17 Hours With The One That Got Away

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On Friday night I had the privilege of watching Johnnie Cash while her parents were out of town (I know, right!). I picked her up after a long work day and dropped her off early the next morning, so I literally had her in my care for about seventeen hours. But it was sixteen and a half more hours than I’d spent with her since she got adopted almost exactly one year ago.

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After work I drove to Johnnie’s house and opened up her front door to find a groggy, sleepy-faced pup awakening in her crate. At first she was wary of this person entering her home that wasn’t her mom or dad, but then when I exclaimed, “Johnnie girl!” she immediately perked up and seemed to be excited to see me. I have no idea if she remembered me or not, but we spent a good five minutes rolling around on the ground giving and receiving kisses with exuberant tail/body wags from Johnnie. I forgot how wiggly she gets when she is excited!

Everything about her and our time together came immediately flooding back. Her happy greetings. Her amazing manners (she sat for me right away). Her gentle but excited face licks. Her general enthusiasm for just about everything. When she calmed down I petted that soft spot on the top of her head that I feel like I’ve petted a million times. It’s crazy how even though she hasn’t been with us for over a year it still feels like I know her so well.

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I harnessed her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom, and she immediately sat at the door and then checked in with me while we were walking. I was floored by her perfect manners. A year later and she has improved so much; it is quite evident how much work her family has done with her. With every learned appropriate behavior she demonstrated – checking in, sitting politely for her next cue, controlling her enthusiasm – my heart swelled. Wow, I thought, this dog is so special… how did we let her get away?

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A few months ago Mark moved to New York City for an amazing job opportunity, so unfortunately he wasn’t able to be with Johnnie Cash for our brief reunion. But I know that Johnnie means as much to him as she does to me, so I sent him pictures starting from when I first picked her up. With every photo we reminisced a little more about the ten weeks we spent with her. It seems that with Johnnie Cash the more that changes, the more that stays the same. She still sits like a goof ball, she still loves to sleep in the car, she still bounds around the house like a happy-go-lucky pup and she still trots along like her knees don’t bend. So much about her is still exactly what it was when we said goodbye twelve months ago.

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After just watching Paco for ten days, I am reminded again of why I don’t want to have a dog of my own at this time in my life. But being with Johnnie also reminded me of the bond I can have with a dog, and how special that can feel. It was nice to get that feeling again. I could not be happier about Johnnie’s family and all they do for her, and I don’t think I could have written a better outcome for her. At this point I am appreciative that she has continued to show me what it can feel like to make what seems to be a life-long connection with a dog. I know I have that with all my fosters, but Miss Cash is so much like what I envision in my “forever dog” that it’s nice to get that I can have this bond with my own dog one day feeling.

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I sure do love you, Johnnie Cash! Thanks for everything you’ve done for me, including turning me into the trainer I am today. I owe ya one, pretty girl.

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KPA Back Story: A Bit More About How I Got Here

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I have begun blogging for Dog Latin Dog Training’s website about my KPA experience. My Wednesday blogs here on PLF will be a sort of re-blog from those posts. For some posts it means I’ll touch on things you all probably already know, but for the most part it will probably be new content. Today I am taking a look back on the road to KPA. You’ve heard some of this before, but here it is again, all in one place. Thanks for sticking with me through this journey! 

I guess I’ll rewind for this entry, and talk about how and why I ended up in the Karen Pryor Academy. Both of those – the how and the why – have a bit to do with a wonderful woman named Beth Mullen, the mastermind behind Dog Latin Dog Training.

Beth and I worked together at the shelter for about two years – she with the animals, me in the development department. As I started fostering shelter dogs, our paths began to cross more often. I needed help here and there on behavior issues, and Beth was always so gracious with giving advice. I subsequently started to really see the positive work she was doing with our shelter dogs, all through creative clicker training – never using force or fear that folks sometimes think you need to turn to in a large kennel setting like a shelter.

While Beth certainly had a positive influence on my journey into force-free training, many other factors went into me choosing it as a new career path. When my interest in training picked up, I began attending workshops at Your Dog’s Friend (they are an insanely good resource for learning to live harmoniously with your dog!). It was a seminar about managing your dog’s behavior where I had a “light bulb moment” about management and reinforcing desired behaviors. From there, I went to an internship at Animal Farm Foundation (AFF) and had my first real “hands on” experience with reward-based training, shaping, behavior modification, etc. (I was in between fosters at this point so real life subjects to “practice” on were tough to find – AFF really opened my eyes to the possibilities). I saw first-hand how much you could achieve with this training and officially became hooked.

Photo credit to AFF.

Photo credit to AFF.

(This is one of those instances where you guys already know what I’m talking about – bear with me!) Johnnie Cash was the four-legged furball that sealed the deal for me – the dog trainer deal, that is. That foster pup taught me SO much about communicating with dogs. Johnnie had a lot of energy (she sat in the shelter for five months with no interest), and I promise you that if I hadn’t taught her in a way that her good behavior was a product of her own decisions, she would not have become such a great, well-mannered dog… and I would not have become such a believer in clicker training!

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Fast forward a few months, and Beth has officially taken me under her wing. I am soaking up every bit of knowledge I can from her – and it is a lot! I learn something new every time I watch her work. She really inspires me to work at becoming the best dog trainer I can be. We both believe strongly in continuing education and not becoming stagnant in what you know. Beth has also taught me enormous amounts about mutual respect when it comes to working with animals, and that’s exactly what clicker training is all about.

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KPA will be a difficult course for me, but it will likely be one of my greatest achievements – not only as a trainer, but as a person. I am just trying to come out the other side as a better trainer with the ability to help dogs and their owners live happier lives together. I am so lucky to get this opportunity!

Stay tuned to next week when I talk about how Paco and I are doing together and how we prepared for our first testing weekend.

It Might Not Be Us, But It Sure Is Perfect: A Visit With Johnnie

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Johnnie’s visit was the last to come about for that exciting Saturday of foster reunions. I knew we’d be in the area for Zee/Medivka’s visit so I cautiously asked Johnnie’s new family if they would be up for a get together. I hate feeling like I am pressuring my adopters to hang out, so I braced myself for them to say they weren’t around or even that they weren’t interested (which would have been fine!). To my delight they said they’d be happy to have us come by to see her. I could not contain my excitement!

Unfortunately I made it so that I could not share my excitement with the one other person who I knew would appreciate it like I would: foster dad. I decided to make our visit to Johnnie a surprise for Mark. After we left Medivka’s house, I told him we had one more stop. He was confused, but then so excited once I told him our final destination. That is when the butterflies set in… we were really going to see our little Johnnie again!

Her owner came out to meet us (love her) and brought us up to their condo. She opened the door and there was Johnnie, wiggly as ever! I think we both melted to the floor in a flurry of dog tail, human smiles and bouncy paws. Everything felt familiar: her bouncy greeting, her soft, spotted belly, that spot on her forehead between her eyes that I think I’ve kissed a million times. She kept ping-ponging between me and Mark, settling briefly in our laps before joyously running over to the other, sometimes even stopping at her people as if to say, “My old friends are here!”

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I soaked up her Johnnie-ness as we caught up with her owners. They gushed about her and told us how they have adjusted their lives to help her be the best dog she can be. They have play dates with friends’ dogs, they have taken her to training classes, and when they went on a 10-day vacation they found a boarding place that set up a playgroup for her with a few suitable dog friends. Her mom even takes her to work sometimes! They love her. It’s perfect. She’s perfect.

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This visit really (really) made me miss her again, but it also reminded me how lucky we were to have found this family to adopt her. They certainly love her like we love her; how we would love her if she had become our own. Seeing that in person is so comforting. Since she can’t be ours, we couldn’t be more thrilled about where she ended up. So good to see you, Miss Cash!

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Family Reunion With Baxter

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Yes, I said family. The group of people who worked together to save Baxter’s life two years ago is nothing short of a family.

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You might remember the post after Bax got adopted where I shared the Pandora charm I bought to remember him. It was a ball made up of dozens of little hearts. It reminded me of his rescue because, to me, it symbolized how many hearts were attached and dedicated to this little black dog. Big Bruno, the shelter volunteer who met him at the very beginning, Catalina, the rescuer who pulled him from the shelter, me, the foster who got him used to living in a home, Diane and Lali, his adopters, and then of course the hundreds of fans across the globe who rooted for him every day.

We are so lucky that the five of us live close enough so we can still see each other once in a while. The last time we were all together was last summer (which is crazy to think it was that long ago) and it was a joyous reunion. This time was just as sweet. Unfortunately what kicked us all into gear to see each other again was another episode of Baxter eating non-edible things. Yes, you read that right. This stupid little monkey underwent surgery #4 for swallowing fabric. Before you say anything about, “Well how in the heck did he have access to something like that again!?” – his parents are only human. Accidents happen. This occurred when Bax busted through the basement door to find a box of towels that was tucked away. You can only manage and prevent and plan for so much, ya know?

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After Baxter made it out of surgery okay, we all breathed a huge sigh of relief and decided right then and there that we’d have to see each other again. An afternoon date was set, and we all met up at Bax’s house.

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It never gets old, seeing this little guy. It’s like as soon as I see him my days as a novice (read: clueless) foster mom come rushing back to me. His big smile brings back so many memories of adventuring, falling in love and findings things out the hard way. You never forget your first, after all :-).

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Baxter was in great spirits despite his healing belly scars. Miss Piggy was also her usual happy self, bouncing her round self around to say hi to everyone. This video is from when we first saw Baxter that day.  If tails could make dogs fly, these two would lift off to China. I would recommend turning your volume off… lots of squealing in this video!

So many warm and fuzzies after a visit like this. I am so lucky that I get to see my former fosters so often, and to share that feeling with others who love them like I do is so special!

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Reuniting Two Years Later

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Many of you weren’t around for Little Zee’s story. It was two years ago, far before this blog reached any sort of popularity. I was totally new to fostering, and decided to participate in her rescue from the shelter only because I had the help of one of the most knowledgeable, kind families I know: Love and a Six-Foot Leash. I remember driving Zabora home from her spay surgery, a drugged up, wide eyed dog in the back of my car, thinking, “What the heck have I gotten myself into?”

The first picture I took of a foster dog ever!

The first picture I took of a foster dog ever!

What I had gotten myself into was a remarkable story of how a community came together to save a dog who otherwise probably wouldn’t have had a chance. She was older (we guessed anywhere between eight or nine at the time, though now we know that estimate might have been a bit old), she wasn’t in great health and she had what we guessed was a neurological problem that gave her poor balance. The odds were against us, but our friends at Love and a Six-Foot Leash stepped forward to save her life and never looked back.

Zee helping Mark celebrate his 21st birthday!

Zee helping Mark celebrate his 21st birthday two years ago!

After just a few weeks bouncing between my home and L&ASFL’s home, Zabora found herself an amazing family. The couple she landed with are perfect for her, and she for them.

They named her Medivka and brought her in as their new family member. She has since gone on to become a big sister, too!  Medivka’s family has been so great to keep us updated on how she is doing, every once in a while sending us an email with an adorable photo or quick update (seriously love my adopters). One email recently, though, had a different kind of update.

When she was with us, Medivka’s balance issues had us all stumped. We were unsure if it was vestibular disease, a really bad ear infection with permanent damage or a traumatic one time injury that had long lasting effects. The vet believed it was perhaps the last one on that list, but no one could know for sure. After her parents recently realized she was getting a bit worse, they took her back to the vet. She was diagnosed with cerebellar ataxia, which is a deterioration of nerves in the cerebellum. It explains her loss of balance, and why it has gotten worse (unfortunately, it’s a progressive condition).

Interestingly enough, the disease is a recessive genetic disease in American Staffordshire Terriers. Medivka is a purebred (determined by a DNA test) Am Staff, which explains why she is prone to the disease.  Luckily, though, because it showed up later in her life and hasn’t been progressing at a rapid rate, everyone has hopes and expectations that she has a long and healthy life ahead of her.

Like I mentioned in my post last week, I’m feeling especially nostalgic these days. After going back and forth on email about little M’s newly diagnosed condition, I realized how badly I wanted to see her again. Mark and I talk about her all the time. Before Johnnie, she was the one Mark secretly wished we had kept. We often reminisce about how cuddly, friendly, outgoing and silly she is.

Medivka’s family was so nice and let us come by and visit on Saturday afternoon. We spent our visit on the floor with Medivka, petting and loving on her just like we had the chance to do two years ago. Her family told us how her daily routine is to observe the household happenings and hang out with her little sis, with some walks in the neighborhood and sunbathing in the yard sprinkled throughout her day. She is a very lucky dog – and, this past Saturday, we were lucky former foster parents.

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Thank you, Medivka and family, for letting us visit and remember why we loved this little monkey so much! It’s crazy to think that it’s been two full years since we first met. . . and yet, not much has changed :-).

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A Trifecta of Former Foster Reunions

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Sometimes the stars align just right to bring you a day you’ll never forget. That happened to me this past Saturday.

Somehow amidst the chaos of my working-two-jobs-and-still-trying-to-salvage-what’s-left-of-my-social-life schedule, three events found themselves in my calendar on one single day. Those three events were reunions with three of my former foster dogs.

Yes, three former fosters. Zabora, Baxter and Johnnie Cash. All in the flesh. It was, to put it simply, a perfect day.

I haven’t seen Zabora (now Medivka) in two years. I haven’t seen Baxter since his latest scary surgery. I haven’t seen almost foster failure Johnnie girl since the week she got adopted. Each of these reunions were sweet for their own reason, and I’ll write about them individually in the next few posts. For now, here is a reminder of the sweet faces I got to hang out with:

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I am one happy foster mama :-).

Throwback Thursday: The First Post

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I don’t know if it’s the cool weather we’ve been having lately that reminds of Autumn and the first dogs I fostered, or the fact that it’s been almost exactly two years, or if I’m just missing all my foster dogs lately – but a little grey pup and the story that came with her to start my fostering career have really been on my mind lately.

Today’s post is a reblogged entry from the very first day I ever wrote in this blog. It’s awkward seeing the way I wrote back then, and how much of a baby I was when I posted that entry. I was only 21! I knew nothing! (I still know nothing!) I remember that it would take me so long to write posts back then because 1. I needed to collect my thoughts in their entirety before writing and publishing, and 2. I tried *REALLY* hard to make sure each post was written the best I could write it. Now I can generally crank out posts with ease. Even if it isn’t reflected in my posts, this blog has helped my writing abilities immensely. Learning how to put your thoughts on paper in a non-crappy way is a skill I’m not sure I would have learned as well anywhere else!

When I was looking back at this post I noticed it was indeed just about two years ago – two years and two days to be exact. So, for those of you who haven’t been around since the beginning, here you go. Here’s the ramble that started it all. If you want to get the full story, you can start on the actual post and keep clicking ‘Next –>’ to follow along. Please excuse the photography, too. I guess at least it is a way to realize how far you’ve come!

Every journey begins with one paw print.

Posted on August 20, 2011

It’s official: I’ve been bit by the fostering bug. It’s the kind of thing that happens slowly over time. For me, it started when I began working full time at the Montgomery County Humane Society.  I have been exposed to a lot since I started working there – some good, some bad. But it all gives you a realistic picture of what the world of sheltering really is.

Due to our tight quarters, my Marketing & Events position landed me at a desk directly next to our foster and rescue programs. I not only get to meet the lucky dogs who go out to foster, but I also get to meet the incredible people who open their homes and their hearts to these animals. I experience first hand the amounts of love, patience, and knowledge that these people pour out to care for these dogs while searching for their forever homes.

One of the most inspirational things I’ve learned from observing the world of fostering is how much emotion and hard work these animals take. The humans that care for them put their hearts on the line and make countless sacrifices to give their foster pet a new life. I wish everyone could realize how difficult fostering is, and what kind of person it takes. Lots of people say, “I could never do it. It would be too hard to give them up.” And it is hard, but I learned it is also one of the most rewarding things you can do.

My first foster dog came along unofficially, but more about that later. That goofy American Bulldog named Otis changed my view of fostering forever. In the two weeks I had him, I fell in love. I was okay with knowing, though, that inevitably I was going to have to give him up. I knew I couldn’t make the lifetime commitment to take him in as my own, but more importantly I knew how many other dogs I needed to help. Otis couldn’t be the last.

With the passing of my family pet, a cranky 14-year old Wheaten Terrier named Barley (whom I miss terribly), my house is finally open to official fostering. I’m bringing my first home tomorrow. Her name is Zabora, she is an 8-year old pit bull whose odds of being adopted at the shelter were slim. I’m nervous, I’m excited, I’m clueless. But I am ready.

Zabora marks the formal start of my journey as a foster parent. I’m going to devote my entire life to fostering dogs in need, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. I hope this account of my experiences helps to show a few others how rewarding fostering can be, and maybe even inspire them to try it out for themselves.

It takes a special person to foster, but fostering can also turn your life into something special.

This is my childhood dog, Barley, whose recent passing comes with the silver lining of now being able to help other dogs in need. Rest happy, little pup, your paw print will always be the biggest on my heart. 

Well. There you have it. The birth of Peace, Love & Fostering. The awkward, naive, totally clueless birth of PLF.  Thanks for sticking with us for two whole years. You guys rule.