Doggie Updates

Willy

When I got to the Dog's Home this morning, Shandy was being test driven by a couple, so let's hope they like her enough to take her home.  And Tibby was still there, plodding along on her tiny short legs.  At 12 years old, I hope someone takes her home.  She gets a bit puffed going up hills. And Deena was still there, affectionate as ever and very happy to go for a walk.  But the good news is that Montali, long term resident of the Home, who was transferred to Hobart, is being fostered out with a view to adoption.  Let's hope they have good high fences because Montali is a jumper.  But after the years she's been at the home, I hope she gets adopted and it works out for her.  I haven't blogged about Willy, the foxhound before, but he's found a new home.  Willy would have to be the strongest dog ever.  He knocked me onto my backside once, which was quite funny.  Wolfie was a wolfhound cross who seemed to get more erratic every time I walked him, but after being transferred to Hobart, he's found a new home.  Being locked up for a good part of the day wasn't doing him much good at all.

Dog of The Week

Shandy the bitser is only a year old and is a cute little thing.  What I liked the most is her soft little face and her cute little short legs.  She has an unfussy nature and would make a lovely quiet pet for someone.  Fingers crossed.

Cute

It was nice to read this morning that the Victorian government is finally getting tough on illegal puppy farms.  Next on the hit list should be pet shops and backyard breeders.  All those dogs at shelters and homes must come from somewhere, and why should they be born, only to be euthanased at a young age because nobody wants them.  As far as I know, as a humble volunteer, the Dog's Homes of Tasmania do not put down healthy dogs. 

Fun Photo

pinterest

Who needs a blanket when you have a dog like this?  It actually hailed in Devonport today.  I was walking Wolfie from the dog's home and tiny hailstones were bouncing off his back.

My Kimmie is Famous!

Second chance for trio

BY CAITLIN HEATHCOTE

11 Oct, 2011 11:41 AM

TWO dogs from the Devonport dogs' home are out to show you can teach an old dog new tricks.  Dogs Kimmy and Peewee have been selected to become hearing aid dogs and have been whisked away to the Adelaide Hills for an intensive training program.  The program will help teach them to recognise sounds and alert them to their deaf or hearing-impaired owner.  Luiza Ziembicki, head trainer of Lions Hearing Dogs, said Kimmy and Peewee were making great progress with their training.  "They have both passed the first stages of their training so far," she said.  Ms Ziembicki said there were three stages of training the dogs had to pass to be able to be recognised as qualified hearing aid dogs.  "We like to think they go through their learners, then their probationary licences before they can be pronounced fully qualified," Ms Ziembicki said.  Training a hearing aid dog takes between six and eight months.  "Generally they have a couple of months in our kennels," Ms Ziembicki said.  "We assess them for any health problems and take them through different scenarios to help them adjust to different situations.  "Hearing aid dogs have the same rights as guide dogs, which means they are allowed in public places like shops and on public transport.  Ms Ziembicki said she liked sourcing dogs from the Dogs Home of Tasmania because they seemed to have the smaller breeds best suited to hearing aid dog training.  "We are looking for dogs about beagle or cocker-spaniel-sized," Ms Ziembicki said.  "You (Tasmania) seem to have more of the smaller breeds in your dogs' homes.  "You just can't find them much here."

My old foster dog Kimmie (here, here and here) was in The Advocate today.  I stole the same online article above from the Devonport Times.  It looks like little Kimmie is doing really well, darling little thing.  Love the photo (that's Kimmie on the left).

Dogs of the Week

It was a gorgeous day in Devonport today and perfect for walking dogs.  There were 2 puppies together in an outside cage and I couldn't stay away from them they were so adorable, so they will be my dogs of the week.  Jasmine and Violet are only 10 weeks old and they're  very friendly  and play well together.  They look cute as buttons asleep on their bed curled up together and they pop their little heads up when you walk past.  Jasmine has very nice colouring and Violet is an unusual grey colour.

Jasmine and Violet

Tiby was still there, playing in the yard with some small friends, and so was Deena, who was VERY excited to go for a walk.  I found out that long term resident Montali and Bluey have been transferred to the Hobart pound, so here's hoping the perfect owners finds them there.   Roy found a new home on the mainland, so he was flown out.  It really is nice to get good news before I leave.

Bluey, Deena, Montali, Roy and Tiby

Dog of the Week

Tibby is a lovely little dog, despite being a tad bossy.  She's 12 and reminds me of a guinea pig with her round body and short legs.  She's easy on a lead and loves a scratch round the ears. 

Nice Doggie

This is Deena.  Just an average looking dog, a bit crazy on the lead, but she is lovely and affectionate and looks you in the eye when you pet her and she's very grateful for the attention.  It really pays to look past what they look like. 

http://dogshomesoftas.com.au/adopt/dogs-for-adoption/

Puppies

Because I volunteer at the Dog's Home, I often wonder where all the dogs come from, and how they end up there.  I know sometimes it's unavoidable things like a death (I've heard some pretty sad things over the years), and a lot are strays that were injured or never reclaimed. I've also heard a lot of happy endings.  My own little dog came from the Home as a puppy and as luck would have it, she was the sweetest tempered little thing, because back then I knew less than nothing about dogs and how to pick one.  I chose one that I felt I could love.  How lame is that?  The RSPCA has a webpage with advice on how to pick a dog, and I'd like to add that buying a dog from the Home means that you can spend as much time as you like out there playing with them, talking about them to the staff, and picking one that matches your family.  And that's a lot easier to do if the dog is grown than it is with a pile of puppies.  Oh, and I've learned that you never buy a puppy from a fair or market, a petshop or from a breeder who won't let you see where the puppy comes from.
http://www.rspca.org.au/how-you-can-help/campaigns/pedigree-dogs/choosing-a-puppy.html

Roy, Fox Terrier, 8 years old

Dog Of The Week

Bluey is my favourite this week, simply because he's such a smoocher.  He needs some training on a lead (most of them do) but sit down with him and he loves a cuddle and scratch.  When a dog puts his head on my lap and looks up at me, I'm won over, easy as that.

So Many Dogs

Today at the Dog's Home I was shocked at how many dogs there were.  They were everywhere, and they were ALL barking.  The Home is letting them go for half the cost because they are so overcrowded and they have to reduce numbers.  Please tell everyone you know that $125 will get them a dog that is desexed, vetted, wormed, chipped etc from the Burnie or Devonport Dog's Home, and there is every size and colour to pick from.  Today I saw a lucky family leave with a gorgeous long haired border collie and there were 2 or 3 more there to pick from.  After knowing my gentle Reginald, who was a collie x, I'll be a collie fan forever I think.  He was just a perfectly beautiful gentle boy and I'll never forget him.

My dog of the week will be Rose, just because she was so well behaved and easy on the lead:

Edit Update:  Rose had a sign on her door today saying she was only $50!  What a bargain.
Edit Update Update:  Rose was adopted out a few weeks ago.

RIP Reginald

I received very sad news yesterday.  My foster dog Reginald has been living in Hobart with his wonderful new mum Sandra and was recently diagnosed with a collapsed trachea.  The damage was down low and had caused him a lot of distress in the past, but yesterday morning he got really bad and he had to be helped on his way.  I can't tell you how much I loved him and his big eyes.  He was a truly beautiful natured dog, and I'm trying really hard to be positive. 

Half Hearted

I'm not really interested in my sewing these days.  Winter was my best sewing time in days past, but I struggle for inspiration now.  A bit of knitting is usually all I can manage.  The Dog's Home, on the other hand, seems to be full to the brim with ever more dogs, all looking for that special someone to take them home.  The poor things have to spend a good part of their day shut into a dismal cage, and if they are lucky they'll get paired up with a mate to play with.  According to our volunteer's sign in book, there are days when nobody turns up at all to walk a few dogs, and from experience, ALL dogs like a walk.   

Kimmie Update

Today I took Kimmie to the Vet for a checkup for her amputated paw.  Dr. Bob removed the bandage and everything looked okay, and she'll be just fine.  She's back at the Home and will be available for adoption soon. 

New Foster Dog

Dear little Louie has gone back to the home to await his desexing operation, and he already has a family interested in him.  It wasn't sad to take him back because he is having a lot of fun with other pups his own size.

I bought home little Kimmie on Thursday because she had an infected foot which had to be partially amputated.  The foot is wrapped up and enclosed in plastic to keep it clean.  (The vet work at the home is done voluntarily by the Forbes Street Veterinary Clinic, and the lovely Dr Bob Clippingdale was looking after Kimmie.)  She is a smallish bitser with an athletic body and she just loves to run and run.  She's really good on a lead, but being energetic and not trained, she's got adhd and likes to lick.  But these things are easy to fix with good training.  So if anyone knows someone who likes to jog and has the patience to  train her properly, this is the perfect dog.  Her sore foot doesn't seem to bother her at all, and she hasn't tried to bite the bandage off.  It was really hard to get a good photo of her, because she doesn't sit still.

ps.  she has a short glossy coat and a nice little curl on the end of her tail.

Reginald Update

These are some recent photos of Reginald, kindly sent to me by his new mum Sandra.  She says:  "no woofing yet but a few tail wags. A few new pictures of our boy, He has been having a good time in the garden digging and burying bones and things. We had a good time at cornelian bay this weekend, Reg even had a bit of a play in the sand, well as much as he can seems to like kicking the sand. We have met a lot of dogs home dogs on our walks which is great."  It makes my heart glad to hear that.

 

More Louie

Louie just adores playing outside and talking to the dog next door through the fence.  He's got so much energy, he's just delightful.

New Foster Dog

This warm fluffy blob is the cutest pup ever.  His name is Louie, and some dog walkers found him abandoned in the bush at Gowrie Park a couple of weeks ago when it was very very cold.  He was way too young to be separated from his mum so he's here with me until he can be desexed and put out for adoption.  Even though he was FULL of round worms, and he cries all night, he is the cutest little thing.  He looks like a labrador, but it's hard to be sure when they are so young. Someone out there is going to be the very lucky owner of a fun loving, child loving pup:

Dog of the Week

I've chosen Montali as my pick for the week, mainly because she's been at the home for so long.  I don't know why she hasn't been snaffled up yet, because she's just a regular dog, minding her own business, not getting into trouble.  Or maybe that's why nobody has noticed her.  She had mange for a short time earlier this year, but that was treated.  After being at the home for almost a year, it would be nice to see her get adopted.

On a cheerful note, Reginald's mum tells me that he is doing very well, he likes to play with other dogs at the beach, and scared himself when he saw his reflection in the oven door. lol 

Reginald's New Home

These photos were kindly sent to me by Reg's new mum on his first day.  I love his new coat: