Trouble is two bored dogs and a bag of stuffed animals

Single digits, wind and ice under the snow kept us off the trails today. That didn’t stop the two feral kids from coming up with their own idea of a fun afternoon!

Raina visits Animal Doctors

Raina had her first visit to Animal Doctors today. She weighed in at 15 lbs and was very well behaved! She was heartworm/Lyme tested and did test positive for Lyme disease. She will start her antibiotics treatment tomorrow. Tomorrow we will call to set up her spay appointment. Nina said her leg looked good. She said sometimes when dogs have diminished feeling in a body part or lose sensation they will begin to chew on that part. She did not feel it was likely that she will start that this late in the game but it is something to watch for.

The snow was deep this morning and went past Raina’s belly which did not make her very happy. She is quick to run out and do her business and come straight back in. The donated coat from Barker’s Dozen really helps keep her warm. She is doing outstanding with her housetraining and remains accident free. In a few days if she remains consistent we will start giving her more freedom and see if she can maintain her near perfect record.

She handled the collar and leash well at the vet’s office and is doing great in a plastic crate. Those were the three major  fear issues when we pulled her- her fear of collars, leashes and plastic crates. She was very accepting of touch today at the vet’s office and had no qualms about being there. Kudos to Raina Claire for her bravery!

Updates, holiday happiness and great people

We want to take a moment during this busy holiday season to thank the people who actively support our efforts to help, rehabilitate and change the lives of the dogs who cross our path. This month we were faced with a dog who needed our help but financially was a bigger challenge then we had resources to cover. As in the past, you all pulled together and made it possible for us to say ….. Please welcome Raina Claire! She is a beautiful white poodle mix. She was found by our local Dog Control in Lafargeville New York. Apparently she fell victim to some teenagers who decided that it would be fun to go fishing for a dog. After hooking her with fishhooks and wrapping her in nylon fishing line, they left her hogtied and unable to fend for herself against the freezing temperatures and other hazards. After spending two days in the vet’s office where she was sedated, dehooked and unwound, she started her long road to recovery. The fishing line cut deep into her and left one of her legs badly injured. Although she occasionally will place weight on the foot, she walks for the most part on three legs. She came to us deathly afraid of a collar and leash. She is making progress and does okay with a collar and leash on as long as there is no pressure on either. She now allows us to reach around and over her head without panicking. We will continue to work with her to ease her fears and help her adjust to being a normal dog again. She has a vet visit at the Animal Doctors on Tuesday December 29th. We are hoping for great news on her leg.

Forest continues to make substantial progress on his journey. He continues to be able to walk off leash and recall nicely. With the introduction of snow and ice, he has had some regression on his fears and his ability to trust (he was on the run this time last year and we suspect the snow and ice have triggered some memories of past issues with snow and ice… ) We have had made some progress with him by taking our off leash walk first and then attaching a leash for our fetch session. This has given him a positive association with the leash and he will know willingly approach to be leashed because he knows the fun starts right after the leash goes on. This makes it easier to bring him back into the yard when playtime is over. No more Forest temper tantrums and watching him throw himself on the ground. Because his behavior has improved it gives him more time to play in the woods and snow…which is the highlight of his day!

Maiya continues to wait for a new home. She has been visiting an apartment in the City and spending time with her German Shepherd friend, Kaiser. This has given her exposure to city life as well as an introduction to dog parks. She does well both in the country and in the city. Her main focus in life is being with people. Her recall continues to be good which enables her to be able to enjoy off leash excursions and runs with the four wheeler. This is a beautiful dog, who really deserves a home of her own.

Grace found a wonderful home last week. She holds the record for the shortest stay of any dog that has ever come through TFDC. However that is not surprising as her only crime was acting like a puppy. Being ten months old, being a puppy was her entitlement. She will continue to work on her manners and we are confident she will grow into a great companion for her new family.