White Christmas and Happy Fosters

I wasn't particularly happy to see the snow this morning. Normally, I love snow, but I have procrastinated this season and had Christmas shopping to accomplish and a home-visit with a foster dog to do. I accomplished the above in record time, however, and came home to enjoy the snow . . . and my dogs playing in it. For many of them, it is their first snow. Below is Sophie, the newest addition to the Foster House. She is a five-month-old baby from a puppy mill. Watching her bloom this week and begin acting like a regular dog has been wonderful. Watching her in the snow was something entirely different. I couldn't stop giggling. She ran so fast, her back legs outran her front. She'd tumble over into a somersault and then do it all over again!

Romeo and Fawn are the best of friends and here they share a platter of snow. They went from bush to bush in the back yard, clearing each one!

Rex, like Sophie, couldn't stop running full speed, doing figure eights around the bushes. He was having sooo much fun. He was the only dog who never once took the time to shake the falling snow off his fur, so he came inside looking like a big snowmonster.

And there he is, my Aussie/Shepherd/Snowmonster Mix!

Miss Sophie again, doing her best to look like a Hallmark card!

My sweet, sweet Romeo. Romeo is a Golden/Husky mix and a natural in the snow. He seems to never get cold . . . or tired of leading the whole herd in a game of tag. Here he pauses for just a moment so I can get the perfect shot!

I will probably add more photos as I get them edited, but in the meantime:
Happy Holidays, from my critters to yours. Dog Bless Us, Every One.

Taking a Chance on Chester

This adorable Weaton Terrier mix is Chester. He is one of our long-term shelter dogs, no longer listed as adoptable due to two failed adoptions. Reportedly, he is a terrible resource guarder, claiming all sorts of household items as his own and then protecting them with every ounce of his being by growling and refusing to give them up. However, in the time we have had Chester, off and on, we have never seen this behavior at our shelter.

Resource guarding is not one of those things one can train a dog not to do. It is a behavior, not a habit and much harder to put an end to. Resource guarders can be dangerous because, often, their way of protecting the items they claim is threatening to bite anyone trying to take them away. We never want a dog to face the possibility of living his entire life at a shelter. With dogs like Chester, we have to entertain the thought that perhaps it would be more kind to put them to sleep. But since we have never, ever seen Chester's issues first hand, making such a dire decision wasn't possible. We love Chester and think he deserves more than a few chances.

You see, not only is Chester totally adorable, he is also totally lovable and incredibly smart. He knows commands and will "sit," "shake," "lay down," "role over," and "give kisses" for his favorite treat. When he wants a belly rub, he roles on his back and softly whines, then grunts in contentment as you scratch his belly.

Because Chester has issues, we made some assumptions about him. We've kept him away from other dogs for the most part, because dogs who guard their belongings tend to not play well with others. Recently, we took a chance and tested him out with a big, female lab and, to our complete surprise, he did great! Suddenly things were looking up for Chester.

A couple months ago, I took Chester to my house, just for a few hours. He needed a bath and haircut. Again, Chester surpassed expectations. He loved his bath and patiently let me groom him. Because I am no groomer, my attempts to do so usually take a ridiculously long time. He was a champ throughout the whole process. He liked his little field trip to my house and I felt guilty returning him to the shelter. But, when you run a foster home, you have to be selective about the dogs you bring in. Difficult dogs can disrupt a foster house to the deficit of the other dogs.

Chester hasn't been the same since his visit to my home. I volunteer evenings at the shelter. When I'd leave the shelter, poor Chester whined, pawed at his kennel and rolled over on his back, begging me to come scoop him up and take him with me. It broke my heart every time and I usually left in tears, feeling so bad for him.

A few nights ago, Chester had enough. He did his usual whine and paw and I did my usual caving in, slipping into his pen to give him belly rubs and some extra attention. He made a break for it, running to the other side of the kennel, where he promptly plopped down, rolled over and refused to budge. Chester loves his treats and I tried to coax him with one. Nope. I tried a big, irresistible blob of peanut butter, after which he slowly army crawled to the general vicinity of his pen, but then made a break for the back door - the way out. I thought if I took him for a quick walk outside, I could trick him into his routine and get him back into his pen, but couldn't get him back into the building. He put the brakes on at my car door, stood up against it and whined.

I gave in. I opened the door and he jumped in, wagging every part of his body. I told him he could come to my house for one night; one sleepover. That's it. And then I braced myself for how difficult it was going to make the evening to keep him separate from my dogs and foster dogs while spoiling him rotten for just one night.

That was a week ago. Chester remains at my house where he is getting along fine with my dogs, is submissive to any who give him grief and hasn't guarded a single thing. While I anticipate we are in a "honeymoon" phase and I may eventually see his "issues," right now he appears issue free. He is crate and house trained and is happy to share a spot on the couch with cats and dogs alike. And he is happy to be in a home. I think the odds are good I will be able to find the right people for Chester. I think he has a chance.