Project dogs updates - Jezabel, Poker, Mushu & Feather

Jezabel

I am very happy to announce Jezabel is in a foster home. Not only do foster homes do a world of good for dogs but Jezabel needed a foster home more then we knew. We found out mid last week that Jezabel was pregnant. At 5pm on the 20th Jezabel 10 beautiful pups by c-section. So far Jezabel is proving to be a great mother and I will post photos and updates of both her and the pups when I get them.

Poker

Poker now walks very nicely on a leash, all this took was patience on my part. He finally learned that pulling means I don't move. On Friday I got Poker a kennel buddy, and he loves not being alone in his kennel anymore. It was cold and snowy today so we were not able to work on using the stairs since they are outside. Today (29th) he finally started eating treats but is not yet motivated enough for them to be used to help train him.

Goals
- Get a new, better photo
- Learn how to use the stairs (about 50% there already)
- Take and eat treats
- Basic obedience once he's eating treats
- Get a home

I wish I had a newer photo of Mushu. I ran into his foster turned adopter on Friday and she gave me a great update.  All of the puffiness you see in his face is swelling due to allergies. Since he has been home with her the swelling has gone away. She cooks for her dogs and is able to eliminate anything they may be allergic to. He still has trouble with the groomer, and I've offered to come over sometime to help out with that. I couldn't have asked for better news.

 Meet Feather, an 8 month old female Rat Terrier. I met Feather while trying to find a new kennel mate for another dog. Feather is a very sweet and playful girl with a big personality. Unfortunately her young age has not spared her from hash hands. While in her kennel where she feels most secure, Feather will come up to me and even jump up and allow some petting on her chest. Outside of her kennel she is very fearful of hands or of people who are standing up. With her age, breed, personality and love for hot dogs; I think she'll come around and be a pretty normal dog.

Goals
- Learn that people are ok
- Lots of desensitizing to hands and to being touched
-  Work on walking on a leash
- Get a home

Standard ending notes:
- I am not a professional dog trainer, though I one day hope to be. I am in an apprenticeship program for dog training and will not take on a dog that is more then I can safely handle. Please do not ask me to help you with your dog, I am not qualified to answer.
- All photos belong to the wonderful volunteers who took and uploaded them in the hopes of helping these dog's find their homes.
- If you are interested in adopting one of my project dogs or any puppy mill survivor check out National Mill Dog Rescue's website: https://milldogrescue.org/

New project dogs, Jezabel & Poker

 Jezabel

Meet Jezabel, we don't really know what breeds she is but she is a very sweet dog. She is at National Mill Dog Rescue and they say she is a year old. Over the last couple of days I have been working with and assessing Jezabel and she is simply a wonderful dog, would be great in nearly any home and is suitable for beginner dog owners. Jezabel did not come from a mill, she was surrendered by a back yard breeder. I have tested her with a number of other dogs and a kid and she did wonderfully. Right now she knows sit, how to walk nicely on a leash and the cue "left side" which is like a sloppy heel which she does on and off leash. She also knows how to use stairs and is housebroken.

Goals
- Teach her other basic commands like down and stand
- Teach her more advanced commands like leave it
- Continue to work on her left side
- Get her a home

Poker

Poker is a five year old Jack Russle Terrier, but by looking at him you would never know it. He looks like a JRT and Corgi cross and has the energy of a puppy. He is also at National Mill Dog Rescue. Poker was shy at first but warmed up quickly. When he found out what a lap was he refused to leave. He is very energetic and happy and would do best in a family who could give him lots of exercise. He gets along great with other dogs, but needs a friend with a similar amount of energy. He has no idea what treats are so right now that is one of the big things we are working on. He will take the treat, then spit it out. He walks on a leash, but has the tendency to pull.

Goals
- Walk nicely on a leash
- Learn how to use the stairs (about 50% there already)
- Take and eat treats
- Basic obedience once he's eating treats
- Get a home

Standard ending notes:
- I am not a professional dog trainer, though I one day hope to be. I am in an apprenticeship program for dog training and will not take on a dog that is more then I can safely handle. Please do not ask me to help you with your dog, I am not qualified to answer.
- All photos belong to the wonderful volunteers who took and uploaded them in the hopes of helping these dog's find their homes.
- If you are interested in adopting one of my project dogs or any puppy mill survivor check out National Mill Dog Rescue's website: https://milldogrescue.org/

Double Merle Transport Pup

As promised, here is the information on double merles and photos of a cute puppy.

Firstly what is double merle? Lets start with the basics. Some breeds of dogs, like the Australian Shepherd, can have pattern called merle. The merle pattern can be on any color and produces a pretty spotted/patch pattern. (Again, this is a very basic explanation.) When two merle patterned dogs are bred together there is a 25% chance of getting a double merle pup, that is a puppy who is homozygous for the merle pattern gene. Visually this produces a dog that is mostly or completely white and (most likely) has blue eyes.

Happy to be out for a potty break.

You may be wondering what is so wrong with white puppies. It is not the appearance that is the trouble. Double merle dogs more often then not, have problems that are directly linked to being homozygous for the merle gene. The most common problem is deafness, while not all are deaf or totally deaf the majority of double merles will be deaf. The other big issue linked to double merle has to deal with the dog's eyes. A double merle's eye(s) can be too small "micro eye," born without eye(s) and misshapen pupil(s) all of which either caused impaired vision or blindness.

Finally sleeping.

All of that could be avoided with responsible breeding practices. The puppy I picked up for transport today is a double merle and is completely deaf, his vision is functional but has not been fully tested.

For most of the trip he cried, howled, yapped and barked. Imagine being in his position, eight weeks old and taken away from all you know, unable to find mom or siblings. All the sights and smells are new.

He was scared, confused and I could not do much to help put him at ease. When he finally did relax (about an hour in, 30 mins from our destination) I gave a big sigh of relief. The hand off to his foster family was seamless, I could tell they were already in love. It it wonderful that people like that make a place in this world for puppies deemed "damaged goods" by some. All I can do is my little part to help puppies like the one from earlier today get to the people who love them and try to educate others.

Updates, new rescues and a lack of sleep

Updates

• Mushu and Pumpkin have both officially been adopted!

• I am going out to NMDR more and will have new "official" project dogs soon.

• The fish mentioned in my previous post have found a new home, with someone who has a very large tank and actually has a clue as to what they are doing with big fish

Zella

• In my "Rescued Ratties" post I hadn't yet named my (then) newest rat, her name is now Zella.

• You may have noticed that I wrote "my (then) newest rat" that is because I now have a new, newest rat. She was rescued today, more information later in this post.

 

New Rescues

As oh so many of these stories start...This morning I was browsing Craigslist and I saw an ad for someone giving away a rat and a mouse, both free, both pregnant, available as feeders. I immediately texted the number and expressed interest. The gal who responded said they were promised to someone else...but I could have the rat since the other person had not yet confirmed a time.

I showed up and it was, unfortunately, a pretty typical situation. In her own words, quoted from the craigslist ad, "The mouse is a feeder mouse, however, my snake refused to eat her, so now, she is just taking up space." The rat was apparently bought by the boyfriend as a pet and the gal was not allowing it to stay. The rat was in a very small critter keeper on pine and the mouse was nowhere in sight.

I mentioned taking the mouse too and was told "You won't want it, it's in rough shape from the store." Anyone who knows me, knows that secured the mouses fate in coming home with me. As it turns out she was keeping the mouse in a paper bag in the closet so she wouldn't have to look at it. She also admitted to trying to kill the mouse by putting it in with the rat, but the rat only groomed it.

 As soon as I had the bag in my hand, I worked my way towards the exit. A few blocks away I pulled over and moved the rat to a carrier I had brought and the mouse into the critter keeper. It was then I noticed that the mouse had wounds on it's tail that went down to the bone.

I got home as fast as I could and got them into their new homes.

 The rat, Bell, will stay with me until I am certain that she is not pregnant, I am hoping she is not pregnant. Pregnancy is hard on any animal, epically one that is a baby. I suspect that she is only about three months old judging by her weight. (100 grams, for reference my small adult females weigh 300 grams and my  big adult males weigh close to a pound.)

The mouse, Hank, will stay until his tail heals and as he lacks the necessary parts I am certain he is not pregnant as the surrendering owner led me to believe. Hank is being treated with antibiotics and with something for the pain I am sure he is in.

A Lack of Sleep

Why a lack of sleep? I can't sleep, I don't know why but instead of sleeping I am up at 2am writing this blog. Normally this wouldn't matter, except that I have to be up in 4 hours. In 4 hours I will be driving north for about an hour to pick up a double merle australian shepherd puppy, if you don't know what that means stay tuned and I'll explain tomorrow. I will be transporting this pup to it's foster/potential forever home in the city where I live. Full story, with cute fluffy puppy photos, tomorrow.