of all involved), but I think Pickles is well-suited for a home with experienced pet owners and other dogs of small-medium size. Not sure about cats. If you're interested in adopting Pickles, please email jsmartinez@dekalbcountyga.gov for application information.