Finding Nicky

Nick's First Night Home July, 27 2005

I had been living in my new home for about a year and in that time I had made friends around the park and had starting walking with them and their dogs, especially my friend Dee and her dog Sammy. I thought it might be the right time to finally get another dog. I started scanning "petfinder.com" just about every day. And then one day I saw Nick's posting at the Attleboro shelter. He was listed as special needs because of his trust issues with people, to put it mildly. He was found on the side of the road in horrific condition. See my A dog in need of rescue post. They had a couple pics of a bald white dog taken from overhead which I thought was odd, until later. But, he had basically what I wanted; ok with other dogs and cats, small and housebroken. I emailed them right away to set up a meeting as he was staying with an animal control officer named Karen. She was trying to socialize him. They told me to come down to meet him and I got a call from Karen asking me if I had been told Nick could be nasty. I laughed and said no. We talked and I still wanted to meet him.

I went to the shelter with my friend Dee. When Nick showed up with Karen we sat on the ground and waited for him to come check us out. We had to be very cautious with him. When he came up to me I let him sniff and then I held my hand out and scratched him under his chin. He gave me his famous talking growl. I took him for a little walk, away from everyone else. I made no attempt to pat him, he looked up at me and I looked down at him and I said, "What do you think? How about coming home with me?" he looked like he might be ok with that. I told the shelter I'll take him. He tried to attack one of the shelter volunteers a couple of times. She was being way to pushy trying to pet him. I wanted out of there fast because I knew if he bit her they wouldn't let me take him. Karen asked me if I wanted to take the loop she was using as a leash instead of the regular leash. I said no and she said are you sure? I guess she was afraid I would get bit trying to put a regular leash on him..LOL. I looked at him and said I was sure.

Surprisingly Nick jumped right into my car like he knew he was going home and he even sat on Dee's lap on the way home. One of the few right things I did when we got home was not to take Nick directly in the house. Instead, Dee went and got her dog Sammy and Maureen came over with her dog Max. Off we went for a nice long pack walk around the park. This helped Nick bond with some of my friends and their dogs.

When we finally got into the house Nick was tired out and ready to check out his new digs. I let him meet the cat who was not happy at all. Nick was good and didn't seem to mind Kitten Little at all. I went about my business and didn't pay Nick too much attention. He explored his surroundings and followed me around. When I settled in a chair on the porch he laid down next to me and I would glance at him occasionally talking softly to him. That night when I went to bed, Nick jumped on the bed and cuddled next to me. Kitten Little was not happy about that either.

The next day at work I got a call from Karen to see how Nick made out. I think she was surprised when I said he did good. Later I got an email from the shelter with a few pics, that is when I found out Nick was called "demon dog" by some of the volunteers. Here is a pic they sent me of Nick and a face I would become familiar with. Nick's "issues" would soon be very

apparent. And that is why his posting pics where taken at weird angles. He would snarl at anyone who tried to take his pic close up....OMG what did I get myself into? Don't let his missing

teeth fool you he can give a really good bite, trust me .....LOL...To be continued.

What Cats Do For Us

Cats Do For Us

You Know You Are a Dog Person When...., Humor

You Know You Are a Dog Person When...., Humor

Charity Begins at Home

I do believe in the saying "Charity begins at home". With so many sites devoted to animal rescues, where do you begin? It's easy, start in your own home town, city, or state.


Although I would love to single handedly save animal kind, I am neither rich or have super powers. So.... I focus on my local animal shelter. When I donate cash or goods to my local shelter I feel like I've done something to help. I even put my dog Nicky (Nikki) on their "Happy Tails" page to encourage people to adopt. There are also many volunteer positions. I give to my favorite local charities before I give to anything else. If you've got more to give, that's great, spread it out. I also like to buy from sites that donate proceeds to specific charities. On the animal rescue site you can click every day to donate food for shelter animals and it's free! Do what you can at home and everything else is gravy.

There are a lot of sad tales of animal abuse, cruelty, and neglect it's in the news and on the web. I've tried to educate myself regarding puppy mills, not buying from pet stores and backyard breeders. I will always adopt from shelters or rescue orgs. If I dwell too much on the evil that men do I will feel depressed, helpless and overwhelmed. I choose action instead and doing what I can in my own community. I have friends who volunteer their time at the shelter walking dogs and one of my friends adopted a cage at a nearby cat shelter and she loves bringing supplies to them when she can. It gives her a great sense of accomplishment.

Hopefully, if anyone from good old Attleboro, Mass. happens to find my post they will be motivated by their love of animals to click on the link below to see what they can do to help. Local shelters depend on our support!

Now it is time to get off my soapbox and take the dog out for his nightly pee.

http://www.faaspets.org/donations.html

Petting A Dog

I found this article and thought it was right on the money. I think it applies to adults and children. My dog is extremely cautious with strangers sometimes to the point of lunging and trying bite because he feels threatened in some way. He is like that if someone he doesn't know starts talking to him and pays way too much attention. You should always ignore dogs you are not already familiar with. Because he is so cute and looks sweet, they make the mistake of trying to pet him too soon or even trying to hold him...big no no. I always tell people to ignore him and talk to me. He might sniff a person for a little bit and if he walks away I tell them he doesn't want to be petted. If he sits in front of them and wiggles his bum and stares up then he wants to be petted. My dog talks in a low kind of growl that says "I will give you a chance but be careful". I insist he be scratched under the chin not over his head (you can't imagine how hard it is to get people to do that as they think that is what will get them bit). If someone gets too nervous about my instructions or his little talking growl then I don't let them pet him because that makes my dog nervous and he will get aggressive. Under no circumstances do I let him near small children. Children can sometimes have too much energy and are not old enough to follow instructions. The point is, to know your dog and his body language. Dogs should be treated with respect and dignity just like humans. Rescue dogs need even more care than most dogs that are raised from a pup.

Direct kids to pet your dog in a way that both will enjoy
By Linda Lombardi,For The Associated PressPublished: Monday, July 14, 2008 at 3:30 a.m.Last Modified: Monday, July 14, 2008 at 1:52 a.m.Associated PressTrixtan, a blue mural collie, responds to a command given by 11-yearold Myles Blane (left) as dog trainer Amy Robinson gives instructions at Myles' home in Vero Beach, Fla., last month."Can I pet your dog?"Most of us want to say yes. A good neighbor lets children pet his dog, right?"People want to be nice," says Colleen Pelar, dog trainer and author of Living with Kids and Dogs ... Without Losing Your Mind. "But by being nice to people we're sometimes not nice to our dogs."Many people don't recognize the subtle signs of stress in dog body language. You may not realize that your dog tolerates being petted by strangers but does not enjoy it."If we don't see that, we're going to be blindsided on the day that's more stressful, when four kids come over and your dog snaps," says Pelar.There's certainly no need to panic about the odds of a dog bite. In her book Dogs Bite But Balloons and Slippers are More Dangerous, trainer Janis Bradley gives statistics showing that more emergency room visits can be attributed to accidents with furniture or footwear than interactions with dogs.But no matter how small the chance is - no matter if it's just a snap and not even a scratch - you know how bad you'd feel if it was your dog. So follow a few simple rules, and understand some basic elements of canine body language.Ask permission. Most kids know to ask the owner if it's OK. But, Pelar emphasizes, "Then you have to ask the dog."Some experts suggest having the child putting out a closed fist or a hand with palm upraised; others say just stand there. But all agree: Let the dog decide whether to approach the child. Don't hold a dog still in your lap for petting, and respect the dog's decision if it turns away or moves behind the owner.Watch the body language. If the dog does approach, observe the body language. Don't concentrate on the tail - it can be hard to read. Pelar says, "I tell people that if they're looking at the tail, they're watching the wrong end of the dog."Instead, the mouth can give a lot of clues. A dog that's licking lips, panting excessively or yawning is showing that he's not comfortable. These are oral self-soothing behaviors much like sucking your thumb, says Pelar. In contrast - opposite of the common maternal fear of the teeth showing - if the dog's mouth is open, that's a sign that it's relaxed.Pick the right spot. Pet a dog under the chin or along the neck or side, not the top of the head.Pelar explains this to children by saying, "Avoid the sensitive eyes and ears." This is easy to understand, and the result is that they avoid the blind spot on the top of the dog's head.Go slow. Encourage children to pet slowly, rather than rapid patting. "Slow motion like in the movies, every kid understands what that means," says trainer Amy Robinson, whose DVD Drool School teaches dog safety to children.Be ready. You can also do some advance training to prepare your dog for social interactions. Although children should be told not to pull ears or tail, sometimes they're too quick to stop. So do desensitization exercises with your dog by touching or very gently pulling ears and tail, and then praising him. (Robinson says she doesn't use food rewards for this, so that the dog doesn't see children as a possible source of treats if they touch him in those spots.)Teach well. Aside from watching out for your dog's comfort level, you may want to be prepared to gently educate. When explaining to children how to approach a dog, see it from their point of view."How would you like some strange person to run up to you, squeal, grab your face and give you a big kiss? They get that, they understand that when you put it in those terms," says Robinson.Don't blame. If you have to say no because your dog's showing a stress-related behavior, take the opportunity to point it out. And on both sides, try to understand that it's not a judgment on the child or on the dog if this just isn't the right moment."If the owner says no, that's no reflection on the child's behavior," says Pelar. "That person is not saying that you're not kind to dogs. They're saying that my dog's not comfortable. And that's OK."

A Dog In Need Of Rescue

Here is what I was told about Nick when I adopted him from the local shelter in 2005. A woman saw him running around a scrap yard one night. She was in a wheel chair but decided Nick needed saving. He was not friendly at all and wanted nothing to do with her. She spent hours luring him with food and finally got him to jump into her car. She brought him to the shelter. This picture was taken when he was brought in. He was in pretty rough shape matted and filthy. God only knows what kind of life he had. He tried to bite anyone who came near him. Can you blame him?

He was brought to the vet, and they had to put him to sleep to shave him completely down. Luckily a wonderful animal control officer took him into her home for a couple weeks to work on socializing him. She really took to him in spite of his aggressive behavior. I guess she saw what

I would see when I first met him. Below is a pic of Nick and Karen.

Kitten Little

Kitten Little's Story

To be perfectly honest although I have a cat that I love, I am a true dog person. Kitten Little

was given to me as kitten right after I had to put my last dog Shoosh to sleep in 2000. I was heartbroken. I couldn't think of getting another dog at that time but I missed the company. Kitten Little fit the bill. As cats go he is a very affectionate and loves people. He definitely gets on my nerves sometimes though, like when he wakes me in the middle of the night. He likes to push my buttons to get my attention.

He is an indoor cat which makes me feel guilty sometimes but I know it is for his own good. Where we live there is too much wild life, stray cats, and kids that could be harmful to him. He has window seats on my porch and my spare room so he always knows what's going on. Cats are great because they are pretty low maintenance and great for people who love animals but don't have the time or energy needed to care for a dog. You feed them, clean their box, play with them, and cuddle. Being an indoor cat he stays pretty healthy except for this past May when for the first time in 8 years Kitten Little was very sick. He wouldn't eat or drink and seemed to have a hard time urinating. He was very lethargic. I got him to the vet just in time. He had a urinary tract infection that turned into a blockage. He spent 3 days at the vets. It scared the crap out of me. He was never ill. He is perfectly fine now, but I always watch everything he does to make sure he doesn't get sick again. I do whatever it takes to keep my animals happy and healthy.

Animals give us unconditional love and companionship and they deserve the best from us.

My Very First Post

Well, I'm trying my hand at blogging. It looks like fun. I have kept a written journal on and off since the age of 15. I am now 48. My handwriting has never been very good and it has gotten worse over the years due to carpel tunnel. Typing is actually easier for me. I think that maybe this blog will mostly be dedicated to my love of animals, especially dogs. Hopefully my experiences with my rescue dog Nick, formerly known as Demon Dog, might be of help to someone else out there. But, will include whatever suits my fancy. I bought a mobile home at Birchwood Village in 2004 after years of being kicked out of apartments for stupid reasons like "we are tearing the building down" and "we are getting a divorce and my ex wants your apt."....stuff like that. Anyhoo, I love it there and desperately wanted a permanent home of my own. So, now I am Trailer Class....Yeah!

I have a great lot across from the 10 mile river and some really great neighbors. The pic above is the view from my mobe on a beautiful fall day....awesome...I love nature. That's about it for now.